15 Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes!

July 22, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 27 Comments

Truth: Salad dressing has the ability to make or break your salad. So instead of putting your faith in a bottled, pre-made concoction, you might want to put the fate of your salad in your own hands and whip up a homemade salad dressing. Here are 15 of my personal favorites to choose from!

In-Season. Summer is sort of the unofficial "season of salad." Warm weather and dry sunny days leave us easily craving cool, crisp, fresh, healthy salads. Instead of turning on your oven or slaving over a hot stove, just reach into your fridge and create a chilled out meal filled with colorful, diverse ingredients like greens, chopped veggies, fruit, legumes, nuts, seeds and grains. And a drizzle of amazing dressing on top.

Summer salads remind us that salads do not have to be thought of as "starters or sides," but have the ability to be the main event of the meal. Summer is the perfect time to perfect your "entree salad" creations.

What is the Dressing? Whenever I post a photo of one of my dinner salads on Instagram the most common question I get is "what is the dressing?" It seems that most people know how to throw ingredients in a bowl, but sometimes salad dressings can seem mysterious or challenging to us. So this post will hopefully give you insight into a few of my favorite go-to salad dressing recipes.

Go-To Dressing Inspired. Last week I stumbled on this fabulous article by The Kitchn: 5 Salad Dressing to Know by Heart. And I was so inspired by the article that I wanted to do my own go-to recipe guide, only my version uses vegan ingredients. And I added more recipes because, quite frankly, I couldn't settle on my five faves. Get my 15 Go-To Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes for summertime, and all year long..

The most important thing to remember when reviewing these recipes below (and when prepping your dressing in your kitchen) is that every single recipe is modifiable. Aka, tweakable. You should always make your salad dressing to taste. The key is to start with a few basic ingredients and add them in amounts that create your perfect dressing. Some people like their dressing lower in oil/fat and higher in zippy ingredients like vinegar and citrus juice. Others like very silky, high fat dressing, more vegan mayo - more oil - more tahini. Some like very basic ingredients without too many herb and spice accents, while others like to add copious amounts of dried spices and freshly chopped herbs. After a while of whipping up homemade dressings, you will know exactly what your perfect ratios of ingredients are. Use my recipes as a guide, as inspiration to springboard off your cutting board and create your own fun and fabulous salad dressing recipes.

So grab your salad bowl salad lovers, and lets get started!

15 ... 16 Go-To Vegan Salad Dressing Recipes

1. (Easy) Creamy Ranch. This one is pretty easy to make once you have one base ingredient: vegan mayo, aka Vegenaise. You can season it with a variety of dried spices or freshly chopped herbs. Freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and freshly chopped herbs are my favorite add-ins. This specific recipe is my easy-Ranch dressing. Minimal ingredients so I can just blend and drizzle in a flash.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon vegan mayo, Vegenaise
1 small lemon, squeezed (whisk in until thinned)*
spices & freshly chopped herbs to taste

Spices to try: paprika, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, dill, multi-seasoning spice blend
Freshly chopped herbs to try: dill, chives, parsley, green onion (optional)
Modify it: to thin you can add-to-taste any of the following - lemon juice (as shown), unsweetened soy milk, apple cider vinegar

Directions: Whip together ingredients. For ultra creamy texture, process until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Serve on: Choose crunchy, hearty greens like chopped romaine, butter lettuce, radicchio, endive and more. To serve ranch dressing on more delicate greens like spinach and arugula, thin the dressing out a bit so it doesn't wilt the greens. Chopped veggies like onion, carrot, cucumber and celery pair deliciously with creamy ranch. Tomatoes, chopped apples and a variety of beans like chickpeas and kidney beans pair well with ranch.

Recipes Inspired by Ranch Flavors:
* Creamy Ranch Dressing Dip (This recipe is a bit different and uses silken tofu for an ultra-creamy texture)
* Creamy Ranch Chickpea Peach Farm Salad

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2. Balsamic EVOO. I use balsamic vinegar in quite a few recipes. I love the sassy sweet flavor and rich, creamy texture and dark color. Aged balsamic is a kitchen treasure. Blasamic glaze is also a fun ingredient to try. And a basic balsamic + EVOO dressing is about as simple and fool-proof as it gets in the world of salad dressings.

This classic Italian-inspired dressing is simple to make. Just combine about equal parts of balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, plus some optional added spices like black pepper, freshly chopped garlic or basil, red pepper flakes or dried oregano if you'd like. Whisk together briskly and toss with your salad greens.

Ingredients:

1 part EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
1 part balsamic vinegar
optional: black pepper, oregano, chopped parsley or basil, pinch of vegan Parmesan cheese.

Directions: Whip together ingredients.

Serve on: I like to serve this dressing with crispy robust Italian salads that include freshly chopped romaine, juicy tomatoes, onion slices, kalamata olives. But this dressing also goes very well tossed with spinach or baby greens. Since this is a thin dressing (not creamy) I prefer to toss with my greens to serve as opposed to drizzling over top.

Balsamic-Inspired Recipes:
* Balsamic Peach Avo-Arugula Salad
* Roasted Beet Salad with Balsamic Glaze + EVOO dressing
* Wilted Spinach Salad with Balsamic Mushrooms
* Cranberry Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
* Beans, Basil, Balsamic Salad
* Peach Basil Avocado Balsamic Wrap or Skewers
* Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta

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3. Tahini Maple. This is probably my all around favorite go-to dressing. It is rich and creamy with a bitter-sweet, nutty flavor and creamy texture. Easy to whip up in a few seconds, yet totally complex and unique enough to make your salad feel extra-special and fancy.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
3-4 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1-2 tablespoon vegetable oil (EVOO, safflower..)
salt to taste (optional)
spices: garlic powder, pepper, cayenne and any others you'd like (to taste)

Directions: Whip briskly with a fork or process in blender for extra creamy texture.

Serve on: This dressing goes well on heartier salads like raw kale, raw chard, chopped romaine, shredded cabbage/slaws and chopped firm veggies like carrots, celery and onion. If you use it on more delicate greens, use minimally so it does not wilt them too much or make things soggy. This dressing is delicious on a raw massaged kale salad.

Tahini-Inspired Recipes:
* 5-Step Raw Kale Salad
* Rainbow Slaw with Sweet Tahini Dressing
* Easy Tahini Curried Carrot Salad
* Green Tower Power Salad
* Big Kahuna Hawaiian Salad with Pineapple Tahini Dressing
* Vegan Macro Meal with Tahini-Maple Dressing
* Two-Minute Tahini Apple Salad
* Mediterranean Couscous Slad with Tahini Dressing

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4. Curried Dressing. Adding curry powder to a wide variety of foods changes the flavor instantly. Suddenly your ingredients are infused with warm, smoky, spicy curry flavor. I love adding curry to sweet tahini dressings. This is my favorite, I used it in my deviled avocado recipe below..

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon maple syrup (grade B)
1 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon hot curry powder (or muchi curry)
2 teaspoon lemon juice
a few dashes cayenne for extra heat
**add a bit less maple syrup if you do not like your sauce too sweet.

Directions: Stir together until creamy.

Serve on: Hearty veggies like chopped carrots, shredded carrots, slaws, cabbage, onion, grains like rice, tofu cubes, beans and more.

Curry-Dressing Inspired Recipes:
* Deviled Curry-Stuffed Avocado
* Easy Tahini Curried Carrot Salad with Tofu Cubes
* Curried Quinoa Wrap

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5. Green Goddess This popular dressing can be prepared so many different ways. Thin and vibrant or rich and creamy green. I like my green goddess dressing a bit creamy, bold and with plenty of fresh green herb flavors. For this recipe, I use a creamy avocado and plenty of fresh parsley. Fresh dill, cilantro, chives or basil are also options.

Ingredients:
½ large avocado
3-4 tablespoon oil (try walnut, hemp, extra virgin olive oil, macadamia)
1 large lemon, juiced
large handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves raw)
salt + pepper to taste
optional:
dash of cayenne
1 tablespoon raw nuts or seeds (try walnuts, pepitas..)
1 tablespoon vegan mayo

Directions: Roughly chop your fresh herbs. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, blend until smooth.

Serve on: Sturdy greens like chopped chard and kale. Crisp greens like romaine and iceberg. Even spinach and nutty mixed baby greens mesh well with this dressing. Chopped veggies, fruit, nuts, grains and seeds love this dressing.

Recipes:
* Green Princess Plate with Fresh "Green Goddess" Dressing
* Greed Goddess Dressing Wedge Salad with smoky tempeh "bacon" bits

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6. No-Honey Mustard. Sweet and slightly creamy with some serious tangy mustard flavor, this lovable dressing is a favorite. I use a splash of orange juice to thin out a bit, but you could add some vegan mayo to make things "creamy" instead. Whole grain or Dijon mustards work best. I wouldn't advise using the bright yellow variety of "hot do mustard."

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard (or whole grain mustard)
1-2 tablespoon vegan mayo (or substitute 1 tablespoon oil for a thinner dressing)
Add orange juice to thin texture as desired

Directions: Whisk ingredients together briskly.

Serve on: Baby greens, spicy mixes, arugula, or crisp lettuces like romaine that have been well chopped.

Mustard Dressing Inspired Recipes:
* Napa Valley Salad with Dijon Dressing and Tempeh Croutons
* Creamy Maple Mustard Raw Chard Salad

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7. Spicy Peanut. I adore peanut dressing. I like mine a bit spicy and creamy. You can use peanut butter for the creamy nutty base and add accents like tamari, ginger, brown rice syrup, miso and spices like pepper and cayenne. These Asian-inspired flavors are delicious served warm or chilled.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon white miso paste
2 teaspoon agave syrup
½ cup water
2 teaspoon tamari
3-4 dashes cayenne powder (to taste for heat)

Directions: Process in a blender or food processor until smooth. If needed, warm peanut butter in microwave to soften.

Serve on: Peanut dressing goes so well on wilted or raw kale salads, rice, tofu, stir-fry veggies and more. It also goes well on noodles like soba and udon. Serve dressing warm or chilled.

Peanut-Inspired Recipes:
* Spicy Peanut Tofu Rice Salad with twirl of avocado
* Spicy Peanut Portobello Kale Rice Bowl
* Spicy Peanut Ginger Wilted Kale Salad
* Ginger Peanut Coconut Veggie Stir-Fry over rice
* Pad Thai with Spicy Peanut Sauce

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8. Creamy Avocado. There are so many ways to use fresh avocados to create a creamy, silky dressings. Rich in healthy fats, avocado provides a creamy base that meshes very well with bright flavors like lemon and orange juice, pineapple, tamari, fresh herbs and even exotic ingredients like white miso. I have two favorite creamy avocado recipes to share:

Ingredients:

Pineapple-Avocado:
1 avocado, pit removed
1 tablespoon tahini
⅓ cup pineapple, chopped
½ cup orange juice
1-2 tablespoon oil (I used walnut oil)
2 teaspoon tamari
salt/pepper to taste
optional: add a jalapeno or a few dashes cayenne to make it spicy

Sweet/Spicy Avocado Cream Dressing/Sauce:
1 large avocado
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoon tamari
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoon maple syrup (or agave)
2 teaspoon oil (walnut, EVOO, pumpkinseed, other))
1 small jalapeno, stem removed (if you don't like too spicy - scrape away the seeds)
a nice amount of fine black pepper - to taste
fresh herbs: ⅓ cup cilantro or parsley (optional)

Directions: Blend until smooth in blender or food processor.

Serve on: Avocado dressings should be served right away so that they do not brown. They are creamy, yet very light and fluffy so you can serve them on anything from hearty chopped romaine to spinach and warmed grains. Delicious with nuts, beans and a wide variety of chopped veggies. Mexican-inspired ingredients like tomato, onion, corn, jalapeno, rice and beans pair especially well with avocado dressings.

Avocado Dressing-Inspired Recipes:
* Aloha Salad with Tiki Tempeh and Creamy Pineapple Avocado Dressing
* Sunshine Plate with Quinoa, Citrus and Tamari Tempeh Triangles
* Pasta-Primavera with Avocado Pesto Dressing/Sauce on top

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9. Simple Maple-Lemon Dressing. Combining maple with lemon is one of my favorite ways to create a fast, flavorful salad dressing. Lemon provides a bright burst of flavor while maple slowly mellows out the lemon in a dreamy, caramelized sweet way. Add oil to soften the flavor even more. You could easily make a dressing by using simple maple + lemon + oil + spices. But here is another version of lemon meets maple..

Ingredients:
1-2 tablespoon maple syrup (Grade B)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or more lemon)
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
make it spicy: dash of cayenne
make it creamy: fold in a spoonful of vegan mayo or tahini

Directions: Whisk briskly. Serve room temperature or chilled.

Serve on: Anything! It works very well on delicate greens like baby lettuces and spring mixes or chopped spinach or arugula. Greens that absorb the thin texture well.

Lemon-Inspired Recipes:
* Fall Forward Go-To Salad
* Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad with simple lemon dressing

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10. Creamy Sweet Poppyseed. If you love poppyseed dressing, all creamy and slightly sweet with undertones of garlic, shallot and cider vinegar, this dressing is worth a try!

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoon Vegan mayo (aka, Vegenaise)
2 teaspoon spicy Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
1 teaspoon shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon poppy seeds
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt + pepper to taste

Directions: Finely chop the shallot and combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk until smooth. Chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes for best flavor.

Serve on: I love this dressing drizzled over top delicate yet hearty spring greens like a winter or spicy mix with frisse, baby lettuce and radicchio. I also love it paired with sweet tart fruit like green apple and citrus. Also delicious with pecans, walnuts and nutty grains like quinoa.

Poppyseed Dressing Recipes:
* Spring Forward Spring Mix Flower Salad with Citrus

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11. Tamari, Rice Vinegar and/or Miso Dressing. White miso paste, rice vinegar and tamari, maybe some ginger too. Those Asian-inspired flavors can whip up a wide variety of delicious salad dressings. Add some agave or maple for sweetness, a splash of oil for richness and enjoy the savory, nutty and sweet flavors that develop. For heat and spiciness you can play around with fresh grated ginger root, pickled ginger or wasabi powder!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon white miso paste
1-2 tablespoon tamari (or soy sauce)
2-4 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon agave, brown rice syrup or maple syrup
2 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar OR 1 lime, juiced
½ teaspoon freshly chopped or grated ginger
water to thin (add to taste to thin out and reduce the intensity)

Directions: Whisk briskly or blend.

Serve on: Arugula, winter greens, shredded cabbage and carrots. The miso maple dressing above is my favorite for tossing with shredded cabbage, crunchy shredded veggies like carrots and other crisp veggies like green onion, celery, cucumbers, fruit like chopped apples, seeds, chopped nuts and more.

Inspired Recipes:
* Tamari Tofu, shiitake, rice and micro greens salad
* Creamy Wasabi Brocco-Slaw
* Kale Avocado Wraps with miso-dipped tempeh logs
* Miso-Infused Fresh Pea Soup
* "Tofu Feta" Watermelon Salad, white miso infused
* Tofu Tomato White Miso Sandwiches

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12. Sweet Spicy BBQ Dressing. This dressing can be very labor-intensive or super easy. The trickier version involves making homemade BBQ sauce. The easy version involves simply blending a bottled BBQ sauce with some oil and vinegar or citrus to thin out to a salad dressing consistency. This dressing is smoky, bold and fun for a summertime BBQ salad.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon BBQ Sauce (bottled or make your own)
1 tablespoon veggie oil
1-2 tablespoon orange juice or cider vinegar (or use vegan mayo for a creamy BBQ dressing)

Directions: Whip together until smooth.

Serve on: Hearty salads including chopped romaine, sturdy dark spinach and arugula greens, beans, grains, veggie proteins like "chick'n" and tempeh. Various chopped veggies and fruit like citrus and apples. Also delicious as a marinade on tempeh or tofu and for sandwiches.

BBQ-inspired Recipes:
* Spicy BBQ Chick'n Salad with citrus
* BBQ Tempeh Kraut-wich

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13. Creamy Hummus. Hummus-based dressings provide an easy way to make creamy, healthy dressings. They have a nutty bean base which makes them uniquely rich in fiber and legume nutrients like protein. Simple to get creative with, you can choose any flavor hummus you'd like and simply add a few ingredients like citrus juice, oil or vinegar to thin out the texture. I love using lemon and orange juice. Cider vinegar can also be used. If you like a hint of sweet, add some agave or maple syrup too.

Ingredients:
3 tablespoon hummus, any variety (make your own using the recipe below)
add to taste: lemon, orange juice or cider vinegar to thin out - start with 1 small lemon when experimenting
1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup (optional)
spices: add pepper, cayenne. garlic powder, freshly chopped herbs and more to taste

Directions: Whip or process ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Serve on: Sturdy crisp greens like romaine. Light yet savory greens like spinach and chard. Most veggies will pair beautifully with this dressing. Try chopped onion, diced cucumber, tomato, black olive and more.

Hummus-y Recipes:
* Summer-Thyme Hummus
* Cajun-Spiced Sweet Potato Hummus
* Classic Hummus Dip
* Garlic Tomato Hummus

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14. Lime Agave. Zesty and sweet, this Mexican-inspired dressing has tangy lime flavor blended with sweet simple agave syrup. Add jalapeno, cayenne or chipotle spices for heat.

Ingredients:
2 juicy limes
1 tablespoon agave syrup, dark grade
1-3 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
black pepper
optional: diced jalapeno or cayenne for spiciness

Directions: Whisk briskly. Adjust amounts to base ingredients to taste. More or less to create sweet, bright or rich flavors.

Serve on: A wide variety of crispy and delicate greens. Beans like pinto also pair well.

Lime-inspired Recipes:
* Fiesta Salad
* Maple-Lime Citrus Fruit Salad

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15. Pesto Dressing. You may think of pesto as a common pasta sauce, but it can also work as a salad dressing when thinned out properly. The mixture of fresh basil, lemon, oil and ground nuts or seeds is simply dreamy and cravable on top of greens or chopped veggies. You can even drizzle over top grilled veggies like zucchini or eggplant. Make your pesto spicy by adding jalapeno, raw garlic or red pepper flakes.

Lemon Pesto Dressing:
½ cup raw walnuts
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon chopped garlic or roasted garlic
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh basil (1 large handful)
2 teaspoon white miso paste (which is naturally salty)
Add to thin: warm water (start with ¼ cup and add more as desired)

optional:
make it creamy! -> add ½ avocado
sweetness -> add a splash of agave or maple syrup
cheezy -> 1-2 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Directions: Process until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Serve on: Crisp or shredded greens like romaine, grains, chopped crisp veggies or delicate greens like spinach. If using on delicate greens, use sparingly so you do not over wilt the greens. Pesto goes well with sweet fruits like mango, citrus and grilled apricot or peach. Grilled veggies love pesto dressing too!

Pesto-Inspired recipes:
* Pesto Mango Pitas with fennel
* Lemon Avocado Toast with Fresh Pesto Dressing - low sodium
* 20-minute pesto pasta
* Lemon Leek Pesto Penne

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16. Creamy Chipotle. This super simple recipe uses the creamy power of vegan mayo and the bold spicy flavor or dried chipotle powder. Versatile and dreamy. Slight sweetness paired with heat.

Ingredients:
2-3 tablespoon vegan mayo
¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
optional: water, lime juice or unsweetened soy milk to thin out if desired

Directions: Blend until creamy and light creamy orangish-white in color.

Serve on: Crispy greens like romaine. Use in wraps and sandwiches.

Chipotle-Inspired Recipes:
* Tofu Chipotle Sandwich - with chipotle dressing
* Chipotle Citrus Superfood Vegan Tacos

Bonus Sauce/Salad Dressing: cashews make an amazing creamy base for sauces and dressing. Try my Cashew Smother Sauce for burritos and get creative to turn soaked cashews into creamy salad dressings.

Stay tuned! I want to keep this "dressing page" updated as I experiment with more vegan salad dressings. I still want to add a Vegan Caesar and a Vegan ChimiChurri Dressing. If you have any other dressings you would like to see here please let me know!

More of that Ranch..

Peach-Provolone Grilled Cheese (Vegan) + Summer Picnic Tips!

July 19, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

Bold (vegan) provolone cheese, melting over the edges of toasty golden sourdough bread is paired with sweet, juicy slices of organic summertime white peach, accented by spicy cayenne and a hint of caramel-y golden grade B maple syrup.

Serve up this Peach-Provolone Grilled Cheese Sandwich to swoon over these dreamy savory meets sweet flavors. Plus peek inside my beach picnic basket and get my summer picnic tips.. (And another book + tee giveaway!)

Creative grilled cheese ingredient for summer: fuzzy tree fruit.

Today's recipe: organic white peaches

Paired with new vegan "provolone" slices from Daiya Cheese:

Stack the toppings..

Grill to golden perfection..

Slice and serve..

Melty bliss. Savory meets sweet..

Vegan Grilled Cheese. It is so exciting that vegan cheese flavors have become so diverse and varied. I remember when there were only two flavors to choose from: cheddar and generic "white cheese" flavor, sometimes called Mozzarella but never really tasting like the real thing. But nowadays there are SO many flavors, textures and styles of vegan cheese. You can find gourmet cheese from places like Kite Hill and Dr. Cow. And you can find a wide array of meltable vegan cheeses from Daiya. These brand new provolone "slices" are perfect for stacking onto sandwiches or melting for grilled cheese or paninis. Also check out this vegan cheese guide from VegNews: "5 Next Generation Cheese brands."

Not vegan, but curious? #Reinvent your grilled cheese this summer by trying a vegan cheese! You will be impressed by how far dairy-free cheese has come in past few years!

Beachy Picnic. This peach and provolone sandwich is a dreamy dish for summer. And vegan cheese sandwiches taste so good on a picnic! I admit that grilled cheese isn't the best option for a beach picnic, but since we didn't travel too far for this sunset hour Santa Monica beach picnic, the cheesy sandwich traveled quite well. I made and packed it right before we left. The PB&J traveled perfectly as well.

Our beachy sunset picnic.. (Hand-mixed trail mix in a glass jar, 2 vegan "Fonuts," a PB&J, my Peachy-Provolone Sandwich, a few Pixie tangerines, bag of vegan choco chip Snackimals, lemon water.)

*This photo was taken with the Nokia Lumia 928

Picnic Season. It is always fun to pack a picnic in summertime and head out to your favorite outdoor spot. The beach. A park. Hiking in the hills. Near a lake. Or heck, just outside in your own backyard. Food tastes so much better after your have trekked outdoors a bit to get to your picnic spot.

7 Picnic Tips:

1. Bring a seat, find a seat. You do not need to have a traditional picnic table at your picnic site, but if you are lucky enough to find one, take advantage of it. If you are really roughing it, at least try and bring something small and light (easy to carry) to set your food on. You do not even need a giant blanket, heavy beach towel or outdoor "picnic cloth." Get creative with what you can bring from your house. For my beachy picnic I knew I could sit on the sand so I needed something small for our food, I found a clean laundry bag that was perfectly sized for a small spread. Other ideas: If hiking, find a flat, smooth rock to set your food on so that it is off the ground. If you have driven to a spot and only have your car, you can stand and use a popped trunk and the trunk space inside your car - or use the hood of your car as a flat picnic surface. Not ideal, but better than placing food on the ground!

2. Pack Fruit that Travels Well. Fruit items like bananas, oranges and tangerines are perfect for picnics because they are easy to open and have a nice sturdy nature-made package protecting them. Fruit is great for picnic-ing because it is rich in water content and minerals like electrolytes so you can stay hydrated while you re-fuel your body. Avoid bringing soft, easily damaged fruit like peaches, berries and more. Apples packed carefully are also a good picnic choice. (Or go with veggies: veggie sticks like carrot and celery are another option for packable produce.)

3. Pack Fat. Try to choose a few foods that are rich in healthy fats and that travel well. This way you can bring smaller portions of food that are rich in calories to help fuel you. Sandwiches that include foods like nut butters, avocado (toss in lemon juice to prevent browning), hummus and vegan cheeses are delicious fats to include. Just be sure your food item travels well or are packed with a small ice pack if needed to chill a bit. For long trips like picnic or road-trip hiking, nut butter sandwiches are ideal since they do very well unrefrigerated.

PB&J's:
* Rustic PB&B Sandwich
* Pink Salt + Cucumber PB&J
* PBJ Club - serve a crowd!

4. Healthy Fat Snacks. Again, more healthy fats for snacking! Nuts are very welcome on a picnic, and on the journey to get to your picnic spot. I like to blend my very own custom trail mixes using nuts, seeds, superfoods like cacao nibs and dried fruit from my pantry. I toss the mixture in a large bowl and funnel it into a glass "milk" bottle. Instant travel-friendly trail mix. If you need a lighter (non-breakable) package, you can use small plastic baggies or reusable lunch containers to pack your trail mix.

Nut butter packs, mini hummus packs or whole avocados are also easy to bring along with some crackers or veggie sticks. (Celery sticks, nut butter and raisin+ nut trail mix = instant ants on a log!)

Avocado: You can actually use a whole avocado to make instant avocado "toast" using travel-friendly crackers. I bring along a small plastic knife for slicing into the avocado (or pre-slice at home) and a few mini salt and pepper packets for seasoning. (Or preseason avocado halves at home. Rub with lemon to prevent browning - toss the heavy avocado pit too. Use toothpicks to hold lemon-rubbed halves together to prevent browning from oxygen exposure. This closed shape also protects the avocado during travel.)

5. Treats! Sweet treats taste so good after a savory picnic. Even a tiny sweet nibble is a welcome closing bite. I love bringing bakery goodies like vegan muffins or homemade vegan cookies. (We splurged on vegan donuts as seen in my beach picnic photo. Fonuts in West Hollywood.) Small on-the-go packs like Snackimals cookies from Barbara's Bakery are also perfect. I also like "bars" like Luna Bars dipped in chocolate or dessert-flavored Lara Bars.

6. Drinks. You can never go wrong with water. Use a BPA-free water just to bring as much water as you need for your journey. That fruit you packed can also be used to quench a thirst. Coconut water is also perfect for hydration, although does taste best chilled, so consider that when packing your picnic. To give your water a tasty spin, add some chilled lemon slices, chopped mint and plenty of ice cubes to your water bottle. By the time your get to your picnic spot your water will be gourmet-tasting Mint-Lemon Water!

7. Plates, Napkins, Silverware and Such. For best picnic results, choose foods that can be eaten right out of the containers you packed (choose mini 1 person containers). Things like sandwiches can be wrapped in easy plastic baggies or even better, reusable containers. Try to choose foods that do not require much silverware. My best tip for napkins: pack a cloth napkin for each person. These are light enough to tote back and are more heavy duty that paper napkins. Cloth napkins can also act as a sort of soft tray if settles on your lap or a picnic table. And in a windy location they will not blow away - so you avoid the whole "giant stack of paper napkins blowing into the wind" scenario!

And like any good food blogger I was more than happy to whip out my cell phone(s) before out feasting. Still loving my Nokia Lumia Windows Phone for its brilliant photo-taking skills in low light settings, like a fading sunset shown below. Check out how photos compare between phones.. (Click-thru widget below to see more of my beach picnic photos..)

Get my grilled cheese recipe & enter my giveaway below:

Peach-Provolone Grilled Cheese
vegan, makes one sandwich

2 slices sourdough (or gluten-free) bread
2-3 slices of vegan provolone cheese (I used Daiya cheese slices)
½ white peach, organic - washed, dried and thinly sliced
dash of cayenne
½ teaspoon maple syrup, grade B
1-2 teaspoon vegan butter spread (or vegan mayo)

*as needed: EVOO or vegan butter for pan

Directions:

1. Slice your peach and set aside.
2. Spread the vegan butter (or sub mayo) on the outer sides of your bread.
3. Layer the cheese and peaches on one slice of bread. Drizzle the maple syrup over top the last peach slice you add and add a pinch or cayenne. Cover with top slice of bread and prep frying pan.
4. Warm a frying pan to med-high. Add 1 teaspoon vegan butter - or sub with extra virgin olive oil or another veggie oil like sunflower. Add your sandwich to the pan and cover pan with a lid so the heat stays near the sandwich and melts the cheese. Flip sandwich and continue toasting. Uncover sandwich for the last few minutes of cooking to crisp and toast up the edges of the bread. Panini Press: an easier way to melt cheese and create an amazing grilled cheese sandwich is to use a panini press. Perfect results every time. You could also use a handheld sandwich/grill press with your saute pan.
5. Serve sandwich warm for best taste and texture results. (Or be crazy like me and tote it on your sunset beach picnic. I can confirm that it still taste delicious a bit cold and served beachside at sunset.)

HHL BOOK + TEE GIVEAWAY! I am so thankful for having such amazing readers that I cannot help but to host as many giveaways as I can this summer! I was thrilled to giveaway $2k in smoothietude prizes. And here is another small thank you giveaway to you guys for being so supportive during my book launch summer! One winner will receive a signed copy of my book + an aqua HHL tee. Enter below!..

(Also, do not forget to enter to win $5,000 or one of 10 Nokia Lumia phones - enter here - by answering the widget question "how will you reinvent your summer?")

Don't worry she didn't swipe my sandwich. She knows a good thing when she smells it though..

*This post is part of my summer series, sponsored by the Nokia Lumia 928, Microsoft phone.

How to Make Vegan Arancini, aka Fried Risotto Balls.

July 17, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have noticed me obsessing over my new favorite recipe: Arancini, aka fried risotto balls.

These famous golden balls, a classic Italian recipe, are the reason why it is always ok to make "too much" risotto. This traditional dish uses "next day" risotto, a few simple coating ingredients and optional fillings. But the classic recipe is not vegan, with its egg was coating and such. Luckily, I have been testing several vegan variations of Arancini and thrilled with the dreamy-delicious results. So go on, break your "no frying" rule and give this famous dish a try using my vegan-version recipe..

From Wiki: "Arancini or arancine are fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to have originated in Sicily in the 10th century. Arancini are usually filled with ragù (meat sauce), tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas. There are a number of local variants that differ in fillings and shape. The name derives from the food's shape and color, which is reminiscent of an orange (the Italian word for orange is arancia, and arancina means "little orange")."

Risotto is one of my favorite recipes ever. And for years I have been ogling a recipe called "Arancini" aka "fried risotto balls." I remember watching Giada's cooking show a few years ago as she was whipping up the golden fried balls. They looked like bliss and the way she swooned after a bite I knew they must indeed be pretty amazing. But her recipe used all the traditional ingredients. Egg wash. Dairy cheese filling. Bread crumbs that may contain non-vegan seasonings or additives. And her risotto may not have been vegan to begin with. So I stalled on giving the recipe a try, unsure about how a vegan version would turn out.

But at last I decided to purposefully make "too much" risotto one night. And my Arancini dreams came true. After my first bite I finally understood what all the fuss was about! These golden balls of bliss are so dreamy.

Arancini have a crispy, warm coating that melts in your mouth. Then inside lies the velvet-y, moist center. the rice becomes silky and buttery upon frying and heating. It is almost hard to describe the unique texture, flavor and taste sensation of fried risotto balls. You really have to taste these lovelies for yourself.

My second batch was a bit more round, practice makes perfect. (And using finer bread crumbs helped as well)..

So whip up some risotto and save it as leftovers to make this unique, new favorite dish!

My vegan risotto recipes:

Simple Roasted Corn Risotto
Butternut Squash Sage Almond Risotto

A few things:

* Homemade crumbs.. In the photos you see my first batch. I used homemade breadcrumbs so they were clumpy and slightly large and crumbly, the crumbs were not fine and overly processed. I wanted to use Panko crumbs, but was out so I made my own sourdough crumbs in a medium coarse size. You can use a wide variety of bread crumb size.
* To Wet or Not? The first batch I made I really go into copying the method of the classic recipe. So I used a flax seed "egg replacer" to sub for the egg wash. I used one bowl for a flour coating, and another for a mixture of nutritional yeast and bread crumbs. Three bowls to dip in! BUT, the second time I went super simple and did not use an "egg wash" aka my ground flax seed and water mixture. My risotto was so sticky that I knew I could just dredge the balls in my coating of nutritional yeast and (this time.. fine) bread crumbs. One bowl. It worked beautifully! Thus why I opted out of any "egg wash replacer" in the recipe below. Now if your risotto is not terribly sticky and needs some liquid for the crumbs, you can whip up a mixture of ¼ cup warm water and 1 teaspoon ground flax seed. A flour coating is optional too.
* Risotto Flavor. For the photos I was using leftovers of my roasted corn risotto, but any variety of risotto will do.
* To Stuff or Not. For my first batch I did not stuff the balls with anything. But on my second batch I stuffed with Daiya vegan cheese. Wow that adds a whole new level. Melty cheese in each bite. Super decadent. I personally do not even need the cheese, but you can do either method. You can also fill with other goodies like vegan "bacon" bits, baked cashew cheese and more.
* Practice makes perfect. The shapes for my first batch were kinda wonky looking but a bit rounder for take two.
* Oil? I used sunflower oil. It worked perfectly. I imagine you could also use safflower oil, peanut oil or canola oil. (High heat fry oil.)
* Cheezy. I added nutritional yeast to my bread crumb coating for a nice golden glow and added savory flavor. This is optional.
* More flavor. You can add spices and fresh chopped herbs to your bread crumb coating or risotto balls before coating.
* Can I Bake Them? Yes. I think. I have not tried this yet, and quite honestly I think they will have a very different taste and texture. The fun of Arancini is the moist and delicate insides mingling with the light and airy fried coating. So give baked a try if you want, but I would drizzle the balls in plenty of EVOO before baking in the oven so they stay a bit moist and pleasantly crisp. So even if you are like me and avoid "fried foods" make these the classic way and enjoy them as an occasional treat. To stay guilt free, serve the balls as an appetizer - a side - just eat 1-3 small balls, not the whole plate. (Even though you will want to!)

My Veganized Arancini Recipe..

Basic Savory Arancini
vegan, makes 7-9 balls

2 cups leftover risotto (1-2 days in the fridge)

coating:
½ cup bread crumbs (any variety)
1-2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
***I did not need any, but wetting liquid is optional, see notes above

for frying:
sunflower oil, enough to fill a small pot so that you can submerge the balls. I filled conservatively about 1 ½-2 inches of fry oil.

A few tools:
Paper towel lined tray or plate
Parchment paper lines plate or tray

Optional:
* filling like shredded vegan cheese
* cooking thermometer (I just guessed. You want a nice medium-hot heat going on the stove so the oil is bubbling but not at a high temp. 375 degrees is advised in most arancini recipes.)

Directions:

1. Set up your dipping bowls for the coating. I made things really simple and just blended my nutritional yeast and bread crumbs in one bowl. (see notes above)
2. Pull your chilled risotto from the fridge. Start forming balls with your hands. Yes things get a little messy. You can wear gloves if you want, but what is the fun in that?
3. Dredge the balls through the crumbs, coating very well on all sides. Place coated balls on the parchment lines tray. Repeat process until all risotto is used up.
4. Optional: place the balls in the fridge to chill for a half hour (do this if your balls seem to be a bit crumbly or falling apart.
5. Start heating your oil in a pot. I did high heat for about 2 minutes then reduced to medium and starting adding balls. Allow 2-3 minutes in the pan for each ball. Turn gently to evenly fry all sides.
6. Remove balls from oil with a slotted spoon. Place on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat cooking until all balls are done.

Serve right away for best results! Hot steamy arancini are the best!

Tip: Try to only fry as many balls as you all are going to eat right away. If you have more risotto, you can always save that in the fridge for a few days. Risotto keeps better than pre-fried balls!

A few unpolished pics, cooking, cheese-filled..

Sweet Roasted Corn Risotto. Simple Ingredient Summer Entree.

July 14, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

This Sweet Roasted Corn Risotto is warm, creamy and dreamy with "cheezy" accents in each golden risotto bite. The silky, nutty rice is topped with a pile of steamy, buttery, sweet roasted summer corn. A pinch of freshly chopped parsley, dash of cayenne on top. I added some vegan "Beer Brat" slices to the plate as well, for extra protein. This simple-ingredient recipe tastes elegant, fancy yet farm-fresh and inspired for summer. Grab some arborio rice and an ear or fresh summer corn and whip up this wonderful dish. Oh and try to save some leftover for my newest obsession recipe!..

Sweet Corn. Sweet summer corn becomes even sweeter when you roast it in the oven and it supplies the perfect compliment to the nutty, velvet-y, creamy risotto rice. This combination reminds me a bit of southern grits. Sweet corn flavor with a creamy nutty base. This is comfort food meets elegant eats wrapped up in a simple ingrdient summer dish.

Meditate with Risotto. Risotto is a very soothing dish to prepare because you really do spend a good 10-15 minutes hovered over the pan of risotto, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon. But the act of stirring and adding splashes of liquid is pretty mindless so it leaves a nice space in your day to meditate and allow your mind to rest. No cell phones blinking or notifications splashing in your view. Just steamy, creamy rice simmering before you as you drag your spoon across the pan, spreading the expanding creamy risotto rice, watching it slowly crawl through the pan space, soaking in liquid, expanding and thickening with each stir of your spoon.

Save those leftovers! Next day risotto tastes great. But even better: arancini. Aka, fried risotto balls. I will share my recipe in a few days. You do not want to miss these amazing, crispy golden balls of bliss. This was my first taste of arancini and now I see what all the fuss is about! Basically .. if I EVER open up a restaurant I am going to have arancini on the menu. Hm, or maybe a smoothie + arancini food truck. Yum!

Sweet Roasted Corn Risotto
vegan, serves 2-3 (save some for leftovers for arancini!)

risotto:
1 cup arborio rice
4-5 cups vegetable broth (or water .. add additional salt if using water)
pinch of salt
¼-1/2 cup nutritional yeast
dash of black pepper

corn:
1 ear of corn, kernels sliced off
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
generous seasoning: I used chili salt and some pepper

garnish: chopped parsley & cayenne + black pepper

Accent: Tofurkey Vegan "Beer Brats" sliced + baked in oven alongside corn (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Slice the kernels off your corn and toss them in the sunflower oil. Add the oiled kernels to a greased baking sheet. Season on top of the kernels.
3. Place the corn in the oven and bake for about ten minutes. Then turn oven to broil and broil for another 2-3 minutes - watching closely so the kernels do not burn (or start popping! As one of mine did.) When the kernels start to blacken around a few edges, turn heat off and let them sit in the hot oven while you prepare your risotto. **If adding "Beer Brats" you can slice and bake in the oven alongside the corn.
4. Add the rice and 3 cups of veggie broth to a boil in a large saute pan or medium soup pot. Once boiling, stir a lot for a minute and then reduce heat to medium and continue simmering/low boil.
5. Using a wooden spoon, stir continuously during most of the risotto process. You will spend a good 1o minutes hovering over your rice, but enjoy that meditation time as you prepare your meal. After the liquid is absorbed, you can add more broth (or water) in ⅓ cup portions. Keep adding liquid and stirring. The rice will get soft and velvety. At some point towards the end, add the spices and nutritional yeast. Do a taste test and keep adding liquid if you want the texture to be softer - or stop when you like the texture. You may add more or less liquid to the rice depending on your tastes. I like my rice soft, personally.
6. When the rice is ready, you can fold in a small scoop of corn.
7. To plate, add the risotto to a shallow bowl and top with plenty of roasted corn. Add some parsley and cayenne as desired. Add optional vegan "Beer Brat" slices to plate as desired.

Notes: You could add ½ cup chopped onion to the rice as it is cooking. Or some other veggies you'd like to add. For a silkier texture, you could add in 1 cup of plain/unsweetened soy milk in place of veggie broth during the simmering of the rice. Or serve the risotto with some soy creamer or soy milk over top - just a splash.

Fried. Risotto. Balls. Be sure to come back this week for my AMAZING arancini recipe! (Even better than the risotto if you crave a snack that is ridiculously amazing .. even if fried.)

Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries & crunchies.

July 11, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

Sink your spoon into this summertime treat: my Lemonade Parfait. Dairy-free and filled with lemonade and fresh berry flavor, accented by nutty crunchy toppings like crushed walnuts and nutty granola.

Lemonade by the Spoonful. This tall tower of lemonade bliss makes a beautiful dish to serve for breakfast, brunch, an afternoon pick-me-up or even a lively dessert. My silky lemonade pudding is rich and creamy with bright fresh lemon flavor in each bite. This protein-rich, fiber-rich and antioxidant-rich parfait is a pretty summer treat to feel good about enjoying! Easy recipe too!..

What to do with lovely summer berries? Parfait them!

Silky Surprise. This pudding is so easy to make because it is made using silken tofu. The tofu makes this pudding rich in plant-based protein.

Check out a few more of my "silky tofu pudding" recipes:
* Silky Chocolate Pudding
* Easy Peanut Butter Pudding
* Creamy Pumpkin Spice Pudding
* Chocolate Cherry Pudding
* Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie

Make to taste. This is a recipe that comes with a basic set of ingredients and can be modified quite generously to fit your tastes and what meal you are serving this parfait as. If you are serving it as a dessert, you can be a bit more generous with the sweetener and coconut oil. If this is for a healthy breakfast, go a bit lighter on those ingredients.

For the crunchy accents, aka crunchies, you can use a wide variety of favorites. I used crushed walnuts, a sprinkle of freshly ground flax seeds and some raw cacao granola I had in my pantry. But you can use any nut or seed you'd like - and any granola variety you have handy. Or make your own.

You could even add a few sweet spins on this parfait..

* Whip it. Add a dollop of fresh coconut whip in between the silky layers.
* Leftover Baked Goods. Crumble a homemade chocolate chip cookie in between the layers. Or a crumbled up muffin will also work.
* Creative Crunchies. Get creative and add what you crave to crunch! Granola, crushed vanilla cookies, chopped nuts or ground seeds, spirulina crunchies,toasted coconut, crushed pretzels or graham crackers.
* Fruit Galore. Add a wide variety of fruit slices to the parfait. Lemonade flavor pairs well with many ingredients. Try mango, kiwi, berries, banana, citrus, peaches, cherries, apples and more.
* Fruit Sauce. Add some fresh raspberry sauce topping.
* Make it PINK! Make a pink lemonade parfait simply by blending in 2-3 fresh raspberries or strawberries when you blend your pudding.

Or simply follow my recipe below. And let the summertime lemonade refreshment begin!

Lemonade Parfaits with fresh summer berries

Silky Lemonade Pudding
vegan, makes about 1 ½ cups - pudding makes about 2-3 large parfaits

14 ounces silken tofu (organic)
2 small lemons or 1 large, squeezed + zest from 1 lemon
¼-1/3 cup maple syrup (grade B) - (agave can be subbed in needed)
1-4 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil (I used 2 Tbsp)
tiny pinch - ¼ teaspoon salt (salt to taste, I used pink Himalayan salt)

optional:
a few drops natural lemon and/or vanilla extract to boost flavor
dash of cayenne (spicy accent)

My Parfait - as shown:
(for each parfait glass)
2 tablespoon crushed walnuts
2 tablespoon raw chocolate granola
1 teaspoon ground flax seed
½ banana, thinly sliced
3-5 strawberries, sliced
a few blueberries or blackberries
fresh lemon zest on top

Directions:

1. Drain your silken tofu and transfer to a bowl. Place in microwave for 10-15 seconds just to warm the tofu a bit. (You want all ingredients to be room temperature or warmer when blending so that the coconut oil stays silky.)
2. Juice and zest lemons, remove any seeds from juice.
3. Warm coconut oil so that it is in a liquid state.
4. Add the warmed tofu, a few spoonfuls of the liquid coconut oil, lemon and zest, optional extract, salt and ¼ cup maple syrup to a food processor or high speed blender. I used my Vitamix. Blend starting on low and move to high until everything is silky smooth. Do a tiny taste test and add more sweetener and salt as desired. I added ⅓ cup total maple to my pudding but you may want a bit less or more depending on your tastes. If you want a richer, more mousse-like pudding, you should blend in a few more spoonfuls of melted coconut oil.
5. Transfer the pudding to a medium bowl - scraping the sides of the blender to get every last bit. Place bowl, covered, in the fridge.
6. Chill pudding for at least two hours before serving. Best if chilled overnight - for maximum firming of the pudding. Cold pudding will be thicker than warmer pudding due to the coconut oil.
7. Serve by assembling your parfait in layers. Alternate add berries and crunchy toppings to a tall parfait glass. Garnish with a few pretty berries and a lemon slice.

Smoothietude Winners Announced!

July 10, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

The DOLE/HHL "Show Me Your Smoothietude" contest comes to an end as I announce the contest winners and hand out $2,000 in smoothie lover prizes...

Giveaways and contests are so much fun to host because I love awarding my readers Vitamixes, books, tees and more! A huge thank you to DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads for sponsoring the prizes for this contest!

Be sure to keep visiting Healthy. Happy. Life. for even more exciting contests and giveaways in the future!

GRAND PRIZE WINNER: Maria
prizes: Brand new Vitamix Turboblend VS + HHL tee + signed copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies

Gena and I (co-judges) both agreed that Maria's creative entry embodied the fun and liveliness of a healthy, delicious smoothie. Maria really created a beautiful image that simply sang with smoothietude. Plus the graphic design was very impressive and creative. And her smoothie creation sounds delish!

Here is what Maria had to say when she found out she won..

Winner's Statement: "I am SO excited!! I have been a loyal follower of Kathy's amazing blog for a couple of years and I am always inspired by her recipes and amazing photography. I want to thank her and DOLE for this awesome contest and the really cool prizes! I also want to thank my husband Derrick for his love and encouragement, and all my family and friends that showed their support. I can't wait for the Vitamix to arrive! :)" - Maria

FIRST PLACE WINNERS: Kristen. Meghan.
prizes: $150 prize pack. I hand selected a few of my fave goodies from OneLuckyDuck.com (a fave site of mine) including an almond milk kit, some maca powder, a $50 gift card, cacao powder, a glass straw gift set and more! Plus a signed copy of 365 vegan Smoothies.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: Kimmy. Alicia. Nyki. Jamie. Amy.
prize: signed copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies

Thank you again to everyone who entered. This was a VERY hard decision to make since every single entry was 100% awesome. THANK YOU. See the complete list of finalists here - includes pics.

If you want to start showing off your smoothietude, pick up a copy of my book and start blending!

365 Vegan Smoothies (in stores NOW!) Take a peek inside the book - pics.

SPONSOR:

Thank you to DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads for sponsoring this contest and giveaway with $2,000 in smoothie lover prizes!

Want to enter another cool contest? Check out DOLE's Taste of Spain Contest. Want to win a $40,000 trip to Spain? (Ya, me too!!) Well you can enter to win that and a wide array of other prizes on Dole's Taste of Spain page.

.....

The Smoothietude continues! Online! I am loving your Instagram and Twitter pics of the smoothies you are making from my book. Keep the sharing + smoothietude coming! #365VeganSmoothies

Swooning for Strawberries & Cream. Dairy-Free Version.

July 8, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

Watching loads of Wimbledon tennis this past week exposed me to so many of those luscious bowls of strawberries and cream that they traditionally serve at the British tennis tournament. Simple summer strawberries with a generous dollop of silky, cool cream on top is such a perfect culinary combo. So I was swooning for some strawberries & cream..

Funny I'm not the only one wishing for a dairy-free version. I read this article: Novak Djokovic Ditches Wimbledon Favourite Strawberries & Cream in Title Quest .. he avoids gluten and dairy (so it seems.) Well this one is for you Novak! Dairy free strawberries and cream..

This traditional dish is easy to veganize using coconut milk instead of heavy cream for whipping. This "coconut milk whip" version is ridiculous. Crazy-mazing yummy. It is so delicious that I couldn't even imagine how dairy could be preferred after trying this creamy coconut whip version. Maybe Wimbledon should try this next year. (hint hint) And the recipe for coconut whip couldn't be simpler.

So grab a pint of fresh summer strawberries and a can of coconut milk and happily whip up this summer-perfect treat!

Plus get my ten uses for coconut whip!

Today's craving. Satisfied.

Holiday recap. Hope you had a wonderful 4th guys! Lots of fireworks, smoothies & sunshine I hope. We went to Disneyland for a mini vaycay because, well, I always have fun at Disneyland. We had a fabulous vegan dinner at Carthay Circle restaurant, I veganized a "Schmoozie" at the Cali Adventure smoothie cafe, I sipped on a few carrot-orange juices at Jamba Juice and I had plenty of (dairy free/vegan) Pineapple Dole Whip. I have to say, Disneyland has gotten A LOT better with the vegan options since I wrote this post.

But the highlight was this!.. Watching a mama duck and her two tiny ducklings cross a very busy path in New Orleans Square. She was the bravest mama ever. She just charged on through with her fuzzy babies in tow. They went to a grassy area to feed then waddled right back through the crowds to the large lake in Adventureland. Cutest thing ever! And I loved that all the Disneyland guests let her pass in peace - she stopped traffic waddling across the path and down the stairs back to the water. A-dorable.

And thank you for sharing all your 365 Vegan Smoothies photos with me! I get a huge smile on my fave anytime someone tweets or instagrams a smoothie they have made from my book. I am so happy you are enjoying a vegan smoothie-filled summer. Don't forget to like 365 Vegan Smoothies on Facebook

Now for something that screams summer. Simple. Sweet. Sexy. Swoonable. Strawberries & Cream. (Gone Vegan.)

First come the berries. Go for organic. Local if possible.

Then comes the freshly whipped coconut cream..

Put them together..

Side view of cuteness is an added bonus..

Ten Uses for Coconut Whip

1. Eat by the spoonful.
2. Dollop on top of Hot Cocoa.
3. Dollop in a dish with strawberries. Strawberries and Cream. (This post.)
4. Modify the recipe a bit (thicken it) and use it as a cake frosting. Seen here.
5. Espresso and coconut cream makes a Whippuccino. Recipe here.
6. Strawberry Shortcake topping.
7. Thicken a bit and use as topping for a Banana Cream Pie. Recipe here.
8. Or try Chocolate Cream Pie. Here.
9. Dollop on top of a latte of coffee drink for an instant bevie upgrade. Whip with that? (Coconut whip!)
10. Dollop on top of ice cream sundaes as a substitute for traditional whipped cream.

..what else do you do with this yummy stuff?

Strawberries and Cream (vegan)

for one modest serving:
½ cup washed + sliced organic strawberries (I toss mine in a sprinkle of coconut sugar and spritz of lemon juice)
⅓ cup coconut whip

coconut whip:
My basic coconut whip 101 & recipe here
thicker recipe here (shown in photos)

**for thickening coconut whip:
-add more organic powdered sugar
-add a few spoonfuls of arrowroot powder (healthy alternative to corn starch)
-add melted coconut oil (do this before chilling your coconut milk so that it blends smoothly together - or beat in very carefully.)
-experiment with an isi whipped cream foaming can. They work well with coconut milk!

Accents (optional)
-vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds
-cinnamon
-cacao for chocolate coconut whip

Want your cream swirled instead of dolloped?.. I love my isi whipped cream foamer. details in this post. Pic of coconut cream via the isi..

coconut whip, a la whippuccino, from an isi whipper..

Sara Sohn's VGP Interview!

July 7, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

Next up in my summer-long 2013 Veggie Girl Power Interview Series is Sara Sohn, the lady behind the genius creation of Sweet & Sara Vegan Marshmallows - the original manufacturer of 100% gelatin-free, 100% vegetarian and vegan marshmallows.

Vegan smores? Vegan rice crispy treats? Yes! Thank you Sara...

Sara's Company. The vegan marshmallow company Sweet & Sara, was founded by Sara Sohn in 2005. The recipe for vegan marshmallows took over 10 months to produce. Instead of using gelatin in the recipe (which is not a vegan ingredient and a standard ingredient in all mainstream marshmallows) Sara uses seaweed to produce that same marshmallow texture! Sweet & Sara has been featured all over the media including Food Network, VegNews Magazine, Rachael Ray, Martha Stewart and more.

Where to Buy Sweet & Sara Marshmallows? You can buy these amazing gourmet marshmallows at various Whole Foods stores around the country and several other store locations. Or online!

My First Taste. The first time I tried Sara's marshmallows I was in heaven. I picked up a container of the strawberry flavor and bit into the fluffy square confection. Bliss! Like biting into a pink strawberry cloud with vegan sugar on top. Unlike most marshmallows, you really can eat these all on their own and the flavor, texture and design holds up as a singular amazing dessert treat. See the strawberry smores I made using Sara's marshmallows.

Gourmet, vegan, amazing. The recipe ideas are endless. Smores, rice crispy treats, hot cocoa with marshmallows and on and on.

Lets get to know Sara!

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Sara Sohn, founder and owner of Sweet & Sara (Vegan Marshmallows)

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

Sara: When I was 13, I fell madly in love… with Skipper, my pet bunny, and never imagined in a million years that such a tiny creature would have such a huge impact on my life. One day a woman had the gall to ask me if I would ever eat my rabbit and when I responded, “Of course not!”, she proceeded to ask me why then did I eat cows, pigs and chickens. From feeling immediately insulted, I felt instantly ashamed. I didn’t have a good answer. It was the very next day that I became a vegetarian and a year later I became vegan. 22 years later, I’ve never looked back and it’s still one of the best decisions I’ve made in my 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?

Sara: To those starting out, strive for progress not perfection. People tend to give up too soon because they think about how far they still have to go instead of how far they’ve come. 22 years ago, it was tough being vegan. The only “treats” available were carob bars, brown soy milk, and sunshine burgers and one had to trek to specialty stores to get these. Two decades later times have really changed –you can find all your favorite foods veganized and not only that, you can find them in most supermarkets! With so many options and such accessibility, eating vegan has never been more easy and delicious and fun.

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!

Sara: Being in NYC, vegan mecca, I am so lucky and spoiled to have some of the most incredible eats here! Some places have had my heart since day one. Candle79: seitan picatta and chimichurris will win over any meat eater. Lan Café (vegan Vietnamese): #31 and #36, you’ll thank me. Lula’s Sweet Apothecary (vegan ice cream): I’ll take a scoop of each flavor please. Cinnamon Snail (vegan food truck): some of the most creative food I’ve had, Chef Adam is a genius. Dunwell Doughnuts: vegan doughnuts…need I say more? Franchia (vegan Korean)– corn chowder, sweet & sour mushrooms, and citron tea frap with whip, thank you!

The days I am not in a hairnet and apron, I am thankful for Mooshoes (vegan shoes + accessories), OCC (vegan makeup shop), and Vaute Couture (vegan clothing line).

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

Sara: Monday-Thursday I generally try to eat healthy. I start the morning with a soy latte and an analogue meat (right now it’s Beyond Meat chicken strips straight out of the box). For lunch it will be greens, beans, and fresh carrot, apple, kale juice. For dinner, it’s a Vega protein shake and raw almonds. I snack on kale chips with nutritional yeast that I bake 3 times a week, it’s my current addiction. Fridays are my no holds barred, get out the spandex pants, pure gluttony days where I get a break from the marshmallow factory and take a jaunt into the city and hit my favorite vegan spots.

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

Sara: Veganism is the future, and has profound, far-reaching positive effects on the animals, the environment, and our health that can’t be ignored and we have the power to change the world for the better, simply by changing what's on our plate.

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

Sara: Tofurky - one of my favorite companies, not only because the products are just straight up deliciously awesome, but this company is a game changer, an innovator, and always thinking outside the box. I die for hickory smoked deli slices! Tofutti – I will always have love for them. They were there for me 20 years ago when no one else was and I still think their cream cheese rules. Daiya – pizza was the hardest thing for me to give up when I went vegan so when I discovered this cheese I literally wept tears of joy. Need to meet to the creator.

Recently discovered Thug Kitchen, this blog keeps it real with humor and hella good vegan recipes! He speaks to me. I also love Mimi Clark of Veggie Gourmet, a passionate, knowledgeable vegan cooking instructor dedicated to teaching others how to create mouthwatering meals. I turn to her the few times I actually cook meals.

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

Sara: My mission in life is to get people to eat less animals and more vegan and I feel that can’t be accomplished if we are too preachy about our ethics. People ask me all the time what we had to do to get Sweet & Sara into Whole Foods and Duane Reade or how we got on Food Network and Cooking Channel. My answer has always been, I let the product speak for itself. One of the most surprising yet pleasant discoveries about Sweet & Sara is that while we cater to vegetarians and vegans, we have a large customer base that is neither vegetarian nor vegan. Non vegans tell us all the time that they honestly think our marshmallows far surpass the gelatin laden ones and they’re so good they can’t believe it’s animal free. I always say it’s important that we vegans lead by example, inspire by example, and we need to educate not intimidate or alienate.

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

Sara: We’re coming out with some new, heavenly products but at the moment they’re in the fine tuning stages, so stay tuned! We’re also working on getting into more mainstream chain stores so our scrumptious vegan marshmallow treats can be accessible to everyone!

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

Sara: Throw in strawberries, mangos, pineapples, bananas, and coconut-almond milk into a blender and you’ve got my favorite smoothie. Pretty simple to make and nothing extraordinary but always so good. My dad loves it so much he wanted me to name the business, Sweet & Smoothie, ha!

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

Sara: Plant based eating is definitely the diet of the future. We can’t afford to turn a blind eye to the ethical issues, environmental impact, and health problems associated with consuming animal products.

Sweet & Sara Online
Facebook: Sweet & Sara
TWITTER -> @SWEETandSARA
Press
Products

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

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
Kathy Patalsky, (putting myself in the interview seat to close the series!)

*all photos were provided courtesy of Doron Petersan

Easy Creazy Broccoli Soup!

July 5, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

Wait a minute? We are rounding the curve towards a hot start to July and I am crazy enough to post a soup recipe?? Nutty yes? OK, well before you change browser tabs let me explain. This soup is not a steamy hot soup. It is served warm. You could even chill it if you'd like. But I like it freshly blended, creamy and silky - slightly warm but in no way hot. So warm summer soup. This one is super easy, healthy and super yummy...

This easy soup is creamy and cheezy, thus why I call it my Easy Creazy Broccoli Soup!

Use those veggies! I think everyone does this, yes?.. You load up on beautiful fresh vegetables at the grocery store or farmer's market only to find many of them sitting, achingly, in your fridge just begging to be used. A giant head of cauliflower, a big bunch of cabbage or maybe even a pile of stemmed carrots.

Well it can be super easy to ease your veggie-buying guilt. Get in the kitchen and whip up a recipe using those beautiful veggies! One of my fave, quickest ways to use a big pile of veggies for one amazing recipe: soup!

This recipe is easy. No, I mean it. E-Z.

But don't let the simple ingredients fool you. This soup was so creamy, rich, cheezy and delicious. I will be buying cauliflower and broccoli again just to make this velvet-y spring green colored soup!

ps. Serve with toasted bread slathered in vegan mayo / Vegenaise. This adds the perfect touch to this "Soup Break" meal!

Why Broccoli? This fun green veggie is a smart choice. Once serving contains 220% vitamin C, 18% vitamin A, 13% potassium (RDA's) and contains magnesium, iron, calcium and other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in fiber. Fitday.com says, "Broccoli is part of a family of veggies known as cruciferous vegetables. These vegetables contain phytonutrients, which have anticancer properties .. studies show that diets high in cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, are associated with a lower risk of breast, ovarian, lung, colon and bladder cancer."

Easy Creazy Broccoli Soup
vegan, serves 2-4

1 large bunch of broccoli, thick stem removed, broken into medium florets
1 head of cauliflower, leaves and stem removed, roughly chopped into large pieces
4 cloves of garlic
½ cup + nutritional yeast (I use Kal brand)
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ teaspoon salt
more salt + pepper (optional to taste)

garnish: fresh tomato, diced -- optional: drizzle of fave oil (like raw pumpkinseed)
optional idea: add some avocado to the blend for added healthy fat!

Directions:

1. Prep your broccoli and cauliflower by removing thick stems and breaking into large florets. Remove garlic cloves from skins.
2. Fill a large pot with salted water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic.
3. Boil until the veggies are tender but not much. You should be able to slice with a butter knife with a slight amount of pressure.
4. Add the broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, almond milk, salt and nutritional yeast to a high speed blender like a Vitamix.
5. Blend on low until the veggies break down and the mixture smoothes. Blend on high for a few seconds to fully puree the soup into a velvety consistency. You can add more almond milk or even a few splashes of water if desired. Add more nutritional yeast and salt if desired. Other spices can be added as well. No oil is needed, but you could add a drizzle to the blend or over top to serve if you'd like. You could even blend in a ½ an avocado!
6. Serve right after blending - warm in temperature. Garnish of fresh tomato on top.

Vegan 4th of July / Summertime: 50+ Recipes. Fireworks Photo Tips!

July 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

Ready, set, celebrate. Lets all pour ourselves a tall glass of something super frosty and refreshing and cheers *virtual glass clink!* to the 4th of July .. and the long, laid-back, summer holiday weekend that comes with it.

Fill your holiday with fabulous healthy/delicious food, fun and flashy fireworks and some solid happy family time. Check out my wide array of vegan recipes to help inspire your holiday menu. Whip up some veggie burgers, chill some watermelon slices, blend up a frosty smoothie, toss some cole slaw, make some potato salad or whip up a few fun holiday appetizers like jalapeno POPpers or RED beet-walnut dip. And for dessert, some homemade sorbet or maybe a classic Flag Cake.

Plus my three tips for taking fireworks photos with your cell phone. (It is not an easy task!) Food, fun and fireworks!..

First off.. THANK YOU for the support for my very first ever book launch day! Yesterday my book 365 Vegan Smoothies went on sale in stores and online. I even rushed over to B&N to see for myself. It isn't all REAL until I see my book in a real bookstore...

And as my proud mom gushed about the introduction, the photos and the recipes she said something simple and poignant about the book.. "..It is a book to be used!!" True mom. True true. (Aren't proud moms the cutest?) But she is right, it is not just a "recipe book" but it is a life tool, filled with tips, inspiration, how-to's, FAQ's, ingredient guides, nutrition info, stories and more.

To those who snagged a copy already - thank you bunches. Please tweet and Insta me your #365VeganSmoothies pics. I will share as many as I can! I love seeing what you guys make from my recipes. And if you purchased online or on iTunes, positive reviews are hugely appreciated! Thank you for taking time to leave them. Even quickie ratings help so much. I love reading what you guys have to say. Still need a copy? Buy online or venture out and give your local bookstore some foot traffic.

Festive Vegan 4th of July Recipes - serve these dishes this holiday week, and all summer long!

(Links to recipes are listed below the pics.)

Drinks:
* Pink Pitaya Smoothie + Blendtec review
* Red, White & Blueberry Smoothie - refreshing and fun!
* Fruity Red Sangria - festive adults-only bevie
* Pink Lemonade Coconut Water Frosty - chill sip, hydrate with coconut water.
* Fizzy Ginger Blood Orangeade - RED and refreshing!
* Easy Agua Frescas - aka Lazy Frescas
Cool off with a Juicy Mango Margarita Mocktail - this smoothie satisfies!
* Wild BLUEberry Shake - protein rich blueberry smoothie.
WHITE (Vanilla) Secret Ingredient Shake - super refreshing, tastes like vanilla ice cream!
* RED Raspberry Ritual Vitality Smoothie - antioxidants galore in this sweet berry sip!
* Watermelon Frosty! recipe here or grab a few more frozen watermelon recipes in my book.

Entrees:
* Spicy BLT Sandwich + VIDEO
* Cool Cucumber Spicy and Sweet Curried Chickpea Wraps
* Vegan Chili Cheese Dogs - hot dogs go vegan for summertime!
* Garden Veggie Sloppy Joes - kid (and adult) fave!
* Veggie Burgers! Get ten of my favorite recipes .. because you cannot go wrong with veggie burgers on the 4th! My fave: my sweet potato veggie burgers.
* Summer Pita Bowl - serve a crowd these healthy, make-ahead, grab-n-go pita pockets!
* BBQ Hasselback Tofu - summer flavor in each skinny slice.
* Bowtie Pasta Primavera - colorful and healthy, serve warm or chilled.
* Summer Tomato Tofu Feta Sandwich - lunch perfection for summertime!
* Tofu Eggless Salad Sandwich - picnic perfect.
* Vegan Philly Cheese Sandwiches - Sizzling seitan, melty vegan cheese, bell peppers. Guy-approved.

Salads:
* Marinated Summertime Tomato Salad with Avocado
* Turmeric Curried Carrot Slaw
* Watermelon Basil Tofu Feta Salad - so refreshing!
* Creamy Ranch Chickpea Peach Farm Salad - a hearty salad with amazing summer flavors.
* Wedge Salad with Creamy Green Dressing & Tempeh "bacon" crumbles - love a wedge!
* Vegan Cobb Salad - Cobb me!
* Aloha Summer Salad with Tiki Tempeh Triangles - Aloha. Mahalo. Happy 4th island style!
* Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad - with zesty summer lemon dressing.
* Easy Peach Balsamic Salad - with avocado and pistachio.

Sides:
* Coconut Oil Roasted Sweet Potatoes (use for a sweet potato salad too!)
* Creamy Dill Potato Salad - potato heaven
* Vegan Cole Slaw - 6 summer slaw recipes to try
* Chilled Maple Lime Citrus Salad - fabulous fruit salad with lively summer flavors.
* Easy Lemon Pepper Two-Bean Salad - fresh, peppery, simple flavors using healthy protein and fiber-rich beans.
* Pineapple Fried Quinoa - serve in a pineapple boat with tofu triangles for a party.
* Homemade BBQ Sauce - also make BBQ peaches or tempeh with this sauce.

Appetizers:
* RED Hot Bruschetta
Pop! Firework-show-watching approved Vegan Jalapeno Poppers
* Citrus Radish Avocado Platter - colorful platter that is uber-healthy, fresh and raw!
* RED Beet Dip - pink really, but red enough for me! Delicious.
* Creamy RED Tomato Garlic Hummus Dip - add some veggie sticks and boom, dine + delicious summer snacking.
* Summer Zucchini Apps - two yummy and light summer zucchini appetizers to serve your guests.
* Summer Peach + Citrus and Tomato Balsamic Bruschettas - peach bruschetta is a favorite creative appetizer of mine!
* Peach Basil Avocado Skewers - or fold into a lunch-approved wrap.
* Raw Almond Dips - three flavors to try.
* Cashew Cheese - spicy hot harissa flavor for the 4th of July.

Dessert:
* Red, Banana and Blueberries Banana Blender Ice Cream! + VIDEO
* Easy Magical Shell Chocolate Ice Cream Topping + VIDEO
* Chocolate Taco Shakes
* Veganized Classic Berry + Whip Flag Cake
* Fresh Fruit: Flag Fruit Plate - peaches and berries, add a dollop of coconut whip.
* Summer Sorbets - four fruity flavors, made in my blender.
* Vegan Smores Hot Fudge Sundae
* Smores Blondie Cake Bars - if you can't find a campfire, fire up your oven and bake these!
* Fresh RED Raspberry Sauce for ice cream sundaes - this homemade topping if easy to eat by the spoonful it is so yummy.
* Fresh Blackberry Acai Creamy Sorbet - made in a blender in minutes! Super healthy and delicious. Cool off with each spoonful.
* Chocolate Cherry Pudding parfait - (or no-bake pudding pie!)
* Mocha Root Beer Float - frosty coconut milk ice cream treat.

Other:
* BLUEberry Muffins - love this recipe using coconut oil
* Paninis and Grillmarks Series - tips & recipes.

Note: ALL the fireworks shots in this post are done via a cell phone.

Three Tips for Taking Great Fireworks Pics on Your Cell Phone: I headed out to Disneyland last week and snapped a few photos of their fireworks show. I was shocked at how hard it is to capture crisp fireworks shots. My husband's blackberry only came up with super fuzzy photos. I was impressed very with my shots. These tips can help:

1. Sports Setting! My best tip, right here. You may think that using the "auto" setting on your camera's cell phone will work just fine, but most likely, "auto" will end up being "night" since fireworks go off in the dark. But this is a bad setting for fireworks because the shutter speed is sometimes slower and overall you get a lot of slow-snap-blur in your fireworks pics. For crisp shots use the sports setting! The "action" or "sport" setting will snap the photo quickly, getting you a crisp firework shot. Don't worry about the darkness, you WANT a dark background so those colorful fireworks can show off their sparkly selves.

2. Shoot Early. Try to get your shots in the first few minutes of the show. I know this is kinda silly because the "finale" sections of the shows are always beautiful, but there will be much less smoke during the first few fireworks/minutes of the show. Smoke clogs your photos and messes up the darkness of the shot since smoke captures light well. To get away from the smoke, you can also try to shoot a bit on the high side to stay away from the sinking, drifting smoke which usually drifts down and away from the scene.

3. Screen Capture. If for some reason your camera's settings do not pick up good photos when you click the capture button, but the fireworks look good on your screen when setting up a shot, try using your phone's screen capture to catch the view!

Smile shot.

Enjoying a pre-fireworks vegan grilled veggie barley grain salad with pesto dressing - Disneyland is nice to vegans. This was from Jolly Holiday on Main Street! I love this meal SO much!

*This post was part of my summer series, sponsored by the Nokia Lumia 928, Microsoft phone.

Smoothietude Contest Finalists

June 27, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 80 Comments

To usher in my new book 365 Vegan Smoothies, last month I announced this contest. $2,000 in smoothie lover prizes sponsored by my friends at DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads.

Today I announce the Smoothietude Contest finalists! But first, thank you to all the readers who took the time to send in an entry. They were ALL fun, creative, inspiring and smoothie-tastic. Thank you for sharing them with me. Check out these finalists..

Update. Remember the DOLE Show Me Your Salad-tude Contest I hosted a while back? Well here is the Healthy. Happy. Life. grand prize winner Corrine with Clinton Kelly in Napa Valley, enjoying her amazing grand prize! Winning happens!..

*photo courtesy of DOLE

(This was Corrine's entry...)

But now back to smoothies!

People Love Smoothies. I have learned that I am not the only one to have a special sort of enthusiasm for smoothies. Those frosty, cool, fruit-filled, colorful, tall glasses of blended bliss have a unique way of putting a big smile on a face. One sip and we are filled with wellness, energy & happiness from the inside out. I summed up all this smoothie love in one word: smoothietude. Yesterday I went through the over 60 Smoothietude Contest entries. Today I get to share the finalists!

Choosing the finalists: Did the entry make me smile? Have a great recipe or ingredient idea? Express a passion for smoothies? Have a creative twist or unique voice?

SMOOTHIETUDE CONTEST FINALISTS

FINALIST #1 - Jamie S. - tweeted

FINALIST #2 - Kristen - blogged

FINALIST #3 - Miriam - tweeted

FINALIST #4 - Nyki - Pin

FINALIST #5 - Maria - FB

FINALIST #6 - Alicia - Blogged

FINALIST #7 - Kimmy - blogged

FINALIST #8 - Helyn - blogged

FINALIST #9 - Amy - fb

FINALIST #10 - Kara - blogged

FINALIST #11 - Meghan - blogged

FINALIST #12 - Maria - tweet

FINALIST #13 - Manda - fb

FINALIST #14 - Shelby - pin

FINALIST #15 - Nyki - pin

*note you could enter up to 5 photos, so a few finalists have multiple entries

Meet The Judges: Gena and I! (pic via: The Seed)

Gena and I will choose the winners (8 entries from above will win prizes) - leave a comment to voice who you think should win! Prizes: (1 winner) Grand Prize Winner: Vitamix TurboBlend VS (or a culinary store gift card for $449.00 in value) + copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies + an HHL tee + featured in blogpost on HHL! -- (2 winners) First Prize Winners: $150 Smoothie Lover Kits -- (5 winners) Honorable Mentions: Signed copy of Kathy's 365 Vegan Smoothies Book

SPONSORS:

My Book. 365 Vegan Smoothies (in stores July 2nd - just in time for 4th of July heat!) Get sneak peek book pics.

Thank you to DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads for sponsoring this contest and giveaway with $2,000 in smoothie lover prizes!

Finally, just as a bonus treat, here is a simple smoothie recipe from my book. This recipe uses delicious bananas and sweet summer strawberries..

Get my tips: 10 things every smoothie lover needs in their kitchen!...

Taquito Tuesday! "Fatty Taquitos" + Warm Mexi Kale Salad & Plantains.

June 26, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

I made this meal a few weeks ago and fell in love. I will definitely be making it again. Soon! Maybe tonight. #TaquitoTuesday

I lovingly call these tortilla spirals stuffed with yummy-amazing ingredients, Fatty Taquitos. A baked, over-stuffed version of the beloved Mexican appetizer dish "taquitos."

I paired these delicious bites with a warm Mexican Kale Salad and some slices of sauteed plantains - one of my favorite side dishes ever. Sweet, tender plantains with crisp caramelized edges accent the spiced, fresh salad and hearty fatty taquitos perfectly. Taquito makeover meal accomplished!..

(Side Note) ONE WEEK guys! #excited

Plantains. love.

Nicely filled. Not too much, not too little..

Pair with some sunny pumpkin seed guacamole if you'd like..

I love taquitos, but there are a few problems with making them into a meal..

1. They are usually fried.
2. They are usually quite skinny with very minimal "filling."
3. Usually the filling includes things like cheese and even meat. Not terribly vegan-friendly, let alone entree friendly.

So I made a few minor changes, added a delish Mexican Kale Salad and suddenly my beloved guilt-infused fried appetizer turned into a healthy meal!
Sauteed Plantains
vegan, makes 1 cup plantain slices

1 large plantain, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
1 tablespoon sunflower or safflower oil (or use vegan butter/Earth Balance for a buttery flavor)
pinch of salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions: Over high heat, warm oil and add plantains. Saute for 1 minute. Flip plantains and add sweetener and spices. Cook for another 1-2 minutes or until the edges begin to blacken. Remove from pan and cool on a side plate.

Warm Mexican Kale Salad
vegan, makes 2 cups

1 bunch kale, thick stems removed, washed/torn into small bits
⅓ cup diced tomato
⅓ cup diced onion
½ avocado, diced
½ teaspoon chipotle spice
salt + pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sunflower or safflower oil

Directions:

1. After you saute the plantain, leave the excess oil/sweetener in the pan (do not clean pan after plantains - this adds much flavor to the kale.) Add another ½-1 teaspoon oil and heat pan over high heat.
2. When pan is hot, add the torn kale to the pan, rub the kale into the oil/pan to coat the leaves a bit in the flavor. You can flip the kale around a bit. Cover pan with lid. Allow to cook/steam for about one minute. You just want to slightly wilt and toast the kale. You do not want it to be soggy, but still springy after a quick warming. Remove cover. Flip kale leaves a bit and add the tomato and onion and spices. Toss well.
3. Remove kale and veggies from heat. Add the avocado and lime juice and toss a bit to evenly distribute flavors.
4. Set aside and plate with finished taquitos.

Fatty Taquitos
vegan, serves 2-3

6 medium tortillas (any variety)
½ cup warmed refried beans, vegan
1 spicy vegan sausage OR vegan soy-rizo (optional)
½ cup sauteed plantains
¼ cup kale
¼ cup sliced onions
¼ cup diced tomato
2-3 tablespoon harissa or salsa
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet and spray with oil to grease.

2. Warm your beans and prep your veggies if needed. (I used leftover veggies from my salad prep.

3. Fill each tortilla with whatever you'd like - but don't be stingy with toppings! You want to add enough so that each taquito has hearty fillings, but not so many that you cannot roll the tortillas. The beans help to keep the other toppings in place. You can also add guacamole, rice, other veggies and more...

4. Roll each taquito and rub the outside of the tortilla with oil. Place on your baking sheet. Continue until all tortillas are filled and rolled.

5. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and become toasty and crisp.

6. Cool, slice and serve with plantains and kale salad.

4th of July Vegan Flag Cake with Coconut Whip & Berries.

June 25, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 16 Comments

Happy 4th of July week! This veganized version of a classic flag cake is a delicious way to celebrate this red, white and blue holiday! Fresh berries, buttery pound cake and plenty of swirled cool coconut whip on top!..

Tomorrow, tomorrow! I am so thrilled that you can head to your local bookstore tomorrow and buy 365 Vegan Smoothies! About 1,000 of you have already pre-ordered it on Amazon - which makes me so excited to hear. I hope you all love this book as much as I do and use it to infuse some wellness into your summer and all year long via fresh, fabulous, vegan smoothies!

Classic Cake. When I was a teenager just starting to fall in love with the kitchen, recipes and edible art, this classic 4th of July cake was always one of my favorites. I loved it because it was so easy. I clipped the recipe from the newspaper, bought some very basic ingredients: whipped topping, pound butter cake and plenty of fresh strawberries and blueberries. Simply assemble the cake and it was done. My favorite part was arranging the colorful berries in the red, white and blue flag design.

Well this fun dessert can easily be made from scratch and veganized into a dairy-free, egg-free version. This cool whipped coconut cream frosting is so light and dreamy - it meshes with the fresh berries perfectly.

You can even make this cake a day ahead of time and simply pull from the fridge to serve on the 4th of July - pre-made so you can enjoy and relax on your holiday!

Coconut whip is a favorite sweet treat. It is so easy and so luscious. My coconut whip recipe is here. Perfect for strawberries and cream. Or dolloping on top of ice cream, hot cocoa and more. But for this frosting I thickened up the whip a bit using three things: more powdered sugar, melted coconut oil and arrowroot powder. Arrowroot powder is a natural thickener similar to corn starch. You can buy it at most natural food stores - find it in the baking section.

Frosting, just smooth it on, easy as can be..

Beautiful summer berries. So delicious and filled with healthy antioxidants, vitamins and minerals! Wellness on top..

4th of July Flag Cake

Components: Fresh strawberries and blueberries, coconut whip frosting (below), vegan rectangle pound cake (below)

Vanilla-Lemon Vegan Pound Cake
13" x 9" cake pan

3 cups flour
1 ¾ cups organic sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup freshly ground flax seeds
1 ¾ cups soy or almond milk
½ cup melted coconut oil
¼ cup softened vegan butter (Earth Balance)
zest from 1 lemon
2 ½ tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease your cake sheet pan with coconut oil.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, flour, baking powder, salt, flax seeds.
4. Combine the non-dairy milk, oil, butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Warm in the microwave until the oil and vegan butter melts and the non-dairy milk warms.
5. Stir the sugar into the oil and non-dairy milk mixture.
6. Fold the oil/sugar mixture into the dry mixing bowl. Stir well.
7. Stir in the lemon juice and zest, vanilla extract.
8. Pour the batter into your pan and place in oven. Bake at 400 degrees for ten minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 and bake for another ten to fifteen minutes. You will need to watch this cake carefully and when the edges begin to brown and center becomes nice and sturdy remove the cake. As it cools, it will continue to firm up nicely.
9. Allow cake to completely cool before you add the frosting and berries. (See below for details)
10. Optional: After removing cake from pan I like to slice off the edges to make a perfectly rectangle shape as opposed to the somewhat rounded edges of the cake pan. Use a bread knife to slice off ¼" of the cake on all sides. (Use this cake for leftover berry cake crumble desserts.)

Coconut Whip Frosting
makes about 4 cups coconut whip frosting

2 cans coconut milk*
*Trader Joes has these great 'coconut cream' cans that only has the harder cream part - very helpful if you can find them!
1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup arrowroot powder (optional, helps to thicken)
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Place coconut milk cans in fridge overnight to completely chill.
2. Open cans and remove the thick white coconut cream - scoop it out into a large stainless steel mixing bowl. Discard the leftover thin translucent coconut oil in the can. (Or save to use in other recipes.)
3. Melt your coconut oil in the microwave.
4. Using a hand mixer, beat the coconut oil very slowly into the coconut cream. This is a tricky step because if you do not pour slowly enough, the oil will bead up into firm chunks as soon as it hits the hard coconut oil. (If this happens you can troubleshoot by re-warming the milk and oil and beating together until smooth - you will them need to re-chill the oil/milk.)
5. You should now have a chilled, thick oil/coconut cream mixture. Using hand beater, beat in the powdered sugar and arrowroot powder and continue beating for 1-2 minutes whipping air into the mixture until it becomes thick. When it thickens a bit, you can place the bowl in the freezer and chill for about 20 minutes then beat again. The frosting will beat thicker as the mixture is nice and cold. Warm liquid will not firm up properly. Add more powdered sugar if needed to thicken the mixture even more.
6. When your whip is nice and fluffy, place in the freezer until it is perfectly thick and spreadable in texture.

Frosting the Cake + Berries.

1. Prep your berries. You will need about 1 ½ cups of strawberries, sliced into quarters and ¾ cup blueberries. I like to toss my berries in a spoonful of sugar. Place your sliced berries in the fridge to fully cool before adding to cake. You can even place in freezer to quick chill them if needed.
2. Make sure your cake is fully chilled from fridge or quick chill in freezer.
3. With all three components chilled (berries, cake, frosting) begin adding the frosting to the cake. Allow it to flow over the side. Add berries in a flag design. Place cake back in the fridge. Allow to chill at least 1 hour before serving.

To serve: allow cake to warm just enough so the frosting is soft and creamy - this will also help the coconut oil cake to soften a bit too.

Vegan Breakfast Burrito

June 22, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 31 Comments

This Vegan Breakfast Burrito is all you need in the morning. I'll attribute that to the inclusion of plenty of pepperjack cheese from Daiya. Any vegan cheese can be used though...

Daiya Pepperjack..

New. I'm a sucker for new products. A new flavor of coconut water, a new flavor of soy ice cream, new this, new that - I'll buy it just to try it. And sometimes a new flavor can be quite disappointing. Leaving you spending money on something only to find out you don't like the "new" version! Example, those plastic bottled coconut water flavors (pomberry and such) - tried them all - and I've learned that I like coconut water "as is" - no new flavors needed. But Daiya flavors...

Luckily, with the new Daiya Cheese pepperjack flavor I was quite pleased. So yummy! In fact, Pepperjack my new fave Daiya flavor.

Breakfast Burrito. Then this morning I did the best breakfast burrito I have ever had. Dive in...

Vegan Breakfast Burrito

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/22/2013
This savory breakfast is a satisfying way to start your day. Protein-loaded.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 tablespoon tamari
¾ cup bell pepper, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
14oz firm tofu
½ - ¾ teaspoon turmeric
1 clove garlic, chopped
1-4 tablespoon nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne or hot sauce to taste
Fold in:
1-2 cups spinach, chopped
¼ - ½ cup vegan cheese shreds
Also: large flour tortillas, warmed

Instructions

Add the vegan butter to a warmed skillet over high heat.
Add the mushrooms, bell pepper and garlic. Saute for two minutes. Add in the tofu, tamari, turmeric, nutritional yeast and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Saute for 2-5 minutes until the tofu is fluffy and all the moisture is absorbed.
Fold in the cheese and spinach. turn off heat. Add more salt and pepper and optional hot sauce or cayenne - to taste.
Load scramble into the warmed tortillas and fold up burritos. Slice and serve with optional hot sauce.

Yield: 2 burritosPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 20 mins. Tags: breakfast,tofu,burrito,vegan,cheese,brunch,entree,

Maple-Lime Citrus Salad + 365 Vegan Smoothies Sneak Peek!

June 22, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 16 Comments

Hello summer! Oh how long I have been waiting for you. To usher in this sunny season, I broke out some of my favorite flavors. Sweet pink grapefruit, summer plums, plump goji berries and sweet oranges, zesty lime juice and caramel-sweet grade B maple syrup. Maple and lime is an amazing flavor combo on fruit. This Chilled Maple-Lime Citrus Salad is super hydrating, rich in vitamins, fiber and so refreshing! Serve chilled at brunch or snack straight from the fridge all day long like I did. Sure beats grabbing some chips or other less healthy snack munchies.

The Book. Less than 10 days people! At first I was bummed that my book was delayed a whole month. But I guess it is quite fitting that it be unveiled when the season of sunshine, smoothies and heatwaves has officially begun. Summertime! Welcome summer 2013, I think I will call you the official summer of the smoothie.

Ahead, get an exclusive peek inside my book, details on my VegNews Magazine appearance and my Summer Citrus Salad recipe!..

VegNews "What's in Your Fridge?" - In the July/August issue of VegNews Magazine I am featured in a "What's in Your Fridge" photo plus a fun "Smooth-ie Operator" interview. Pick up your copy to see the feature! It is the issue with the amazing veggie burger on the cover. Peek in my fridge. (Who doesn't love a peek inside anyone's fridge, right?)

Fridge Shoot. I did the photoshoot all by myself, using a tripod, which was quite a challenge! If you have ever tried to photograph a full, open fridge you know what I mean. (Everyone has tried that once, right?) 🙂 The door keeps swinging closed, the little light inside messes up the photo so the bulb has to be unscrewed, lighting the dark fridge is a PAIN, and all the while, things inside seem to mysteriously keep shifting. And it kinda sucks to keep your fridge open that long since the coconut milk ice cream starts to melt, the soy yogurt gets warm and all the foods just get grumpy. But somehow I managed. (I did have to move my fridge into the living room to get a properly lit shot but hey, success takes some muscle power ... pushing a fridge full of goodies across two rooms = muscle power.)

Here is a sneak peek at the shoot .. these are a few leftover shots. See VegNews for the official pics.

Also Check out my 72 Hours with Kathy Patalsky food diary on VegNews.com!

And MORE sneak peeks for you... a look at my book! If you follow me on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram you know that last Friday I received a giant box filled with final copies of my book. I am thrilled with the final result. The colors, the photos, the design and organization. I am in love. And more excited than ever for you to Amazon, so this is a very exclusive first look!)

The delivery..

Opening the book. Glee I cannot describe..

Summer + smoothies.

Together at last..

Matcha smoothie? Of course..

The back cover - thank you to Sarma of Pure Food and Wine & Food Network's Melissa d'Arabian for giving such lovely review quotes!

Nutrition info for every single smoothie (365 of them!)

Gena of choosingRaw.com wrote a brilliant foreword.

I love this photo..

Recipe..

Chilled Maple-Lime Citrus Salad
vegan, serves 3-4

2 large navel oranges, rind sliced off, diced into large cubes
1 large pink grapefruit, rind sliced off, diced into large cubes
1-2 red plums, sliced
2-3 tablespoon goji berries
1 large lime, juiced + zest (+ reserve one slice for garnish)
2 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
1 dash cayenne
tiny pinch of pink salt (optional)

optional to serve: candied almonds + cold-pressed raw pumpkinseed oil

Directions:

1. Prep all your fruit. Place in a large mixing bowl. If you have any leftover flesh or juicy skin, squeeze that juice into the bowl.
2. Add the goji berries, lime juice, plentiful lime zest and maple syrup to the fruit. Add the dash of cayenne and optional pinch of salt.
3. Fold gently.
4. Place fruit in the fridge to chill. When fully chilled and the flavors have marinated and the goji berries plumped, it is ready to serve.

Serving Suggestion: If serving on a plate, add a drizzle of your favorite cold-pressed oil. I used pumpkinseed oil and some homemade candied almonds. To make the almonds I add 2 tablespoon sunflower oil to a skillet over high heat. And toast about ½ - ¾ cup raw almonds for about 2-4 minutes. In the last minute I add 1-2 tablespoon maple syrup and a pinch of salt and spices. Toast for another minute or so and allow to cool before serving. Add a slice of lime and additional lime zest over top.

My blender of choice (I own this one!)..

Mint-Chocolate Chip Oat Cookies

June 20, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

These Mint-Chocolate Oat Cake Cookies are fluffy and soft and filled with refreshing mint-chocolate flavor in each tender bite. Fluffy oats and silky coconut oil. This is a family recipe that was always made using "mint milk chocolate chips." But I recently realized that I could achieve the same flavor using vegan semi-sweet chips and some simple organic peppermint extract...

Cookie Craving? Check out my 7 Secrets to Cookie Baking Success post.

Fun stuff going on... And don't forget to enter my #Smoothietude contest! $2k in prizes! Also going on: my HHL tee giveaway. And 365 Vegan Smoothies comes out in less than two weeks! pre-order today!

My great Aunt Bea would make these buttery, rich, uber-amazing mint chocolate oatmeal cookies for my sister and I as kids. They were super rich and quite addicting. Those silky mint milk chocolate chips melting between the nutty oats and buttery flour and sugar filled cookies. I remember we used to giggle to ourselves and say that since the cookies had oats in them, they were extremely good for us. Instead of oatmeal for breakfast, it seemed perfectly reasonable to swipe a few chocolate-studded cookies from the platter on the kitchen counter.

..Perhaps not breakfast worthy, but those oats do add a bit of fiber, nutty flavor, whole grain goodness and oat nutrients like phosphorus, manganese, iron, magnesium and thiamin. Tip! For even more whole oats in each bite, swap out the white flour for homemade oat flour, the cookies will be more nutty and textured, but still delicious. Oat flour directions in this post. Flour-free cookies example here.

Well, I can never find vegan mint chocolate chips (I usually just use broken up vegan mint dark chocolate bars), so I rarely make these cookies. But last night I decided to see if tossing my semi-sweet chips in a few drops of organic peppermint extract would do the trick. And I was pleasantly surprised with the results. Mint chocolate, cool and creamy, in each fluffy oatmeal cookie bite.

Cake Cookies. I made these cookies a bit on the fluffy side by using more flour and baking powder than you might normally see in a cookie recipe like this. The cookies sprawl and puff up on the pan and turn out to be muffin top-ish sort of abstract cookies. Delicate and moist. Not very chewy, these cookies are more cake-like in texture.

Enjoy!..

Mint Chocolate Chip Oat Cake Cookies
vegan, makes 10-12 cookies

dry:
¾ cups white flour, organic/unbleached (you can try GF flour too)
¼ cup spelt flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ tablespoon ground chia or flax seeds (I used white chia seeds)
⅓ cup rolled oats
1 heaping tablespoon baking powder

wet/warm:
½ cup + 2 teaspoon organic sugar
2 ½ tablespoon almond or soy milk
⅓ cup virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoon vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance) (or sub more coconut oil + additional pinch of salt)

Fold-in:
⅓ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup semi-sweet (vegan dark) chocolate chips
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract, natural/organic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees, grease a baking sheet.

2. Toss the peppermint extract with the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Place the bowl in the freezer. (This step may seem odd, but when you add the chips to the dough slightly cold in temperature, it chills and firms the dough on contact so that you can scoop the soft dough into cookies asap as opposed to placing the dough in the fridge to firm up.)

3. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. Combine the wet ingredients in a small bowl and microwave for 15-30 seconds or until they have warmed and the vegan butter and oil softened.

5. Add the wet to the dry and fold well until the mixture is wet and sticky - thickened up a bit but not as thick and dry and normal cookie batter.

6. Fold the apple cider vinegar into the dough.

7. Last, fold the chilled chips into the dough. This should help firm it up a bit. The dough will still be quite soft but thick enough to scoop into loosely formed piles on your baking sheet.

8. Place baking sheet in oven. Bake cookies at 375 for 12-15 minutes - I usually wait until the edges begin to brown a bit. They will firm up a bit as they cool.

Avocado Toast Pinwheel Platter.

June 18, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

As a late afternoon snack or an evening appetizer, this Summer Avocado Toast Pinwheel Platter serves up a colorful feast for the eyes with some very healthy-delicious flavors that follow. Fresh citrus from sweet and juicy navel oranges. Buttery avocado mingling with summer's freshest vine-ripened tomatoes. Sweet onion, diced into fine cubes. And the brisk and sunlight-filled flavor of fresh lemon juice marinating and mingling with the flavors in each bite. Some salt, pepper and optional spicy accents too. Get my recipe for this party or snack-approved pinwheel platter..

Half-Smashed. I love chunky-style salsas and even guacamole. And sometimes I like chunky-style avocado toast. Well this recipe falls somewhere between chunky and smashed. I achieve this texture by processing all the ingredients in a Vitamix (or food processor) for about 3-5 seconds. Too long and you get soft spread, but just a quick pulse and the flavors blend beautifully while keeping things chunky-textured.

Summer Avocado Toast Pinwheel Platter
vegan, makes 6 slices

1 large navel orange
6 slices bread for toasting (any variety)
1 large avocado
1 large lemon
1 small vine-ripened tomato
½ small sweet onion
pinch of salt & pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)

drizzle of extra virgin olive or pumpkinseed oil to serve

Directions:

1. Slice about ¾ of your orange into thin half-moon shaped rounds. These will be added directly to the platter. With the remaining ¼ orange, squeeze the juice into a medium sized bowl.

2. To the orange juice bowl, add the avocado cubes, diced onion, salt, pepper, optional cayenne and juice of one lemon. Toss well. Tip: Add some citrus zest for a bolder citrus flavor.

3. Add the avocado mixture to a food processor or Vitamix and blend for 3-5 seconds, just until the consistency softens a bit, but stays chunky.

4. Toast and slice your bread and add the avocado mixture to the triangle slices.

5. Create the platter by alternating orange slices with toast slices. Add oil and more spices over top to present.

Some other avocado dishes to try..

Green Tower Power Salad with avocado:

Deviled Avocado with spicy-sweet curry sauce:

Strawberry Avocado Tartine/Toast:

Veggie-Loaded Avocado White Bean Salad:

5-Step Raw Kale Salad:

Easy Sweet Potato Soup with Avocado:

Arugula Mango Avocado Mac Nut Salad:

Creamy Vegan Ranch Chickpea + Peach Farm Salad. Peanuts + Lime.

June 13, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

This Creamy Ranch Chickpea + Peach Farm Salad is wonderful for a sunny day lunch or light dinner. Creamy peppercorn and ranch-flavored chickpeas smother crisp, crunchy greens like shredded cabbage, romaine and carrots. Juicy sweet peaches sliced on top add sweetness and a subtle tartness to the nutty, perky chickpeas. No need for dressing on this salad - the ranch dressing is built in! Accents of crunchy peanuts and fresh lime juice. Serve this salad and satisfy your summertime salad cravings. Super easy to make, I whipped it up in just twenty minutes (longer if you allow the beans to marinate in the fridge a bit)...

P e a c h e s = Bl i s s

Fruit Bowl. My recipes are often inspired by fruit. Since I was a little girl climbing the fig, plum and apricot trees in our California backyard, I have always been a fruit lover. Give me a giant bowl of fruit and I am happy. Maybe it is the sweetness, the hydration that comes from fresh fruit or maybe even the vitamins and minerals - things like vitamin C, potassium, vitamin A and more that can be found in a wide variety of fruit.

A few other fruit-inspired recipes..
* My Pineapple Fried Quinoa Pineapple Boat .. pineapple!
* Double Chocolate Ganache Strawbery Layer Cake .. strawberries!
* My Citrus + Butternut BBQ "Chick'n" Salad .. citrus!
* Frosted Blueberry Cake .. blueberries!
* Summer Peach Bruschetta ... peaches!
* Easy Vegan Caramel Apples ... apples!
* Balsamic Peach Avocado Salad .. peaches!
* Strawberry Avocado Ginger lemon Salad or Tartine .. strawberries!

One of my fruit faves: peaches and nectarines. I pile them into bags at farmer's markets and I really cannot resist them. Not a bad food addiction to have. This Creamy Ranch Chickpea + Peach Farm Salad embraces ripe, juicy summer peaches and/or nectarines. Perfect for lunch or dinner.

Creamy Salads. I think summer is the time to indulge a craving for all things creamy, ranch-ish, vegan mayo infused and "salad" made. Potato salad, creamy cole slaw and these ranch beans. If you like vegan mayo (Vegenaise or another brand) even a little bit. Then go on and embrace its creamy deliciousness. This recipe is a great place to start.

Special Diet Vegan Mayo. You can even find vegan mayo in soy-free, olive oil-based, organic, low-fat and other specialty varieties!

Creamy Ranch Chickpea + Peach Farm Salad
vegan, serves 2

Creamy Ranch Bean Salad
1 16oz can garbanzo beans, drained/rinsed
½ cup onion, chopped (red or sweet - red will be bolder in flavor)
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped (optional)
3 heaping tablespoon vegan mayo (yes, you can add more if you want uber-creamy beans)
1 tablespoon Dijon or whole grain mustard (Dijon will add spiciness)
1 teaspoon mixed herb spices (spice/herb blend - any brand .. salt free)
⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black peppercorn pepper (or any black pepper)
1 ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon grade B maple syrup
pinch of salt

Other add-ins to this salad could be: chopped celery, nutritional yeast, brown rice, quinoa, chopped apple, chopped radish, cubed cucumber, large chopped tomato...

Salad - add to *each* serving bowl:
2 cups romaine or romaine blend greens (I used an easy bagged salad with organic romaine + shredded carrots + cabbage)
2-3 round slices of onions
1 chilled peach or nectarine, sliced (you can also add grilled fruit!)
1 tablespoon peanuts (I used raw + wild jungle peanuts)
squeeze of lime juice on top + zest

additional dressing if desired: simply add some fresh lime juice over top and a drizzle of your favorite oil. Try cold-pressed pumpkin seed or EVOO.

Directions:

1. Open your can of beans and drain liquid. Rinse beans in cold water very well. Add beans to a large bowl.
2. Chop onion and add to bean bowl along with the other "bean salad" ingredients. Toss well until beans and onion are creamy coated. For extra creamy ranch flavors add an extra spoonful of mayo.
3. Place the bean salad in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Leave 1-2 hours for a more marinated salad (recommended!)
4. Quick assembly! Add the salad to serving bowls, top with beans, as many as you'd like. Add the peanuts and slice peaches over top. Spritz with fresh lime juice and zest. Serve! I like some toasted rye bread on the side. You could even add some tempeh bacon.

Doron Petersan's VGP Interview! (Sticky Fingers Bakery & More!)

June 12, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

Next up in my summer-long spread of my 2013 Veggie Girl Power Interview Series is Doron Petersan, known best for her amazing DC-based bakery + cafe Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats as well as her amazing cookbook (we share a publisher!) and winning appearances on Food Network's Cupcake Wars...

I have been lucky enough to visit Doron's DC shop "Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats" more than a few times - each time melting into a sea of bliss over how many yummy things there are to choose from (Little Devils, Cupcakes and Sticky Buns, oh my!) and how freaking cute the "style" of the retro shop is (50's-inspired heaven!). Long story short, Doron is a vegan treats superstar. You can read all about her adventures on the Sticky Fingers website, but I pulled this quote that I love so much,

"With a degree in nutrition and food science, Doron brought memories of favorite treats to vegan reality."

Yes! Isn't that what we all want? Brilliantly veganized favorites from our childhood, so the next generation of kids, teens and plant-based adults can indulge without every missing out on faves.

Lets get to know Doron a bit more in her VGP interview!.... (And I am SO excited that Doron says "The search for store number two has begun.")

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Doron Petersan, Sticky Fingers Bakery (and more!)

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

Doron: I was working as a vet tech and witnessed my first surgery. I realized that the musculature of dog being treated looked all to similar to the chicken breast I had eaten the night before. I realized that I couldn't save animals and eat them, too. I had a going out party of sorts over my Grandmother's kitchen sink, eating all of the foods I was going to miss; her chicken cutlets, her meatballs, cheese pizza. Grandma found me face deep in he fridge and asked what I was doing. I told her 'I'm going vegetarian'. Shortly after, I confided in a friend about my vegetarian revelation. She told me I couldn't simply give up meat, but had to give up the industry associated with meat and 'go vegan'.

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

Doron: Explore all of the new foods and flavors you have now opened your palate to. But be true to your cravings and enjoy your favorites. Recreate your favorite dishes and recipes so that you don't feel sad about leaving your desired dishes behind. It's about finding new fave's but being true to what you love.

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!

Doron: Sticky Fingers Sweets & Eats, of course! But other than our all vegan shop, there are so many vegan options in DC and around our nations capital. Almost every restaurant offers a vegan menu or meal, so you never have to go to far to get your fill. Today I went to Shawafel for lunch, a falafel and shwarma spot on H street, NE, and I'm hooked. Great Sage in Clarksville, Sweet N Natural in Mount Raineer, and Loving Hut in Arlington are all vegan too. But places like Founding Farmers, Busboys and Poets, Teaism, and Todd Gray's Muse at the Corcoran all have great vegan menus. Come visit us!

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

Doron: Every day Ezra (my toddler) and I make smoothies for breakfast before we head out. Generally it's a mix of hemp milk, maybe a plant based protein powder, and loads of organic fruit. His favorite is blueberry and pineapple. I'm all about strawberries. Lunch is usually a salad of sorts at the shop; spinach, black beans, veggies and tomatoes. Being surrounded by sweets all day long, I've found that sticking to lesser processed meals is best, because a little devil or cowvin cookie is bound to end up in my mouth at some time during the day. I cook dinner almost every night and I change it up a lot; quesadillas or fajitas, quinoa salads, stir frys, curries, steamed veggies and grilled tofu, fajitas and pastas. The veggies are always the star of the plate. I just bought a load of kohlrabi from the farmers market and I can't wait to make a sesame cole slaw. Daiya, Field Roast, and Gardein some of our favorite staple brands. As for ingredients, I have a bag of onions in the kitchen and olive oil on the counter at all times. Mandatory. Dessert? Usually fruit or frozen treats like sorbet or coconut based ice cream. No, I don't bake at home unless I'm testing recipes.

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

Doron: Veganism is.. Better for you, better for the animals, and better for the environment.

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

Doron: I can't get enough of Meet the Shannons, and the Betty Crocker Project. So much fun! Food an cooking has to be fun, and they do a great job of keeping the recipes simple and easy to follow. And their blog makes me giggle out loud.

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

Doron: One? Only one? How about 2..
It's a major pet peve when omnivores tout the dangers of GMO's without giving up the one product that is ensuring the continued use and development of genetically modified foods; meat. GMO grain is fed to the animals they are consuming! It doesn't make any sense, so much so that I don't think folks realize how much grain is needed to feed and grow animals for their plate.

Companion animal and shelter issues was my gateway into veganism. But the abhorrent treatment of animals in every industry in which they are used is what has kept me here for over 18 years. I have yet to find a reason not to be vegan. When I ask someone why they are not vegan (usually in response to them asking me why I am vegan), they almost always say 'because I like meat', or 'animals taste good'. I agree with them as I also enjoyed eating meat and think that animals taste good. Most people as shocked and figure that I must have been vegan all of my life, as I make it look so easy. Well, I say, it is easy. It's not about personal purity for me. It's about making vegan options more obtainable and accessible, and the vegan lifestyle simple and easy without depriving yourself of the things you love. I take the 'if I can do it so can you' position. I think I'm babbling now...

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

Doron: Well, we are expanding our menu to offer more cake flavors and designs this summer. It's an exciting time as more and more distributors offer vegan friendly ingredients, making lots of thing much easier for us to produce in quantity. There will also be the addition of milk shakes and donuts. Yup, I said donuts. We'll be adding some burger and salad options to our savory side as well. We've working hard and come a long way in the past few years. It's time to focus on the next five, tighten up this little ship and expand our reach. Not only with our wholesale line (available in lots of local natural food stores as well as the mid-atlantic Whole Foods, but with a second location. The search for store number two has begun.

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

Doron: I can't wait for your book! I've pre-ordered mine, btw. But until we get a copy, this is Ezra's favorite morning smoothie:
½ cup organic frozen blueberries
½ cup organic frozen pineapple
¼ cup organic coconut milk
1 cup hemp milk, (original or vanilla)
1 teaspoon chia seeds
1 teaspoon flax
1 leaf kale

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

Doron: No Doubt! Animal agriculture is unsustainable with the rate at which the human population is growing globally. Reducing animal consumption, regardless of the impetus, will ultimately be better for the animals, the planet, and for everyone's health.

Some of Doron's fave links to love..

Sticky Fingers Bakery
NY Times Articles: The Human Cost of Animal Suffering
Bittman in NY Times
Must See Humane Society PDF
Animal Agriculture Conference 2012 PDF

------------

Follow Doron:
Facebook: Sticky Fingers
TWITTER -> @stickyfingersDC

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

*all photos were provided courtesy of Doron Petersan

20-Minute Pesto Pasta Night!

June 10, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

Mondays call for homemade, easy recipe dinners. This 20-Minute Vegan Pesto Pasta recipe is just the thing for a comfort-food infused dinner. Lively lemon blends with fragrant fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and a few vegan ingredients like nutritional yeast, nuts and seeds that make this pesto nutty, rich, mildly spicy and creamy.

Pair this pasta with an easy salad for a complete dinner. Recipe pairing ideas + links ahead too. Have your cozy homemade "pesto pasta night" dinner ready in a flash..

Do you have twenty minutes tonight? Then you have a homemade dinner! How it breaks down..

1-2 minutes: grab pot, fill with water, bring water to boil over high heat (drop pasta)
6-12 minutes: while pasta is boiling/cooking you can grab all your pesto ingredients, prep them (rinse basil, juice lemons) - drop pesto ingredients in the blender and process until you have fresh, creamy dreamy pesto sauce.
Last 5-7 minutes: your are tossing the pasta and plating with garnishes.

(And if you are on the quick end of the spectrum, you can easily toss some salad with your fave dressing to add a salad on the side. Toast some bread, slather it in Vegenaise, EVOO or vegan butter if you'd like. Pour some drinks and serve!)

Ah, fresh basil. I love it. And it inspires many of my fave recipes...

Pesto Pasta Primavera with Avocado Pesto:

Basil-infused Pepperjack basil grilled cheese sandwich..

Basil-tastic Pesto "Ricotta" Pizza Night..

Or this pesto-paired avocado toast..

Refreshing Tofu Feta Watermelon Basil Salad..

Lemon leek Pesto Penne Pasta with spring peas:

Kiwi Basil Smoothie..

But for today .. lets stick with this 20-minute pesto pasta dish. Oh it is yummy..

20-Minute Pesto Pasta Night Recipe
vegan, serves 2-4

Pesto Sauce:
1 large bunch of fresh basil, keep fluffy leaves and small stems - remove/discard thick stems and any black or browned leaves
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds OR pistachio nuts
⅓ cup raw walnuts
2-3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon white miso paste
pinch of salt and black pepper
2-3 cloves of raw garlic
¼ cup nutritional yeast
⅓ cup "pasta water"
2 large lemons, juiced + pinch of fresh lemon zest
1 tablespoon maple syrup (or sub dark agave syrup)
optional: 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for extra spiciness

5-6 cups cooked pasta (any variety works)
(reserve ⅓ cup pasta water .. starchy water that the pasta is cooked in)

1-2 tablespoon raw hemp seeds on top + fresh basil leaves + lemon slices

Directions:

1. I like to grind my pumpkin seeds first. (You can just process in your blend, but I like mine extra fine.) Set aside.

*time saver* you can use the pasta water about 2-3 minutes into the boil to save time. While the pasta is cooking you can be doing the pesto blend with the pasta water.

2. (Use time saver above or wait until pasta is cooked to do pesto .. either way works) - Boil water for pasta - I always add a pinch of salt to my pasta water. When boiling, drop pasta and cook according to package or until desired pasta texture is achieved. Drain pasta and reserve about 1 cup of pasta water. The pasta water should be a cloudy white color from the pasta.
3. Add (ground or whole) raw pumpkin seeds, basil, miso, walnuts, EVOO, garlic, pinch of salt and pepper, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and zest, sweetener and optional red pepper flakes to a high speed blender or food procesor. Add ¼ cup of the pasta water and start blending on low. Add ¼-1/3 cup more pasta water as needed to thin your pesto. I like my pesto quite thick like a watery hummus .. but if you like a thinner pesto just add a few more spoonfuls of pasta water. If you like your pesto extra zesty, you can even add in some additional lemon juice. Extra rich? Add more EVOO. Extra cheesy? Add more nutritional yeast. Extra spicy? More red pepper flakes, garlic or cayenne.
4. Now simply toss your warm pasta with the fresh pesto sauce. The pesto will warm slightly from the hot pasta. Serve right away for best "fresh pesto pasta" flavor and green color. If making ahead of time, note that the pesto will begin to fade in color a bit as it cools and marinates the pasta. This pasta is delicious same day or next day for leftovers.

Serving.. Pasta garnish: hemp seeds and basil leaves. I usually add a drizzle of EVOO or pumpkin seed oil too. And some extra nooch on top. Plenty of fresh lemon slices on the table for the pasta and for water served with dinner.

Pairing ideas! Want a full meal? Pair with these salad options..

Roasted Beet Balsamic Salad
Shredded Raw Carrot Salad
Fully Loaded Kale Salad or my Easy 5-Step Raw Kale Salad
Simple "Pizza Salad"

To drink? Try a fizzy blood orange spritzer - use any citrus you'd like, or even fresh cherries and oranges!

My Best Vegan Cookie Recipe Yet. Plus, 7 Secrets to Cookie Success!

June 7, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 38 Comments

Ah the cookie. A perfect sweet treat. Simple and comforting yet always held in high regard. Even some of the poshest "foodie savvy" restaurants in town include a dessert offering of "milk & cookies." (I recently went to Crossroads in LA and they served up homemade almond milk + cookies!) So why all the fuss about such a classic dessert? Well one bite of your perfect cookie and you know the answer to that question.

So now. Do you wish you could bake rich, buttery, bakery quality vegan cookies in your own kitchen every time you crank up your oven and grab a baking sheet? Well these are my seven secrets to success when it comes to vegan cookie baking. Plus I share my recipe for Dream Cookies. Aka, my best chocolate chip cookie yet...

Those tiny caramel-colored specks add loads of peanut-butter-y flavor..
(but shhh, they are actually freshly ground flax seeds!)

So melty fresh from the oven (not properly cooled, but that is fine by me.)

Oh and the perfect pairing, homemade almond milk...

Dear Mrs. Field's Cookies, For a long time no matter where I traveled or how many chocolate chip cookies I tasted, your warm, melty, fresh-from-the-mall-food-court mini cookies were always, always the "best" to my taste buds. (Maybe it is just a childhood memory thing, but whatever it is I remember the yum in each bite.) And even though it has been a good 15 years or so since I have indulged in one of your (non-vegan) buttery, golden cookies, those fond memories and flavors still linger. Well finally. Finally! I have a solid vegan cookie recipe that without a doubt now earns the title of my favorite cookie ever.

These "Dream Cookies" as I call them are pretty simple. Chocolate chips. Flour. Oil. Sugar. Vanilla. Salt. But it is the little things that make these cookies my best recipe ever. The nutty *ground* flax seeds. The gobs of *coconut* oil. The caramel-y sweet *vegan* sugar. The *real* vanilla extract. The mix of two varieties of flour, one fine and one rustic. And when served fresh from the oven, these melty chocolate chip cookies are pure heaven. Dreamy...

Dream cookies.

So how did I achieve my perfect cookie? These 7 secrets helped me craft a cookie recipe worth memorizing. And everyone needs one of those.

7 Secrets for Successful Vegan Cookie Baking

1. Ground Flax Seeds. My very first nut/seed grinder appliance that I bought about a month ago has changed my baking forever. I used to make my "flax egg" using a simple mixture of whole flax seeds and warm water. But using freshly ground flax seeds makes such a huge difference in the overall texture and nuttiness of my cookies. And this way, I do not even bother to blend the seeds with water. I just toss them in with the flour and let them plump and mingle with the dough liquid all on their own. The ground seeds have a bold flavor reminiscent of peanut butter .. which adds a wonderful complexity to the cookies.

2. Add lots of fat. If you really want to replicate that buttery, melts-in-you-mouth, rich, chewy, decadent cookie texture and flavor you remember from your best cookie memories, you really do have you use a generous amount of fat. The classic cookie recipes call for two sticks of butter. Well my vegan version preference is organic virgin coconut oil. (If necessary, Earth Balance/vegan butter works too.) It is the fat in cookies that gives them that richness. That flavor and texture that makes even a tiny nibble feel like a huge bite. I don't know about you, but when I make homestyle (higher in fat) cookies I find myself eating less of them than "healthy low fat" cookies! One cookie and I'm set.

3. Flour Blends. I experimented with several flour blends before coming to my favorite blend. I tried using all spelt flour. I tried using all white flour. I even tried using whole wheat flour. But my favorite blend combines super nutty and textured spelt flour with silky organic/unbleached white flour. (You certainly can give gluten free varieties a try, but please try to add some spelt if you can because it adds a unique flavor!)

4. Chocolate Chips. Do not skimp. For the best cookies, use the best chocolate chips you can find! I love ghirardelli's semi-sweet dark chips (milk free) and I also love Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. You can even use dark chocolate chunks made by crumbling up your fave high quality vegan chocolate bar!

5. Chill it. I always chill the dough until it is in a rollable state. This way you get those pretty circle-shaped cookies instead of curvy globs. (Well ok, I like cookies in any shape really.)

6. Hot Oven. The coconut oil really does like a hot oven. I place the cookies in a 400 degree preheat oven and then turn it down to 375 right away. I find that a hot oven crisps the cookie edges quite nicely. You do not need to do the 400 degree trick, but just be sure to use at least a 375 degree oven. (Try a few ways and see what works best for your cookies.)

7. Cookie Intuition. After you start baking cookies a few times you will start to learn from your successes and your failures. And yes all cookie bakers have failures! In fact my first round making these cookies I baked them just a few minutes too long and the edges all blackened from the coconut oil and hot oven. Then another time I used raw turbino sugar with all spelt flour and the cookies came out way to sandy in texture. #fails happen! Just be sure you learn from your mistakes and try again. And even though I should tell you that following my recipe will lead to full proof cookies - the truth is that ingredients, ovens, tools and handling processes will always vary. Your best friend in the kitchen is your cooking intuition! And the only way to acquire some of that is to keep cooking. Keep baking cookies. Again and again. And again! (Not a bad plan is it...)

So if someone in your house says "Hey, you are baking cookies AGAIN?!" Just reply with "Yup! Kathy told me I have to bake cookies again and again until I find my cookie baking intuition!" 🙂

..actually, you can apply this to ANY cooking project. Practice makes perfect. Smoothies, pasta, salads, muffins, bread, pizza. Whatever you want to be better at cooking, just keep making it again and again and again and I promise your intuition will find you eventually.

Dream Cookies, chocolate chip dream
makes 1 dozen medium-large cookies

½ cup spelt flour
½ cup + 2 tablespoon white flour (organic, unbleached)
⅓ teaspoon pink salt (any salt to sub)
1 ½ tablespoon freshly ground flax seeds
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

wet/melt:
½ cup + 2 tablespoon organic sugar (I used Florida Crystals)
2 teaspoon creamy peanut butter (optional)
½ cup + 2 teaspoon melted virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoon almond milk

add:
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon real vanilla extract

fold in:
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (vegan chips, dairy-free)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Grab a baking sheet and grease it lightly with cooking spray. I use coconut oil cooking spray.

3. Grab a large mixing bowl and add the flour, salt and baking powder.

4. Grind your flax seeds in a seed grinder or coffee grinder. Add them to the dry bowl.

5. In a medium bowl add the coconut oil, sugar, optional peanut butter and almond milk. Heat in the microwave until the coconut oil is super soft or melted and everything is warm in temperature. About thirty seconds in the microwave should do it. Note: If you do not want to use the microwave you can allow the coconut oil to soften to room temperature on its own or by placing the coconut oil jar in a warm water bath. Just make sure the almond milk is also room temperature before combining. Cold will turn the coconut oil hard and cause a cookie fail.

6. Stir the sugar/oil mixture and add the vanilla extract. Stir the sugar/oil mixture into the dry flour mixture. Stir well until you have a wet thick yet oily dough.

7. Fold in the vinegar and chocolate chips. Tip! Use slightly chilled chocolate chips (I place mine in the fridge an hour before baking, this helps to firm up the dough a bit faster since the cold turns the coconut oil firm.)

8. Place the dough in the fridge just long enough for it to become sticky and firm like PlayDoh. You want to be able to roll the dough into a ball in the palm of your hand. Roll dough and place on baking sheets. Optional: roll cookies in sugar for an extra sweet accent.

9. After you place cookies in the 400 degree oven, turn the baking temp down to 375. Bake at 375 for 10-12 minutes - or until the tops begin to very slightly brown. The cookies will be very soft when you take them out of the oven, but as they cool they will become buttery and cookie-like in texture. Allow to cool for at least 10-15 minutes before disturbing. (I just leave mine right on the baking sheet for a few minutes .. that is why it is better to pull your cookies out a bit under-done since the bottoms can continue toasting a bit. The oil keeps them quite hot.)

10. Cool. Eat. Enjoy. Store sealed in a container on your countertop. If storing in the fridge just be aware that they will firm up quite hard in the fridge and should be warmed slightly before serving.

enjoy enjoy enjoy. Now whip up some almond milk and get your fancy-restaurant-at-home on.

Summer. Pita. Bowl.

June 5, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

New make-your-healthy-happy-life-a-little-bit-easier recipe!..

Meet my summer meal featuring a "make-ahead" sandwich concept: the Summer Pita Bowl. This pita bowl features my Avo-Citrus-Sprout Hummus-Stuffed Pitas. Because everything is better with creamy avocado, crunchy light sprouts and a little bit of citrus. Check out the details on how you can be meal time ready this summer with this fun, delicious and healthy idea!...

Normally you serve a salad in a big bowl. Well why not serve some pitas that are filled with greens, veggies, spreads, salads and anything else you want to stuff into a toasty pita.

Have a grab-n-go sort of summer with my Summer Pita Bowl. Instant meal! Make-ahead bliss similar to my Salad-in-a-Jar concept.

Pita Bowl & a Movie Night. Forget movie + pizza delivery night .. to feed a crowd just whip out a few pita bowls and casual, plate-free feasting is served!

How to Make a Summer Pita Bowl

You will need: pita bread + ingredients + big bowl - (a shallow bowl works best for presentation purposes)

step 1: Decide on your ingredients. These can be anything really! Grab some easy homemade or store-bought hummus, some veggies, shredded carrots, crunchy sprouts, diced onion, sliced cucumber, baby spinach, marinated kale salad ... whatever! Me, I added this:

- 1 large naval orange, peeled/sliced
- 2 cups spicy sprouts
- ½ cup garlic hummus, homemade recipe
- drizzle of pumpkinseed oil over top + a few splashes of fresh lemon juice
- 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 avocado, sliced
- cayenne + fine black pepper (any spices or herbs you'd like help make your pitas complex + special)

step 2: Slice pitas in half, then toast or warm your pita pockets, then open the halves and fill each pita with ingredients. Start piling them into the bowl until you can fill no more - cram them in like cinnamon rolls!

step 3: Prepare any sides, spreads or sauces. I did a tahini maple sauce:

Tahini Maple: 2 tablespoon tahini + 1 tablespoon maple syrup + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Step 4: Serve or save! The best part about these pitas is that you can make a large bowl and be snacking on them for 1-2 days. Hungry at lunch? Grab a pita! Need a healthy midnight snack? Grab a pita! Need a fast beach picnic lunch? Grab a few pitas! Easy. Just be sure to cover your bowl to store and eat within a few days. Seal tightly with saran wrap. You can also make this bowl for a summer potluck party or feast with friends.

Take a hummus + veggie platter .. stuff those goodies inside some pitas and have make-ahead meal bliss..

Other filling ideas for your vegan pitas:

- Vegan "Tuna" Salad
- Summer Slaw, vegan cole slaw
- Veggie-Loaded Avocado Bean Salad
- Kale, Avocado, Miso Dipped Tempeh
- Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus Spread
- Cajun Spiced Sweet Potato Hummus
- SummerThyme Hummus Dip
- Lemon Jalapeno Asparagus Cashew Salad
- Peach Basil Avocado + Balsamic
- Philly Cheese Pitas
- Easy Tofu Crunch Salad
- Strawberries + Avocado Ginger Lemon
- Avocado Spinach Hummus

Maui's Fairmont Kea Lani Resort & Spa. Plus, 12 Fun Things To Do.

June 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

Last week my husband and I took our very first trip to Maui, Hawaii together. Though I have traveled to Maui several times growing up in Cali, this was his first trip to the island, and our first Hawaii trip together (a long-planned must-go-there vacation!) - and this was my first trip to Hawaii as a vegan!

I am so excited to share with you my incredibly vegan-friendly vacation in Maui, all of which centered around the Fairmont Kea Lani Resort in Wailea, Maui. Check out info on the awesome special diet program at the Fairmont, view loads of photos, plus my top ten list of fun adventures from this trip!..

Boy: That was one of our best trips ever!
Girl: Maui is always a "best trip ever!" ..... but yes, it was!

Maui is paradise..

Choosing a Hotel. When visiting Maui, one experiences many day trips, beach adventures and maybe even the long winding journey known as the "road to Hana" but no matter what you plan on doing during your Maui vaycay, you are most likely going to spend gobs of time at your hotel. Meals, poolside lounging, sunset drinks, tiki-torch lit dinners and beach days can all happen right at the resort you choose to stay at. So choosing your hotel is an important decision! When I started researching where my husband and I should stay I started to get worried that I would be forced to live off of fruit bowls, toast and "garden salads" at whatever resort I chose. You guys know I am vegan, and my husband is almost vegan but does eat fish once in a while.

Then I stumbled upon the Fairmont Kea Lani's "Lifestyle Cuisine & Lifestyle Cuisine Plus" - detals - and knew I was in heaven. Check this out: "Lifestyle Cuisine Plus: Fairmont Lifestyle Cuisine Plus caters to guests with specific diet dependent conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and gluten-free, as well as unique dietary preferences including macrobiotic, raw and vegan diets, offering nutritious and balanced meals. The Fairmont Kea Lani and Kō restaurant are proud to offer three-course menus for each of these dietary needs."

..Basically everywhere you dine, there are delicious, creative vegan / special diet options at your fingertips.

And if you have a true food allergy, you are in good hands as well: "The Allergy Program at The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui: The Fairmont Kea Lani, Maui has detailed procedures to ensure safe food preparation. We use pans and utensils that are not used to prepare other food. These pans are well labeled and stored separately than our pans used everyday. Only a Sous Chef or the Executive Chef will prepare the food for a guest with an allergy. For extreme allergy concerns, we use unique china for the meal so that all involved are sure it is the correct meal."

I was sold! But honestly, until I arrived at the hotel I was skeptical. A lot of restaurants and hotels say they are "special diet friendly" and do not deliver. The Kea Lani Resort delivers on their promises! Every single staff member was not only helpful with special diet dining options, but overwhelmingly friendly and educated on what "vegan" means. And the coolest part for me was that "vegan" options were just one of the sections, I loved browsing the "macrobiotic" and "raw" menu options too.

Worry free vacationing for me. I felt so taken care of. Every single restaurant on the resort has the lifestyle dining options in the back of the menu so that you do not even have to ask for a "special menu." You simply order along with the rest of your party. And when the food came out I loved how the servers would say "here is your vegan....." so I knew that they knew I had ordered from the vegan section. And the best part was that every single dish I ate tasted AMAZING! From the dreamy vegan Banana French Toast to the vegan curry and brown rice entree and the amazing "edamummus" grilled veggie and pita appetizer served poolside. They even had a vegan smoothie on the menu.

Top ~~Ten~~ Twelve Fun Things We Did on our Maui Trip at The Fairmont (Try them too!)

1. Road to Lahaina (If you stay in Wailea). So my husband hates winding roads, so we skipped the road to Hana. I have done it before and it is gorgeous, but it is not for everyone. Instead we took a day trip along the coast to Lahaina! The roadside beaches and picturesque views along the way are gorgeous.

2. Poolside Cabana. We spent one day poolside at The Fairmont. The cabanas are shaded and offer food and beverage service. Must do if you are a pool/cabana lover.

3. Dinner at Ko (or Nick's!). We enjoyed a sunset dinner both at Nick's and Ko - the two "fanciest" dining options at The Fairmont. Both were superb and offered amazing special diet options. Ko is a bit more fancy, but still has a very laid back island vibe. Fun reason to get dressed up and stick a flower in your hair ladies!

4. Beach Path Walk. I love walking the beach paths in Maui. Our first night we took a very long stroll up the path to walk past the other hotels including the Four Seasons and the Grand Wailea. Fun to see the other hotels but I was thrilled to get back to our little piece of paradise at the Fairmont. Oh and there are kitty cats EVERYWHERE in Maui! You see sweet little cats with their owners or roaming alone. I love that. Also, be sure to just sit and watch the sunset at least one day of your trip. Take that time to stare off into the ocean and just breath as you watch the brilliant cinnamon, citrus and cotton candy pink colors change, glow and fade into midnight blue, golden tiki torches glowing against the navy sky.

5. Picnic on the Couches. Our last night we skipped a sit down dinner and went downstairs at The Fairmont to the little Cafe Ciao Deli. They have everything there! Wine, pizza, sandwiches, salads, pasta, drinks, snacks, ice cream and sorbet and more. We ordered a giant salad, a vegan pizza and an avocado sprout hummus wrap. The workers were so friendly in helping up veganize the pizza and wrap. And I grabbed a bag of vegan chocolate chip snackimals for our dessert. Then we took our food out by the poolside, tiki torch-lit couches and enjoyed one of our fave meals ever! Ocean air and the sound of laughter from the bustling restaurants in the background.

6. Sunset Champagne In-Room. We ordered an in-room dining bottle of prosecco for our first sunset on Maui. We sipped it on our balcony that overlooked the resort and ocean. Perfect.

7. Drinks at the Luana Lounge . The comfy Luana Lounge is right off the main lobby of the hotel and sunset drinks there are a must-do. There is even a "sunset" drink that you can "only order at sunset!" Every single drink we ordered there was delicious and super fresh and lovely. Best Mai Tai I have ever had. Oh and they do live music nightly too.

8. Snorkeling or SCUBA. When in Maui you really must either do your own snorkeling or head out on a boat to snorkel. The friendly concierge at the hotel booked our snorkeling trip for us. We did the earlybird tour that launched from the Makena Resort just a quick 5 minutes away. We enjoyed two hours of boating and snorkeling at Molokini then later that morning we headed to the airport. It was so great to get to snorkel on our last day on Maui.

9. Roadside Beach. Like I said, some of the prettiest beaches on Maui are actually right on the side of the road! You can find hidden little gems if you explore and stop on your journey like the locals seem to do.

10. Breakfast at Kea Lani Restaurant. Must must must do guys. We ordered vegan Apple Pancakes and Banana French Toast and I had two soy lattes they were so good. Fresh papaya too. This breakfast was amazing!!! You can also order these vegan yummies for in-room dining if you want to sleep in a bit. But I loved the open air dining at this poolside spot. Another casual dining spot -> grab lunch at the Polo Beach Grille & Bar, it is poolside and always lively during the day.

11. Spa. The spa at the hotel is currently under renovation but my husband and I went anyways. I had a deep tissue massage and he had a facial. Both treatments were amazing. I cannot wait to return to the hotel once the renovated spa is opened. And it was great that the hotel gave a discount since the spa was not in its normal location.

12. More Drinks, Do's & Eats. A few more... grab a coconut soy latte (iced) at Badass Coffee in Lahaina. Also stop at a fruit stand and order a fresh juice and pick up some apple bananas or papaya for snacking on at the beach. Oh and the Wailea Shopping Center is a fun place to stroll for a few hours. Free shuttles from the hotel too.

There are SO many amazing things to do on Maui for vegans and everyone! Next time I hope to visit Coconut Glenn's vegan ice cream, and a few more spots we missed on this trip. What are your Maui must-do's??

OK, now for my BIG photo tour!.. Welcome to Maui..

Exploring our gorgeous room..

Our first day on Maui, the light was so clear and silver..

We had a first day prosecco toast at sunset on our balcony..

The food at The Fairmont! Just a few of my faves..

Thanks to this special diet friendly menu (you do not even have to ask for it! Already there..)

Exploring the hotel early in the morning..

Luana Lounge and lobby..

The pools...

Every Maui resort needs a hammock..

Early 7am morning sunlight as I strolled the grounds..

Morning beach at The Fairmont, so so pretty and peaceful..

Nick's on the right..

View from our room on the sunniest day we stayed. It is amazing how the water changes color, depending on the day..

Walking down to the beach at The Fairmont..

Beach at The Fairmont:

Dressed up for Ko..

Love Lahaina..

Some random fun stuff..

Roadside beach swimming..

Snorkeling boat:

Molokini Island, popular snorkeling spot for many years now..

Enjoying the morning ocean air!..

View from the boat:

Fishies alongside the boat:

Yay Maui! Had to represent HHL via tee..

some of my instagram/cell phone pics..

disclosure: Thank you to the Fairmont Kea Lani for hosting us for two nights + dinner at Ko. All opinions are my own.

Visit the Fairmont Kea Lani website for more information about the wonderful, vegan-friendly Maui resort!

Cantaloupe Spin on my Fave Matcha Shake!

June 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

The culinary highlight of most of my workdays is my smoothie break. Fast, easy, delicious, energizing. And I usually whip up my fave matcha (or spirulina!)protein shake. Today I made a tiny change with some delicious results! Check out the recipe..

Frozen melon. Frozen melon is delicious in smoothies and one of my smoothie secrets. It adds the iciness of ice without adding plain water to "water down" the flavor. Plus it adds some sweetness and healthy nutrients like potassium, vitamin C and more.

I usually put frozen watermelon in my matcha shake but today I subbed in frozen cantaloupe. It tasted so creamy and "milky" in a delicious dairy-free way. Cantaloupe has a unique creamy melon flavor and when frozen creates some amazing blends. I have a few frozen cantaloupe smoothie recipes in 365 Vegan Smoothies, out July 2nd.

Give this recipe a try and fall in love with frozen melon...

ps - be sure to freeze sliced cantaloupe that is RIPE and very sweet. Do a taste test before freezing to make sure your melon is sweet.

Cantaloupe Spin Matcha Shake
vegan, serves 1-2

½ cup soy or almond milk
1 cup frozen cantaloupe
½ cup frozen watermelon
1 large banana, frozen
1 scoop vanilla vegan protein powder
¾ - 1 teaspoon matcha powder

Blend and serve! If you need to add a few more splashes of non-dairy milk to blend, you may. But using as little liquid as possible ensures a thick shake-like smoothie.

ps... the cookie in the top photo does indeed have a recipe attached. My best cookie recipe yet!

Quickie Cheeseless Quesadillas

June 2, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

Quesadillas without the cheese? Crazy talk you say. Well one bite of these toasty warm, overflowing triangles and you will not be missing the cheese at all! On the menu: Vegan Cheeseless Quesadillas. Filled with sweet chopped onions, silky avocado, bold spices, juicy red tomato (and more..) Veggies, protein, deliciousness, these triangle bites are perfect at any hour of the day or night...

My Afternoon Bite. Late afternoon snacks to share are some of my favorite dishes. Avocado toast, quick blended soup for one, a creamy smoothie, veggie sticks and dip, open faced sandwiches, toast with sunny fruit like berries, a vegan "tuna" sandwich, pb&j, spicy saute 'wich or maybe some mini English muffin pizzas. Light enough to devour, yet filling enough to keep you doing what you love on a lazy or busy weekend afternoon.

My Saturday afternoon consisted of some serious marathon sunbeam napping with sunbeam napping champion, Nelly the cat by my side. (photo below) This was my first weekend back at home in a few weeks thanks to tons of traveling. NYC. Maui and more. So napping it was. These easy, flavor-filled, vegan quesadillas were my post-nap snack to share.

Oh the contrast. Yesterday I was swinging through the air over Santa Monica Pier. Today I passed out on the couch with a kitty and a sunbeam by my side...

This simple recipe is one to keep in your back pocket when you crave savory, skillet warm quesadillas .. but without all the cheese. (OK, ok if you want to add a sprinkling of vegan cheddar or pepperjack, go for it!) Daiya melts dreamily.

For the wraps.. You can use extra large spinach wraps (like I did) or corn wraps, gluten-free wraps or any variety of flour tortilla. Sprouted grain tortillas are great too.

Another avocado-infused "dilla" I love.. The Avo-dilla

Oh and don't forget to enter my #smoothietude contest + giveaway, $2k in prizes sponsored by Dole. Three ways to enter. And psst, the "pin-it-to-win-it" way needs more entries, just pin the image of my book 365 Vegan Smoothies as shown in the post. A Vitamix is up for grabs! (Plus more Vitamixes and smoothie goodies for the "contest" and giveaway.)

Cheeseless Quesadillas
vegan, serves 1-2

1 XL vegan tortilla or wrap
*I used IndianLife Spinach Wraps (I love love love them)
1 large tomato, diced
1 small sweet onion, diced
1 avocado, cubed or sliced
1-2 limes (1 squeeze for veggies, the rest sliced for serving)
salt + spices to taste
*I used generous sprinkles of Penzey's Spices 4S (a salted blend of chili and peppered spices)
⅓ cup garlic hummus OR vegan refried or mashed black beans

for pan: ½-1 teaspoon oil (try safflower, extra virgin olive oil) + cooking oil spray (optional)

Hummus: Make your own hummus using this recipe!

optional: hot sauce to serve

Directions:

1. Chop your onion, tomato and avocado. Add to a large bowl along with the spices - be sure to salt a bit and add some spicy or pepper spices. Add a squeeze of lime juice and toss well.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat.
3. If using an XL wrap, you can slice in half before adding goodies. Smaller wraps or tortillas can be folded over as they come.
4. Place the tortillas in the oiled pan to warm them and toast the edges a bit. You can even flip once to warm the inside surface if using thick tortillas.
5. Remove the warmed tortillas from pan and slather the hummus or beans over the inside. Then add a generous amount of the avocado mixture. Close the tortilla and carefully place in hot pan. I like to spray a bit of cooking spray on the outer side so that both sides heat up nice and crispy on the edges. Cook 1-2 minutes on each side. Flip carefully. Scoot the veggies back inside the tortilla if any fall out.
6. Serve warm with fresh lime wedges and some additional avocado mix on the side.

Snack for two!..

Double Coconut Blueberry Muffins. My Bed & Breakfast-Style Recipe.

May 31, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 38 Comments

The first day back from vacation is the worst. In a hazy, dreamy state you roll yourself out of bed and your pre-vacay routine kicks in. At your desk, you reluctantly pull open your laptop or unsleep your screen and just stare at your computer for a moment as if it is a foreign object. The clunky keys and hard edges appear cold and unfriendly. Hmm. Now what?

Dread. Back to work blues. Or as I am calling mine: PMB. Post Maui Blues.

Today's back-to-work recipe to ease me back into work-ish things: A vacation-infused bakery treat. Vegan Double Coconut (Coconut Oil) Blueberry Muffins.

I can't wait to share all my Maui adventures with you in a travel post. SO much amazing vegan food. But for now, I think my smile sums up how much I loved Maui..

But back to my computer I go. Luckily, I had a recipe all set to go for today's post. Before our trip, I whipped up these coconut oil blueberry muffins. (Bed and breakfast style, in anticipation of vacay.) Rich, perfectly fluffy, cake-like muffins always remind me of the type of those homemade, hearty muffins they serve at bed and breakfasts, exotic vacation resorts and other homes-away-from-home.

These muffins are not lowfat or gluten-free. But enjoy them as they come, one muffin and you will feel satisfied and rewarded. Serve your muffin with my Maui coffee specialty: a coconut-syrup infused iced soy latte. Add a touch of cinnamon too. Paradise.

These muffins have crispy caramelized edges from the coconut oil-greased muffin pan. No liners, let them crisp in the hot pan. With all that coconut oil, they will not stick to the pan. These muffins are more buttery and moist than they are "sweet." They are rich and blueberry-blue swirled and totally amazing. Time to bake with gusto and whip up these dreamy vacation-inspired gems...

Double Coconut (Coconut Oil) Blueberry Muffins
vegan, makes 12

1 ¾ cups + 1 tablespoon white flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
1 heaping tablespoon freshly ground flax seeds
¾ teaspoon salt

warm these:
½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
**want even richer muffins? Add another spoonful of coconut oil. Yup!
½ cup raw turbino sugar OR maple syrup
½ cup vanilla almond milk (any non-dairy milk)

Fold in:
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon lemon juice + 1 teaspoon zest
1 large very ripe banana, mashed
3 tablespoon shredded coconut (sweetened)
1 cup wild blueberries (frozen + warmed a bit)

Sprinkle on top:
shredded coconut (sweetened)
raw turbino sugar
ground flax seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins with generous amounts of coconut oil or coconut oil spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, flax seeds and baking powder.

3. In a medium bowl, add the coconut oil, sugar/sweetener, non-dairy milk. Warm in microwave until oil is melted. You want them all to be warm but not hot.

4. Add the coconut oil liquids to the flour mixture and fold well. Fold in the lemon, vanilla, banana, coconut shreds. Fold until combined.

5. Lastly, fold in the blueberries. They can be slightly cold, this will actually help firm up the batter a bit for easier scooping into the muffin tins.

6. Bake the muffins for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Allow to cool before attempting to pull from muffin tins, as they will be very delicate upon coming out of the oven due to the high coconut oil content. Best served warm, about 30 minutes after baking.

Strawberry-Lime Nutty Flax Coconut Oil Muffins. Gluten Free.

May 31, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

You know good muffins? I mean really good, moist and fluffy, warm-from-the-oven, steamy insides, smells like heaven, crispy-edged muffin tops, sweet and comforting muffins? They are so addicting! Thus is the case with my coconut oil muffin recipe that I posted just a few days ago. Well you guys asked for a gluten free version. So you ask and I deliver. And OK, I was craving a fresh batch of these heavenly, plump baked gems, so into the kitchen I went.

Is it ever a bad time for muffins? Don't think so.

Strawberry Lime Nutty Flax Coconut Oil Muffins. Sweet strawberries, warm zesty lime, nutty flax, a generous coating of caramelized sugar on top. And silky coconut oil, all luscious and amazing. Fan-tab-u-lous.

This recipe is similar to the blueberry version, but I think these sassy sweet lime and strawberry flavors just scream summertime muffins. Make these or my double coconut blueberry version and have yourself a very cozy, summer-is-coming sort of weekend...

Strawberry-inspired. Paired with sassy limes. You can use fresh or frozen berries for these muffins. I used frozen since this was a spur of the moment recipe .. but fresh berries would be divine.

A kitty who is thrilled we are back from vaycay and making muffins again..

Strawberry Lime Nutty Flax Coconut Oil Muffins
vegan, glutenfree, makes 12 muffins

1 ¾ cups gluten free flour
3 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 ½ tablespoon ground flax seeds (freshly ground)

wet ingredients - warm to room temperature:
¾ + 1 tablespoon cup vanilla non-dairy milk
2 ½ tablespoon fresh lime juice + ½ teaspoon fresh zest
½ cup + 1 tablespoon melted coconut oil
½ cup raw turbino sugar, organic (can sub with maple or agave syrup)

Fold in:
1 ¼ cups organic strawberries (fresh or frozen)

topping: raw turbino sugar + ground flax seeds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease muffin tins with generous amounts of coconut oil or coconut oil spray.

2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, salt, flax seeds and baking powder.

3. In a medium bowl, add the coconut oil, sugar/sweetener, non-dairy milk. Warm in microwave until oil is melted. You want them all to be warm but not hot.

4. Add the coconut oil liquids to the flour mixture and fold well.

5. Fold in strawberries. If using frozen berries like I did, be sure to warm to room temp.

Oh those muffin tops...

6 Summer Slaws to Try! + My New Easy Vegan Summer Slaw.

May 31, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

This new vegan cole slaw recipe is one of my favorites for spring and summer. I call it my Easy Peasy Creamy Perky Summer Slaw because it is all those things. Super easy to make, lightly creamy, perky and flavorful and ready to serve a crowd as a summer BBQ side dish or pile it on top of a veggie burger as a sandwich topping. Or do like I do and store it in small grab-n-eat containers for easy snacking at any hour of the day. You can even add a few sticky maple tempeh triangles on top and make it a meal. Or you can always pair it with the perfect veggie burger for a perfect summertime meal. Rainbow Sangria or lemonade frosty on the side.

Grab this recipe and make it all summer long!..

Slaw pairing? These cute little "Cali Veggie Burger" sliders go perfectly with slaw..

Frosty refreshment on the side: Lavender Lemonade Honeydew Frosty..

6 Vegan Slaw Recipes to Try:

1. Thick & Creamy Vegan Cole Slaw
2. Curried Tahini Carrot Slaw
3. Rainbow Slaw with Sweet Tahini Dressing
4. Sunshine Carrot Slaw
5. Ginger Citrus Napa Cabbage Slaw
6. Summer Slaw! Recipe below..

Rainbow Slaw:

Kathy's Vegan Summer Slaw
vegan, makes 6-7 cups

1 lb shredded cabbage and carrots**
⅓ cup tahini
⅓ cup grade B maple syrup (or agave syrup)
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
2-3 Tbsp Vegenaise (vegan mayo)
⅓ cup organic hemp seeds (or substitute with ground pumpkin seeds, chopped nuts or sesame seeds)
1 small sweet onion, chopped (optional)
1 small green apple, diced (optional)
spices: I add a few dashes of cayenne, fine black pepper, dried thyme and parsley

**For the cabbage: I make it super easy buy buying the "cole slaw mix" salad bags - you can also chop your own cabbage very easily and shred or slice your own carrots. Either way works!

Directions:

1. Add your slaw base to a large mixing bowl and start adding in al the ingredients any way you'd like.
2. Start tossing with a large spoon. Do this vigorous tossing for a good 2-3 minutes so that all the flavors are marinated into the cabbage.
3. Place the slaw in a covered dish or dishes and chill for at least an hour before serving. I actually think this slaw tastes best 1-2 after making it because the onions pickle in the fridge and everything becomes very creamy and the cabbage soft yet crunchy. This slaw keeps for about 3-4 days in the fridge. Add some lemon slices to the top of your slaw to help keep it even fresher.

Hope you try it! These flavors are incredible! (Let it marinate in the fridge overnight for best flavor!) Happy holiday weekend 🙂

Reinvent your Summer with Nokia Lumia 928: Enter to Win $5,000! (Plus, summer recipes #reinvented)

May 30, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 60 Comments

Summertime should be filled with fun. And this post certainly is!..

1. Cool Phone. Check out how I'm reinventing my summer with my new Nokia Lumia 928 Windows Phone.
2. Win! Enter to win $5,000 or one of ten brand new Nokia Lumia 928 (NL928) phones.
3. Ice Cream. As part of this NL928 summer series, I will be reinventing a few fave summer recipe classics. First up: 8 Ways to Veganize Your Summer Ice Cream Sundae Party!

Summer Eats #Reinvented Series. I am always looking to step up the quality of my photography both in my studio and on-the-go, and this fab phone has incredible low light photo capabilities, a Carl Zeiss® Lens, Pure View camera technology and more. So here on HHL I will be bringing you a bunch of veganized summer recipes + on-the-go, photos from my Nokia Lumia 928 to match my summer fun mood. (First up, ice cream sundae tips below!!)

..And the best part of this series: you get a chance to win! - PRIZES Grand Prize of $5000! First prizes: Ten additional winners (from all comments across only 6 participating websites) will be selected randomly to receive a Nokia Lumia 928 phone. Rules

Sweepstakes Time Period: Starts May 20, 2013 at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time - Ends August 23, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Enter via form below (Sweepstakes is only being broadcast across six websites!)

ENTER TO WIN VIA THE WIDGET BELOW....

Just answer the question in the widget above! -> “How will you reinvent yourself this summer?”

Me? I'm reinventing the way I blog so that I can enjoy summer a bit more. All I really want to do in summertime is grab my flip-flops, sunnies and cell phone and hit the road. Adventure bound. Beach picnics, ice cream sundae's enjoyed outside, hiking days, road-trips, fireworks, backyard barbecues and more. So this summer I'm doing just that .. all while blogging delicious vegan summer recipes + tips.

I am stepping up my on-the-go photo quality, just in time for summer adventures.

My new toy..

Impressive, right?.. My Canon 6D photo (left) Nokia Lumia 928 photo (right)

I even snapped a few photos with my Nokia Lumia 928 last week in Maui. Love these shots!..

My fave feature of the Nokia Lumia 928: It has an incredible Carl Zeiss® lens camera that easily snaps brilliant photos in dimly lit or shadow-y settings. And I love how when you touch the screen to focus on a point in the image, it has a setting that is smart enough to auto snap the shot a few seconds later. So you just touch, autofocus and it snaps the shot. Love that..

All these ice cream pics taken with my Nokia Lumia 928 (in some pesky/spotty afternoon light I might add!)..

To kick off my #Reinvented Summer Eats Recipe Series -> Veganize Your Ice Cream Sundae Social..

8 Ways to Veganize Your Summer Ice Cream Sundae Party!

1. Choose dairy-free ice cream. Go with coconut milk based ice cream for the richest /creamiest texture that truly mimics the richness of classic dairy ice cream. You can also try almond, soy or lighter coconut milk based varieties. Some brands to try: So Delicious, Luna & Larry's and more! If you cannot find vegan "ice cream" you can always go with dairy-free sorbets. Try chocolate, raspberry, peach and coconut flavored sorbets.

2. Vegan Sprinkles. Sprinkles on top are a must. Both rainbow and chocolate sprinkles come in vegan varieties. Be sure to read the labels and try to stay away from brands containing artificial colors or flavorings. A great brand to try: Sprinkelz.

3. Whip on Top. It is easy and delicious to veganize your "whip" with vegan products like "Soy Whip" and "Rice Whip" from Soyatoo brand. But if you do not want to buy vegan whip, you can actually make your own rich and creamy coconut milk whip!

4. Fruit Galore. One topping that you can load up on in your vegan sundae is fruit both fresh and frozen! Try freshly sliced bananas, strawberries or even more exotic fruit toppings like blackberries, diced kiwi or mango. If you cannot find natural cherries, you can always add a strawberry or raspberry on top for that touch of red!

5. Nuts! Naturally vegan nuts are another topping that you can truly indulge for your vegan sundae. Try chopped peanuts, almonds, walnuts, pecans and more.

6. Cookie Dough Balls. I love cookie dough on my sundae. And you can easily make your own vegan cookie dough balls using vegan cookie dough or for a super easy method - buy "Eat Pastry's" pre-made cookie dough and roll into tiny balls. Chill a bit before using for your sundae bar!

7. Chocolate Sauce. You can make your own rich chocolate sauce or chocolate "magic shell" by melting some agave syrup with vegan chocolate chips. Make it a "chocolate magic shell" topping by adding a scoop of coconut oil to the sauce. You can also buy several brands of vegan chocolate sauce. Just read the label and be sure your sauce does not contain dairy - ingredients and milkfat, milk, milk powder and milk chocolate are indications that your brand is not vegan. One brand to try: Coop's Vegan Hot Fudge. Try my recipe for a Smores Hot Fudge Sundae

7. Cones! Plain and sugar cones are usually vegan, but always check those labels to confirm that there are no egg or dairy products. If you are doing cones rather than sundaes, try my recipe for chocolate-dipped sprinkle sugar cones. Want more vegan ice cream toppings, recipes and product ideas? Visit my Vegan Ice Cream Post!

These three pics were taken with my Canon 6D..

More Phone Features:

* Navigation. Includes HERE Maps, HERE City Lens, Here Drive+ and HERE Transit. Get turn-by-turn directions behind the wheel to displaying local attractions wherever you point your viewfinder.
* Nokia Music with Mix Radio.
* 4.5 inch display
* wireless battery charging capabilities
* Photo: Carl Zeiss® Tessar lens
* Environmental: Phone and packaging contains recycled materials
* Design: Pillowed front and back surfaces, unibody construction and a scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 2 screen.

More ice cream shots from my Nokia Lumia 928..

Now get out there and have a throw your own vegan ice cream social this weekend!
Embrace summertime and make me proud.

Sponsored post disclosure: I was compensated for this post, but all opinions are my own.

DOLE/HHL "Smoothietude!" Contest & Giveaway! Entry Details.

May 23, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 177 Comments

A few days ago, I hinted at a big announcement. Well here it is.. In the spirit of 365 Vegan Smoothies, I am happy to announce my DOLE Bananas & DOLE Salads "Show Me Your Smoothietude" Contest & Giveaway! $2000 in prizes to be awarded.

Prizes: (3) $449 Vitamix's will be given away, (2) $150 Smoothie Lover Kits, (6) 365 Vegan Smoothies books & an HHL tee! (whew!)

All you have to do is -> Show me your smoothietude! ..... So what is smoothietude? To me it is.. Love, excitement and enthusiasm for smoothies. And how smoothies make their way into your daily routine to mingle with your mood, personality and culinary cravings.

You may remember my DOLE-sponsored "Show Me Your Salad-tude Contest" .. well this is like that, only with smoothies. And Vitamixes. 🙂 Entry details + see my example entries for the contest..

All for the love of smoothies...

Showing off my #smoothietude (contest entry examples)..

..this recipe is direct from 365 Vegan Smoothies...

I like my bananas speckled for making smoothies. DOLE calls these "cheetah" bananas!..

Of course they are oh-so-pretty like this too..

About the prize-sponsor: Thank you to DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads for contributing this generous array of prizes! DOLE Bananas: Peel the Love - Bananas make every smoothie so much better. I always have a giant bowl of frozen bananas in my freezer and a few ripening bananas in my fruit bowl as well. The motto in my house: you can never have too many bananas.

DOLE salads can also find a way into your smoothie blends via one of my faves: green smoothies! (And sidenote: be sure to check out DOLE Salad's Taste of Spain summer contest going on now too....)

NOW, lets get to the #smoothietude contest!.. Show Me Your Smoothietude Contest Entry Details:
entry period: May 23-June 23, 2013

Three Ways to Win: --> (giveaway, pin-it-to-win-it & featured contest)

1. GIVEAWAY. Enter the giveaway via the Punchtab App below. One winner, chosen by a random drawing.
giveaway prize: (1 winner, random drawing) - Vitamix TurboBlend VS

2. PIN IT TO WIN IT! Enter by pinning the image of my new book 365 Vegan Smoothies - image below. Be sure to tag your pin #smoothietude to be entered. Image should link back to this post / page URL. (Make sure that your Pinterest account has some way to contact you enabled.)
pin-it-to-win-it prize: (1 winner, random drawing) - Vitamix TurboBlend VS

Pin-it Image of 365 Smoothies!..

3. FEATURED CONTEST. Show Me Your Smoothietude! Contest. Get featured on HHL as a finalist + enter to win amazing prizes!

How to enter:
1. Make it. Head into your kitchen and make your favorite smoothie.
2. Photograph it. Grab your camera and snap a few photos of you enjoying your smoothie .. aka showing off your smoothietude! Get creative and have fun. Note: you must create a new and original image for the contest and you must be in the photo since you are showing off your smoothietude.
3. Edit it. Edit your photo(s) and be creative. You may add text, a recipe or more. (See entry samples below!)
4. Make it official. Add a "contest badge" somewhere on your photo entry.
5. Share it. Post your photo entry image somewhere online. Options: Feature it in a blogpost, pin it on Pinterest, share it on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr or Twitter. (note: privacy settings for your photo must be public if sharing via a social network account) Use the hashtag #smoothietude
6. Enter it. Email the URL/permalink to where you shared your entry online -> email to [email protected] along with your name, email address, state. You can submit up to 5 entries. Enter by June 23, midnight PST.
-> Who wins: a selection of finalists will be chosen by me. Then co-judge Gena Hamshaw and I will decide together on the final prize winners - announcement of winners in late June. (I am happy to have Gena help me choose the contest winners since she wrote the foreword in 365 Vegan Smoothies.)

featured contest prizes: (8 winners, chosen by judges)
(1 winner) Grand Prize Winner: Vitamix TurboBlend VS (or a culinary store gift card for $449.00 in value) + copy of 365 Vegan Smoothies + an HHL tee + featured in blogpost on HHL!**
**If the grand prize winner already has a high-speed blender they can request a gift card of equal value in its place.
(2 winners) First Prize Winners: $150 Smoothie Lover Kits: includes and assortment of ingredients & products (hand-selected by Kathy)
(5 winners) Honorable Mentions: Kathy's 365 Vegan Smoothies Book

CONTEST BADGES:

More Smoothietude Contest Examples!..

I cannot wait to see your smoothietude! 🙂

RULES, REGULATIONS & DISCLOSURE:
* Contest and giveaway open to USA and CANADA only. (for shipping reasons)
* You must respond to claim your prize(s) within 14 days or prize will be forfeited.
* HHL is not responsible for lost entries or communication errors upon prize notification.
* This contest/giveaway is hosted by HHL and the prize is sponsored by DOLE Bananas and DOLE Salads - Taste of Spain and Peel the Love. This is not a sponsored post and no fee was retained for this contest. Only prize donation was administered.
* Judging of contest will be based on: creativity, recipe quality (if included) - note only vegan-friendly entries please, photography
* HHL has the right to exclude entries that do not meet the criteria for entry or are inappropriate in any way.
* entry period: May 23-June 23, 2013, midnight PST for contest entries

----

I even embraced their "Taste of Spain" inspiration by blending up a Sangria Smoothie! Check out my sangria smoothie recipe below.

Spain-inspired smoothie.. Sangria Smoothie Mocktail - recipe..

Also check out how to stock your smoothie kitchen: 10 Things Every Smoothie Lover Needs in their Kitchen And be sure to pre-order 365 Vegan Smoothies so you will be one of the first to receive it!

The 10 Things Every Smoothie Lover Needs in their Kitchen!

May 22, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 36 Comments

Corny voiceover voice: Do you consider yourself a smoothie lover? Me: "Yes, yes, yes!"

You too? Smoothie cheers to that!

And since I literally wrote the book on smoothie-making, I want to share with you what I think are the ten things every smoothie lover should have in their kitchen. So hop in your kitchen and give your smoothie tools, ingredients and goodies a good look to see how many of these ten items on my list you already have, which ones you want to add soon and which ones will be on your "smoothie kitchen dream list."

..Everyone needs a smoothie kitchen dream list, right?

So stock your kitchen with these goodies and you will be more than ready for summer. Many creative, delicious, wellness-enhancing smoothies and shakes await you. My list plus some exciting CONTEST news ahead...

In Anticipation... With just a few weeks until my book 365 Vegan Smoothies hits store shelves, I am doing some fun and fabulous stuff here on HHL. First off, in a few days I will announce a Dole-sponsored contest and giveaway with some amazing prizes .. many featured in this list! (Hint: lets just say high-speed blenders and more will be shipped...)

10 Things Every Smoothie Lovers' Kitchen Needs

1. An Amazing Blender.
Yes I am a huge fan of high-speed blenders and if possible, I think every smoothie lovers' kitchen should have one. But I also understand that they are not cheap! So if you don't have a high-speed blender and are simply placing a Vitamix or a BlendTec on you "dream list," just make sure you do still have a reliable blender that you love. One with a BPA-free or glass container. And one that you simply feel good about using! And one day when you can take the plunge into buying a more expensive brand you will be so glad you did. High-speed blenders are life changing .. especially if you are a smoothie fan.
-> Buy a Vitamix or a BlendTec via these links and get free shipping.

2. Glass Straws.
Buy at least one glass straw and glass straw brush (for cleaning.) In the long run, the straw will pay for itself in no time since you do not need to buy throw-away straws anymore. There are two main brands I love: Be Strawesome and Dharma Glass Straws. Straws in this post are Strawesome.

3. Nut Milk Bag.
Every smoothie lover should try making their own nut milk. Here is my almond milk recipe. And cashew milk. A nut milk bag makes this process sooo much faster and easier. Cleaning Tip: to clean my bag I simply flip it inside out and start streaming hot tap water through it. Squeeze well and hang to dry. You can buy nut milk bags online at OneLuckyDuck.com

4. Mini Spatulas.
I always use a mini spatula to scrape out every last bit of my thicker shake-like smoothies. Mini spatulas allow you to scrape in between the blender blades. You can find these online or in most kitchen supply stores. Mini Spatulas on Amazon.

5. Microplane.
I love adding fresh citrus zest, grated fresh ginger and grated spices to my smoothies! A microplane allows me to do this! Widely available or buy online: Microplane .

6. Vegan Protein Powder.
I love having a vanilla and a chocolate protein powder on hand for when I want to add some flavor and protein to my blends. Not sure what brand to choose? Check out my Big Vegan Protein Powder Guide!

7. Superfoods!
It is a good idea to have a nice handful of a few of your favorite superfoods on hand for when you want to boost your blends. You do not need ALL the superfoods out there, just a few. I think 3-5 is a good number. Here are a few of my favorites: spirulina powder, maca powder, goji berries, cacao powder, cacao nibs, hemp seeds, flax seeds or oil, chia seeds, acai powder, mesquite powder, lucuma powder, wheatgrass powder, superfood blends, green tea powder (matcha) and more.. Choose a few and experiment with boosting the nutritional wellness of your blend. Browse at One lucky Duck or Amazon: Superfoods

8. Frozen Fruit.
This one is pretty obvious. But besides the usual items like frozen peaches, strawberries, blueberries and more, make sure you try these fruits and veggies in frozen form: watermelon cubes, cantaloupe, sliced/peeled orange and grapefruit, grapes, kiwi, cucumber, apricots and more. The point is that you can freeze your own fruit and really get creative with flavors, textures and recipes for your smoothies. My book will show you some creative recipes using foods you freeze yourself. Oh and a giant freezer-friendly container of frozen bananas is a MUST.

9. BFF Smoothie Glass(es).
You really must have a few smoothie glasses that you LOVE. And one that is giant in size for when you want a tall, big, XL smoothie. Head over to your fave kitchen store and pick out a few glasses that you will specifically use for smoothies. I also think every smoothie kitchen should have a few non-breakable glasses in addition to glass glasses for those days when you want to take your smoothie outside and sip under the sun and blue sky. Search far and wide for your BFF glass .. I have a few and it took me a few years to find them!

10. Ice Cube Trays.
Even if you have an ice maker, you need a few ice cube trays. This is so you can freeze your own "creative cubes" to blend in smoothies! I talk a lot about this in my book, but a few examples are coconut water cubes, almond milk cubes (I make a skinny vanilla milkshake using them!), coffee cubes, juice cubes and more. With these cubes, you get that desirable frostiness that ice contributes, without watering things down.

BONUS ---> 11. 365 Vegan Smoothies Cookbook.
Well ok, this is a MUST for any smoothie fan in my opinion. My book! With 365 vegan smoothie recipes, ingredient info, nutrition facts for each recipe, smoothie blending tips and FAQ's, a 12-month wellness program, fun smoothie names like "rosy cheeks delight, pineapple shake shake shake and poolside peach," yummy photos and more .. this book needs to be in your kitchen. I hope you love it just as much as I do! Pre-order 365 Vegan Smoothies + more info. (Thank you to everyone who has already pre-ordered! I cannot wait to see the smoothies you make from my book!)

Alright, now you tell me ... what did I miss, what is in YOUR smoothie lovers' kitchen??

Other things...
* a juicer for making fresh juices.
* giant fruit bowl for storing all those bananas you plan on freezing once they get super ripe.
* an array of colorful plates and napkins to serve alongside smoothies .. party-approved presentation.
* nut and seed grinder for grinding flax, pumpkin, chia seeds and more.
* a reliable knife for chopping fruit and veggies.

The Contest... So stay tuned friends for how you can WIN these amazing goodies and more! #SMOOTHIETUDE is coming

(recipes? the recipes for the smoothies shown in this post will be in my contest announcement post.)

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

NYC Trip! The Seed, Choosing Raw, Pure Food & Wine, Rainy Days...

May 20, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

My whirlwind trip to NYC is just about to come to a close. (I'm typing this from my hotel room, and my plane leaves in about ... 8 hours.) Three nights alone in a hotel room could seem a bit daunting, but not when you are in NYC surrounded by amazing people, food, events and this city I love so much.

This morning I was thrilled to speak at The Seed event in SoHo with my BFF Gena of Choosing Raw. We had so much fun and thank you to everyone who came out to see us on this VERY rainy Sunday. Ahead I have plenty of photos to share with you from my trip!..

And THANK YOU for the warm response to my new HHL tees! So excited you guys love them. I just placed a new order for the grey tees which basically sold out in a day! And I am planning a "guys tee" since I have had a few requests. And I will seriously consider Canada shipping! Stay tuned... HealthyHappyTees.com

N Y C -->

Some highlights... I had fun presenting with Gena. We had an AMAZE dinner in the garden at Pure Food and Wine. My Master Cleanse-tini, tamales and kale salad rocked. I frolicked through the cobblestone streets. I snagged a single front row seat and went solo to the Tom Hanks Broadway play "Lucky Guy." I met up with my sister and my adorable 3yr-old niece for a girls day lunch and pillow-fort building session back at my hotel on a rainy Sunday afternoon. I gazed at twinkly city lights. I met some inspiring folks at the Seed. I finally met Brendan Brazier while he was hanging at Le Pain with miss Gena. I met some super sweet HHL/Choosing Raw fans at the event. I was able to break in my new Canon 6D. It rained. A lot. And that is always cozy NYC weather to me. I laughed. A lot.

Yup, I GREATLY missed my husband and kitty, but also enjoyed this whirlwind trip! Check it out...

Friday!! Met up with Gena for dinner at Pure Food and Wine.. (Always amazing..)

Salsify Noodles with English Peas, Asparagus, and Ramps pea greens, capers, lemon pine nut cream, watermelon radish crisps

Philly Roll of Avocado, Kim Chee and Creamy Cashew Cheese tatsoi, hijiki, scallion, sweet chili sauce..

Sweet Corn and Cashew Tamales with Chili Spiced Portabella salsa verde, avocado, cashew coconut sour cream, raw cacao mole

I think we got photo-bombed..

Kicked off my Beyond Skin heels and hopped in bed...

Rainy Sunday..

Wore the wrong shoes, clearly..

The Seed!..

Dynamic duo! Love this lady so much..

Gena and I after our presentation..

Awesome people! Thanks for coming!..

Fun vendors and amazing vegan goodies..

Soggy exit..

NYC, my turquoise beads, PFW, city lights..

..oh I love those twinkly lights and cobblestone streets.

What is your favorite thing about NYC??

HHL Tees! On Sale.. now!

May 18, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 42 Comments

I am super excited to launch my Healthy Happy Tee Store! I have seriously been living in these tees since they arrived on my doorstep a few days ago.

These tees are both super soft and perfect for those days when you just want to throw on a pair of jeans or leggings and a soft, fun, colorful tee. No-fuss hair and not a stitch of makeup on! Those are the best days, right? And this is your new fave tee for that happy casual day!

Two colors to start things off, heather grey American Apparel track tee and a soft white 50/50 tee. Check out some of my tee pics ... yes I played "model" for a day for my tee photoshoot...

Buy a tee! --> HealthyHappyTees.com

Lotsa pics pics pics... (and more on the store site too!)

They arrived in a big beautiful box, via my vegan-friendly pals at Overcast Design & Print (they rock!!)

And the photo shoot began. I love these tees!..

Snuggly day. Toss off the heels and throw on this tee..

New tee!! The unisex deep aqua in a super soft power wash 100% cotton style..

Buy a tee! --> HealthyHappyTees.com

Easy Triple Peanut Butter Swirl Cheesecake. (Vegan)

May 17, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

So tomorrow (eeks, tomorrow?!) I fly to NYC for a fun-filled weekend. I am presenting at The Seed event in Soho at 10:45 am on Sunday morning. My trusty presentation companion -> miss Gena Hamshaw of Choosing Raw of course. The topic -> smoothies!

So I'm kinda in crazy-busy mode this afternoon as I pack, run errands, confirm travel plans and pamper my kitty as much as possible because she gets so sad when I leave her. And today, just before I fly out the door I am sharing something I know you all will love. My Triple Peanut Butter Swirl Vegan Cheesecake...

This Post. Cheesecake first (dessert first rule) and a few fun quips below the recipe like...

HHL tees!! *yay* *yay* *yay*

Cheesecake and a snoozing kitty. Happiness!

This dessert is SO easy to make because you literally just crush the crust, blend the ingredients and chill until it firms up enough to slice.

Peanut Butta Lova. I debated adding chocolate chips to this recipe. Peanut butter and chocolate just goes together so well, right? But sometimes I just want straight up, buttery, nutty, creamy, salty-sweet, caramel-colored peanut butter flavor. This recipe does PB three ways..

1. The crust. The crust is crushed vegan peanut butter cereal. You could use Barbara's Bakery Peanut Butter Puffins or Peanut Butter Bumpers or another vegan peanut butter corn or rice-based cereal. Gluten-free friendly recipe. The crust gets a little crumbly upon slicing, but I don't mind if you don't.

2. The cheesecake. Peanut butter-infused cream cheese based cheesecake. Like I said, this is an "easy version" recipe - not from scratch. So I use 2 tubs of vegan cream cheese to lead the way. If you want to get all fancy and make a cashew-based cheesecake from scratch, go for it. This recipe for Lemon Cashew Cheesecake will give you an idea of how to do that.

3. The swirl. The swirl on top is velvety melted peanut butter combined with a hint of maple or agave syrup for sweetness. Simple and rich. It really brings home the bold peanut bitter flavor in this recipe.

Choco-holics: OK I know you guys are out there and hollering at me "where's the chocolate?!?" Actually maybe that was my husband. Well if you want the rich flavor or cacao in this recipe here is what you can do: simply plop some mini vegan chocolate chips right into the cheesecake before chilling. Swirl them in if you want them deep in the cheesecake. Another option is to do a chocolate cookie crust. And the third option is to swirl in melted chocolate chips. Add a bit of coconut oil to the melty mixture to ease pouring and melting. Chocolate-and peanut butter - done and done.

PB-holics like me, you could even add some peanut butter caramel over top too..

Triple Peanut Butter Swirl Vegan Cheesecake
vegan, makes one cheesecake - used a 9" pie dish

16 oz. vegan cream cheese (2 standard tubs)
7 oz. virgin coconut oil
6 oz. liquid sweetener (I used maple syrup .. agave works too)
4 oz. creamy salted or unsalted peanut butter

swirl:
2 tablespoon peanut butter
2 teaspoon coconut oil
2 teaspoon liquid sweetener

crust:
¾ cup crushed vegan peanut butter cereal
1 teaspoon coconut oil to thickly "grease" pie dish

Lighten it up: This is a rich dessert! A tiny slice goes a long way. But if you crave a lighter cheesecake, you can reduce the oil to ⅓ - ½ cup without compromising the taste at all. The texture will simply be a bit softer and less buttery.

Directions:

1. Add the vegan cream cheese, oil and peanut butter to a small bowl. Microwave until warm, room temperature. You want the oil to be almost melted or melted and the cream cheese and peanut butter to be at least room temperature. This ensures a smooth blend. And cold ingredients will turn the coconut oil back to its hard state and prevent a smooth blend.

2. Add the warmed ingredients plus the sweetener to a blender or fp. Blend until smooth.

3. Grease your pie crust and add a thick slather of coconut oil. Press the crushed cereal into the dish. (I crushed my cereal in my Vitamix) You want a fine powder.

4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over top the crust.

5. Warm the swirl mixture in the microwave until it is at a pourable state. Then drizzle it over top the cheesecake and around the edges however you'd like. Use a blunt knife or toothpick to further swirl the peanut butter into the cheesecake. Do not over swirl or the color will become muddled.

6. Place your dish in the fridge and wait! In about 1-2 hours it should be fully cooled and ready to slice. You can speed up this process by placing it first in the freezer for ten minutes.

7. Serve: I like to allow my cheesecake to warm up a bit before serving (if I use the full fat recipe above). If you used less oil, your cheesecake will probably be on the softer side. But if it is a bit hard, simply warm on the counter for 15-20 minutes and it will soften up nicely.

Want to make it even MORE amazing?? Drizzle some peanut butter caramel on top! QUAD-PEANUT BUTTER bliss. 🙂

More quips...

SO excited, these will very soon be for sale here on HHL. Super soft. LOVE them..

Upgrade! I just upgraded to the Canon 6D camera! I sold my beloved 7D and bought this snazzy new 6D. I love it. (Nerdy post with my new best friend #nomakeup #PhotoNerd)

What I want to do..

6D vs 7D Canon. The difference is slight, but impressive enough to make me feel excited about the upgrade. I know a lot of you ask me about "what I shoot on" well here is what is currently on my camera. I bought this lens about 8 months ago and have not taken it off my camera since! I adore it. It is not a zoom lens, which I was used to, but it lets in tons of light and I just love the artistic versatility of the photos. My toys on Amazon if you are interested..

Creamy Fresh Blackberry-Acai Sorbet. Blend, Freeze, Scoop, Serve!

May 14, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

I don't care who you are or what your taste buds tell you on a normal day. When a HOT weather day hits your city and the beaming sun zonks you into a sweltering zombie, you will suddenly find yourself face first, perched at your open freezer. Peering past the frozen peas, you will be in search of something cool and creamy to scoop into a bowl. Spoon in hand, you will rustle past the frozen spinach, under the frozen pizza, hoping and wishing that you hid away some sort of a frosty, creamy, frozen dessert treat long ago that you simply forgot about.

Well stop searching and start blending. The answer to your creamy-frosty spoonful dreams is right under your nose. Make sure you have frozen bananas and a few other goodies in your kitchen and you are just a few minutes away from cool bliss. And the best part is that this creamy sorbet is incredibly healthy and totally guilt-free. Eat a giant, mountainous bowlful and feel GOOD about it. Antioxidants, fiber, vitamins and fresh fruit energy.

Flavor. A few years ago I shared a nice handful of various blender-method sorbet recipes. Summer Sorbets: Strawberry Banana, Blueberry, Spicy Mango, Pine-Banana...

But this is a new flavor that I just love so much because it uses fresh spring/summer organic blackberries as the main flavor ingredient. Not frozen berries - but fresh ones - big difference. Sweet-tart-juicy blackberries really make me swoon so I love that I can taste them in every spoonful of this creamy sorbet.

If you don't have fresh blackberries and need to switch out the fresh berry variety, try fresh blueberries, raspberries or even strawberries.

The second flavor I add to this blend is acai. Rich, creamy, deep purple and mild in chocolate-y berry sweetness. (Acai smoothies are delish too.) There are three basic ways to add acai to a recipe: acai powder, acai juice and acai frozen smoothie packs . The best way for this recipe is to use an acai smoothie pack. Brands of frozen acai packs: sambazon, acai roots or amafruits. The "packs" are rectangle shaped packs of concentrated acai puree. More intense than juice and frostier than the powder. You can find them in the frozen fruit section of most health food stores including Whole Foods. If you do not find them or do not have them on hand you can do a few substitutions (but try to find them because they really serve an important purpose towards creating the color and flavor of this recipe!)

Acai Pack Subs:

* 1-2 scoops acai powder + ¼ cup frozen fruit (your choice) + 1-2 ice cubes
* ⅓ cup fruit puree or fruit juice "ice cubes" - freeze into ice cube trays
* ¼ cup frozen blueberries + 1 teaspoon agave syrup + 1-2 ice cubes
* ⅓ cup any other frozen fruit (if you get desperate for an easy sub)

Creamy Blackberry-Acai Sorbet
vegan, serves 1-2

½ cup fresh organic blackberries, washed
1 frozen acai smoothie pack
1 large frozen banana
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice + a few pinches of lemon zest
1-4 tablespoon non-dairy milk (best options: vanilla soy or almond milk) (Or try coconut milk for a richer blend)
optional: 1 teaspoon agave or maple syrup if you want a sweeter sorbet

garnish: fresh basil (important because just that accent flavor brings so much to the dessert! Sub mint if needed.)

Directions:

Before you begin: place a stainless steel dish in the freezer. This will hold your blended sorbet and chill it very quickly. I used a medium stainless steel bowl.

1. Add the blackberries, acai pack and banana to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until the berries are crushed and things start to crumble down.

2. While blending on low, slowly pour in the splash of lemon juice, zest and 1 tablespoon creamy liquid/vegan milk. If your blend begins to swirl into a creamy state after 1 tablespoon you can stop there. Otherwise, keep adding in spoonfuls until things blend creamy yet still as thick as possible. Do not rush to adding in liquid. Let the blender do its job for a good minute or so.

If things get too wet and your blend starts to look like a smoothie, toss in another ½-3/4 of a frozen banana.

Too thick? Too loosen the blend you can toss in a few extra fresh berries - this is a gentler way of loosening the blend compared to liquid.
creamy-sorbet-soft-serve process does take some practice, but the key is to let your blender do all the work and really not underestimate its powder. Even with very little liquid, a Vitamix can crush those fruit ingredients and turn them into a thick swirl. Those few splashes of liquid help move things along and ease the stress on the blender just a bit.

3. Using a small rubber spatula, quickly spoon your thick mixture into your chilled container and place it in the freezer. Your creamy sorbet should be at a perfectly "soft serve" state to scoop in jut about 10-15 minutes depending on how cold your freezer is. If you are keeping this blend in the freezer for longer than that (say overnight) the texture upon serving will not be as fluffy, but still doable - just be sure to allow enough thaw time in order to be able to scoop.

4. Serve with fresh basil on top.I like to add another pinch of lemon zest too. You can even add a drizzle or maple or agave syrup for extra dessert-y sweetness.

Tool: I prefer Vitamix.

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

Ginger Peanut Coconut Veggie & Tofu Stir-Fry over Rice.

May 12, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 31 Comments

I was in the mood for Asian flavors so this Ginger-Peanut-Coconut Tofu Veggie and Rice Stir-Fry really hit the spot. The warm spicy ginger mingling with rich, nutty peanut flavor, cool, captivating coconut milk, bright citrus and a hint of miso and tamari. Colorful Asian veggies like broccoli florets, snow peas, edamame, carrots and water chestnuts are heated in a sizzling skillet, tossed in sauce and plated on top of fluffy white rice. Plump pillows of seared miso-ginger tofu cubes on top. A ring of freshly sliced citrus, orange zest aroma, to accent the platter. Sake on the side. And an extra bowl of fluffy rice too.

There is just something about a side bowl of fluffy rice that makes me happy.

This dish rocks as a "leftovers" meal too. Served cold or warm. Craving stir-fry? Give this vegan meal a try!..

And some thoughts of the day: On Single-tasking..

Today's contemplation to pair with this Zen-inspired meal: How good are you at the skill of single-tasking?

What is single-tasking, you ask? Good question!..

Back in the day, they used to cite studies saying: "Juggling career and family, women are better multi-taskers than men!" Well nowadays I think it is safe to say that everyone is a skilled multi-tasker. We juggle tweets, Apps, emails, TV, news, music, texts, blog posts, articles, photographs, recipes, videos, (videos of cats your friend tweeted you), dinner plans, Facebook statuses, online banking, calenders and work duties all over the course of one. simple. day.

The number of virtual and in-person connections you can (easily) make in one day is staggering. This interaction can be energizing and inspiring, but on the other end of the spectrum, information burnout is bound to happen. So instead of working on our now-perfected skill of multi-tasking, lets step back and develop the skill of single-tasking.

Single-tasking: Do one thing with pure and quiet focus, flexed concentration. All while shaking away any anxious, busy or nervous thoughts that jump into your mind. Noise: off. Energy-robbers like worry and anxiety: mute them.

Not so easy, right?

Try this: Five minutes of meditation. Nothing stressful or anxious should be tumbling through your thoughts. Only happy, quiet calm. This blank space is not time wasted, it has great value in keeping your head clear and sharp. Computers need to sleep. Brains need to meditate.

Single-tasking is a skill I think we can all gain from having. And medtation is just one way to single-task! Other activities I like for the single-activity quiet and calm they induce..

* Kitchen time, cooking my favorite dishes.
* Long walks at dusk when the neighborhood begins to grow quiet and the sky turns powder navy blue. Cell phone stays home.
* Nature time. The beach, in a park, mountains, lakes, wherever I can get lost in nature, quiet mode easy to find.
* Exercise. Yoga and dancing and my favorites. Deep breathing always helps lighten the weight in your mind and helps release anxiety and nervousness that clings to you in noisy spaces.
* Travel. Old fashioned vacation, escaping from the familiar and routine inspires reflection.
* Art. Painting and drawing has always opened a door to quiet and reflection for me.
* Being Brave. Resist the desire to shrink away from challenges. Embrace the new, the unknown. This keeps your mind focused and on its tippy-toes.

What do you do to single-task? To keep your mind feeling focused, less-than-frazzled, quiet, renewed and sharp? Ponder THAT as you enjoy this energizing one-plate-wonderful stir-fry...

Ginger-Peanut-Coconut Tofu & Veggie Stir-Fry over Rice
vegan, serves 4

Ginger-Peanut-Coconut-Citrus Sauce:
2 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
2 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
½ cup coconut milk (I used light coconut milk, but full fat works too)***
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon candied ginger, chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup or agave syrup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon orange zest
s&p to taste if desired
***lighten it up: If you want to lighten up the sauce, you can use light coconut milk, or substitute with an unsweetened non-dairy milk. I tested with almond milk - it was a bit watery, but still delicious.

Tweak it! Other flavor accents to experiment with in the sauce: lime juice and zest, lemongrass, dried chilies, basil, miso.

Veggies:
4 cups Asian veggies (broccoli florets, snow peas, water chestnuts, carrots, mushrooms, edamame - any variety you'd like - fresh or frozen)
1 teaspoon safflower oil
optional: splash of sake to finish

also:
⅓ cup slivered almonds or chopped peanuts

Miso Ginger Tofu:
1 ½ cups large tofu cubes, firm
1 teaspoon white miso paste
2-3 teaspoon agave, maple or brown rice syrup
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice + pinch of zest
½ teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon safflower oil
s&p to taste

Rice:
1 cup white rice, rinsed
1 ½ cups mushroom or vegetable broth

Vegan Flour-Free Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies.

May 10, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 32 Comments

I did muffins. I did cake. So it seemed only natural that I experiment with my beloved "flour free" baking method with cookies. Success!

These Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies (I used chocolate chunks) are quite fabulous. If you love rustic-textured, nutty, oat-y cookies these babies are for you. (Just thought-read that in an SNL Stephan voice. anyone?) Cookies: Right out of the oven they are moist and super chewy with melty bits of semi-sweet/vegan chocolate. (Still Stephan voice-ing! And giggling.) I used silky-rich virgin coconut oil as my "oil/fat" so when they cool they firm up a bit. These lovely cookies are reminiscent of oat-y granola bars. (Actually I crumbled a few over top my smoothies as a sort of cookie-infused granola topping!)

You can keep the homemade oat flour very thick and textured like I did for a more "nutty" cookie. Or you can blend your oats into a superfine powder for a less textured cookie. Either way, these lovelies are flour-free (and gluten-free if you are OK with rolled oats). OK, OK enough chatter, here is the recipe for your weekend baking!..

Cookie crumbled over top my Spirulina Shake ... yum!

Dough balls using chilled dough:

Vegan Flour-Free Oat Chocolate Chip Cookies
vegan, makes about 24 cookies

dry:
3 ¼ cups oat flour
5 tablespoon ground seeds (flax, chia, pumpkin.. - I used flax and raw pumpkin seeds)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoon chopped walnuts (optional)
¾ teaspoon cinnamon

wet:
¾ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
¾ cup organic sugar
1 mashed banana (or sub another ¼ cup of non-dairy milk)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
⅓ cup warmed non-dairy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

fold in:
6 oz. vegan chocolate chips or chunks (semi-sweet chocolate)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease baking sheet with coconut oil.

2. Process enough rolled oats (in high speed blender or food processor) until soft and silky like a roughly textured flour - this is your homemade oat flour.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.

4. In a small bowl, add the coconut oil and non-dairy milk. Warm in microwave until coconut oil melts and is warmed along with vegan milk. Stir in the sugar, vanilla, lemon and mashed banana.

5. Fold the wet into the dry and then fold in the chocolate.

6. Place this bowl in the freezer for about 5-7 minutes - just until the dough begins to firm up a tiny bit but still stays fluffy.

7. Using your hands, grab the dough and press gently into balls. Tips: If you want "ball shaped" cookies that hold their shape make sure your dough is very chilled going into the oven. If you want cookies that spread, make sure your dough is still pretty soft and just chilled just enough so you can handle it. Warmer dough makes for more spread cookies.

8. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes or until the edges brown.

9. Cool for a few minutes before trying to move these cookies. They are very delicate coming out of the oven and will fall apart if you grab one when still steamy hot. (Still delish, but delicate.)

10. Serve warm after cooling a bit. Store in the fridge (they will become quite firm when fully chilled) and warm in the microwave to serve - or served cold - your choice. You can also store on the countertop for up to a few days. These cookies freeze very well too for long term storage if necessary.

Using chilled dough the cookies turn out more round:

Oh She Glows, Angela Liddon: Veggie Girl Power Interview!

May 9, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

The second amazing lady I am featuring in this year's Veggie Girl Power Interview Series is Angela Liddon of the blog Oh She Glows. If you a fan of vegan recipe blogs I'm guessing you already know of Angela and her inspiring recipes, so get to know this talented lady a little more in my VGP interview!..

Some of Angela's recipes, photo credits: Angela Liddon,

Oh She Glows. When I first stumbled upon Angela's blog a few years ago the first thought that popped in my head was, wow what a cool blog name! I LOVED it! Seriously, it is still one of my favorite vegan blog titles out there because I think it describes so well what any vegan blogger, especially Angela, is trying to communicate to the world: life, amazing food and hopefully, improved wellness as well.

The title "Oh She Glows..." to me, conjures up a feeling of being on a journey - movement, evolution and growth is really the base of any good lifestyle blog. Life is a journey (and adventurous one!) and Angela's recipes and inspirations are all products of her unique path. I think we can all relate to that!

Angela's Blog won the 2012 VegNews Magazine Veggie Award for Favorite Blog this past year. Her beautiful photos and inspired recipes are pretty and delicious enough to inspire veg-curiosity in just about anyone who checks out her site. And congrats to Angela because she is working on a cookbook, and I'm sure it will be amazing!

Angela is an inspiring blogger who I hope to someday meet in person because I pretty much know I will run up and hug her the first time I see her and feel like we have been friends forever. And as a blogger, I can tell you that we love to hear that we inspire that type of feeling in people who read our blogs. Angela comes through as a warm and friendly lady and her recipe creations are always beautiful and creative.

Oh and she has a cutie pie kitty too. 🙂 Lets chat with this lovely lady!...

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Angela Liddon, Oh She Glows

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

Angela: My transition to a vegan diet was gradual and it happened slowly over the course of a year or so. I was struggling with IBS and my doctor suggested I try eliminating dairy to see if that made a difference. Well it did help a lot and that’s when I started to embrace the healing power of plants! Around the same time, I learned more about the meat and dairy industry. As a life-long animal lover, I realized that I didn’t want to contribute to the suffering any longer. All of us – animals included – deserve to be treated with respect, love, and dignity. I felt great eating a plant-based diet so the decision seemed like a logical one for me. I haven’t looked back since.

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

Angela: I think most of us fear the potential of social rejection when going vegan and while that can definitely be an issue, you really just have to live the life YOU want. You aren’t going vegan for other people after all. If it’s what you believe and feel in your heart, find a way to make it happen. Other people will always have an opinion about what you do with your life one way or another so if it makes you happy, go for it!

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!

Angela: I’m about 30 minutes outside of Toronto and it’s honestly one of the best cities for vegan options, with new restaurants opening all the time. I can’t keep up with all the new vegan hot spots that I want to try out! I’ve been visiting Fresh restaurant for years now and it will always hold a special place in my heart. I love their Soho Falafel plate or quinoa onion rings to start. Oh, and I always order a green juice. Then, I usually order some type of bowl for my main such as the Energy Bowl made up of marinated tofu, coconut curry sauce, chick pea & vegetable stew, cucumber, tomato, red onion, sunflower sprouts & tahini sauce. Pure comfort food on a rainy day. Ok, now I’m getting hungry!!
For a full listing of veg-friendly restaurants in Toronto, see here.

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

Angela: I usually start my day with a Green Monster or Raw Buckwheat Breakfast Porridge. Other times, I go the savory route and enjoy leftovers for breakfast. Since I’m currently knee-deep in recipe testing for my cookbook, I usually end up eating whatever I’m testing that day for lunch. It’s been challenging trying to eat a balanced diet with all the recipe testing going down, but I just try to do my best each day and not worry about it too much. It probably goes without saying, but I ALWAYS have hummus in my fridge, either homemade or store-bought. When I run out of hummus, I start to get shaky and headache-y. Ok, that last part was a joke, but I really do love my hummus! My husband always jokes if there was a fire I’d grab my cat, Vitamix, and hummus!

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

Angela: Veganism is the best way I’ve been able to connect with the world around me.

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

Angela:
Books – Undiet by Meghan Telpner; Eat Raw, Eat Well by Doug McNish; Vegan Secret Supper by Merida Anderson; and Let Them Eat Vegan by Dreena Burton….among many others!
Blogs – I’m subscribed to over 200 blogs in my reader, so there are too many amazing blogs to mention. Some of my favs are Choosing Raw, VK Rees, PPK, Plant Powered Kitchen, Edible Perspective, Keepin It Kind, This Rawsome Vegan Life, Vegan Culinary Crusade, and of course, Healthy Happy Life!
Videos – They aren’t really new, but I always get a chuckle out of those $hit Vegans Say videos on You Tube!

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

Angela: Can I select all of the above? Ok, since I have to narrow it down to one thing how about we talk about how vegan food is often rejected by those in the professional culinary industry. It is such a pet peeve of mine. On the positive side, it only makes me more motivated and passionate about sharing how delicious vegan food is. I’ve often felt so discouraged when other culinary professionals (be it chefs, cooking channels, or food magazines) give the impression that a vegan dish is somehow lacking or not worthy of haute cuisine. This is so not the case! Now, of course there are exceptions and it’s not like that everywhere. Thank goodness for vegan chefs like Tal Ronnen, talented food bloggers, and cookbook authors who show that you don’t need an animal to create a delectable, fancy meal worthy of any foodie’s attention.

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

Angela: The project that is taking up most of my time right now is my first cookbook which is due out next year! My cookbook will feature over 100 vegan recipes with tons of gluten-free and soy-free options. I’m shooting all of the photography (100 photos) and doing the food styling in addition to recipe creation and writing, so it’s been a huge, scary, crazy undertaking. I can’t wait to hold the book in my hands and finally share it with the world!
My husband and I are also working on an app for Oh She Glows which will feature my blog recipes as well as new and exclusive recipes just for app users. He’s doing all of the back end programming (bless his soul) and I’m helping with design and formatting. I’m not sure when it will be ready for launch, but I’m hoping sometime this year.

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

Angela: I love my Pink Flamingo Smoothie which was based off a smoothie by Fresh restaurant. It’s the perfect warm weather drink and only 3 ingredients!

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

Angela: I definitely think a plant-based diet is the way of the future and will only continue to grow in popularity. Thankfully, a vegan diet is supported by the UN and WHO, among others. Change desperately needs to happen for the animals, environment, and our health.

A big thank you to Kathy for including me in this amazing series! I look forward to reading more.

------------

And thank YOU Angela!! xo

Follow Angela:

Oh She Glows
Facebook: Oh She Glows
TWITTER -> @ohsheglows

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

VGP Update Interview: Chloe Coscarelli
VGP kickoff: Cookbook Interview Chloe Coscarelli
Simone Reyes, of Running Russell Simmons / Animal Advocate
Doron Peterson, 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
Kathy Patalsky, (putting myself in the interview seat to close the series!)

*all photos were provided courtesy of Angela Liddon

Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting: Healthy Dessert!

May 6, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 53 Comments

This recipe for Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting started out as something called a "Carrot Cake Breakfast Bake" Simply because the ingredients are reminiscent of a sort of baked carrot cake oatmeal. But after one bite of this moist and rustic treat I realized it was totally dessert-approved and could easily rival traditional frosted carrot cake. And the best part: this cake is free of refined flour and there is no powdered sugar in the cream cheese frosting.

Flavors. Nutty walnuts, thick bits of sweet carrot, spices, orange zest, tender sweet organic raisins and that cream cheese frosting on top is everything you want from a carrot cake frosting .. minus the animal products. Try my recipe and you will be enjoying this healthy-delicious, easy carrot cake in a flash!..

Share this cake with someone you love!..

Flour free. I have been using homemade oat flour in a few recipes lately - like these Fresh Blueberry Muffins, and I love it. Instead of using "flour" I simply take whole rolled oats and process them for 1-2 minutes in my Vitamix (or food processor) and in seconds, I have silky, rustic oat flour. I keep it kinda textured so there are still a few whole oats in the mix.

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake. This recipe uses homemade oat flour made by processing whole rolled oats in my Vitamix.

Powdered Sugar Free. This date-sweetened frosting is so creamy, sticky, fluffy and delicious. I was a bit afraid that the dates would turn the frosting brown, but instead it turned a textured caramel color that is actually kinda gorgeous.

Vegan Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/06/2013
Moist and nutty-sweet carrot cake bursting with rustic carrot flavor. A healthy date-sweetened cream cheese frosting on top.

Ingredients

Cake:
dry:
3 ½ cups oat flour (I used homemade from rolled oats, processed in my Vitamix)
3 tablespoon ground flax seed (chia seeds can also be used)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne (optional)
wet:
2 ½ cups non-dairy milk
¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed is best + a pinch of orange zest
¼ cup vegan buttery spread or virgin coconut oil, melted
1 ½ cups vegan sugar (raw turbino or coconut sugar are options - maple or agave could also be subbed)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
fold into cake batter:
⅓ cup raw walnuts, chopped
⅓ cup raisins (or sub chopped dried apricots)
2 ½ cups grated carrots
Cream Cheese Frosting:
8oz. vegan cream cheese
4oz. vegan buttery spread
1 ½ cups pitted Medjool dates
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Cake Topping: fresh orange zest

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease your cake pan with vegan butter, parchment paper or oil spray - set aside.
Prep: Process your oats into flour, process your flax seeds and finely chop your shredded carrots. Easy tip: I actually used a bag of pre-shredded carrots, stuck them in my Vitamix for 1 minute to process them into a "finely chopped" state. Easy! You can also shred your own carrots.
In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients, toss well.
Add the wet ingredients into the dry bowl and fold.
Fold in the carrots, nuts and raisins. Your "batter" will be VERY textured and thick. Not like a typical smooth cake batter.
Pour the batter into the cake pan, smooth down with a spatula and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes - or until the edges brown and start to pull away from the pan. (You could also make these into muffins, or layer cakes!)
While the cake is baking, you can add all your frosting ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix. Process until smooth. Using a spatula, scoop the frosting into a small bowl and place in the fridge to chill.
Allow cake to fully cool before spreading frosting. Frost + add fresh orange zest on top. Serve chilled. Store in the fridge, covered. This cake will stay good for up to one week. If it begins to dry up a bit you can microwave a few seconds before serving to re-soften.

Yield: pan size: 13" x 9" (one cake)Prep Time: 00 hrs. 15 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins. Total time: 55 mins. Tags: cake,carrot cake,dessert,carrots,vegan,gluten free,dates,healthy,snack,walnuts

A Vitamix is a good idea for this recipe. Buy one here with free shipping!

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

Juicy Mango Margarita (Mocktail) + 21 Vegan Cinco de Mayo Recipes!

May 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

Cinco de Mayo is my favorite food holiday. I say it every year and it is true. Growing up in California, I have acquired a passionate love of authentic and creative Mexican-inspired food. Guacamole, tacos, red rice, limes, simmering black or veggie refried beans, freshly fried tortilla chips, oven-baked enchiladas, homemade corn tortillas, spicy salsa, salsa verde, sticky sweet plantains, tender sweet corn cakes, vegan cashew or tofu sour cream, vegan melty cheese, jalapenos and on and on and on... Hungry yet? Me. Too. Lets throw on our fiesta hats, shimmy into the kitchen and start our own little fiesta feast.

Juicy Mango Margarita. switch out the coconut water for a shot of tequila.

Directions:

Slice mango in half and cube. Reserve a few cubes for garnishing. Add remainder of mango to blender (about ½ cup cubes).
Add lime juice, frozen peaches, frozen banana, ice and coconut water to blender as well. Blend until smooth.
Garnish with fresh mango, plentiful lime slices and fresh lime zest on top.

More vegan Cinco de Mayo / Mexican Recipes:

1. Vegan Nacho Platter - recipe
2. Pumpkin Seed Guacamole - recipe
3. Salsa Verde - eat it with a spoon! - recipe
4. Mexican Fiesta Salad - recipe
5. Cashew Cheese & Kale Enchiladas - recipe
6. Sweet Corn Cake - recipe
7. Chipotle Citrus Superfood Tacos - recipe
8. Strawberry Watermelon Lime Frosty Daiquiri - recipe
9. Mexi-Chopp Salad with Cashew Cream on top - recipe
10. Vegan Enchiladas - recipe on HHL or recipe on Babble.com
11. Triple Stacked Breakfast Quesadilla - recipe
12. Elote - Mexican corn on the cob - recipe on Babble.com
13. Protein-rich Tempeh Tacos - recipe
14. Fresh Citrus Daiquiri - recipe
15. Tomato Rice, red and tasty- recipe
16. Cilantro Smother Sauce (in a burrito or on a burrito!) - recipe
17. Sticky Sweet Plantains - recipe
18. Corn Cake Bean Balls - recipe
19. Daiya-infused Cheezy Quesadillas - recipe on Babble.com
20. Lemon-y Guacamole - recipe
21. Mango! - Today's recipe for my Mango Margarita Mocktail!

Happy 5th of May!!

Simone Reyes: VGP Interview!

May 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

VGP 2013. As I mentioned in last week's VGP-update interview with Chloe Coscarelli, this year's Veggie Girl Power Interview Series will be stretched over a few weeks, instead of back-to-back. More room to squeeze in vegan recipes. And first up, is the passionate, glowing, tells-it-like-it-is chicka -> Simone Reyes.

You Know Her.. You may recognize Simone from television, as she appeared in the Oxygen-network reality show Running Russell Simmons. A show that followed business mogul/celebrity/vegan Russell Simmons and his staff (which includes Simone). But besides being a bubbly, fun, celeb-staffer, that oozes personality, and has reality-show-credits, Simone is first and foremost a passionate animal lover and activist. See what Simone has to say about life, veganism, animals, vegan celebs and what is next for her!..

*lower left photo credit: Ink Magazine

Simone's adopted pup. Sweetness..

Meeting Simone. Via email, I could tell right away that her passion in life is truly to bring awareness to veganism. And communicate to anyone who will listen (any maybe even those who won't!) that a vegan lifestyle is not only good for humans, animals and the planet - but it is the direction in which the world is moving. Veganism is not going away. It will only grow in the future. And Simone is one lady who works everyday (in any way possible) to usher in that future a bit more swiftly.

Pups. I knew I loved Simone when this happened.. When I first emailed Simone to invite her to participate in this year's series, she responded with an enthusiastic yes, plus along with the reply email she sent a photo of her dog and said this.. "And check out my blind rescue dog for one of the photos! And. He. Is. VEGAN !!" And even though I already knew that Simone was crazy-mazing, at that moment she stole my heart because:

Anyone who 1) adopts blind animals or any animal with a special need has to be loving, passionate and selfless. 2) Anyone who emails their pet as the first photo they send for an interview about themselves, has my vote for awesomeness.

Veggie Girl Power Interview: Simone Reyes

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

Simone: I went vegan in my early 20s. I had watched a documentary on TV that showed Bridgette Bardot on the ice in Canada where they are STILL participating in the atrociously cruel baby seal hunt. She had her arms wrapped tightly around a baby seal, he was small and fluffy with big pleading eyes. In French she whispered in his ear, "Don't worry, we will get them". I wanted to join the WE in that promise. I have been a soldier in this army, fighting this war against animal abuse ever since. In the early days, PETA showed me the way. Ingrid Newkirk was/is the Commander-In-Chief – I learned it all from her books. I joined a militant local grassroots animal rights group in New York City called Activists For Animals and Ive never looked back.

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

Simone: The best "sisterly" advice I can give to women in particular about making the switch to a plant based diet vs eating meat is we are better than that..we are better than eating the carcass of a sentient being that has been ripped from his mother and never known her loving touch. Of course I am speaking of veal here. We are better than drinking the milk from of a cow who has been on a "rape rack", a device used to artificially inseminate female cows so they become pregnant and can produce milk for human consumption.

As mothers, (to companion animals or human beings) we are better than eating the flesh of animals who never felt the sun on their backs or were given the chance to live in an environment where they weren't filthy, scared, deprived of clean air or room to even sit comfortably or turn around. I'm sorry you can't be a feminist and drink dairy or eat meat. So, my advice is to better yourselves.

If you need to lean into veganism by using the substitution method then do it..if you crave a hotdog (can't imagine why someone would after they learn whats in it but..) have a tofu pup. Want a hamburger? Have a veggie burger. A pizza? No problem, Daiya cheese melts. We can have it all ..without the suffering.

Q3: On Food. What is a typical day of vegan eating for you? Fave eats?

Simone: A typical day for me of vegan eating starts with organic oatmeal. Then, for lunch I usually have a Carne Asada sandwich and Steamin' Kale from Veggie Grill and Dinner is usually a big ol' plate of nachos from Real Food Daily or a pizza from Cruser Pizza. All their toppings hold the cruelty. So yes I'm a bit of a junk food vegan but don't get me wrong, I also love my veggies and salads. For dessert, there are so many places to get dairy free cakes and cupcakes or just a great bowl of fruit. Vegans are so lucky.

Q4: Words of Wisdom. Here is your chance to create your own quote. "Veganism is....."

Simone: Veganism is A Social Justice Issue. And we, as vegans are from the future, which is a quote I use all the time borrowed from my friend super vegan Ari Soloman of Mercy For Animals. So, BE from the future. Make that future the now. Dare yourself to be progressive, evolved and as brave as those that opposed slavery so long ago and saw a day when people could no longer be bought or sold. Be open enough to think like the the pioneers of the women's movement did a hundred or so years ago that knew, without question, that women would one day be granted the right to vote. Just as surely as these heroes of our history books knew these social justice issues would be abolished and freedom would ring we too know the animal's day is coming. It WILL be ILLEGAL to kill them for food, use them for medical research, enslave them in circuses, torture them for cosmetic testing, skin them alive or their fur, etc. We KNOW it.

Q5: On What is Hot. Share people, brands, books and more that you like to rave about.

Simone: What is hot for vegans…..hmmm, Hot … well, vegans are hot that for sure. We never really have to worry about our weight which is good because we are the biggest foodies ever..we have a BIG leg up on our health with our chances of getting sick/diabetes/heart disease etc. are much lower than our meat eating counterparts and we sleep well at night because we know we are making a difference.

I stay up to date on the issues by going on my BFF's Chloe Jo Davis' site Girlie Girl Army, PETA, Farm Sanctuary, Mercy for Animals, and buy my clothes from Vaute Couture, and send all my guy friends to Discerning Brute so there is something for everyone.

I also support the vegans in my community such as Enlightened's brilliant co-creator Mike White, Alicia Silverstone, Dr Jenn Berman, Russell Brand, vegan race car driver Leilani Munter, Ellen DeGeneres, Kathy Freston, Lisa Bloom, Paul McCartney, my boss Peta's Person of the Year, Russell Simmons - who I have to thank for allowing me to slip the word veganism into every episode of our TV show Running Russell Simmons on Oxygen and others who are using their celebrity via social media to spread the vegan word. We are everywhere. You can't stop us.

Q6: Soapbox! Go for it ...Soapbox away...

Simone: Soap box… I am a living walking billboard for animals. I even got a tattoo on TV just to show my dedication to the cause.

If you say you love animals and still eat them and wear them and use your money to support charities that test on them or take your kids to the zoo or circus I'm sorry but you DON’T love animals. You may love your dog or your cat. But if you haven't rescued that dog or cat from a shelter then you should know that you if you bought your animal you had a gun locked and loaded pointed right at a shelter animal and when you made that purchase you pulled the trigger. Sorry, its just true. So adopt don't shop.

Use the world "love" as a VERB not just a noun that doesn't encompass all it should. ALL animals feel pain, need, and fear death. ALL mothers love their babies. ALL beings inhabit this earth, it doesn't belong just to humans -we just act that way. If you truly love animals you will be their friend and love ALL animals …it starts with your fork.

Q7: What upcoming projects are you working on? Please share!

Simone: I just moved to LA because Russell Simmons just moved to LA so my biggest project is figuring out how to drive without freaking out. That’s a joke but… not really. This NYC gal is used to riding the subway! LA is a huge change for me. But seriously, my projects include blogging for Global Grind, Hello Giggles, One Green Planet, and documenting all that LA has to offer us vegans and how I plan to shake it up now that I'm here on LA soil.

Q8. Smoothie love! I would love to hear about YOUR favorite smoothie recipe..

Simone: I can't help much on the smoothie question. I usually get my green juices from Pressed Juicery here in LA. Other than that I don't cook or blend at home. I am of the Carrie Bradshaw mentality and use my oven for storage.

Q9. Do you think veganism is the diet of the future? Why?

Simone: I KNOW veganism is the diet of the future because according to the United Nations, raising animals for food (including land used for grazing and land used to grow feed crops) now uses an astonishing 30% of the Earths land mass. That’s ore than 260 million acres of U.S. forest have been cleared to create cropland to grow grain to feed farmed animals Disgusting.This is why more than 70%of the grain and cereals that we grow in this country are fed to farmed animals instead of starving humans.

It takes up to 13 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of meat, and even fish on fish farms must be fed up to 5 pounds of wild-caught fish to produce 1 pound of farmed fish flesh. It takes more than 2,400 gallons of water to produce 1 pound of meat, while growing 1 pound of wheat only requires 25 gallons. And lets not forget water! the runoff from factory farms pollutes our waterways more than all other industrial sources combined.

Animals raised for food in the U.S. produce far more excrement than the entire US population- which is the number one contributor to Global Warming! Eating animals pollutes our air, water and Earth – not to mention our bodies. It is the cause of the murder of BILLIONS of suffering animals. This is simply not OK.

Hey, even my blind rescue dog Hubbell Yoda (whom I adopted from a great rescue called JCCARE – they specializing in placing Japanese Chins) is vegan. And he is doing great! SOOOOO what all this means is: without going Vegan there very well may be no Earth for us to share. If we want to live longer we must go vegan. If we want our conscience to be clean-we must go vegan.

And yes, if we REALLY love animals, we MUST live vegan.

Follow Simone:

Simone Reyes
TWITTER -> @simonereyes

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

VGP Update Interview: Chloe Coscarelli
Simone Reyes, of Running Russell Simmons / Animal Advocate (today!)
Doron Peterson, 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
Kathy Patalsky, (putting myself in the interview seat to close the series!)

*all photos were provided courtesy of Simone Reyes / credits as needed above

Vegan Shake: Peanut Butter Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Banana.

May 2, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 25 Comments

Need a frosty treat this week? (I sure did!) Try this Peanut Butter Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Banana Shake. It is actually a lot healthier than is appears and I love it because it combines two desserts in one. Chocolate-dipped bananas and a peanut butter-swirled chocolate "milk"shake. Oh and I have news to share about my book..

This week. Oh my this week. Roller coaster things happening all around me. Thus...

Happiness: The FindingVegan.com re-lauch has been going swimmingly! So many beautiful recipes being submitted by talented bloggers. And even if you do not have a blog, you should register for a profile because 1) You can save (heart) your favorite recipes and collect them in your private favorites page. And 2) You will want an account for an upcoming contest I will be holding here on HHL! Details to come.

Now for the News...

I found out some frustrating news about my book 365 Vegan Smoothies. It is one of those things where I am like, "Of course this happens to me! Why am I not surprised!" Le sigh.

So. This week, my beautiful books arrived at my publisher's office in NYC. I'm sure they all gathered around the big box and eagerly pulled it open, ready to uncover an armful of freshly-printed, shiny-new smoothie books.

..well my smoothie book was in there alright! But apparently there was a pretty BIG printing error on the cover. Yup. (Like huge.)

I can only imagine their stunned faces when they saw it. So, to correct thing, they are rushing to have the books re-printed ASAP. But not in time for June 4th, I'm afraid.

The Good News! The good news is that the INSIDE of the book (I am told) was printed perfectly and looks BEAUTIFUL. Those many color smoothie photos glistening amidst the pages and pages of smoothie tips, recipes and goodies.

So what does this mean? Well this means, my very patient readers, that 365 Vegan Smoothies will not be ready until July 2nd. Say it with me now: "Boooo!"

Trust me, I am as sad as you are.

And FYI you guys are the first to hear this. Even Amazon.com seems to still think my book is coming June 4th, but that will be updated in a few days..

So for everyone who pre-ordered (and I am excited to say there are a lot of you!) I am SO SORRY about the delay. But come July, your books will be ready .. and free of those pesky errors.

BUT I do have a recipe that helped me wipe that frown off my face, and I think you deserve this taste of bliss too...

Peanut Butter Chocolate-Dipped Frozen Banana Shake

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/02/2013
Frosty delicious peanut butter chocolate shake with yummy vegan freezer banana bites on top!

Ingredients

Banana Bites: 2 bananas (frozen and sliced), ⅓ cup chocolate chips (vegan), 2 tablespoon coconut oil, 2 tablespoon crushed nuts (optional)
2 bananas, frozen
½ cup frozen strawberries or frozen watermelon cubes
1 tablespoon cacao powder
½ cup almond milk** (add more as needed to blend)
2-3 pinches cinnamon
1 tablespoon nut butter for blender
1-2 tablespoon nut butter to swirl into your shake to serve
1 scoop vegan protein powder (optional)
**homemade almond milk

Instructions

First make your banana bites, these are easy to make and will be ready in about ten minutes. You need to use frozen bananas so that the chocolate freezes / hardens easily on the bananas. Pull pre-sliced frozen bananas from the freezer. In a small bowl, add the chocolate chips and coconut oil. Melt in microwave. Start dipping your bananas in the chocolate. I used toothpicks to help me dip. Then dip the bananas in optional crushed nuts. Place the dipped bananas on parchment paper or a greased freezer-friendly plate. Place in the freezer and they should be nice and frozen in 5-10 minutes.
For the shake, simply add all the ingredients to your blender and start blending. To serve, drizzle softened nut butter in between the layers of chocolate shake and over top. Garnish with a frozen banana. You will have plenty of leftover dipped chocolate bananas, store them in the freezer.

Yield: serves 1-2Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 10 mins. Tags: vegan,shake,dessert,smoothie,chocolate,banana

Lets all chocolate-pb shake cheer together, yes?