Chocolate Frosted Banana Cupcakes. Vegan Valentine's Day!

February 7, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

Chocolate and banana is one of my favorite flavor combinations, so this Valentine's Day I wanted to share a super yummy, dreamy recipe for vegan Chocolate-Frosted Banana Cupcakes. The avocado-based frosting is silky smooth, swirled on top of sweet, moist, fluffy banana cupcakes. Add some pink sprinkles on top for the perfect Valentine's Day accent!

Plus read my 'question of the day' thoughts on using the word "vegan" (or not) in brand messaging..

Cupcakes. The frosting reminds me exactly of that creamy chocolate filling that I used to find in those oh-so-popular childhood chocolate hand pies. silky, yet rich and light - like a mousse or fluffy rich pudding. But just sweet enough to work as swirlable frosting. The banana cupcakes are moist and fluffy. They taste like a vanilla cupcake meets the best homemade banana-y banana bread ever. A hint of cinnamon is nice.

So get in the kitchen with your Valentine and make these cupcakes!.. (And if you do not have a Valentine, try making your crush a platter of these!)

(And don't forget to scroll down for my question of the day..!)

Chocolate-Frosted Banana Cupcakes
vegan, makes about 12-14 cupcakes (note: to very generously frost each cupcake, you will want to double the frosting recipe below)

Banana Cupcakes:
3 bananas, mashed (extra-ripe)
2 cups white flour, organic
¼ cup safflower oil OR virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup sugar, organic
1 cup almond milk, vanilla (any non-dairy milk)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon apple cider or white vinegar

Chocolate Frosting:
1 ½ cups avocado cubes
⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1 cup powdered sugar, organic
¼+ teaspoon salt*
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼-1/3 cup cacao powder
*I find that avocado chocolate recipes taste better with a nice amount of salt, however you can reduce this or even better - salt to taste
optional add-in: 1-2 tablespoon peanut butter! (I did this for a mini test batch and it was quite yummy. Would give cupcakes a peanut butter-chocolate-banana flavor)

* I actually got about 14 cupcakes out of this batter, but I liked it so much I didn't want to tweak it to be a perfect 12!)

Directions:

1. Combine all frosting ingredients in a blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Tip: Add all ingredients except powdered sugar and cocoa powder first, blend until silky, then slowly add in the dry components. If your blender sticks, then you can now pour into separate bowl and beat or fold in additional powdery ingredients. (you could also just beat, but will not be as smooth) Place frosting in fridge to chill.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degree. Combine flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon ingredients in large mixing bowl.

3. Add the almond milk, vanilla extract, oil and vinegar to the bowl and beat on low until smooth.

4. In a separate small bowl, mash the bananas and sugar together until thick and clumpy yet smooth and spoonable.

4. Stir in the banana sugar mixture. For extra smooth cupcakes you can beat on low for a second time.

5. Line or grease cupcake tine and fill tins almost all the way if you want that spread-looking top. For cupcakes with less of a spread top, fill ¾ of the way and expect to get more cupcakes than 12.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20-25 minutes or until center of tops becomes cake-y to touch. Remove from oven and cool.

7. When cupcakes are cool, grab your frosting and fill a frosting tip (or just frost using a spoon, either way works). Tip: Warm frosting in microwave for 5-10 seconds if the fridge made it a bit too firm. You can also remove the frosting from the fridge a good twenty minutes before planning on frosting if you are worried about the texture. The coconut oil in the dressing is what firms it up in the cold environment (but it is also what makes it so buttery and rich once it warms a bit)!

8. Serve and store on counter top, in a sealed container for up to one day. After than, store cupcakes in the fridge. Tip: These cupcakes taste best the same day you make them! So be sure to have a crowd to feed! You could also halve the cupcake batter recipe and keep the frosting as is in size. Leftover frosting can easily be consumed as a rich chocolate pudding.

Nutrition: I calculated an estimate on caloriecount.com and each frosted cupcake comes out to just over 300 calories. For those who want to know!) 🙂

Question of the day: What sounds best to you...

If I called these cupcakes: Vegan Cupcakes. Plant-Based Cupcakes. or Cupcakes... ?

I have been thinking a lot about the word "vegan" lately and how it is used to market products and describe recipes. And how in many cases, the word vegan is hidden from branding, in fear that the term will scare off non-vegan customers.

Question: Is branding your website, product, book or recipe as "vegan" a positive or negative thing? (Obviously my answer to this question is as clear as the header on my blog!)

This question carries much weight to me, as someone with a book coming out with the word "vegan" in its title. My book "365 Vegan Smoothies" could have easily been called "365 Smoothies" but I was very firm that I wanted the word vegan on the cover.

But I also know that MANY of my readers are not vegan. And I love that! I love when they see recipes on my blog and comment that they had no idea "vegan" food could look and taste so amazing. Or that they are excited to do a "vegan night" once a week even though they are not vegan. All this means that the image of the word vegan is changing for the better!

My inspiration for this question of the day...

I recently read an interview done with Greg Dollarhyde, the CEO of Veggie Grill - a vegan casual dining restaurant with a BIG bright future, he said this:

"If you use the "vegan" word, there's more than just the food attached to that. For non-vegan people, there's kind of a feeling that vegan eaters aren't tolerant of what other people eat. It's a lifestyle; it's not just a food."

This quote stood out in my brain for a number of reasons. At first, I totally agreed! And I loved the way he spoke. But then this morning I woke up not able to get that quote out of my head. He is right. Veganism DOES communicate more than food. But to me, the values "vegan" communicates are qualities like love, compassion, kindness, awareness and love of animals. All things I am most proud of in my own personality. To me, the word vegan communicates positive things. My vegan and vegan-curious friends are all kind, animal loving, intelligent, thoughtful, curious and inquisitive people who care about the earth and the people, plants and animals on it.

Hiding the word vegan feels secretive, almost reminiscent of the cooking controversy when parents contemplated the practice of secretly adding veggie purees to their kids meals. Sure, it gets the job done, but is teaching anything? That veggies CAN taste good? Hm, is the word "veggies" to a 5 yr-old equal to the word "vegan" to the general public? Well, maybe. Some 5 yr-olds (I have met them!) actually LIKE (some) veggies. So while the stereotype is seemingly that kids hate veggies, many parents have somehow miraculously broken down that wall. "Veggies" doesn't have to be a bad word. The same goes for "vegan" + food.

But back to my point.. I get it. Greg's quote. And quite honestly I have no problem with Veggie Grill or any other restaurant not using the term vegan in their marketing materials. As a customer, I could care less if they use the word vegan. I just want the product to be amazing .. and it is at Veggie Grill! BUT their reasoning behind it does make me think. And I hope this little blogpost makes you ponder it too.

And if any vegan companies read this, I hope they know that the term "vegan" to some people out there (okay, ME!) is a very positive thing.

As a business owner.. reading Greg's quote, at first, worried me a bit. Here is a very successful CEO with probably many consultants and such backing up his marketing stance and he says "vegan" is bad to use. But then I started to look around and see how many vegan companies and brands are thriving. My bloggy friends Meet the Shannons ... Annie and Dan Shannon's new book Betty Goes Vegan is (today) number one in reference cookbooks on Amazon. And the amazingly talented Chloe Coscarelli has a new book out called Chloe's Vegan Desserts that will no doubt do AMAZINGLY on the book charts. And lastly, the very talented vegan designer Leanne of Vaute Couture just had her "vegan" fashion showing at Fashion Week NYC yesterday! Read my Veggie Girl Power interviews with: Annie, Chloe and Leanne!

..So there. Maybe "vegan" and all that goes with that word doesn't have to be so secretive.

Most people who visit my blog and see my vegan recipe photos will say, "oh, that is vegan? It doesn't look vegan." And I understand why. It is true, maybe 5-10 years ago "vegan" was a lot more rigid when it came to the food options out there. But seriously guys, is there anything us vegan recipe gurus CANNOT veganize?? I don't think so. (And Betty Goes Vegan shows that BIG time! Veganizing the entire Betty Crocker Cookbook? Bravo!)

Now. What do you think?

(And just so there is no confusion, I am a big Veggie Grill fan! I just enjoyed my "free entree" birthday coupon there last night!)

The books I chatted About. Snag Chloe and Annie & Dan's books on Amazon..

* Betty Goes Vegan: 500 Classic Recipes for the Modern Family

* Chloe's Vegan Desserts: More than 100 Exciting New Recipes for Cookies and Pies, Tarts and Cobblers, Cupcakes and Cakes--and More!

And check out more of what vegan looks like on my vegan recipe sharing site FindingVegan.com

Now more vegan cupcakes. 🙂

Easy Mini Nacho Pizzas!

February 4, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

These fun Mini Nacho Pizzas are inspired by my love of two recipes: English muffin mini pizzas and cheezy vegan nachos. This recipe is also a perfect way to use up leftover jars of salsa in your fridge!

Easy recipe. Fifteen minutes or so .. and done. Hot lunch approved. Serve with a fizzy citrus sip.

This recipe includes protein, veggies and bubbly vegan cheese deliciousness..

Appetizers for Dinner. I made these fun bites during the Super Bowl and decided that they are more than just appetizers - they are perfect as entree mini pizzas. I paired them with some guacamole and lively spinach salads tossed in a agave lime dressing.

Estimated nutritional info per mini pizza - using whole wheat English muffins:

Mini Nacho Pizzas
vegan, makes 4 mini pizzas

2 English muffins, split in half (spelt, sprouted grain or whole wheat varieties are my favorite)
⅓ cup vegan cheese shreds, vegan pepper jack flavor used
⅓ cup roasted tomato salsa (hot variety used!)
¼ cup refried beans, vegan (canned, low-fat vegan used)
1 small jalapeno, sliced
¼ cup onion sliced
2 tablespoon tomato, diced

fresh topping: ½ large avocado, diced + tossed in lime or lemon juice

other optional toppings:
1 tablespoon black olives
diced tofu (try lime-chipotle-agave marinated!)
cilantro
sour cream, vegan

garnish: fresh citrus wedges, lime or lemon + chopped parsley or cilantro

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to a warm temperature - around 350-400 degrees.
2. Pull apart your English muffins. Prep your veggies by chopping/slicing.
3. Add either the salsa or refried beans to the muffin bread. Layering generously. Then add the vegan cheese and veggie toppings.
4. Place on baking sheet and place on top rack in oven. Allow to bake for about ten minutes at 400 degrees. Then for an additional 2 minutes, broil so that the tops get bubbly and blackened.
5. Pull from oven or bake for an additional 1-2 minutes on oven rack (no baking sheet) if you want extra crispy bottoms.
6. Serve warm with fresh avocado on top. Cilantro would make a nice garnish. Citrus wedges too.

Hummus Dip. Restaurant-Style.

February 2, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 27 Comments

This restaurant-style warm hummus dip is creamy, inviting and super easy to make in just a few minutes!

Standing in my kitchen, just staring into my pantry for a minute or so, waiting for some inspiration to hit, the can of organic garbanzo beans (aka chickpeas) caught my eye and my craving hit. Hummus! Warm, delicately spiced, creamy-delicious hummus with flavors of lemon and tahini in every perfect bite. Speckled pepper-y spices, a hint of garlic, fresh parsley and a drizzle of EVOO on top. Add a platter of freshly-chopped, colorful veggie sticks and (boom) your amazing-looking dip spread is done.

This is a classic restaurant-style presentation recipe, however I've added a few tweaks to the ingredients. So if like me, you love hummus, make. this. dip.

Lunchtime. On a sunny Friday afternoon. I tore myself from my computer, craving some nice kitchen play time. Heading into the kitchen for lunch/my next recipe post, I was about to make a salad. Some sort of fancy, raw-marinated, tahini-maple dressed kale salad with colorful chopped veggies. But I took a right turn at "complicated" and found myself making this very simple recipe that made for a satisfying, cozy snack (or lunchtime) platter. Party perfect too. It looks so fancy with a light dusting of fine pepper, red spice and a buttery drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. A sprig of flat leaf parsley for a pop of green color.

Nice and creamy! Tip: For even thicker dip, serve chilled from the fridge. My dip was served warm..

Per entire recipe (calorie estimate from caloriecount.com)..

Citrus-Tahini Hummus Dip
vegan, makes 3 cups

1 ½ cups cooked garbanzo beans (1 standard can)
1 ½ cups cooked cannellini beans (1 standard can)
1 ½ teaspoon salt
2-3 tablespoon tahini (100% sesame seeds / unsalted)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large lemon, squeezed + a few pinches of zest
1 medium tangerine or (½ orange or 1 small orange) - peeled (find one that is quite juicy like a satsuma variety)**
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fine black pepper
a few pinches of cayenne (to taste for heat)
1 tablespoon warm water (optional)

**this tangerine was my fancy ingredient. I really liked the very subtle sweetness it added plus the additional antioxidants and fiber.

garnish: 1 teaspoon (drizzle) of EVOO, black pepper, red spice (cayenne or paprika) & fresh sprig of parsley. (A few reserved, whole chickpeas is nice too)

Directions:

1. Open your cans of beans and pour into a large strainer of some sort. Run the beans under warm to hot water. I use very hot water so that when my hummus is blended it is actually warm in temperature and ready to serve! Rinse beans very well to remove the bubbly residue.

2. Transfer beans to a high speed blender of food processor. Add in the citrus (peeled orange or tangerine) lemon juice, salt, garlic powder, black pepper, cayenne, zest, tahini and EVOO. (Note: I used a satsuma, which is seasonal, but a very small juicy orange or half of a large orange will work too1)

3. Start blender on low and continue blending until smooth and creamy. If you need to loosen the blend a bit, add 1 tablespoon of hot water.

4. Do a taste test and add more salt and spices if you'd like. (Mine was perfect on the first try which I was thrilled about!)

5. Pour into serving dish and smooth with the back of a spoon. Add fine pepper and either cayenne or paprika over top. A drizzle of EVOO and a fresh parsley garnish.

Serve with toasted pita, chips, crackers and/or mountains of colorful freshly chopped veggies! Tip: serve chilled for extra thick consistency. You can also warm hummus by placing in oven or microwave for an extra warmer temperature.

Want more vegan dip recipes? Get my Dip Diva iphone App!

Have some dip diversity by doing a half guacamole + half hummus serving bowl!..

Oh and THIS happened last night!.. (proof copies arrived!!)..

Pre-order my book 365 Vegan Smoothies!

Vegan Potato Skins! Fully Loaded. For Game Day or Any Day.

February 1, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

Why oh why have I never made Vegan Potato Skins before??? These party-tastic oval bites were super easy to make and oh-my-goodness amazing. Load up a platter of potato skins for game day, your next party or just because you crave them! (These bites are easy to crave once you have tasted them.)

Potato. Skins. Super crispy, buttery potato skins cradle creamy, cheezy-mashed potato filling with bubbly melted vegan pepperjack cheese shreds scattered on top. Piled on top of that cheezy bliss: vegan sour cream, vegan tempeh bacon bits and a colorful array of freshly chopped veggies including green onion, chives, red onion, tomato and jalapeno. Some micro kale on there too, to boost the green goodness. Plus I have a few more steps along the way to make sure your potato skins are the best ever!!..

It's like this: Cheesy Potato Skins a la VINE video.

Classic Potato Skins. Gone Vegan.

Some spicy jalapeno + smoky tempeh bacon bits top creamy non-dairy sour cream. (A dollop of guac would be awesome too!)

Potato Skin Shopping Trip. Head over to Whole Foods or another vegan-food friendly grocery store and pick up a few plant-based products: vegan butter (Earth Balance) vegan cheese shreds (try Daiya!) and some vegan sour cream. You might also want to pick up some chilled tempeh bacon (or make it yourself with my recipe.) Then snag tons of veggie toppings and of course plenty of potatoes!

Start with these toasty warm baked potatoes..

Start scooping!..

Toast them up..

Cheezy-mash the filling..

Fill those toasty skins..

...waiting. waiting. waiting. (broil time!)

Melty cheese, steamy hot from the oven!..

Toppings!..

And start eating!..

The best part about potato skins is that hot meets cold flavor sensation. When the steamy hot potato and sizzling melted cheese meets the cool. creamy sour cream and crisp veggie toppings. So serve these taters right after you make them for the most enjoyable potato skin experience.

Vegan Potato Skins
makes 8 skins

4 medium russet potatoes

cheezy mash filling:
1 ½ - 2 cups scooped baked potato flesh
3-4 tablespoon nutritionl yeast (optional, but adds the "cheezy" part)
1-2 tablespoon vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance) - melted
1 ½ tablespoon vegan sour cream
splash of almond or soy milk (unsweetened or plain)
dash of cayenne for heat (optional)

3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread (Earth Balance) - melted

toppings:
8 tablespoon vegan cheese shreds (Daiya Pepperjack used)
8 tablespoon vegan sour cream (or less if desired - add to taste)
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped chives
¼ cup tempeh bacon bits (use store bought or THIS recipe)
¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
herbs or micro greens on top (optional)
½ jalapeno, sliced into rings

other possibilities:
black olives
diced radish
chopped carrot
shaved or roasted mushrooms
diced bell pepper
chopped carrot
chunky salsa
guacamole

Sip This -> Wild Blueberry Shake!

January 31, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 21 Comments

I had a fantastic birthday yesterday (32 already? Geez, time flies!) and this Wild Blueberry Shake with antioxidant-rich wild blueberries, sweet banana, frosty watermelon cubes (my secret ingredient) and creamy vanilla almond milk was my birthday shake "smoothie break." Get the recipe and a few pics from my celebration day!..

Wild blueberries are rich in anti-aging, free-radical fighting antioxidants so they make a perfect addition to any wellness smoothie!

And perfect for an 'anti-aging' birthday shake 🙂

..happy smoothie day to me.

Oh, and THIS cake happened too..

..No I didn't make my own bday cake. My husband is REALLY good at ordering those 🙂 Coconut Vanilla from Real Food Daily.

Wild Blueberry Shake
vegan, serves one

¾ cup wild blueberries
1 cup vanilla almond milk (or any non-dairy milk)
*use less liquid for a thicker shake!
1 large banana, frozen
½ cup cubed watermelon, frozen

Blend and serve.

optional:
* nuts or seeds. try 2 tablespoon raw walnuts, 1 teaspoon crushed flax seeds or 1 teaspoon chia seeds!
* protein. 1 heaping scoop of your favorite vanilla protein powder! (I added this to my shake, but not included in nutritional info below)

nutrition info per shake..

Want more amazing smoothie recipes? how about 365 more? -> Pre-order my book 365 Vegan Smoothies!

Some more pics from my day..

The last minute b-day cake order from Real Food Daily. Vanilla Coconut with chocolate writing. SO GOOD!..

Shameless "bday girl" selfies...

..ps I'm not trying to look sultry in right photo. Actually just really liked my bday (Anthro) shirt. 🙂 (hubby said red eyes made me look like a vampire. hmm.)

A few vine videos too!..

Birthday Cake
Happy Birthday to Me

**Pre-order my book 365 Vegan Smoothies! Fan it on Facebook!**

Orange Spice Chia Energy Muffins. With Maca!

January 29, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

I wasn't expecting to fall in love with these tender little muffin gems. But I totally did!

These Orange Spice Chia Energy Muffins are infused with warm spices including cinnamon and a hint of cayenne. Tropical banana, energizing citrus and an undertone of vanilla in each bite. These muffins have a dose of super food maca powder which adds a nutty, butterscotch-ish, malt-y accent. Crunchy chia seeds are speckled throughout to add fiber and enhance the pillow-y muffin texture...

Energize. Maca is known as being an energizing super food. It may even help with sugar cravings and hormone balancing. (more on maca below)

Whip up these sweet little energy bites and pair them with your morning or afternoon cup of tea of coffee! Or pair a warm muffin with a frosty smoothie like I did today for lunch!

Chia Seeds. You know I love chia seeds, so I am happy that they make a generous appearance in this recipe. Speckled throughout and over top each muffin, healthy chia seeds are a perky addition. Chia seeds contain fiber, healthy omega 3 fatty acids, protein, calcium, phosphorus, manganese and zinc.

More Chia Seed Recipes..

* Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Oat Muffins
* Maui Bagels with grilled banana and chia seeds
* Chia Seeded Watermelon Frosty
* Chia Seeded Matcha Shake
* Wild Blueberry Chia Oatmeal
* No-Bake Chia Seed Vegan Cheesecake

Maca. I just started using maca in my smoothies and I am not totally convinced of its super power claims, but I can say that it has given me some added energy. Placebo effect? Maybe. But I have read several articles on maca and it seems to have a good reputation as a superfood. Interested in learning some more details? Check out these articles:

* Maca on Girlie Girl Army
* Maca on Natural News

What is Maca? From Natural news: "Maca is a root from Peru; it's a tuber, like a potato, and offers an amazing energy boost for those with low energy. Maca however, unlike coffee, offers energy in a non-caffeinated way that supports the body. Maca is a nutritionally dense super-food that contains high amounts of minerals, vitamins, enzymes and all of the essential amino acids. Maca root is rich in B-vitamins, which are the energy vitamins, and maca is a vegetarian source of B-12..."

No Maca? But just so you know, if you do not have maca or want to use it in the muffins, you can easily substitute more flour in its place. And the muffins will still be quite yummy.

muffin nutrients (per muffin, 11 muffins in each batch)..

Orange Spice Chia Energy Muffins
vegan, makes 10-12 muffins

dry:
½ cup whole wheat flour
⅓ cup white flour
¾ cup organic sugar (I used Florida Crystals)
*if you want a more dessert-y sweet muffin - add 1-2 extra tablespoon sugar
¾ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
2-3 pinches cayenne
¼ cup maca powder

wet:
¼ cup virgin coconut oil or safflower oil (or another vegetable oil)
½ cup almond milk, vanilla
½ cup warm water + 2 teaspoon chia seeds
3 tablespoon tangerine or orange juice (fresh)
pinch of freshly grated orange or tangerine zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 banana, mashed

on top: pinch of sugar + pinch of chia seeds

Add-in ideas! (optional)
* ¼ cup shredded coconut
* ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks
* ¼ cup chopped walnuts or pecans
* ¼ cup wild blueberries
* 2 tablespoon rolled oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease you muffin baking pan.

2. Stir the water and chia seeds together. Allow to sit for about five minutes to plump the seeds a bit.

3. Combine all dry ingredients in mixing bowl.

4. Stir in the wet ingredients. Mix until smoothed. You can use a beater on the lowest setting if desired.

5. Fill muffin tins and add a pinch of sugar and seeds over top each muffin. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and the muffins are cooked through the middle.

Cool. Serve.

PS. I posted a 6-second video on VINE of these muffins! But you will have to follow me to view it, as I forgot to create a link! I did link to this video though.. Fully Loaded PB Toast. Anyone else loving vine App??

new food note: If you have questions about maca (or any new-to-you food), check with your doctor or dietician.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse Recipe. Two Ingredients. Easy Bliss.

January 28, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

This vegan Chocolate Avocado Mousse is creamy, rich and decadent. Silky dark chocolate flavor in every velvety spoonful. But the best part about this recipe is how incredibly easy it is. Two base ingredients!

And if you are worried that avocados do not belong in chocolate mousse .. think again! One taste and you will understand why everyone raves about chocolate avocado mousse recipes...

Some Site News!! I was SO exited to launch a brand new design to Healthy. Happy. Life. last Friday. I am loving the new look and I hope you guys love it too!

Wednesday is my birthday, and so just after my husband and I finished all the tech work on my new website design launch, we drove off for a quick getaway weekend to Disneyland. Some speckled rain showers started a soggy Saturday morning in the Magic Kingdom, but I skipped across the shiny cobblestone path, winding towards Sleeping Beauty's castle and everything seemed to glow with pure, unabashed, innocent happiness. I don't think I will ever grow out of Disneyland bliss. Mental vacation? Yes please!

(The tiki glass in these choco-mousse photos is actually a souvenir glass I picked up at Trader Sam's bar at The Disneyland Hotel.) This trip I tried some new-to-me rides at California Adventure like Tower of Terror and California Screamin'.

Now back to this chocolate bliss...

You can make chocolate avocado mousse a variety of ways.

* Basic.. Avocado + cocoa powder (unsweetened) + sweetener + pinch of salt + optional accents like cinnamon, vanilla or banana

* Add some melted chocolate for a richer accent.. Avocado + melted chocolate chips + agave syrup + cocoa powder... This vegan choco-avocado mousse recipe by Giada is pretty awesome for a fancier version.

OR you can try my idea for making a two ingredient mousse..

The trick is to use your favorite sweetened cocoa powder. Whatever you like to use for making pre-sweetened hot chocolate can be used. This way in one easy scoop you are adding both cocoa and sweetener. You can even use flavored cocoa mixes if you'd like .. mocha, mint, hazelnut, Aztec spiced etc. I actually used an Aztec spiced, vegan hot cocoa mix and is was awesome.

This is especially useful when spring weather hits and you want to use up any leftover hot cocoa mix in your pantry.

You can add optional garnish accents as well:

* freshly grated orange zest
* cinnamon or nutmeg
* sliced banana
* sliced or whole berries
* crushed vegan cookies or grahams
* vegan granola
* mini vegan chocolate chips or chocolate shavings
* chopped nuts
* drizzle of agave or maple syrup
* soy or coconut whip on top
* Or build a mousse parfait!

Or keep it super simple and just serve the mousse as is. Simple.

Easiest Chocolate Mousse
vegan, serves 2-3

1 large avocado (¾ - 1 cup mashed)
¼ - ⅓ cup vegan hot cocoa mix (sweetened)

optional:
* pinch of salt
* a few drops vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Using a fork, masg and large chunks of avocado. Mash very well before blending.

2. Using a hand or stand mixer, whip the avocado with the cocoa until smooth and creamy.

3. Add in any optional add-in ingredients.

4. Transfer to serving dish(es) or build a mousse parfait by alternating mousse with fruit, granola, crushed cookies and more. Smooth into a whipped peak with the back of a spoon. Chill in the fridge for at least twenty minutes before serving. Can be made a day in advance and stored in the fridge, covered.

5. To serve, top with optional garnishes and accents.

notes:
* for a spicy kick, add a few dashes of cayenne
* if you need it a bit sweeter: add in a tablespoon of agave syrup OR organic powdered sugar (or to taste)
* If you want it richer and more decadent, add in ¼ cup melted vegan chocolate chips
* For mocha flavor, add in ½ teaspoon instant coffee
* For a nut butter accent, add in a tablespoon peanut or almond butter
* For a coconut accent, whip in 2-3 tablespoon chilled coconut cream (the white hard stuff from a chilled can of coconut.)

Calories: This depends on how many calories are in your brand of cocoa. But normally, an avocado has around 270-300 calories and ¼ cup of hot cocoa mix about 100-140 calories. So if two people split two people with no extras, the calories = about 200 per person.

Healthy Nutrients. This mousse is loaded with healthy fats from the avocado, heart-healthy dark chocolate antioxidants and it is free of soy, dairy and gluten. Not bad for a decadent dessert!

Creamy Baked Potato Soup. Vegan. Secret Ingredient Recipe.

January 25, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

This vegan Creamy Baked Potato Soup is velvet-y and soothing, winter white in color. This simple ingredient blend with a slightly peppery, mild cheezy flavor is topped with crispy bits of roasted potato, caramelized onions and smoky tempeh bacon bits or some spicy chopped vegan seitan. Freshly chopped chives or parsley on top. Some tomatoes, vegan sour cream or even a sprinkling of plant-based 'cheddar' shreds would also be nice.

Free. The base soup recipe is soy free, dairy free, gluten free, 'plant milk' free and cream free. Simple whole food ingredients. Yet it blends up ultra creamy with the help of a secret ingredient! This Loaded Potato Soup was a successful special request recipe I hope you love!..

Book Side note. I just added a Facebook page for my book. I will be posting updates and insider info there. Hope you 'like' it! -> 365 Vegan Smoothie Facebook Fan Page (And thank you for all your positive book comments sent my way!)

Simple ingredients..

Special Request. It seems like my husband has been informing me of his love of "Loaded Baked Potato Soup" for for-e-ver. Every time we pass a soup station at Whole Foods and it says something about "Potato Soup" he gets that twinkly sparkle in his eye, but then in a few seconds reminds himself that he despises all things dairy. (Since most classic-version creamy white potato soups contain dairy/cream and/or butter.)

And I love veganizing cravings so I always have his soup in the back of my head. But last time I started to make it I went all healthy on him and added some green ingredients that kinda killed his "creamy white potato bliss" craving.

So this time I stuck to my plan and created a warm and ultra-creamy, velvet-y soup that is pure white in color. This soup is rich and indulgent .. yet quite sin-free. It contains no added oil, cream, soy or fat. Just the natural goodness and flavor from the minimalist ingredients.

Secret Ingredient: Almonds! I used raw soaked and peeled almonds as my secret ingredient thickener. The soup has a mild undertone of almond, but it is really quite lovely and elegant paired with the rustic russett potato.

note. if for some reason you cannot add almonds, try cauliflower as another cream-free secret ingredient. I used in my No-Cream of Mushroom Soup.

Technique: To "peel" the almonds I did this trick. I soaked in water and a pinch of salt overnight. Then I rinsed the almonds in VERY hot water. The hottest setting on my tap or you might need boiling if hot tap water doesn't work. In a few minutes of letting them soak in that hot water the skins of the almonds easily peel off. You do have to pinch each almond individually, popping off the skin, then strain away all the peels, but the process is a nice sort of meditation. Soothing in a way. Like pitting a huge bowl of cherries, it takes time, but then that makes the soup taste that much BETTER.

Once you discard all the almond skins you are left with winter white almonds. You can toss the almond skins OR use them as a fiber thickener in muffins or cookies! Or try this: toss the skins in a spoonful of nutritional yeast + pinch of salt and bake until crispy in the oven for mini almond skin chips! You could even top your soup with those chips, or a great salad topper.

The remaining process is pretty easy. Just prep the garnish, blend your soup and done. (You will need either a high speed blender (Vitamix!) or a food processor to smooth out all those almonds.

For the topping, you can use either smoky tempeh bacon bits or chopped spicy vegan sausages. Or maybe some vegan cheddar shreds. Or chopped onions, or diced tomatoes. Or chives. Or vegan sour cream. Or maybe even some roasted broccoli with melty vegan cheese on top. Any way you like to load a potato, load this soup!

(Nutrition info is an estimate and does not include toppings)

Creamy Baked Potato Soup
vegan, makes 4 servings

½ cup raw almonds (peeled / soaked)
1 ½ cups water (or vegetable broth)
1 extra large russett potato (or two small) (about 3 cups sliced potato)
¼ - ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
⅛ teaspoon fine black pepper
½ - 1 teaspoon salt (to taste - more salt will be needed if you use water instead of veggie broth)
½ teaspoon garlic (optional)
a few dashes of cayenne or some chili powder (touch of heat is nice!)

Garnish: (recipes below)
(optional) savory bits + caramelized onion (omit 'bits' if you need a soy or gluten free option)
roasted cheezy mini potatoes
parsley or chives, chopped

Mini Cheezy Potatoes:
1 cup diced mini potatoes (blue, red and yellow used)
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
S&P to taste

Protein bits:
½ cup chopped tempeh bacon OR 1 vegan sausage (spicy chipotle flavor used)
⅓ cup sweet yellow onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Soak your raw almonds in hot salted water. You can actually do this in an hour, but your almonds will blend a bit creamier if you soak overnight.

2. For your roasted potato garnish, heat oven to 400 degrees and dice your mini potatoes. Toss in oil, salt and nutritional yeast. Place on a greased baking sheet and roast for 20 minutes or until tender and crispy. (Remove from oven and set aside.

3. While your potatoes are roasting, work in almond prep. Drain and rinse your soaked almonds and soak them in the hottest water your tap can pour. Let them soak for a few minutes as watch as the skins begin to loosen and some flake away. If your almond skins do not loosen at all you may need hotter water. Use boiling water if needed. To peel, simply drain almonds and start to squeeze them between your thumb and fingers and the almond should easily pop out of the skin. Repeat for all almonds. (see image below!)

3. Peel your potato. Boil in how water on your stovetop until tender. Drain away water.

4. The rest is easy! Add the boiled potato, almonds, liquid and spices to a Vitamix or large food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add more liquid if a thinner soup is desired. Season to taste. Salting is very important for this soup since the base ingredients are so minimal. (More nutritional yeast is nice too, but will yellow the color a bit.

5. Quickly saute your onion and savory bits (tempeh bacon - you can also buy pre-seasoned tempeh bacon or use seasoned vegan sausages - or sub with chopped mushrooms or just use the onions) on the stove, set aside for garnish.

6. Pour soup as is or allow to simmer on the stove before serving. This soup can also easily be reheated in the microwave.

7. Garnish: crispy potatoes, savory bits with onion and something green. Try chives or chopped parsley. An accent of pepper is also nice. Serve warm.

Walnut Lovers' Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 23, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 59 Comments

I do not throw this phrase around lightly, but i have to say it.. "These may be the best batch of cookies I have ever baked." Yup. These Walnut Lovers' Chocolate Chip Cookies are studded with thick, buttery, crunchy California walnuts, velvet-y mini chocolate chips, a sprinkling of rolled oats, cinnamon and an undertone of rich vanilla extract in every chewy, air-y bite. Get my recipe and enter an awesome giveaway too! (Cookies + giveaway = double happy post!)..

GIVEAWAY & COOKIES below.

The cookies. These cookies are vegan bliss. These are not a skinny version, since they do contain plenty of rich ingredients like chocolate, walnuts and vegan butter. But lets be honest, each bite has a wide variety of healthy qualities too!..

* Walnuts (plenty in each cookie!) provide healthy fats including omega-3 fatty acids.
* The cacao in chocolate contains heart-healthy antioxidants.
* Rolled oats are rich in fiber.
* Cinnamon and vanilla are calming ingredients that will leave you in one feel-good cookie swoon from your first sweet nibble.

..so really lets call these cookies a healthy indulgence.

Why were these cookies so good? Well first off the ingredient combo was delish. But the real reason I think I loved them was the texture! They had tons of chewy, air-y pockets and holes. I think this is because for the first time in a long time, I added not only baking powder, but baking soda to my dough! Here is why..

I stumbled upon this Yahoo Voices article a while back and couldn't get one line out of my head: "To all would-be-bakers out there, baking soda and baking powder are not interchangeable. ... Baking soda is essential to many holiday cookie recipes."

I will admit I rarely before now bothered to add that tiny scoop of ½ teaspoon baking soda. But the difference when baking soda is added is clear! So if you have been skipping baking soda in your cookies, give it a try next time and let me know if you noticed a difference!

(giveaway below recipe)

Walnut Lovers' Chocolate Chip Cookies
makes about 2 dozen small cookies

dry:
1 ½ cup white flour, organic
1 cup sugar, organic
¾ teaspoon baking soda
3 teaspoon baking powder (If you like a bit more 'rise' add another 1 Tbsp)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon salt

wet:
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
¼ cup warm water + 1 teaspoon flax seeds (crushed or whole)
½ cup melted vegan butter
3 tablespoon almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

fold in:
½ cup mini chocolate chips, vegan (or regular sized)
¾ - 1 cup raw walnuts (halves, whole or pieces)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line baking pan with parchment paper or lightly grease pan.

2. Mix together your flax egg and allow to sit for at least five minutes. You can also melt your vegan butter in the microwave. The melted amount should equal ½ cup 'liquid.'

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

3. Fold in the vegan butter and flax egg until mixture thickens and balls up. Then pour in the almond milk, vanilla extract and finally the acid (vinegar or lemon).

4. If your dough is still too dry (maybe if you used a heartier flour) you can add another splash of almond milk until it thins to a wet dough consistency. It should be on the wet side since you still need to add the dry nuts and chips.

5. Lastly, fold in the walnuts and chocolate chips.

6. Place dough in the fridge or freezer to chill until firmed enough to roll into balls by hand or with a scooper.

7. Arrange dough on baking sheets - about 12 balls per pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-16 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.

8. Cool. Serve. Store in baggies or in container at room temp for a few days. If storing longer, place in fridge or freezer.

giveaway info..

$150+ Natural Vitality Giveaway. Magnesium levels effect your mood, stress, anxiety and more. While many vegans DO eat a well-balanced diet rich in magnesium-rich foods like greens and seeds - there might be times when you (or a less healthy family member) may want to supplement. (You should always ask your doctor about your own supplement needs and issues.) Natural Vitality's Natural Calm is an easy, yum, pill-free option. Dissolve in 2-3oz warm water, serve as desired. Flavors: lemon, orange, raspberry lemon - organic, Non GMO, vegan.

Giveaway prize - 1 winner:
* $150 e-gift card to the Natural Vitality online store.
* 1 "magnesium & your health booklet" valued at $4.99
* 1 copy of the magazine Organic Connections.

Now back to these cookies!..

I store these cookies in plastic baggies and place some in the freezer right away since an entire batch is a lot of cookies.

Disclosure: giveaway is sponsored, but opinions are my own.

Bow Tie Pasta Primavera. Avocado-Pesto on Top.

January 21, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 23 Comments

Tonight's dinner: Bow Tie Pasta Primavera. Avocado-Pesto on Top. So excited about this colorful, inviting bowl. This recipe gave me a taste of spring or sunny summer in a the middle of winter. (Although, I do have to admit that LA has a bright blue sky today...) Lunch or dinner approved.

The Dish. Tender veggie-colored bow tie pasta is tossed with an array of colorful veggies: red bell pepper, bright green broccoli, zesty red onion, lively black olives, sweet crunchy carrots and optional capers too. This creamy melange of pasta and veggies includes a lemon-tahini-pepper dressing to start, then another rich pesto sauce on top, the side or folded in to create ultra-creamy pasta bliss. Serve this dish warm or chilled. Healthy veggies, comfort food pasta and rich delicious pesto all in one very cheerful bowl. Leftovers are amazing too! Get my recipe..

Pasta + Veggies + Sunny Accents & Flavors. I pulled some bow tie pasta from the pantry and instead of slathering those tender, pointy ties in red marinara sauce I decided to go with rainbow-colored dish. Pasta Primavera. This lively blend of veggies includes a lemon-tahini-pepper sauce for the pasta and veggies. Then over top I dollop on some rich avocado walnut pesto made using spinach and walnuts, garlic and avocado, a splash of EVOO and plenty of lemon too.

Dive into this colorful bowl and brighten up any winter day.

This dish is delish served warm or chilled!

Add the creamy pesto over top of old in to serve..

Oil Options! This is a fun recipe to use creative oils in. I recently received an email from a reader asking how in the world one uses healthy hemp oil. Well this pasta is great! Sub a few tablespoon of the hemp oil in place of the olive oil. You could also try pumpkin seed, walnut or grape seed oils. I don't always go overboard on adding oils to my food, but for pasta I really enjoy a nice drizzle in my pasta and veggies. It really gives everything a nice richness and the oil adds fat which adds to the satiety level of my food which helps you feel satisfied without over-loading your plate with pasta. I find that when my pasta contains oil I eat much less of it than when it is more low-fat or oil free.

Kathy's Pasta Primavera with lemon, pepper, tahini and pesto
vegan, makes 8 cups

Pasta + Veggies:
2 cups dry bow tie pasta (vegan)
2 cups broccoli florets (cut from one large head of broccoli, thick stem removed)
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, sliced or diced
2 ounces black olives, sliced (or kalamata olives)
2 tablespoon capers (optional)
¼ cup nutritional yeast (optional)

Lemon Pepper Tahini Dressing:
3 lemons, juices + ½ teaspoon lemon zest (organic)
2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup (optional, adds hint of sweetness)
2-3 tablespoon tahini
3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (use more or less according to tastes for richness)
¼ teaspoon dried bell pepper
¼ teaspoon dried onion or garlic
½ teaspoon fine black pepper
½ teaspoon chili pepper
½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
*all the spices in this dressing are adjustable to taste as well

Avo-Spinach Walnut Pesto:
½ cup raw walnuts
1 small avocado
⅓ - ½ cup pasta water (or warm water)
½ teaspoon chopped garlic or roasted garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup baby spinach (1 large handful)
1-2 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
salt to taste OR add 2 teaspoon white miso paste which is naturally salty

Directions:

1. Start out by boiling some salted water on your stove and dropping your bow tie pasta.

2. While your pasta cooks, you can prep all your veggies and mix up your dressing in a side bowl.

3. About 2 minutes before your pasta is tender, drop the broccoli into the boiling water. This will blanch the broccoli to a tender state, but not overcook it. This is also easy because you do not have to cook it separately.

4. Drain your pasta and broccoli and transfer to a large mixing bowl. I like to now add in my nutritional yeast and toss a bit. Also add in your fresh veggies: peppers, onion, carrots. Also fold in the olives and optional capers.

5. Next you want to gently fold in the tahini dressing. Be careful to toss gently so you do not break apart all the bow-ties. After you have tossed the pasta and veggies and dressing do a taste test and salt to taste. You can also add more seasonings and nutritional yeast if you'd like. Cover bowl and allow the flavors to settle and marinate while you prep the pesto.

6. Pesto: Add all the ingredients to a high-speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Taste test and salt to taste. (I love using white miso paste to salt my pesto! Basic salt works too.) As you blend - add more or less water to thin out the blend.

7. You have two options, serve the pasta now slightly warm with the warm pesto OR chill everything. Then you can serve both chilled or serve re-heated pasta with chilled pesto or re-heat both. Both the pasta and pesto taste yummy warm and cold - so you cannot really go wrong here.

Enjoy!

Pair with white wine and some crusty bread on the side.

Dynamic Duo: Quickie Tomato Soup + Grilled Vegan Cheese.

January 18, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 15 Comments

This dynamic food duo really needs no introduction, but I'll humor you. Today's recipes are simple yet cravable, slightly indulgent, but with definite healthy qualities, cozy to share or enjoy solo. I give you a vegan spin on, Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese.

Creamy, bright, opaque red tomato soup (topped with some nutritional yeast for extra cheezy flavor) pairs perfectly with a sizzling hot grilled cheese sandwich with golden toasty edges, all buttery and bronzed. Melty cheese oozing out the sides, the edges becoming browned, crispy and caramelized from the hot skillet. This spin on tomato soup is fast and infused with some fiber and protein from a secret ingredient.

Hope for a cozy rainy day to cuddle up to this dynamic food duo!..

There are certain food duos that just make sense. Veggie burger and fries. Chips and guacamole. Steamy hot latte and a muffin. Veggie sticks and ranch dip. Ice Cream and cake. Espresso and whipped cream. Spaghetti and 'meat'balls. PB&J or PB&B and chilled non-dairy milk. Chocolate pudding and raspberries. Tofu scramble and hash browns. Hummus and bagels. Pancakes and maple syrup. Belgian Waffles and whipped (soy) cream. Hot cereal and fresh berries. Mashed avocado and toast .. and on and on.

Today's example: the simple pairing of Tomato Soup and a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.

Round Two. I have made this dynamic duo before: roasted tomato soup. If you want a from-scratch, fresh tomato recipe - try that one. But for a quickie, cozy tomato soup, I found today's recipe using canned, fire-roasted tomatoes to be quite yummy. And super (soup-er?) fast to make.

I used beans as a secret ingredient to thicken the soup without the need for heavy creams and such. The beans also add some rustic flavor and healthy nutrients like fiber and protein. The soup is pureed together so everything gets nice a creamy.

And if you want your grilled cheese a tad fancier, try my Basil Pepperjack Panini..

This simple cheddar melty vegan cheese sandwich really will make you swoon when it hits your plate, sizzling hot from your saute pan. That crispy sound as you slice through the buttery toast .. sandwich heaven.

Nutrition info for 'a meal' - since you guys always request it. (just an estimate - brands will vary.)

The cheezy grilled sandwich is the indulgent part of this feast, but the tomato soup brings this meal back to a 'healthy' range, I think. And if you want to use less cheese and less vegan butter, go for it. (But really, why would you want to do that?)

"Two-Minute" Tomato Soup + Grilled Vegan Cheese
soup makes 4 servings, sandwich serves 1-2

tomato soup:
28 ounces fire-roasted tomatoes, canned (organic and BPA-free can if possible)
⅓ cup nutritional yeast (or more for nooch-heads like me)
1 ½ cups vegetable broth
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (optional)
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed (white beans will work too)
*add more beans if desired
salt + pepper to taste

..that's it! If you want to get fancy, you can add some roasted garlic, fresh parsley or anything else you'd like to experiment with. You can even add in a splash of non-dairy milk if you are craving super creamy soup with a thicker, mellower flavor. Another creamy-without-the-cream ingredient to try is boiled or roasted cauliflower. I used that trick in my No-Cream of Mushroom Soup.

grilled cheese:
2 large slices sourdough bread (or other)
2 teaspoon Earth Balance vegan butter
¼ cup vegan cheese shreds (I used Daiya because they melt quite well)
+ additional vegan butter for saute pan.

Directions:

1. First start on your two-minute soup! Add all the ingredients to a food processor or Vitamix blender. Blend from low to high until creamy and smooth. Blending on super high speed in a Vitamix will actually warm the soup a bit for taste-testing. Do a taste test and salt and pepper to taste. That's it, done! To serve the soup, I simply pour my serving into a microwavable bowl and cook on high until warm. Add additional nutritional yeast and a drizzle of oil if desired. Fresh parsley or basil on top is a nice garnish. You could also simmer on the stove-top to warm until ready to serve.

2. For the sandwich, slather vegan butter on the bread - generously on the outer sides that will hit the saute pan. Melt a bit of vegan butter in a saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add your bread and top with cheese. Add the other slice on top. Cook for 1-2 minutes on each side. I like to cover the saute pan with a lid for the first minute of cooking to help melt the cheese. Lower heat if the bread begins to brown to quickly. Slice and serve alongside your soup!

Happy comfort food eating!

PS - Thank you for the continued support for my book pre-order! I am so proud of this book and cannot wait to share it with you guys this spring! Pre-order info and links: 365 Vegan Smoothies.

..now back to cheese pics..

Cheesy, melty..

Green Power Tower Salad. Tahini. Citrus. Protein.

January 15, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 31 Comments

This Green Power Tower Salad is a tall tower of green fuel for your busy day! My Sunny Maple Tahini Dressing coats a mix of sturdy, sweet winter greens including kale and Swiss chard. Protein-rich chickpeas and silky avocado mingle with the flavor-infused, ribbon sliced greens. Sweet winter citrus on the side. I added omega3-rich oil over top too!

This healthy-delicious salad is under 500 calories and has over 20 grams of protein. Devour it as an entree salad or split it with a friend as a side dish. This blend is loaded with iron, calcium, fiber, vitamins A and C, manganese and more! Get the recipe..

greens:

dressing:

boom.

You guys know how much I love raw chard salads, right? Well this salad combines chard AND kale. Quite the dynamic duo.

More of my chard salads:

* Chard "Christmas Tree Salad"
* Color Splash Chard Salad + BBQ Tofu + quesadillas
* Wilted chard with sticky tempeh logs

Leftover bunches of greens are perfect for whipping up a green salad filled with eclectic veggies. I used dino kale and green chard - but any winter green would be delish.

If you are going to eat the salad right away, you can use more delicate greens like spinach and arugula.

Add-on's. So many ideas for yummy topping for this salad if you'd like to add more goodies..

* miso-marninated, sauteed tofu cubes.
* shiitake mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in balsamic vinegar, pepper and oil.
* diced red bell pepper.
* tamari-sauteed maple tempeh.
* roasted cashews.
* raw pumpkin, hemp or sunflower seeds.
* a side of toast slathered in Vegenaise.
* diced sweet onion.
* Side of soup.

..the serving options are endless with this inspiring green power tower. Dig in!!

Nutritional info.. (for the entire salad. if splitting into two servings, halve the nutritional info too.)

Green Power Tower Salad
vegan, serves 1-2

Greens Salad
2 cups green chard, thinly chopped into ribbons
2 cups kale, thinly sliced into ribbons (dinosaur kale used)
*both greens organic
½ cup chick peas / garbanzo beans (canned/organic)
½ cup avocado, diced (+ a few slices for garnish)
⅛ teaspoon lemon zest

garnish:
1 satsuma, peeled
avocado slices
Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil blend (or other healthy oil) (drizzled over top to serve) (optional)

Sunny Maple Tahini Dressing:
1-1 ½ tablespoon creamy tahini, organic
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2-3 teaspoon maple syrup
a few pinches black pepper
pinch salt
pinch cayenne

Directions:

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl, briskly stir with a fork until smooth and creamy. Set aside.

2. Rinse your greens under hot water. Then rinse in chilled water. Spin or pat dry. Slice into thin ribbons and place in large mixing bowl. Add lemon zest.

3. Rinse beans in hot water then in cold water. Remove chickpea skins if desired. Toast in saute pan if desired. Set aside.

4. Dice avocado and add to greens bowl. Set aside a few slices for garnish.

5. Add your dressing to your greens bowl and toss well. If you do not like your avocado a bit soft-edged from the tossing, add it after tossing greens with dressing.

6. Fold chickpeas into the greens.

7. I like the salad best when chilled in the fridge for at least an hour so the tahini gets all chilled and creamy. (But you can also eat right away.) To serve: Place greens on serving plate. Top with avocado. Add citrus to plate. Drizzle with omega-rich oil if desired.

THANK YOU for the happy book feedback! Pre-order your copy today and more book details -> 365 Vegan Smoothies Book.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Vegan Cupcakes. (Two Ways!)

January 14, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 48 Comments

Dreamy cupcakes are always a treat. These vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes are perfect when you are craving a pb cup flavor. Made using creamy peanut butter, rich cocoa powder and more, these cupcakes are perfect for a special event or everyday baking project. Whip up some cupcakes and put a smile on your face!

Get two recipes, one with peanut butter frosting and chocolate cake - and vice versa!..

I realized my blog was very stingy on cupcake recipes, so I think that needed to be changed. And so I'm making my favorite cupcakes for you today peanut butter chocolate.

The cupcakes are made using my special "fruit blend" mixture to help thicken the batter a bit.

Fruit Puree. I actually used blackberries for these cupcakes! But you could use banana, strawberries, blueberries, really any soft fruit that meshes with chocolate-y flavors well. I took the berries, added them to my Vitamix with some soy milk and blended. The thick mixture is great as a sort of egg-replacer to add some body to the cupcakes.

This fruit mixture is similar to adding like a pumpkin puree to pumpkin muffins or apple sauce. But the trick is that you really can use a variety of fruit options - while "apple sauce" is kind of the traditional way to replace eggs. I really liked the blackberry puree. I think a basic banana would be super with the peanut butter flavor.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes (two ways!)
vegan, makes 12 cupcakes (each recipe version)

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 ½ cups white flour, organic
1 cup sugar, organic
½ cup vegan butter, melted
½ cup non-dairy milk (soy milk)
⅓ cup water + 1 teaspoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
½ cup blendable fruit (berries, banana, apple sauce)
*I used blackberries!

Peanut Butter Frosting
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter (salted)
⅓ cup vegan butter, chilled
1 cup powdered sugar, organic
a few drops vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoon non-dairy milk

(Switcheroo Version..)

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1 ½ cups white flour, organic
¼ cup rolled oats
1 cup sugar, organic
1 tablespoon vegan butter, melted
⅓ cup peanut butter
½ cup non-dairy milk (soy milk)
½ banana, mashed
⅓ cup water + 1 teaspoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Chocolate Frosting
2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter (salted)
¼ cup melted chocolate chips, vegan
⅓ cup vegan butter, chilled
¾ cup powdered sugar, organic
a few drops vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoon non-dairy milk, room temperature

Directions:

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. Fruit puree: In a blender, add the non-dairy milk and your fruit. (For fruit, you can use a variety of fruit options - banana, berries or even traditional apple sauce.) Blend until smooth.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the dry cupcakes ingredients. Using a mixer, blend in the remaining ingredients including the fruit blend.

4. Grease or line your cupcake tins and fill with cupcake better.

5. Bake cupcakes at 350 for 16-20 minutes or until tops begin to toast up.

6. Cool cupcakes. Whip up the frosting.

7. Frost cooled cupcakes with a frosting tip to swirl. Serve!

Lemon Tea: The First Thing I Drink Every Morning.

January 12, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 65 Comments

The first thing you put into your body in the morning is pretty powerful. It can change the way you eat and feel for the rest of the day. Throughout my life I have tried several approaches to my "upon rising" food or drink. But above every trial and error, this mug seems to be the thing that makes me feel the best for the rest of the day. No, this is not breakfast, but this is the first thing I drink every morning upon rising, about an hour or so before breakfast. It hydrates me, gives me a splash of energy and a clean feeling from the inside out to start my day.

Get the recipe for my Lemon Tea and try it for yourself!..

UPDATE - 4/2015: Since writing this post, years ago I have stuck to this wellness habit. I am kind of shocked actually. But I literally CRAVE this tea first think in the morning. My recipe has changes a bit. I still add goji berries once in a while, but right now I am just using:

2 small or 1 large lemons + 8 ounces water + 1 teaspoon maple syrup +3 pinches cayenne + 1 tea bag (usually a dandelion tea)

On some mornings I will microplane fresh ginger into the tea or add a few more spoonfuls of maple if I want something sweeter. I am so "addicted" to this tea that I will even pack lemons in my suitcases on travel (when possible) so I can have this tea in my hotel room! OK, so I do not always do that, but it is an option! Those lemon-y antioxidants are my morning boost! This is also the way I force myself to start drinking water throughout the day to stay hydrated. I think drinking water in the morning is so important. Your body has been sleeping 6-9 hours on average and needs that hydration in the morning.

So yes, I am still loving this wellness tip years later. I have finally kicked my Starbucks addiction. And that feels awesome.

------start original post------

First off, THANK YOU for all the kind tweets and comments regarding the launch of the pre-order of my smoothies book! More details and check out the cover shot here: 365 Vegan Smoothies.

Sunrise. Yawn. Stumble into the kitchen. Hmm. Now what?..

Well this is what works for me.

Now remember this tea is *first thing* in the morning. Literally ten minutes after I get out of bed. About an hour or so later I usually have a big protein smoothie or oatmeal or tofu scramble or some other breakfast-type thing.

Why? It is always a good idea to hydrate first thing in the morning. So even if you are not drinking my tea, make sure you chug something like water (or coconut water!) or something (healthy) first thing in the morning. I really like warm beverages for easier absorption.

The lemon has cleansing properties and although it is acidic by nature, the theory goes that they actually have an alkalyzing effect on the body. So in a sense the lemon and water brings your digestive system back to a "clean" and healthy state to start your day of eating. Of course, you can believe this theory or not, but I have found it true for me.

I always feel so much better after drinking this tea first thing in the morning, so I keep doing it.

Why Goji Berries? I love this explanation from WebMD:

"Research shows that eating berries -- like blueberries, acai berries, cranberries, strawberries, and cherries -- offers some definite health benefits. Berries like the goji berry are filled with powerful antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent cancer and other illnesses, including heart disease. Antioxidants may also boost the immune system and lower cholesterol.

Eating foods high in antioxidants may slow the aging process as well. It does this by minimizing damage from free radicals that injure cells and damage DNA..

Goji berries also have compounds rich in vitamin A that may have anti-aging benefits. These special compounds help boost immune function, protect vision, and may help prevent heart disease.

Some research suggests that goji berry extracts may boost brain health and may protect against age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's. Other studies using goji berry juice founds benefits in mental well-being, and calmness, athletic performance, happiness, quality of sleep, and feelings of good health..."

The cayenne adds some spiciness to perk up your system and the grade B maple syrup is my favorite sweetener.

What About Just Lemon and Water? So I am also a huge fan of the simple warm water + lemon juice method which most people use. But I kinda evolved into loving this one even more. Either one will have that same cleansing effect. I just like the added antioxidants and energy from the tea, berries and maple syrup splash. I also like the fiber from those goji berries. And since the berries become very soft when they soak in the hot water, they are very easy to digest.

AM. Some people crack eggs. I crack open lemons.

Lemon Morning Tea

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 04/16/2015
This is my go-to lemon tea for starting my day on the right wellness foot!

Ingredients

8 ounces purified water
2 small or 1 large lemon, squeezed (seeds removed or strained out)
1-3 pinches of cayenne
1-4 teaspoon maple syrup (or another sweetener of choice
1 tea bag (green, black, dandelion, "detox" or another fave flavor)
optional: 1 ½ tablespoon Goji berries

Instructions

Heat water to just under boiling.
Add lemon juice, cayenne, maple, goji and tea bag.
Allow the tea bag to steep and the goji berries to soften (if using) for 1-3 minutes.
Squeeze out tea bag and press spoon against goji berries to "squeeze" them a bit.
Drink and enjoy! Yes, you eat the goji berries too
Bonus! I usually nibble a few Brazil nuts with my tea too, to get my daily intake of selenium.

Yield: 1 mugPrep Time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 5 mins. Tags: tea,lemon tea,morning,breakfast,wellness,vegan,goji berries, goji tea

Tips!

* Start Slow! If you find it hard to drink this at first (the lemon and cayenne can be strong to newbies) start with a watered down version. Also, you could eat a few nuts along side at first to get your stomach used to this drink. Toast or a banana may also help. Or just use less lemon and cayenne, and gradually build up a better tolerance for it.

..but don't get me wrong, this tea is tasty! Sweet, spicy and slightly tart. I crave it! Try it and let me know what you think.

* When travelling, I literally stuff lemons into my luggage so that I can do a modified version of this beverage in my hotel room with some hot water from the hotel. (Or you can ask room service for a lemon half! .. You would need to bring your own gojis though..)

In closing, there are many healthy things you could drink first thing in the morning. Plain old water works too! This is just what works for me. What works for you? I'd love to know!

ps... if you take medications first thing in the morning obviously you would want to ask your doctor about how to take those. I know citrus can sometimes interact with certain medications oddly. (Always ask you doctor.)

Spaghetti & No-Meatballs. Vegan.

January 11, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 44 Comments

Spaghetti & No-Meatballs it is. Rolling, round, plump, tender balls piled high on a steamy swirl of spaghetti, bright marinara sauce spooned on top. A pinch of basil or parsley, and dusting of vegan Parmesan. A thick, sweet aroma of garlic and tomato wafting through the warm kitchen air. Dive into this Italian bowl, fit for a vegan pasta-night feast! Try this classic-inspired dish..

Craving. I was browsing the web and saw the prettiest photo of a big bowl of Spaghetti and Meatballs, so like usual, I hopped in the kitchen to veganize the image in my head.

I was really "winging it" with this recipe, hoping that my no-meat balls would stay together. And though they were very tender and easily breakable with my fork, they held quite well and tasted amazing. The ball texture and prep process is reminiscent of my bean fritter and veggie burger patty recipes.

I didn't want to use soy for this one, and wanted as many whole foods in my no-meatballs as possible. You can actually make vegan meatballs out of a variety of ingredients: lentils, beans, mushrooms, TVP, rice (other grains) or easy faux ground "beef" products too.

Meatless Balls. For this recipe, I decided on a combination of beans and mushrooms, simple seasonings and a splash of red wine really boosted the flavor too. Plenty of garlic, some onion, Italian-seasoned Panko (gluten-free) bread crumbs, other spices and some parsley. I chose pinto beans simply because A. I had them on hand and B. I know their brownish color would look "faux meatball" like.

..that being said you could easily use any soft bean like cannellini or even black beans. You just need to be able to mash the cooked bean with a fork. Garbanzo beans are probably a bit too firm and flaky for this recipe. The mashed beans really help to bind the rest of the ingredients with their natural stickiness.

You can also change up the variety of mushrooms you use. I used oyster mushroom, but shiitake or portobella would work too. Even plain old white mushrooms (which are a bit firm and crumbly when raw) would work since you are sauteing them first to make them tender.

Method. Yes the instructions are long, but the technique is very similar to making veggie burgers. Mash and saute. And yes you could totally form your balls and just BAKE them to perfection. (I know many of you prefer not to fry.) I did a simple saute + braised them in my sauce until warm and tender.

After saute, before sauce-dunking..

Marinara hot tub..

After cooking in the sauce..

Pasta assembly time..

Dive in..

Spaghetti & No-Meatballs
vegan, makes about 8-12 no-meatballs (depending on size)

No-Meatballs:
1 ½ cups (1 - 15 ounce can) beans, drained/rinsed in hot water
*I used pinto beans
¾ cup white onion, diced
⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 cup mushrooms, finely chopped
*try soft oyster or shiitake mushrooms
2 tablespoon red wine
½ cup Italian-seasoned Panko breadcrumbs (fine)
2 teaspoon chopped garlic(roasted or raw)
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fine black pepper
½ teaspoon chili powder (or ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes)
¼ cup nutritional yeast (or more bread crumbs)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for saute

Also:
spaghetti pasta (any variety)
marinara sauce (bottled or make your own, my marinara recipe)
chopped basil or parsley garnish
vegan Parmesan on top (optional)

Directions:

1. Start by opening your can of beans and rinsing the beans very well in hot water. This will help soften the beans for easy mashing.

2. Add the rinsed beans to a large mixing bowl and mash with a fork, very well.

3. Prep your ingredients by chopping the parsley, onion and mushrooms.

4. In a large saute pan, over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When oil is hot add in the onions, mushrooms, parsley and garlic. Saute for about 4-5 minutes, reducing heat to medium about a minute after cooking.

5. When the saute mixture has reduced in volume quite a bit and onions caramelizing, turn off heat and add in your splash of red wine. Turn heat back on to high for one more minute.

6. Just before you turn off the heat you can add in the salt, chili powder, pepper and any additional spices you may like to add. You can taste the mixture and it should be slightly "over-seasoned" since the beans have not been seasoned yet.

7. Fold the saute mixture into the beans. Then fold in the bread crumbs and the nutritional yeast. Your mixture should be quite sticky and thick now. Add more yeast or bread crumbs if your mixture needs thickening.

8. You can either place your mixture in the fridge to chill for a half hour (to help with handling, or just go right into the saute process.

9. Pause a moment and heat up your pasta water pot and also pour your pasta sauce into a large oven-friendly dish. Place the pasta sauce dish in a 375 degree oven to heat.

10. Saute your balls: Heat a splash of olive oil in your saute pan and add your formed balls. I like to roll my formed balls in a bit of the bread crumbs before placing on the pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about one minute on each side. You really just want to cook and caramelize that outside edge of the balls. The remaining "cooking" will be done in the oven. *you could also just keep it a bit lighter and simple and bake your balls. However you will be missing out on those caramelized edges from the saute step, and tender sauce spots from the braising step.*

11. Drop your pasta into the pot when the water is boiling. Cook until tender. Drain and toss warm pasta with some red pepper flakes (optional) and EVOO. Spoon about 1 cup of the pasta sauce over top the pasta and toss well. Set aside, covered for now.

12. Take your sauteed balls and carefully place them in the now-hot pasta sauce dish. Then place the pasta dish back in the oven to braise the balls for at least 20 minutes. Oven heat can be 375-400 degrees. Do not cover the dish.

13. Now for assembly! Carefully remove the braised balls from the sauce and set aside. Then in a large bowl or your serving bowl, toss the hot pasta sauce with the warm pasta. Or you can just pour sauce over top pasta and not toss. Add balls over top to serve.

Freshly chopped parsley or basil on top is very nice.

Experimenting with square balls. Because they just make more sense for the saute portion! Easier to flip..

Sauce-braising the balls..

(Secret Ingredient) Vanilla Shake

January 10, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

For a quick pick-me-up treat, blend up this thick, creamy, frosty Vegan Vanilla Shake. I add protein powder for extra nutrients. Simple ingredients, and one secret pink ingredient!..

Secret Ingredient. If you follow my blog, the secret ingredient (FROZEN WATERMELON!) may not be a secret to you since I use it a lot in my shakes. I love love love the frosty cool texture the watermelon gives my shakes when blended with creamy banana and non-dairy milk. I use this ingredient in my favorite matcha shake.

Shopping Tip! You can buy a giant half or quarter of watermelon at the grocery store (year-round even!) for just a few bucks. I take it home and slice it into cubes (roughly) and freeze in a large container or plastic bags. I can get at least five shakes (sometimes more!) out of one large watermelon slice.

The watermelon acts as "ice cream" and "ice" all in one. It sweetens, adds texture, frostiness and even sweetness. Watermelon is super low in calories compared to (ice cream) the usual "shake" ingredient. Watermelon contains only 50-60 calories per cup and plenty of vitamin C, potassium and even lycopene found in red and pink-pigment fruits and veggies.

Bananas are of course very healthy and contain fiber, potassium and natural sweetness.

For the "vanilla" part, I use a vanilla flavored non-dairy milk and usually add in vanilla protein powder. A few drops of vanilla extract or even real vanilla bean seeds would also help. (But I kinda doubt you have a few extra vanilla beans lying around. A lil pricey.)

Vegan Vanilla Shake
serves one

1 ¼ cups frozen watermelon cubes
1 banana, frozen
½ - ¾ cup non-dairy milk, vanilla (less liquid, thicker shake)
1 heaping scoop of your favorite vegan protein powder in vanilla flavor

Blend and serve!

tip! ripe fruit makes for a yummier smoothie, so freeze your banana and melon when they are ripe!

I use a Vitamix so that this smoothie blends up thick and creamy. But if your blender is not as powerful, you may need to add a few more splashes of liquid to get the blend moving.

Protein Powder? So many to choose from!

My best advice to you is to head over to Whole Foods and grab sample sizes of as many vegan protein powders as you can find. Then throughout the week or month, give those samples a try in your favorite smoothies. You want to find a brand that not only tastes amazing to you (otherwise you will not use it) and also has all the nutrients you are looking for. Sometimes a simple protein powder is best and other times you may be looking for a complete vitamin and mineral infused blend (like Vega One, for example.)

I tend to skip around brands to make sure I get a balanced selection of good stuff. Plus I just love trying new powders. You can also browse Amazon.com for vegan protein powder.

Also check out these protein powder posts by two of my fave vegan ladies, Gena and Angela:

* Protein Powder on Choosing Raw
* Protein Powder on Oh She Glows

...read through all those great comments on their blog posts - some great tips and comments from readers!

Shopping Tip! Remember that if you are looking for vegan protein powder, do not choose anything that contains whey or casein. Both those ingredients are dairy-based.

Interested in Vega? Check out my review + Chocolate Maca Chip Smoothie Recipe and giveaway!

Also see..
* My Green Superfood Powder Review
* Ten Ways to Add Vegan Protein to Your Diet

Oh, and this smoothie is also kinda awesome if you want another smoothie to try..

Psst... my book is available for pre-order NOW! (Official list of retailers coming soon! See the cover HERE!)

Amazing Chunky Carrot Soup.

January 9, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 44 Comments

This is my new favorite soup recipe guys. I call it Amazing Chunky Carrot Soup because the signature ingredient is large rounds of thickly sliced organic carrots. Also making a delicious appearance in each steamy spoonful: diced onion, fresh parsley, chopped garlic, tender pasta, vegan chipotle "sausage" and large cubes of potato. Oh and a few secret ingredients too.

Plus get my 3 favorite ingredients for making any vegan soup taste amazing!..

Kathy's Three Flavor-Enhancing Ingredients to Make Any Vegan Soup AMAZING:

1. Field Roast Sausage in Spicy Chipotle. This is my must-have ingredient for a quick veggie stew because just one vegan sausage adds so much flavor, a bit of fat and a nice boost of protein.

2. Nutritional Yeast. NY thickens the broth, adds lots of savory flavor and adds a nice dose of nutrients.

3. Bay Leaves. I always add a few bay leaves to my soup. It gives it that restaurant-y flavor. As if the soup had been slow simmering in a large kettle pot all day.

..these are just three of my favorites. What are your favorite soup secret ingredients?

Carrot Love! Carrots are rich in the antioxidant vitamin A. And cooking carrots, such as for this soup, may even help you absorb more of their beta-carotene..

"A study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry in 2002 showed that cooking carrots increases their level of beta-carotene. Beta-carotene belongs to a group of antioxidant substances called carotenoids, which give fruits and vegetables their red, yellow, and orange colorings. The body converts beta-carotene into vitamin A, which plays an important role in vision, reproduction, bone growth and regulating the immune system." - source, Scientific American

..I like to serve this soup with some nutty sprouted grain toast with Vegenaise spread on top. Perfection.

Amazing Chunky Carrot Soup
vegan, makes about 6 bowl-sized servings (dinner + leftovers!)

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 large russet potato, peeled/diced into large chunks
1 large white or yellow onion, chopped
1 Field Roast Spicy Chipotle Vegan Sausage, roughly sliced
5 large carrots, sliced into thick rounds
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
½ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped (leaves and stems)
1-3 bay leaves
½ cup dry pasta (any variety - I used elbows)
4 cups No-Chicken Broth (vegan chicken-style broth by Imagine brand - or substitute with vegetable broth.)
1-4 cups water or more broth (add while simmering as desired to thin out soup)
optional: ¼ cup salted peanuts (secret ingredient, adds a unique ingredient to your bowl)

accent seasonings:
½ cup nutritional yeast
½ teaspoon chili powder
½-1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
½ teaspoon fine black pepper
½ teaspoon dried bell pepper (optional)

optional: chunky-chopped celery would also be a nice addition

Directions:

1. Place a big soup pot on stove over high heat. Add the oil, vegan sausage, onions and garlic. Saute for a few minutes.

2. Add in the carrots, potato and seasonings. Saute for a minute or so.

3. Add in all the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with lid and reduce heat to low. Simmer for about an hour until carrots and potatoes are tender and pasta is cooked.

4. Add water and continue to simmer as long as you'd like to "reduce" the soup and intensify the flavors. I like to simmer my soup a good 2-3 hours.

Adjust seasoning as desired. Serve steamy hot. Enjoy the cozy carrot bliss!

Citrus Radish Avocado Platter.

January 8, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

Back from a quickie weekend in Vegas, I was craving a sunny, colorful platter of vibrancy-boosting fruit and veggie flavors. This Citrus Radish Avocado Detox Platter really hit the spot! A simple citrus dressing splashed on top, a few very fresh ingredients and my vibrant plate was ready. Recipe + Vegas pics!..

Vegas-detox.

Since we have been in LA, my husband and I have loved taking quickie getaway trips to Vegas. I adore it because I can dine at The Wynn where every restaurant has amazing vegan options. Totally fuss-free. Steve Wynn is vegan.

These weekend we went to see Celine Dion at Caesar's Palace. It was pretty fantastic. Love her!

Radish love. This sunny platter was a welcome post-travel dish. It is really all about those radishes. ps. Radishes + "butter" and watermelon radishes and radish tartines = also yum.

Fancy Detox Platter. This platter is delish served in place of a traditional "salad bowl" at dinner, lunch (or breakfast!) It also makes a very pretty party tray or cocktail hour platter. Serve with some vegan cheese + crackers for a totally elegant feast.

Healthy Bite. The citrus is loaded with vitamin C and fiber. Antioxidants help to wash away all those free radicals. And the radish is great for fighting tummy acid and may even help sooth digestion. The avocado is soothing with all those healthy monounsaturated fats. Citrus like lemon and orange has been known to nurture the body from the inside-out - fighting free radicals and helping to alkalyze the body. Optional fennel seeds have been known to help digestion when chewed. I also added a few slices of white grapefruit to further enhance the citrus flavors and free radical-fighting power of my platter. Grapefruit is optional.

Recipe.

Citrus Radish Avocado Detox Platter
vegan, makes one platter for 1-3 people

1 bunch of radishes (red or pink, white and red)
1 large orange
1 satsuma or tangerine
½ large avocado
optional: ½ white or pink grapefruit, peeled/sliced

splash on top:
2-3 tablespoon fresh-squeezed orange juice + pinch of zest
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 small lemon, squeezed
⅛ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
salt + pepper to taste
optional: 1 teaspoon grade B maple syrup for a hint more sweetness

Directions:

1. Wash and thinly slice your radishes into rounds. Place in small bowl. Add the "splash" liquid and toss well.

2. Peel and slice the citrus into rounds. Arrange elegantly on a plate. Add the radishes over top.

3. Slice your avocado into spears and gently toss in the leftover radish dressing. Layer avocado around platter.

4. Drizzle leftover dressing over top all the ingredients on the plate.

Serve or place in fridge to chill for an hour-overnight if you want your radishes to get a bit soft and slightly pickled in taste in texture.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies. Warm. Chewy. Peanut Butter-y.

January 5, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 46 Comments

These vegan Peanut Butter Cookies, all warm, chewy 'n peanut butter-y are accented with real vanilla extract, a touch of cinnamon (and gobs of creamy peanut butter flavor.) Get my recipe and get that freshly baked cookies are in my oven smile on your face!..

What does one do on a rainy Saturday morning? Bake cookies of course! Instant bliss.

Well today you can have that *peanut butter cookie bliss* feeling in your very own kitchen. Bust those winter blues and make these thin and chewy vegan peanut butter cookies.

I have made peanut butter cookies many times on this blog. Mostly with some chocolate chips added. Like here. And here. But this is a pretty simple, basic recipe. Peanut butter cookies 101. These taste and look just like non-vegan peanut butter cookies since they are made using a vegan substitute for butter, a basic organic white flour and creamy peanut butter. Nothing too fancy.

But if you want to get fancy...

* Sub in your preferred flour such as whole wheat or gluten free.
* Try adding your favorite vegan chocolate chips or chopped peanuts for chunky-style cookies.
* Make a lower fat version by swapping out half of the vegan butter for either mashed banana or apple sauce.

Healthy Treat TIP! When I make cookies I usually bake half of the dough right away and fridge or freeze the other half for later use. This ensures that I do not have too many freshly baked cookies sitting on my counter .. less temptation to over-indulge! OR you could actually bake them and freeze the leftover cookies. Desserts that are high in fat usually freeze quite well and these cookies contain peanut butter and vegan butter / Earth Balance.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
vegan, makes 16-18 cookies

1 flax egg (⅓ cup water + 1 teaspoon flax seeds)
½ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance), chilled
½ cup creamy peanut butter (organic/salted)
1 cup vegan sugar crystals (Florida Crystals or "raw" sugar both work well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup white flour, organic/unbleached (Bob's Red Mill used)
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
for rolling dough balls: ½ cup coarse sugar crystals

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together and set aside:
1 flax egg (⅓ cup water + 1 teaspoon flax seeds)

3. In a large mixing bowl, beat together until smooth:
½ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance), chilled
½ cup creamy peanut butter (organic/salted)
1 cup vegan sugar crystals (Florida Crystals or "raw" sugar both work well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon + optional pumpkin pie spice

4. Beat in:
1 flax "egg" (that you set aside to thicken)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup white flour, organic/unbleached (Bob's Red Mill used)

5. Lastly add:
½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

6. Roll dough into balls and dip into sugar. Place on baking sheet.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes. Cool.

Try these other delish peanut butter treats:

* Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie
* Peanut Butter Caramel Cocoa
* Peanut Butter Cups

Sweet Citrus Avocado Dreamboat. Green Smoothies + Inspiration!

January 3, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 25 Comments

It is a sort of madness we all seem to brush off as normal. One day we are passing around shiny silver trays stacked with holiday cookies, festive treats, calorie-laden everything and sparkly glasses filled to the brim with fizzy pink champagne.

Then boom.

Midnight hits. A new year and suddenly we are in detox mode. (A word so sinister, it sounds as if we have all been chugging chemicals all year long.) We trade in our bag of chocolate chips, jar of vanilla extract and extra-large bag of white flour for a bunch of kale, bag of chia seeds, a bowl of lemons and some cayenne and apple cider vinegar. An overnight shift from holiday mode to healthy makeover mode. We find ourselves stumbling through Whole Foods, loading up our baskets with armfuls of greens and veggies, not really knowing the recipe plan ahead.

I have heard this one before.. Hi. I just bought a bunch of kale, red radishes, two yellow bell peppers, some celery, an avocado, two gallons of coconut water, a knobby bit of ginger and nine lemons. What do I do now?

Our indulgent holiday gift list is now replaced with a wish list of healthy new year habits. No sugar. Less caffeine. Goodbye carbs. Hello green juice. Less alcohol. More whole grains. Less gluten. More sleep. More yoga. More water-drinking. And on and on.

But enough of the wish lists and high hopes. Enough of the rage and craziness. Stop fighting your body. It only wants to help you. It wants you to get healthy, but it really begs you to slow down and take things at your own pace. Just look in the mirror.

Happy. New Year. now what?

That imperfect person staring back at you is not only your one teammate, but your team captain. Your leader and your follower. So put on some war paint and muster of some darn team spirit.

Instead of focusing on all your bad habits to trash, start focusing on good habits. Feel great about doing just ONE new healthy thing today and tomorrow. And the next day. Focus on the good stuff.

Quit the obsessing and start giving yourself a few gold stars for making small, elegant, thoughtful strides. Then maybe next year you can turn around and look back on all those small steps and see the very long and proud path you have traveled.

beach. sunrise, sunset on 2012..

Otherwise you may just look back and see a crazy, stressed out, obsessive yo-yo dieter, yo-yo exerciser that never really finds any path. No thank you.

one good thing.

Here is one good habit to try. Green smoothies! I love them. Here are two I whipped up this week. These are whole food recipes made using my Vitamix. If you do not have a Vitamix - make 2013 your year to save up and buy one! They are awesome. Free shipping when you order from this link.

Sweet Citrus Avocado Dreamboat - citrus, avocado, apple and greens
serves 1-2

2 small satsumas or 1 large orange, peeled
1 cup kale or spinach
pinch of parsley
½ small avocado
½ cup apple, chopped
1 cup coconut water or water, chilled
½ cup ice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
dash cayenne (optional)

Green Sunshine Whirl - greens, citrus and frosty sweet fruit
serves 1-2

1+ cup greens (any variety - spinach, chard, kale, arugula..)
1 large orange, peeled
½ cup grapefruit juice or coconut water
½ cup frozen grapes OR frozen watermelon
½ banana (optional, adds creaminess)
½ cup ice
+water to thin out to desired consistency

tips! Want more sweetness? Add in ½ pear or ½ and apple or ½ cup grapes. Want more tartness? Add in some lemon juice. Want more green? Simply add in more leafy greens + a splash more liquid.

more. more. more. on green smoothie making HERE.

Thrive Forward Vega Lover. Chocolate Chip Shake!

January 2, 2013 by Kathy Patalsky 169 Comments

Happy New Year everyone! I couldn't think of a better way to start off 2013 than to serve up a delicious vegan shake recipe + a fantastic giveaway here on my blog, featuring one of my favorite vegan brands: Vega!

The Shake: Peanut butter meets chocolate in this choco-chip banana peanut butter shake - featuring Vega's Maca Chocolate and All-in-One Shake. SO good! (And healthy!)

This month, Vega is proudly launching an inspiring (free!) program called Thrive Forward - to help you get healthy in 2013. Thrive Forward was designed by vegan athlete Brendan Brazier...

Thrive Forward Introduction..

Coming January 2013: Thrive Forward is a free personalized online performance program designed by Brendan Brazier. Pre-register now and get a Thrive Forward 101 Starter e-book at http://bit.ly/ThriveFor

Giveaway! Thrive Forward Vega Lover Goodie Basket:
· Vega One tub: 1 Large
· Vega Energizing Smoothie: 3 Pouches
· Vega T-shirt
· Vega Sport Pre-Workout Energizer Packs
· Vega Carry Bag
· Thrive Foods by Brendan Brazier

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED - CONGRATS JOANNA G.. (yay.. giveaway open to USA and CANADA!)

Recipe...

Kathy's Peanut Butter, Vega Maca Chocolate Chip Shake
vegan, makes one shake

4 ounces unsweetened almond milk
4 ounces water (or more almond milk)
1 scoop Vega One Shake, French Vanilla (or chocolate!)
1 ½ bananas, frozen
⅓ - ½ bar of Vega Maca Chocolate
1 tablespoon peanut butter (or almond butter)
½ cup ice

Blend all ingredients except the chocolate. When shake is smooth, add in the Maca Chocolate and blend on low until it blends into chips.

The Maca Chocolate gives this shake a malted flavor that is AMAZING!!! I had this for breakfast this morning and it started my 2013 off quite perfectly. Any I felt incredibly energized and satisfied. (A chocolate-infused healthy breakfast will do that to a person.)

Tip! You can easily add the Vega One or Vega Energizing shake powders to your favorite smoothie. Here is how I do it... Since the Vega shakes do provide sweetness, when using in a smoothie, just be sure to not over sweeten. I do this by omitting any added sweeteners like agave or maple syrup - and/or by subbing any sweet liquids (like fruit juice or vanilla plant milks) with unsweetened non-dairy milk or water. I also add in extra ice cubes.

Some Vega Products I love..

I recently tried Vega's Maca Chocolate bars and they are pretty outstanding if you love including dark chocolate in your diet. 70% cacao bars! I like to nibble small bits whenever I am craving a chocolate fix.

I also recently tried the Vega Vibrancy Bars in Berry Bliss. I loved all the healthy ingredients in each bar: dates, raw almonds, white chia seeds and plenty of sweet berry flavor. Perfect for a quick energy boost between meals or on the go. I am eager to try to chocolate flavor.

And I really LOVE the smoothie/shake powders. My favorite is the Vega One Nutritional Shake. In one scoop you can add soooo many healthy things to your smoothie. Including: 50% daily intake of vitamins and minerals, 15 g protein, 6 g fiber, 1.5 g Omega-3, Antioxidants, Probiotics, Greens.

Formulated by Brendan Brazier, professional Ironman triathlete and bestselling author on performance nutrition, Vega One is free from dairy, gluten and soy, and contains no added sugar, artificial flavors, colors or sweeteners.

Some more of my Vega smoothie recipes:

* Chocolate Avocado Vega Shake
* Vanilla Berry Vega Shake

Get more info about Vega products and news online: MyVega.com

Vega One on Amazon

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Vega, but opinions are my own.

Color Splash Chard Salad. BBQ Shiitakes, Tofu & Quesadillas

December 28, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

Get ready for the New Year by making this vibrant chard salad! I think 2013 is going to bring this new trend in my kitchen: raw chard salads. Is chard the new kale? (OK, they both rock as super greens.)

This Color Splash Raw Chard Salad is perky and fresh with ribbons of freshly chopped swiss chard, plunged in ice cold water to re-awaken the leaves. After I tossed the chard salad with a maple-lemon-cider-pepper dressing I added in some veggies like bell pepper and radish. Sweet apple and walnuts too. Diced avocado to line the bowl. Over top the raw greens I added BBQ sauteed shiitake mushrooms all spicy and tender - steaming hot from the pan. Then some tofu triangles and crispy-edged triangles of cheezy quesadillas to garnish the bowl. Dive into deliciousness - fork first! And dive into health for the 2013!..

Tossing the chard..

Raw chard salad - delish!..

BBQ shiitakes..

diced avocado rimming the bowl too..

tofu + quesadillas...

Falling in love with raw chard like me? Try my Christmas Tree Chard Salad too!

Color Splash Chard Salad

2 bunches green or rainbow organic swiss chard, sliced into ribbons
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
⅓ cup onion, chopped
⅓ cup sweet citrus, diced (satsuma, orange, grapefruit..) + pinch of zest
⅓ cup sliced radishes
1 small apple, thinly sliced
2-3 tablespoon raw walnuts, chopped

*really, you can add in so many goodies to this salad - whatever is in your fruit bowl or veggie drawers.

dressing:
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup, grade B
⅛ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
optional additional spices: garlic powder, coriander and/or dried pepper flakes to taste
*you could also try: 1 tablespoon tahini or white miso paste

also:
½ avocado, diced + tossed in lemon juice

BBQ Shiitakes
1 ¼ cups shiitakes, thinly sliced
¼ cup red onions, diced
¼ cup vegan BBQ sauce (any variety)
salt/pepper to taste
1 teaspoon safflower oil (for saute pan)

Tofu Triangles
1 block (12oz) extra firm tofu, pressed dry and sliced into triangles
salt, pepper and additional spices (to taste)
1-2 tablespoon vegan BBQ sauce
½ teaspoon safflower oil (for saute pan)

Cheezy Triangles
1 large vegan flour tortilla (you can sub with corn or gluten free or sprouted grain too)
⅓ cup vegan cheese shreds (any variety)
1 teaspoon safflower oil or 1 teaspoon vegan butter (for saute pan)

Directions:

1. Wash your chard very well and rinse in cold water. Slice into thin ribbons. Rinse again in ice cold water. Squeeze away any excess water. Add chard to a large mixing bowl. Prep all the veggies or fruit you will be adding to the salad.

2. Add the dressing ingredients to the chard in the large bowl, toss/massage well with your hands or salad tongs.

3. Fold the add-in salad veggies and fruit into the chard. (apples, radish, onion, citrus, bell pepper..) Also toss in the walnuts.

4. Pour the tossed chard salad into a serving bowl.

5. Dice avocado and toss with lemon juice. Add to edges of serving bowl.

6. Mushrooms: In a saute pan, add a teaspoon of safflower oil. When oil is hot, add the sliced shiitakes and onions and BBQ sauce. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add salt/pepper to taste. Allow to rest a few minutes before pouring over top the chard.

7. Tofu: In the same saute pan that you cooked the mushrooms in, add a splash of oil (no need to clean pan.) Add the tofu and BBQ sauce. Salt/pepper to taste and cook about 3 minutes on each side over high heat - until seared.

8. Add tofu over top the mushrooms.

9. Lastly, cook your quesadillas. Stuff tortillas with a few pinches of vegan cheese. Cook in either oil or vegan butter. Cook about 2 minutes on each side. Cheese should melt out the edges. Slice tortillas into triangles. Serve on the side of stick along the bowl edges.

Vanilla Berry Smoothie + Walnuts and Cayenne. After the holiday..

December 26, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

December 26th. Well, now what? For the last two months it seems like holiday festivities have consumed a large part of my brain. And though New Year's Eve awaits us, today, a large sigh of relief exits my lips.

Today I woke to what feels like the day after a big, joyful party. I feel a little tired. (OK, a lot tired, actually) A bit sad. And a bit blissful, still tipsy on all the happy moments that happened over the past few days.

And yes, I checked off a few things on my 39 Ways to Have the Best Winter Ever list.

So this morning, I started slowly, easing myself into work and made a revitalizing Vanilla-Berry Smoothie. Sweet and creamy, with accents of almond, walnut and a dash of cayenne too. Get my recipe and I share some holiday pics..

This smoothie saved the day more than a few times over the holiday rush..

Blend. Enjoy. Energize.

On Holiday. Bits and pieces from my holiday.

Plenty of resting..

Plenty of twinkly lights..

Plenty of "relaxing while the kitty snoozes" time..

Plenty of movies. (Way to much crying in the theater since we saw Les Miserables and The Impossible.) Both wonderful...

Plenty of vegan hot cocoa and mochaccinos...

..more twinkly lights..

...more hot mugs of bliss...

..brunching and shopping and more...

Smoothie Break. And it seemed that whenever there was a hungry pause in the day, I whipped up a mini smoothie. This berry-vanilla smoothie was our holiday energizer. We served with a side of sprouted grain toast + either almond butter or spicy hummus and fennel seeds sprinkled on top.

So I decided to start today with a larger version of it. Perfect for my sleepy morning mood.

Antioxidants, fiber, (I added protein powder too.)

Two versions below. One made using Vega's Energizing Smoothie Powder. One without it.

Vanilla Berry Smoothie (version 1)
1 banana, frozen
½ cup raspberries, frozen/organic
½ cup almond milk, vanilla
2 tablespoon walnuts, raw
¼ cup ice
pinch of cayenne (optional) - add during blend + as garnish on top

Vanilla Berry Smoothie + Vega (version 2)
1 banana, frozen
½ cup raspberries, frozen/organic
½ cup water
¼ cup almond milk, plain
2 tablespoon walnuts, raw
½ cup ice
1 scoop Vega Vanilla-Almond Energizing Smoothie Powder (adds sweetness, flavor and nutrients.)
pinch of cayenne (optional) - add during blend + as garnish on top

Blend and serve with a dash of cayenne over top. Some walnuts and raspberries as garnish too.

notes:

* any non-dairy milk can be used.
* for a thicker smoothie, use less liquid.
* Vega's powder is quite sweet, so if you use it be sure to use plain non-dairy milk and balance it out with enough water and ice. If it tastes too sweet, add more plain liquid or ice.
* Any frozen berry can be used! Try strawberries or blueberries if you'd like.
* You could also use another vanilla protein/nutrient powder if you'd like. Or none at all.
* The banana adds the natural sweetness. If you are not using Vega and would like your smoothie sweeter and thicker, add in another ½ banana. (For sweetness, make sure to use a vanilla/sweetened non-dairy milk.)

with Vega powder added..

optional spicy cayenne on top..

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday too!! For more healthy, happy winter ideas and recipes check out my -> 39 Ways to Have the Best Winter Ever list.

39 Ways (And Recipes) to Have the Best Winter Ever!

December 21, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

So you survived the Apocalypse (again!) and now winter has officially swept its frosty fingertips across the sky, ushering in crisp arctic breezes, dancing snowflakes (maybe) and at least a few days where puffy warm scarves are a must. And now we all have no choice but to embrace this season of "Brrrrrrr!"

But guess what, that is nothing to fear at all. In fact this winter is going to be your BEST winter ever! Yup. All you have to do are a few things. Read on to get my 39 Ways to Have the Best Winter Season Ever!..

39 Ways to Have the Best Winter Ever!

1. First off you will need plenty of cozy things to wear...

2. Follow this advice and you can never go wrong. When in doubt: make a cup of cocoa.

And maybe try these Hot Cocoa + Marshmallow Swirl Buns.

3. Make a snow angel. (Or a sand angel?) Or just visualize making a snow angel if need be 🙂

4. Have a Mac 'n Cheeseless night. Or Shells 'n Cheez + Field Roast Spicy Sausage cubes. Enough said.

5. Go to your favorite coffee shop and get coffee TO STAY. Yes. In a glass mug. On a saucer. Maybe a silver spoon too. Drink it slowly. No cell allowed. You never know what you will discover in your to-stay mug..

6. Don't forget the fruit! Grab some winter citrus and whip up a sunny Fruit Salad like this one..

7. After the holidays pass, you will probably be feeling the wrath of eating too many of those amazing vegan Christmas Cookies .. so take a tip from Santa and blend up a green smoothie. Aka, Santa's Green Guzzler Juice.

..green smoothies can get addictive so you might want more recipes: Salute to Green Smoothies.

8. Missing the holidays a bit? Make this festive (healthy-delicious) Christmas Tree Salad...

9. You MIGHT even want to try a Juice Cleanse. I did..

10. Then after all that green juice drinking and salad munching you will probably be craving a winter treat. This Peppermint Stick Shake, brownie-infused, should do the trick.

11. Saturday: stay in bed all day long. (You deserve it from busy holiday season you had!)

12. You will probably CRAVE some steamy, warm, comforting soup. This Spicy Sweet Potato Soup with diced avocado on top is easy to make in a flash.

Mushroom-lovers try No-Cream of Mushroom Soup.

13. Do something absolutely crazy-fun. Maybe a day of trapeze-ing. Inner-tube sledding. Snow Boarding. Hot yoga. Or try out that new cycling class. Just get your blood moving and your spirit soaring.

14. While the holidays ARE still here, go check out some twinkly lights.. (The Grove in LA)

15. Start your weekend off with a hot skillet of tofu scramble. Try Carrot Citrus Scramble or Truffled Tofu.

16. Find a sunbeam. Search high and low. And SOAK in it. Like this..

17. Show off how you can "veganize" just about anything by serving these low-brow bites at your next gathering: THESE...

18. Ditch the bowl of chips and make some Kale Chips. Trust me on this one.

19. Feeling kinda fancy? Or want to have a stay-at-home date night? Pop open a bottle of champagne and cheers with your favorite snuggle bunny as you whip up this Butternut Squash Sage Risotto with sliced almonds on top. I loooooove this recipe.

20. When a homemade banana bread craving hits. Make this Citrus Spice Tea-Infused Banana Bread...

21. Hang with friends. (Yes even YOU. The person who is perfectly happy staying at home.)

OK, even some furry friends can count....

22. Chilly day activity: watch some of your favorite movies! You will need some popcorn for this activity. Try these: Pumpkin Spice Popcorn or Coconut Chili Cinnamon.

23. Headed outside? Bundle up in some cruelty-free fashion a la Vaute Couture...

24. Winter needs salads too! This sizzling skillet, Spicy BBQ Butternut Squash, Vegan Chick'n Salad will satisfy. Inhale this cheerful bowl and load up on vitamins A and C, fiber and ptotein..

25. Do some yoga. Stretching. Deep breathing. (Or just lay on a yoga mat like Nelly. I guess...)

26. These Giant Pumpkin Pretzels are kind of a must try recipe..

27. Winter salad craving? Get all butternut-blissful with THIS..

28. Have a waffle-morning. These Apple-Cinna-Ginger Waffles are pretty awesome.

29. Feeling run down? -> ANTIOXIDANTS! Blend up this Raspberry Vitality Smoothie. Smoothies in winter: yes.

30. Bundle up in a sweatshirt and have a winter beach day. If you are geographically challenged to do this, just stare at this photo long enough and I promise you will start to smell that salty air and hear the waves crashing..

31. Drink some ZEN with my Mint Matcha Latte.

32. Pause for wellness! The Koi fishies, demand it.. (Some TIPS a la Golden Door Spa.)

33. You can never have too much soup in winter. This Roasted Vegetable Soup is super yummy..

34. Make THIS sandwich. Just because.

35. You know your favorite take-out spot? Get your meal TO-STAY for once. This is Veggie Grill... (It is amaze-balls to-go or to-stay, just for the record.)

36. Cozy up to a one-pot wonder meal: stew! Try this Snow Cap Bean Stew with quinoa and veggies.

37. Start your day with a warm bowl. Oatmeal never fails...

38. This also never fails: PEANUT BUTTER. Try these..

39. ..And now I can't stop thinking about peanut butter. So lets try some peanut butter and chocolate (in a warm mug.) Now THAT can make just about any winter day special..

From me to YOU: Have a yummy, cozy, wonderful winter season!

Sugar 'n Spice Dipped Pumpkin Pretzels. Sweet Orange Glazed.

December 20, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

These Sugar 'n Spice Dipped, Giant Soft Pumpkin Pretzels are just begging to be pulled apart and gobbled up. They are drizzled in sticky-sweet orange glaze too. Accents of citrus and cinnamon in each warm and chewy bite.

This sweet treat is the perfect companion to a tall steamy cup of hot cocoa. If you have never made giant soft pretzels and want to learn how - or maybe you are already a soft pretzel fan - give this recipe a try!..

Pair with: Cup o' cocoa..

..These pretzels, all sticky and sweet, caramelized sugar crystals on top and a warm chewy toasted bottom are perfect paired with a hot mug of your favorite beverage. Tea, coffee, cocoa or seasonal "nog." Dip and dance into pumpkin cinna-sugar dreamland.

dough punch..

demerara sugar...

Dough pretzels, ready to be popped in the oven..

don't be scared: there are a lot of steps below. But trust me, these little pretzels are quite easy to make. I just describe the directions with some detail to help you succeed!

Sugar 'n Spice Dipped Pumpkin Pretzels + Orange Glaze
vegan, makes about 8 large pretzels

pretzel dough:
3 cups white flour, unbleached/organic (Bob's Red Mill used)
1 packet yeast
½ cup warm water
1 cup pumpkin puree, canned/unsweetened
1 teaspoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon veggie oil (safflower oil used)
⅓ cup demerara sugar

+ additional flour as needed / rolling out dough

for topping:
¼ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance), melted
a few pinches of fresh orange zest
cinna-sugar mixture: ⅓ cup demerara sugar + 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Sweet Orange Glaze

¼ cup vegan butter (Earth Balance)
1 cup powdered sugar, organic
1-2 teaspoon water or non-dairy milk to thin
¼ teaspoon orange zest (OR ⅛ teaspoon orange extract)
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the yeast and warm water. Stir until dissolved.

2. Add in the salt, cinnamon, oil, sugar and pumpkin. Fold until smoothed.

3. Start adding in the flour a ½ cup at a time. Fold the flour into the wet mixture. Once you have reached the three cups added, you should have a nice ball of dough. Begin kneading the dough. I just knead in my large bowl - or on the counter works too. You will probably need to add a few more tablespoons of flour as you knead so that the dough doesn't get too sticky. Knead for about 3 minutes at least.

4. Place the kneaded ball of pumpkin dough back in the bowl - grease and or flour the bowl so the dough doesn't stick as it expands. Cover with a clean dish or paper towel and set in a warm spot to rise. I let my dough rise for 35-75 minutes. (If using "quick rise" yeast packets you may need less time.) The dough should puff up quite a bit, almost doubled in size.

4. Punch out the dough and place dough on a floured surface. Begin kneading it. This will help soften the dough for your pretzel rolling. Tough dough can be quite tricky to roll and stretch out into thin strands for the pretzels. Knead for 2-4 minutes.
5. Separate the dough into tennis ball sized sections (or a bit smaller for smaller pretzels.)

5. Start rolling out your dough. You want long snake-like pieces. There are several ways to roll out the dough, but I just roll it quickly and fiercely between my palms and let it dangle in the air as I roll. It takes some muscle power! Pressing and stretching gently (so the dough doesn't break) is also helpful.

6. As you are rolling out the dough, you can turn your oven to 400 degrees. You will also want to quickly get your cinna-sugar mixture ready and melt the vegan butter for brushing the tops of the pretzels.

7. Take your long dough pieces and fold into a pretzel shape. Or any shape you'd like! I like to twist my strands a bit for a slightly twisted texture.

8. Once your pretzels are formed, brush the tops and sides, generously, with the melted vegan butter. You can either dip your pretzels in the cinna-sugar or sprinkle it over top. Sprinkling is a bit messier, but easier on the pretzel shapes (less handling.) Lastly, add a few pinches of fresh orange zest over top the pretzels.

9. Place your prepped dough pretzels on a greased baking sheet - giving at least one inch separation between them. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15-17 minutes - or until the edges begin to brown and the pretzels hold their shape when slightly lifted.

10. Cool pretzels on a cooling rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before adding drizzle.

11. While the pretzels cool, make the glaze. Combine the melted vegan butter with the powdered sugar. Mash around until a thick white mixture forms - and the powdered sugar is smooth and thick. Then add in the liquid a splash at a time until a glaze texture forms. Stir in the orange and optional vanilla flavor too. Place this glaze in the fridge to firm up a bit until ready to drizzle.

12. Drizzle the glaze over top your slightly cooled pretzels and serve warm. You can also set aside and re-warm in the oven. Store in the fridge or freezer and re-heat to serve. (But from my tasting, they tasted best when eaten within one hour of baking! But delicious re-toasted in the oven too..)

Tips/Notes:

* Use FRESH flour. It is the main ingredient, so it really impacts your final product. Choose a trusted brand you like. I love Bob's Red Mill.
* Other flour? Yes you can probably try this recipe with different varieties of flour, but the texture will change a bit. (gluten free, whole wheat..)
* Demerara sugar adds a crystal-y sparkly effect to the top which I love, but any sugar can be used. Choose organic sugars for vegan pretzels. More info on demerara sugar in this post.
* Dough handling. Always use common sense with how much flour to add during kneading. If things get sticky, add more flour. If you added too much and need to wet the dough more, add another scoop of pumpkin or a splash of water.
* To taste. You can add the spices to taste. You can even add a bit more or less sugar to the dough if you'd like. Or add a bit more or less oil. There are so many creative tweaks you could add - don't be afraid to try your own ideas (like adding dried cranberries or golden raisins to the dough!)

Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf. "Sugar Plum Fairy Bread"

December 18, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 17 Comments

This moist and fluffy Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf with accents of citrus, spice and sparkly sugar crystals on top gets the nickname of "Sugar Plum Fairy Bread" for the holidays. I call it this because (reason one, I love The Nutcracker Ballet.) And two, because it is just so sweet and lovely - the aroma dances through the air as you bake it.

Instead of "plums" I've included plenty of sweet dried cranberries. And for fairy dust, there is a sprinkling of sparkly raw demerara sugar crystals over top the loaf. This pumpkin-filled bread is perfect paired with some hot soy cocoa or afternoon cup of tea. This recipe would also be lovely baked into pumpkin muffins! Get my recipe!..

What is Demerara Sugar? I used raw demerara sugar in this recipe. It can be substituted with traditional dry sugar (organic) - but here is why I love it..

from wisegeek.org: "Demerara sugar is a type of unrefined sugar with a large grain and a pale to golden yellow color. It is suitable for a number of cooking and baking projects, and tends to be very popular as a sweetener for tea and coffee. Demerara sugar is not refined, so it has a rich, creamy, molasses-like flavor which enhances baked goods. The large grains also remain crunchy through cooking, which makes demerara sugar a great choice of sprinkled topping on scones and similar dishes which might otherwise have a uniform texture."

..I like it because it gives a very sparkly tone and texture to the bread - especially the top of the loaf. Very sugar plum fairy, if you ask me.

Pumpkin Cranberry Loaf with citrus
vegan, makes one loaf

dry:
1 ¾ cup white flour, organic (Bob's Red Mill used)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 cup raw demerara sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup dried cranberries

wet:
¼ cup fresh satsuma or orange juice + ½ teaspoon citrus zest
½ cup water + 1 tablespoon flax seeds
⅓ cup oil (try safflower oil or melted virgin coconut oil)
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup pumpkin puree, unsweetened

Add-in's optional:
* ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
* ¼ cup chopped nuts (try pecans)
* 2 tablespoon rolled oats

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the flax seeds with the water, stir well, and set aside for five minutes to thicken.
3. Combine the dry ingredients. Fold in the wet. Fold and stir until mixture is smoothed. It will be a soft, pourable, silky and thick texture - not liquid.
4. Pour into greased loaf pan.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes - or until toothpick test comes out clean.
Let cool at least ten-twenty minutes before slicing. Serve warm or chill in fridge for up to about 3 days. Will freeze well.

note: if baking as muffins bake for about 17-22 minutes.

***contest below has ended***

Lastly, my good friend (and talented blogger) Brooke of Cheeky Kitchen has started a new website that I think is pretty fantastic, so I am happy to share this Holiday Block Party from her to you guys. (Plus you all have a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card!)..

It's a Holiday Block Party, and you're just 24 hours away from winning a last-minute $500 Holiday Shopping Spree from Good Cook!

There's a new neighbor in the bloggy culdesac, so we're having a celebration to say hello and you're invited! HisXHers.com is a new online video series with Cheeky Kitchen's Brooke McLay and Daddy Evolving's Eldon Kartcher. As a divorced mom and gay, widowed dad, Brooke and Eldon know a little about the untraditional paths life can take. They also know, as you do, how busy life can get. So, as real life besties with a penchant for food, design, and home, they decided it was time to create a deliciously stylish approach to the things we do everyday while keeping it all simple, realistic, and totally sexylicious.

Here's how it works: TODAY ONLY, 8 different blogs (including this one) are premiering exclusive HisXHers episodes. One reader will win a $500 Last-Minute Shopping Spree Visa,and 15 lucky readers will win an 8-piece Good Cook Bakeware set. Here's how to get yourself all entered up and ready to win:

STEP 1.

Visit all 8 of the blogs below & hunt for the answer to the secret question in their exclusive HisXHers.com episode:

Step 2.

Visit HisXHers.com, leave a comment with your answers to each of the 8 Holiday Scavenger Hunt questions, and you're entered to win the Holiday Shopping Spree! To win one of the fifteen 8-Piece Good Cook Bakeware Sets, simply follow HisXHers.com on Facebook or Twitter.

Ready to get yer partay on?

Check out the episode below, nab the answer to this question, then visit HisXHers.com, leave a comment with your answers and you're just 24-hours away from a potential shopping spree! Winners will be decided by 10 a.m. MST on Wednesday, December 19th.

This episodes Secret Holiday Scavenger Hunt question is:

What's the secret to securing your schmexy ribbon on your photos?

Brownie-Peppermint Stick Shake. Dairy-Free. + Salad'tude Winner!!

December 17, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

This vegan, holiday Brownie-Peppermint Stick Shake is pretty dreamy. Creamy, cool peppermint ice cream is blended to a soft texture and layered with thick, rich chunks of vegan brownies. Dig your spoon into this decadent dessert!

Peppermint Stick ice cream was always my favorite as a kid, so this easy vegan version really makes me glow around the holidays. Get my recipe + find out the winner of my "Show Me Your Salad'tude" Contest!..

contest winner -> CONGRATS to Corinne! She is headed to Napa thanks to Dole Salads!! (see her winning entry + full details below recipe)

Vegan brownie Cubes on top..

Brownie-Peppermint Stick Milkshake Parfait
vegan, serves 2

1 cup vegan brownies, chopped into cubes
1 ½ cups vegan vanilla ice cream (I find that rich coconut milk-based ice cream works best! Luna & Larry's is my favorite brand.)
2 tablespoon vegan peppermint candies + a few extra for garnish
1 ½ frozen bananas
⅓+ cup vanilla non-dairy milk or creamer

Vegan Brownie cubes - try this recipe

Directions:

1. Add the banana, ice cream, candies and non-dairy milk to a blender.
2. Blend from low to high until all the candies are blended into the banana and ice cream. The non-dairy milk helps to soften the texture and blend - this creates a texture somewhere in between ice cream and a milkshake. Tip: If you like your ice cream extra thick, add the milk in splashes until the blend runs smooth.
3. Add 4 cubes of brownie to the bottom of a parfait glass. Add in a big scoop of the "milkshake" then a few more brownies and finish off with more shake. Top with one brownie chunk and peppermint candies to garnish. Serve with a spoon.

WINNER Announcement: Salad'tude Contest. Corinne is headed on a $6,200 Napa Valley Adventure! The votes were close guys, but in the end the winner was finalist #3. Corinne from California. Thanks to Dole Salads, who will be sending her on a salad-lovers' trip of a lifetime!

Corinne's salad recipe in the photo:

~ organic mixed greens dressed with cold pressed flax seed oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and sea salt
~ ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds
~ ¼ cup walnuts (raw or toasted)
~ 1 organic zucchini, made into ribbons using a potato peeler
~ edible organic flowers for color and happiness!

When I emailed Corinne to tell her she won, I learned that she is also a very talented jewelry designer! Check out here veggie creations (or visit her website!).. How cute are they?

Again, thank you to all the very talented finalists!!

More peppermint yum..

Homemade Holiday Granola Recipes. Plus 5 Gifting Tips!

December 15, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

Last week I was on a homemade granola kick! I think I whipped up about ten bags of the blissful stuff to both give as gifts and to enjoy for myself. After my first batch I was addicted to that warm, cozy, spiced aroma that wafted through the house as the granola slowly baked in the oven. And once you realize how easy and delicious homemade granola is to make, it is really hard to stop yourself from making it and experimenting with new flavors every chance you get! The combination possibilities are endless.

Homemade granola is a perfect holiday gift because not only can you customize the flavor to suit whatever ingredients you have on hand or like best, but it is a gift that comes from your own two hands. And that is always something very special.

Dive into my homemade granola recipes and get your house smelling amazing! Skip the crowded shopping malls and stay home and make granola with some Christmas music or movies playing in the background. (Sounds good to me!)..

**ps sorry if you received an incomplete version of this post in your inbox. My cat ran over my keyboard and published my post early. Le sigh**

5 Granola Gifting Tips:

1. Make it Pretty! Package granola in festive treat gift bags. You can find these at most gift wrap or craft stores. You can even include a large cinnamon stick in the bag to keep your granola smelling extra delish. It looks pretty too! (You may want to put a note to not eat the cinnamon stick though .. you never know!)

2. Brand it! Attach labels that describe the flavor. Give your granola a cute custom name like "Kathy's Cozy Winter Blend" or "Crazy Walnut Winterland" or whatever you'd like. Creativity makes this activity fun for you are the giftees!

3. Diet Friendly. It can be a great idea to include an ingredients list and any dietary description labels with your gift just in case someone has food allergies. You can remark if the blend is vegan and/or gluten free or even nut free. If you'd like you can even use a calorie calculating program like CalorieCount.com to help you include estimated nutritional info.

4. Include a recipe! After they gobble up your delicious granola they will probably be begging you for the recipe. So be one step ahead of them by including a printed recipe of the gifted granola. (This can also take the place of tip #3 which describes including the ingredients list!)

5. Send it Fresh! It is a good idea to make your granola close to the time you plan on giving it. And even include storage instructions. Granola can be stored on your counter top or kept in the fridge or freezer to keep it extra fresh. I personally find that granola tastes best consumed within 1-3 days of making it - and I store mine in the fridge or in a cool/dry spot - in a sealed container on my counter. (Homemade granola does usually last a good few weeks if stored properly. Fridges or frozen even longer.)

Homemade granola recipes are easy to customize and really, you can make generous substitutions in the recipes I have laid out below. Use these recipes as guides and inspiration for crafting your own granola recipes. Feel free to adjust the spices and sweeteners as well to suit your taste preferences.

The recipes below:

Almond Spice Granola. This recipe has a large amount of flaky sliced almonds in it that mimic the flakiness of the oats. This is a great recipe for anyone who loves almonds. The pumpkin pie spice, citrus and maple are lovely accent flavors.

Vanilla Spice Brazil Nut Granola. Chunky, crunchy Brazil Nuts speckle this warmly spiced, vanilla-infused granola. Creamy, crunchy walnuts accent.

Tropical Coconut Ginger Pecan Granola. Ginger, coconut and plenty of crunchy, buttery pecans infuse this tropical blend. Accented with sweet banana and citrus.

Almond Spice Granola
vegan, makes about 5 cups granola

2 ½ cups rolled oats
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 ½ cups sliced almonds, raw
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
⅓ cup dried mulberries
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
1 satsuma mandarin orange, peeled/diced
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
¾ teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Spice Brazil Nut Granola
vegan, makes about 6 cups granola

3 cups rolled oats
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 ½ cups Brazil Nuts, roughly chopped/raw (you could also lightly grind in a food processor of vitamix)
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
⅓ cup raisins
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 large satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
¾ teaspoon real vanilla extract

Tropical Coconut Ginger Pecan Granola
vegan, makes about 5 cups granola

3 cups rolled oats
¼ cup pumpkin seeds, raw
¼ cup cashews
1 ½ cups Pecans, chopped
½ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1-5 dashes cayenne
3 tablespoon melted virgin coconut oil
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1 teaspoon chia seeds
¼ cup crystalized ginger, chopped (or substitute dried fruit + ½ teaspoon ginger powder)
⅓ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup sugar (I used Florida Crystals. Organic brown sugar works too.)
1 large satsuma mandarin orange, squeezed for juice
¼ teaspoon citrus zest (from satsuma peel)
1 banana, peeled/diced
¾ teaspoon real vanilla extract

Directions for all recipes above..

To make:

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all the ingredients and toss very well.

3. Line a baking sheet with foil or wax paper and spread the granola over top in a thin layer.

4. Bake at 300 degrees for about 35 minutes. Tossing the granola around every ten minutes. Let rest a few minutes to cool and crisp up before bagging.

Citrus & Spice Tea Banana Bread. Bigelow Tea.

December 14, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 96 Comments

This Citrus & Spice Banana Bread is infused with "Constant Comment"® black tea from Bigelow. Warm and cozy, this moist tea bread is perfect to serve around the holiday season. Get the recipe and enter my Bigelow Tea giveaway!..

Bigelow Tea Giveaway. Enter to win a 64-tea bag tea chest from Bigelow. Retail value: $54.95 - this variety chest includes my favorites: "Constant Comment," Earl Grey, Sweet Dreams and more! GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED.

Tea Memories. When I was a kid I loved tea. And I have carried that childhood love and "tea habit" with me into adulthood. Tea happily seems to blend into most every time of day. Stimulating black tea or chai in the morning and late afternoon. Soothing herbal teas when I am feeling calm or before bed. And my favorite bedtime teas to usher me into dreamland.

There are so many tea brands on store shelves these days, but it is always comforting to return to a childhood favorite. For my house, our tea of choice was Bigelow.

We always had a box of the Bigelow variety pack on our countertop right next to the stove. I'd open the box and skim my fingertips through the packets, all shiny and crisp, and search for my absolute favorite flavor. That bright crimson colored “Constant Comment” tea bag. Those citrus and spice flavors wafted through the air and made me feel all cozy and warm from the inside out. I never knew what the name stemmed from, but it always intrigued me. It conjured up images of girlfriends chatting at tea time.

Did you love tea as a kid? Did you have Bigelow around your house too? Some fun facts on the name and brand follow the recipe below.

So when Bigelow asked me to create a custom recipe inspired by one of their teas, I was more than excited to revisit my childhood tea memories and remind myself why I loved “Constant Comment”® so much!

This “Constant Comment” tea-infused Banana Bread is cozy and sweet with flavors of citrus, cinnamon and banana. It pairs deliciously with a cup of tea or cocoa. Plus this bread baking in the oven will fill your house with an amazing scent. Some people like to burn candles to create a holiday aroma in their house - well skip the candle and just bake this bread!

I LOVED this recipe so much I have baked it three times since my first recipe test! One loaf was a gift and the other two my husband and I gobbled down. (My second test run I added in some diced apple which was a delicious add-in.)

“Constant Comment” Tea-Infused Citrus Spice Banana Bread
vegan, makes one loaf

dry:
1 ½ cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup rolled oats (optional)
1 teaspoon salt

banana/liquid mix:
1 ½ bananas, mashed
¼ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
¼ cup orange or tangerine juice + ¼ teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon flax seeds
¾ cup boiling water + 1 “Constant Comment” tea bag (steeped tea)

topping:
sprinkle of sugar + sprinkle of citrus zest + sprinkle of cinnamon

optional add-in's:
* ¼ cup chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans would be perfect!)
* ½ cup diced apple (I tried this on my second time testing the recipe and it was amazing.)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
3. Heat ¾ cup of water in microwave or boil on stove. Add the "Constant Comment" tea bag and allow to steep for about five minutes - until dark amber gold in color.
4. In a small bowl, combine the tea, mashed banana, oil, vanilla extract, flax seeds and orange juice + zest. Mash this all together to soften the bananas even more. This mixture should be warm from the hot tea.
5. Pour the banana mixture into the large mixing bowl and fold until well combined.
6. Grease a standard loaf pan. Pour the batter into the pan.
7. Top the batter with a sprinkle of sugar, cinnamon and orange zest.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until cooked through.
9. Allow to coo before slicing and serving.

Optional: This loaf is pretty dreamy all on its own, but if desired you can whip up a cream cheese drizzle to pour over top!..

"Cream Cheese" Glaze for Bread
makes about ¾ cup of glaze

½ cup vegan cream cheese
¼ maple or agave syrup
¼ cup powdered sugar, organic
pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla or orange extract

Soften the cream cheese and beat all ingredients together until silky. Place in fridge until ready to serve over top a warm slice of tea bread.

Bigelow history.. The company was founded by Ruth C. Bigelow in the late 1940s, based on a recipe she marketed as "Constant Comment" tea. Bigelow is a 100% family-owned business that markets over 50 varieties of tea, all of which are still blended in Fairfield, Connecticut.

And that "Constant Comment" name?.. According to Wikipedia.. "One of Mrs. Bigelow's Park Avenue friends was giving an afternoon party, and it was suggested she try the new blend. Not a word was said to the guests regarding its novelty, yet everyone spoke of the tea's aroma, its flavor—there was “constant comment.”"

Learn more about Bigelow online!..
Bigelow Website and Bigelow's Blog
Bigelow on Facebook
Find Bigelow on: Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest

Photos courtesy of Bigelow...

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Bigelow, but opinions are my own.

Spicy BBQ Chick'n Salad. Butternut Cubes. Sizzling Onions. Citrus.

December 13, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

Distracted by a salad. That was my afternoon. But this Vegan BBQ Chick'n Butternut Salad was totally worth the lunchtime pause in my day.

Crispy Gardein tenders are piled over top skillet-hot, black-peppered, sizzling sweet onions, tender cubes of butternut squash, a sprinkle of raw pumpkin seeds, juicy satsuma mandarin orange rings and sweet dried cranberries - all on a crisp bed of freshly chopped romaine lettuce. Then a tangy, spicy-sweet BBQ sauce dressing is drizzled over top, brightening all the flavors and textures to make them pop! Get this recipe and swoon over these BBQ flavors..

I had plans. Big plans for this afternoon. Focused and furious, I had my head down and was powering through editing a mountain of photos for a client. But something kept scratching at insides. Lunch was calling.

..And so was the Spicy Balsamic Barbeque dressing that was in my fridge.

I had bought a bottle of it last night at Whole Foods along with some crunchy fresh romaine salad. I had intended to whip up some sort of vegan BBQ chick'n salad for dinner tonight. But apparently my craving couldn't wait.

So I popped in the kitchen and whipped up this dreamy slice of salad heaven.

I paired the salad with a cranberry kombucha and a slice of sunflower-seeded toast.

Dressing Substitute. So I know many of you probably will not be able to locate the exact store-bought "Follow Your Heart" dressing I used. But I have a good substitute that I think will mimic the flavor quite well. Take any vegan BBQ sauce that you love (store or homemade) and mix it with a splash of balsamic vinegar and splash of veggie oil (try extra virgin olive, safflower or another.) The dressing I used tastes like extra creamy and rich (from the oil) BBQ sauce. Add a few dashes of cayenne to your dressing if you want more heat.

The Chick'n. Fake Meat - you in or out? I personally love adding Gardein and other "fake meat" products to my meals in moderation. I don't need them, but my husband LOVES them and they do make vegan protein delicious and easy. You can chat more about that here: Fake meat: Defending or Defeating the Point.

Vegan BBQ Chick'n Butternut Salad
vegan, makes one salad

3 Gardein chick'n tenders (vegan)

base:
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 large satsuma, peeled/sliced
2 tablespoon raw pumpkin seeds, shelled
1-2 tablespoon dried cranberries

onion saute:
1-2 teaspoon safflower oil (to saute)
½ cup butternut squash cubes (I used frozen, organic cubes)
1 small sweet onion, sliced into thin rings
⅛ teaspoon black pepper (fine)
salt to taste
additional spices as desired: cayenne, paprika, chili powder, chipotle

1 ½ tablespoon dressing or BBQ sauce blended with oil/vinegar
*I used Follow Your Heart's Spicy Balsmic BBQ Dressing

Directions:

1. Chop romaine. Pile in bowl. Add seeds, cranberries and citrus slices. Drizzle a bit of dressing.

2. Bake or saute chick'n tenders until hot and crispy. Set aside.

3. Add onion saute ingredients to a hot pan and cook until squash is tender and onions begin to brown on edges. I covered with a lid for a few minutes to speed up the cooking process for the butternut squash.

4. Pile onion saute over to greens.

5. Chop and add chick'n tenders.

Serve!

..maybe add some avocado too... yes?

BBQ cravings.. a few more recipes to try:

* Mini BBQ Sauce Pizzas
* BBQ Tempeh Kraut-wich
* Sweet Potato Spelt Biscuits
* Fluffy Jalapeno-Cheddar Biscuits
* Creamy Dill Potato Salad
* Aloha Pineapple BBQ Pizza
* BBQ Hasselback Tofu
* Sweet Side of Corn Cake

You can also try making your own BBQ sauce for this recipe! My BBQ Sauce.

If you like this.. also check out my Mandarin Orange Gardein Chick'n Salad

Vegan Pigs in a Blanket Party Plate! aka, "I Love Pigs. In a Blanket."

December 12, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

I give you Pigs in a Blanket - traditionally made with buttery crescent rolls, melted cheddar cheese and a warm toasty, savory hot dog bundled inside. Well YES "Pigs in a Blanket" can be made vegan! This is a quickie post with a party recipe you just have to try to believe!..

"I love pigs. In a blanket."

For quick, easy and totally cravable "pigs" in under 20 minutes - grab these products at the store and make this recipe!! (I shopped at Whole Foods)

Three Ingredients:

1. Daiya Cheddar Cheese Shreds.

2. Field Roast Frankfurter "hot dogs." (any vegan hot dogs will work - many brands out there!)

3. Immaculate Baking Crescent Rolls.

Now we all know that Field Roast and Daiya products are all totally 100% vegan. The Immaculate Baking rolls might concern you if you read the package because they say (may contain milk.) BUT if you visit the website the FAQs section explains that this merely means that the rolls may have been made on equipment shared with dairy products. So in theory they are milk-free. HOWEVER if you have a true dairy allergy you may want to skip these. But for my vegan recipe purposes these are PERFECT!

And also .. there is also chatter that Pillsbury's crescent rolls ARE vegan. PPK forum on this.

OK...

So..

Easy as 1,2,3

Vegan Pigs in a Blanket
vegan, makes 8 party piggies

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with foil - or grease it lightly.

2. Pop and roll out your crescents. Assemble your piggies! Slice the "dogs" into either halves or quarters and roll them into the triangle crescents with a pinch of vegan Daiya cheese.

3. Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve! Swoon. Party.

ps. This post is dedicated to my BFF Jen who I know loves the classic party snack food. All 'the girls' made and served "Pigs in a Blanket" at her bachelorette brunch and I really wanted to veganize them ever since then!

pps. sorry for the totally-not-like-me un-pro photos. We gobbled these up and the sun had already set. So these were taken aglow with holiday lights lighting..

ppss. What is your FAVORITE non-vegan party food? Maybe I will veganize it in a future post! #takingrequests

pppsss. Oh. So if you wanted to get all fancy with this recipe, sure you could make your own crescent rolls or just use rollable biscuit dough + make homemade seitan hot dogs/rolled seitan and such. But easy peasy is how I like my vegan piggies.

ppppsss. holiday snuggles to all. and to all a good night 🙂 ..

Mac and Cheeseless Pasta. Baked.

December 11, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

This Mac and Cheeseless Pasta is pretty dreamy. Editing these photos, all I wanted to do was take a dive, face first, into this cheezy deliciousness. Luckily, I had plenty of leftover cheezy mac in my fridge. And lucky for you, if you want to try this bowl for yourself, the recipe is pretty simple. No, it does not taste exactly like real dairy-containing "Mac and Cheese" but maybe even better! Nutritional yeast cravings DO exist!

Today's recipe uses nutritional yeast, sweet potato, butternut squash, olive-oil-roasted garlic, a touch of Earth Balance and more to give it a rich, creamy, buttery, cheezy, savory flavor to crave. Take it one step more and bake your pasta into pure fluffy bliss..

Mac 'n Cheese is a favorite comfort food dish. It can be served as an indulgent main entree or as an accent side dish. A few other vegan version recipes:

Chipotle Mac/Cheez with Field Roast Spicy Chipotle Sausage
Fake-Out Mac/Cheez
Cheese, Peas and Pasta
Easy Cheezy Peasy Pasta Balls (kid-approved!)
Speedy Cheezy Protein Pasta Bowl
Acorn Alfredo (another style of creamy pasta dish)

Today's version is pretty simple to make. All your do is blend up the sauce, cook your pasta and toss. You can take it one step further and bake the pasta in the oven to make it extra amazing.

There are soooo many ways to many Mac/Cheez without cheese. Some people use basic vegan cheese as the base (such as Daiya or Follow Your Heart brands.) And other recipes include a creamy bean or nut base. But my favorite is a blend of nutritional yeast and a veggie puree. Butternut squash, sweet potato or even pumpkin will work.

If you do not mind a slight sweetness, go with the sweet potato. But if you like a more savory pasta, leave out the sweet potato and just use butternut squash or pumpkin. Or a mix of both.

Mac and Cheeseless Pasta
vegan, makes 6+ servings

cheeseless sauce: (note: if you like A L OT of cheese and want leftover sauce, double this recipe)
1 small sweet potato (to make about ¾ cup mashed)
¾ cup canned butternut squash puree*
*I used half butternut squash and half pumpkin
¼ cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread, melted
⅓ cup nutritional yeast (or more..)
1-3 tablespoon roasted garlic (you roast it, see below)
½ cup plain soy creamer or milk (almond varieties work too)
⅛ teaspoon black pepper
1-5 pinches of cayenne or red pepper flakes
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

For the roasted garlic: 1 head of garlic + 1-2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

*sweet potato, pumpkin or butternut squash can be used

Pasta: tube or macaroni pasta (make as much as you would like to serve.**)
**Upon serving, add about ½ cup on cheeseless sauce for every ¾ -1 cup of cooked pasta. Easy to modify based on how thickly sauced you like it.

serving garnish: freshly chopped parsley (optional)

Directions:

1. Roast the garlic: Heat your oven to 400 degrees. Slice off the top of your head of garlic and place it in a large piece of tin foil. Drizzle olive oil over top garlic, close foil tightly around garlic and place in the oven to roast for about 25 minutes. When done, remove garlic carefully (hot!) and squeeze out the roasted garlic pieces. You will have leftover garlic - this can be used to make garlic rubbed toast to pair with your pasta. Or store leftover garlic wrapped in fridge to use in soups or other dishes. I love it slathered on toast.

2. While your garlic is roasting, you can also be baking your sweet potato. Bake in the oven until tender. This usually takes about 35-45 minutes for a small potato. The oven can be set anywhere from 375-400.

3. Make your sauce. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender (Vitamix) and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste test and add more nutritional yeast if you'd like. Adjust other seasonings as well as desired.

4. Boil water in a large pasta pot and cook pasta until tender. Drain and transfer to a large mixing bowl.

5. Fold the sauce into the warm pasta until well coated.

6. Serve as is or transfer to a large casserole dish and bake the pasta at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. I topped mine with some fried onion bits. Bread crumbs, extra vegan cheese (try Daiya!) or other toppings can be added before baking.

Serve hot. Some freshly chopped parsley over top is a nice touch.

Holiday Smoothie Recipes from the North Pole. Green, Red & Nog.

December 9, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

How in the world does Santa Claus do it? All those presents in one night? And how do those tiny elves make all those presents? And how does a gentle, tiny reindeer like Rudolph (and his friends) hull that giant, heavy, present-carrying sleigh .. even through thick fog or a blizzard-ish snowstorm?

Some call it Christmas magic. But I know the real secret. Juice! Now it all makes perfect sense..

A freshly blended green smoothie for Santa, sweet and spicy nog "elf juice" and even a red blend for the thirsty reindeer named Rudolph. Get these three delicious holiday smoothie recipes (whole food sips made with a blender - thin textured style smoothies) and even a swanky, cinnamon-spiced sip from Mrs. Claus too..

Santa's Green Smoothie. Santa needs his greens. This sweet and guzzle-able juice is not only delicious and vibrant, but it has some staying power since it includes some avocado. It also includes sweet pear, electrolyte-infused coconut water and plenty of zippy lemon too. Santa can deliver all those presents with ease after gulping down this glass..

Santa's Green Guzzler
serves one (but Santa drinks about five of these to get him through Xmas eve.)

¼ cup avocado, mashed
1 ½ cups of greens (kale, spinach, chard, arugula - anything you'd like)
1 cup coconut water
1 bartlett pear, ripe and juice (stem removed)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
½ cup ice
optional: 1-2 pinches of cayenne or ½ teaspoon grated fresh ginger for some spice

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

Santa's Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 247kcal, Fat: 6g, Carbs: 49g, Protein: 5g, Fiber: 13g, Iron: 16%, Vitamin C: 82%, Calcium: 15%, Vitamin A: 115%
Also rich in potassium, magnesium and manganese.

Santa's Secret..

Rudolph's Red Juice. Rudolph loves this red juice blend to make his nose glow extra brightly through a foggy, snowy or rainy night! Plenty of red antioxidants from the cherries and pomegranate juice in there too!

Rudolph's Rocking Red Drink
serves one thirsty reindeer (or human)

½ cup cherries or raspberries, frozen/pitted
1 large satsuma, peeled (or two small)
½ cup pomegranate juice
½ cup coconut water
½ cup ice
1-2 pinches cayenne

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

Rudolph's Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 217kcal, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 52g, Protein: 3g, Fiber: 10g, Iron: 5%, Vitamin C: 195%, Calcium: 13%, Vitamin A: 11%
Also rich in potassium.

Elf Juice. Here it is. The secret to all those presents. This spiced juice is really quite simple actually. A hint of banana, some pear and plenty of spice. This juice looks like creamy nog because you know elves love their soy nog. So this juice actually has a very "nog" style flavor. Only it is made with all fruit and spices. Banana is rich in potassium and fiber. The juicy, ripe bosc pear carries plenty of sweetness. And that pumpkin pie spice (a mix of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and allspice) gives this juice its spicy nog flavor.

Creamy Nog "Elf Juice"
serves one human (or about ten thirsty elves)

1 banana, frozen
1 ripe bosc pear, stem removed
¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice**
¾ cup water or coconut water (or half of each)
¼ cup ice
4 pinches of cayenne or fresh ginger (optional for added spiciness!)

**if you do not have pumpkin pie spice, you can substitute with cinnamon and or ginger and nutmeg. Cinnamon is the most important spice for this though!

Directions: Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth and silky. Add additional water or coconut water to thin out to desired consistency.

"Elf Juice" Nutritional Info per recipe: Calories: 263kcal, Fat: 1g, Carbs: 66g, Protein: 4g, Fiber: 12g, Iron: 7%, Vitamin C: 40%, Calcium: 7%, Vitamin A: 10%
Also rich in potassium and vitamin B6.

Elf Juice. Tastes like fruity, sweet nog. With a spicy kick!..

And finally, a drink from Mrs. Claus...

When the elves, reindeer and man in the big red suit have all headed out for the evening, Mrs. Claus settles into her snuggly red pajamas and whips up a tall glass of this special beverage. It uses leftovers of the "Elf Juice" as the base. Because really, those elves never finish all their juice.

Mrs. Claus's Cinnamon Swirler

¾ cup leftover Elf Juice
1 shot aged Brandy
¼ cup ice
¼ cup frozen banana
cinnamon stick to garnish

Blend and serve.

On the left, Mrs. Claus turns leftover "Elf Juice" into a swanky spiked sip..

Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies.

December 9, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 31 Comments

These Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies have two distinct qualities. They are vegan. And they are made with a black bean base. But I dare not call them black bean brownies in my house, since a few of the people who tried them and LOVED them .... hate beans of all kinds. Hopefully my bean-hating husband will still eat these brownies after reading this post 🙂

So long story short, even if you think black bean brownies sound crazy weird .. give this recipe a try! You may be surprised.

These super fudgey brownies are topped with a generous swirl of velvet-y peanut butter, some crunchy walnuts and vegan chocolate chips. I enjoyed these brownies straight from the oven all gooey and soft. But they also keep quite well in the fridge. Just warm before serving. These would make a perfect chocolate-lovers' addition to your holiday treat table too!..

p e a n u t b u t t e r.

on top.

There is something about that shell of swirled peanut butter that makes these brownies go from delicious to heavenly. Just the aroma of peanut butter and chocolate makes me feel happy. And hungry.

Why Beans?? Well first off, they deliver! They really do make a smart culinary base for brownies. And secondly, beans are a healthy food so when you are diving into a thick, rich, gooey, amazing, fudgey brownie, you kinda strangely feel GOOD about it. Less guilt. More fun. And of course beans contain all that healthy stuff like protein, fiber, vitamins and iron.

The dose of sticky-sweet Medjool dates in this recipe makes for an extra fudge-like texture. But these are not flourless , I did still add in a dose of spelt flour to increase the fluffy-crumbly-ness a bit.

The optional Maca Powder adds a chocolate malt-y flavor that I love. Plus it is known to some as an energizing superfood. More about Maca Powder + buy online from Navitas Naturals

My holiday mantra (follow me on instagram!)..

Fudgey Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies
vegan, makes 1 tray of brownies, 9" square or circle baking pan
*nutritional info below based on slicing up 12 pieces per recipe*

(2) 15 ounce cans of black beans (unsalted) - drain and rinse
7 large Medjool dates, pits removed
4 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, melted, organic
½ cup agave syrup
⅓ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup spelt flour (or any flour to substitute)
1 teaspoon flax seeds (optional)
2 tablespoon Maca powder (optional)
½-1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

Topping:
3 tablespoon peanut butter + 1 teaspoon coconut or safflower oil
⅓ cup raw walnuts, chopped
¼ cup chocolate chips, vegan
(optional, not shown) ¼ cup coconut flakes

Notes: The flax seeds add a bit of 'egg replacing' body to the brownies, but are optional. If you do not add them, you may want to add in an extra tablespoon of flour.

Nutritional info per piece (12 pieces per recipe)
Calories: 188kcal, Fat: 6g, Fiber: 6g, Protein: 6g, Carbs: 31g
Iron: 11% RDA, Calcium: 5% RDA

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Add the dates (pitted), black beans, agave syrup, salt, vanilla extract, coconut oil (melted state), and optional flax seeds to a high speed blender (Vitamix) or a food processor. Start on low and blend until very smooth.

3. Transfer this mixture to a large mixing bowl and fold in the cocoa powder, flour, cinnamon, instant coffee and Maca powder.

4. Grease your baking pan and pour in the brownie mixture. Smooth out with a spatula.

5. Heat the peanut butter and oil together so that you have a very liquid peanut butter mixture. Swirl that over top the brownie batter and swirl into brownies with a knife.

6. Add the chocolate chips and walnuts over top that. (Coconut flakes are optional.

7. Bake at 375 degrees for about 35 minutes. Allow to cool at least fifteen minutes before slicing - serve warm for more messy, soft brownies that kind of fall apart when you eat them. Or allow an hour to cool for more firm, slice-able brownies.

Store on the countertop if serving within one day. Or store in the fridge for up to one week. You will need to warm the chilled brownies in microwave or oven before serving.

Also check out my Minty Smores Brownies Recipe with chocolate ganache on top.

Allison's Gourmet Review!

December 8, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 156 Comments

Vegan confections like peanut butter cups and elegant gourmet truffles are a delicious idea for a holiday gift - for just about anyone .. vegan or not! Check out my review of Allison's Gourmet and enter to win a $25 gift card good towards any purchase in Allison's online store. See why Allison holds the title: "Maven of Mmmmmmm..."

****GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED... Congrats to Brittney K. for winning****

Last night I read a vintage blog post from Dr Weil describing a few healthy holiday gifts. The items on the list were so simple, yet so perfect. They included a gift card for a massage, music, long-lasting flowers, a certificate for a personal training session, and chocolate. Dark chocolate. High in quality. He advises that it be at least 70% cacao. (I would be thrilled to receive any of these gifts!)

And that is why I am happy to offer this Allison's Gourmet review + giveaway to you guys. Any of Allison's vegan treats would make a superb holiday, hostess, work or "just because" gift for the holidays and into the new year.

Allison's Gourmet is a very popular and award-winning vegan company that specializes in all things delicious. A few of the treats you can find in Allison's online store:

* brownies
* cookies
* truffles
* cocoa
* toffee
* caramels
...and more.

Just check out her website to peruse the goodies and then enter the giveaway below for your chance to win a $25 gift code for anything in Allison's online store.

Review. I have tasted a few of Allison's treats in the past and they are always AMAZING. But this past week I tried the toffee, peanut butter cups and truffles for the first time. I have to say, the peanut butter cups may have been the best I have ever had. My reasoning is because they were not "too sweet" and you could really taste the pure peanut flavor mingling with the creamy vegan chocolate. Sometimes all you taste in peanut butter cups is the sugar, but the creamy peanut butter, silky and nutty, was the star of this confection show.

The vegan toffee was super buttery, sweet, crisp and air-y. I loved it.

And the truffles were such a treat. Super high quality and gourmet. They had very rich chocolate centers, but the distinct flavors of each truffle still came out in each bite. From raspberry to mocha and salted caramel - each truffle was uniquely heavenly. This cute purple box would make a very elegant gift.

So if you love delicious treats (or just want to try some vegan treats to wow your guests!) give Allison's a try.

Allison's Gourmet

*Note: this is NOT a sponsored post. I was provided a few samples of Allison's treats which I chose to review and host with a giveaway for readers.*

My Salad'tude Contest: 15 Finalists! VOTE on a Winner!

December 7, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 30 Comments

This was hard. Really, really hard! I received an inbox filled with amazing, creative, inspiring, hilarious and clever "Show Me Your Salad'tude" Contest entries this past month. I don't know how I did it, but I somehow narrowed it down to fifteen finalists. And now I need your help! Help me vote on a winner!!

This is like the X Factor, the American Idol, The Voice, Dancing with the .. Salads? of SALAD contests. Your vote helps decide who will be the very lucky grand prize winner of a Napa Valley Culinary Adventure Getaway - from the wonderful folks at Dole Salads. This grand prize is worth over $6,000..

So please take a minute to check out these beautiful finalists and help me out by voting on your favorite entry! The 15 finalists are...

a note: a huge THANK YOU to EVERYONE who took the time to enter. I reviewed every single submission very carefully and LOVED every single one. really. You guys are amazing. I am more inspired than ever to embrace my salad-loving ways. Thank you thank you thank you. So hard to choose these finalists..

The 15 finalists (enlarged list below)..

VOTE vote VOTE vote VOTE! **voting period is ONE WEEK. Ends December 15th at 12AM. Winner TBA on Monday December 17th**

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Finalists:

1 - Erin - Massachusetts - web
2 - Lexie - Wyoming - web
3 - Corinne - California
4 - Gena - New York - web
5 - Natalie - NA - web
6 - David - Iowa
7 - Stephanie - Texas - web
8 - Kelly Marie - Minnesota - web
9 - Sayward - NA - web
10 - Raychel - Maryland
11 - Heather - New Hampshire - web
12 - Caitlin - Pennsylvania - web
13 - Ruthy (with Vicky) - New Jersey - web
14 - Jenne' - New York - web
15 - Shari - Illinois

**if for some reason the number one winner cannot accept the grand prize, the finalist with the second-most votes will be awarded the prize - an so on..**

** I will announce the grand prize winner Monday December 17th - subject to change **

contest details Visit Dole's Salad Circle sign-up page.

return to top to VOTE.

Cozy Harvest Risotto. Butternut Squash. Sage. Almonds.

November 29, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

This Cozy Harvest Risotto starts with creamy arborio rice, cooked to risotto perfection, slow-simmered on a stove-top while stirring gently. Then I add in a colorful array of harvest veggies including butternut squash cubes, celery and onions. Accents of sage and thyme. I also fold in some crunchy sliced almonds to complete the plate. A splash of warmed non-dairy milk or creamer over top if desired. For an elegant (surprisingly easy) meal night at home, try this recipe!..

Whenever I go out to eat at a fancy vegan-friendly restaurant and I see risotto on the menu, THAT is what I order. I fell in love with the Butternut Squash Risotto at Gobo in New York City. I loved it. Craved it. I miss it!

It had soft, tender vegan risotto rice accented by butternut squash cubes, sliced almonds and toasted sage. Sound familiar? Well this is my try at re-creating that dish. And I have to say it tastes pretty darn close!!..

Cozy Harvest Risotto
vegan, makes 23-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are!)

1 cup arborio rice
3+ cups of mushroom or vegetable broth

harvest mix:
1 small apple, diced
½ onion, chopped
1 ½ cups butternut squash, diced
½ cup carrot or sweet potato, diced (or use more squash)
½ cup celery, chopped
about 1 tablespoon of fresh mixed herbs: fresh thyme + chopped rosemary + chopped sage
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil or safflower oil
salt + pepper to taste

also:
⅓ cup sliced almonds
fresh sage
non-dairy (plain) creamer or milk (warmed - optional)

Directions:

1. In a large saute or sauce pan, add the risotto rice and 1 cup of the broth. Turn heat to medium high and bring to a boil. When boiling, begin to stir the rice with a large spoon or spatula. Keep stirring casually until the liquid has absorbed. Add in the remaining amount of broth in splashes as you keep stirring - until all the rice has absorbed the liquid. Now do a taste test of the rice. It should be velvety and tender when ready, so if the inside still tastes al dente, add in a few more splashes of broth. Keep adding until the rice is as tender as you'd like it. I like my rice very soft, so I usually add in about 3 ½ cups of broth.

2. While your rice is cooking, you can do your harvest mix. You can either roast all these ingredients in the over (400 degrees for about 20 minutes) - or you can saute them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Whichever method you use, just cook until tender and ready to eat.

3. When both your rice and harvest mix components are cooked, you will not combine them to serve. Per one serving: add 1 cup of the risotto to a saute pan, over medium heat. Add in the almonds and fold well. Add in one fresh sage leaf torn into pieces. Fold well. Lastly, gently fold in ½ cup of the harvest mix. Allow to warm a bit then transfer to serving plate. Top with another spoonful of harvest mix and some fresh sage and almonds to garnish! Pepper on top is nice too. Add a splash of warmed non-dairy milk or creamer over top if desired.

This dish is best served on a warmed shallow bowl.

SERVING TIP! If I make my risotto ahead of time, I plate it on the serving dishes and place them in a warm oven until ready to serve. Then when I serve the dishes, the plates and risotto are still toasty warm. Here is where a splash of non-dairy milk or creamer can help loosen things up if the rice became a bit dry in the oven. Risotto is easy to moisten up though.

A few other favorite Butternut Squash Recipes:

* Ginger Sage Pumpkin Soup (LOVE this)
* Butternut Bliss fall Salad
* Citrus Butternut Squash Dip
* Holiday Citrus Stuffed Squash
* Butternut Squash Party Dip
* Golden Trio Chipotle Fall Soup + Crispy Tofu Cubes

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn & more holiday movie-watching recipes!

November 28, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

Hot Cocoa. Bowl of Popcorn. Cozy Blanket. One or two favorite holiday movies. Someone to snuggle with (people or pets!) These are my ingredients for a wonderful holiday season evening or afternoon!..

Movie-Watching Snacks Hot Cocoa. Popcorn. Kale Chips. A festive smoothie. A platter of holiday cookies. These vegan recipes will make your holiday movie watching experience a thing of bliss. So snuggle on the couch, grab a big bowl of this super cozy Pumpkin Spice Popcorn (recipe ahead!) and a warm mug of vegan cocoa. Sit by a few twinkly lights strung across a window, a glowing candle or maybe a sparkly Christmas tree.

This is indeed the coziest time of year so embrace it with these recipes! Get a few of my movie-watching recipes + my holiday movie list too..

Every movie needs a movie snack!..

Movie-watching snacks .. recipe links below..

caption, left to right: pumpkin spice popcorn, vanilla choc chip cookies, pb cup latte, snickerdoodle nog cookies, cocoa cinna buns, minty cocoa, cocoa shake, hot cocoa info, cinna-chili popcorn, citrus detox smoothie, kale chips, persimmon shake, walnutcracker cookies, soy nog shake, nachos.

Get my popcorn + cocoa recipe below or check out these holiday movie-watching recipes:

* Cozy up to some Minty Creme Cocoa
* Vegan Nachos make great movie-watching fare!
* Try a healthy-delicious bowl of Cheezy Kale Chips instead of popcorn!
* Sip on a holiday shake: soy nog or persimmon flavors!
* Lay out a plate of Jumbo Soy Nog Snickerdoodles
* ..or a festive plate of Real Vanilla Bean Chocolate Chip Cookies + chilled non-dairy milk!
* Entertain with a healthy Holiday Detox Citrus Smoothie
* Or any of these five vegan holiday smoothies - including "hot" cocoa flavored!
* Or try a holiday recipe from my 12 Days of Vegan Treats series - including walnutcracker cookies!
* Warm any movie-watching session up with a foamy Peanut Butter Cup Caramel Hot Latte or Cocoa.
*..learn more about vegan hot cocoa here.
* Or just make a batch of hot cocoa + marshmallow cinnamon rolls!
* Popcorn lovers' - also try my Cinnamon Chili Coconut Oil Popcorn Recipe!

Or try my easy Pumpkin Spice Popcorn..

Pumpkin Spice Popcorn
vegan, makes about 6 cups

½ cup organic popping corn
3 tablespoon organic virgin coconut oil, unrefined*

Add to taste:
½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
salt (around ¼ tsp)
optional: drizzle of maple or agave syrup (2 tsp)
optional: spicy cayenne (a few dashes)

*any vegetable oil will work, but I highly advise that you try coconut oil! It is delicious!

Directions: Using an extra large stock pot or popcorn popping pot, add 3 tablespoon coconut oil over med-high heat. Drop in 2-3 kernels and cover pot with lid. Wait until first kernel pops, then add in the ½ cup popping corn. Quickly cover with lid and beware any stray popping kernels! Shake around pan for next minute as kernels pop. Turn heat higher if needed to help along the popping – just be sure to move those kernels around so the don’t burn. After most of the corn has popped – turn off heat. Do not open lid as kernels should still be popping a bit. Let sit until popping stops, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. While popcorn is still hot, toss with spices, salt and optional additions. Serve warm!

Vegan Cocoa (basic recipe)
serves 2

2 cups non-dairy milk, vanilla
1 ½ heaping tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder (dairy-free, unsweetened)
sweeten to taste (agave, organic sugar or stevia all work well)
+ dash of cinnamon
+ dash of cayenne

optional: vegan Dandies marshmallows

Directions: Heat milk + briskly stir in the cocoa powder and sweetener + top with vegan Dandies marshmallows. Serve steamy hot! Soy whipped cream optional.

And here is my holiday movie list...

Holiday Movies. Everyone has their own personal favorites that they can watch again and again - year after year and never get sick of. What is yours?? Mine: White Christmas. I used to dance around in my living room with my sister in a sparkly silver ballet outfit pretending I was one of the "Hanes sisters." I wanted to be Judy, but my family always said I was more a Betty. Hm. How could a little girl not LOVE those frosty ice blue dresses with matching dance fans?

Here are a few of my fave holiday movies..

Kathy's Holiday Movie List

White Christmas (favorite!!)
The Muppet Christmas Carol (giggle-worthy)
It's a Wonderful Life (classic to love)
The Santa Clause (fun)
Elf (funny)
A Christmas Story (classic + funny)
The Nutcracker Ballet (you don't even need to watch it - just listen!)
Home Alone (ah, the 90's..)
Scrooged (ah, the 80's)
Babes in Toyland (loved this as a kid)
Meet Me in St.Louis (for the one song!! "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas by Judy Garland)
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (hilariously silly)
The Polar Express (I like any movie where the main character stays in his pajamas for a long "train ride")
The Holiday (modern, holiday-ish..)
Animated: Charlie Brown, The Grinch

Mountain Fudge Sandwich Cookies. Vegan. Chocolate + Walnuts.

November 27, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 19 Comments

These rustic Mountain Fudge Cookies pack everything I love about sandwich cookies into one tender, nutty, fudge-chocolate-filled bite.

Chocolate Fudge + Walnuts. Rich vegan chocolate filling is squished between two cinnamon-accented, tender, walnut cookies. Toss a few of these cookies in your pouch as you scale the mountain climbs of your day..

I just slathered the fudgey filling inside .. no need for perfection. These are mountain cookies! So they can be a little rough around the edges. Literally..

My favorite cookie as a kid: EL Fudge sandwich cookies.

You know the little elves. I liked the chocolate filling / vanilla cookie combo.

These cookies kinda reminded me of those. The fudgey filling is what does it.

Of course my Mountain Fudge Cookies are a bit healthier. Vegan. Packed with healthy-delicious ingredients..

Nutrition Bonus. Dark Chocolate is rich in antioxidants. Walnuts are rich in healthy fats including omega-3 fatty acids. Virgin coconut oil is a healthy vegan alternative to "butter" (and shortening) for use in baking recipes.

Shopping Tips: For the chocolate chips to make the fudge filling, use a high quality chip! One you like to nibble on its own. Test out a few brands so you can find your go-to vegan baking favorites. Make sure the dark chocolate chips are vegan/dairy-free. If you are truly allergic to dairy, make sure the chips were not manufactured in dairy-use facilities. Read those labels, they will let you know. EnjoyLife brand is a wonderful allergy-approved vegan chocolate chip. I also love the Whole Foods 365 brand vegan chocolate chips. And a few mainstream brands (like Ghiradelli and Scherffenberger Chocolate) actually do dairy-free bittersweet dark chocolate chips too.

Mountain Fudge Cookies
vegan, makes about 12-14 mini sandwich cookies (24-28 mini cookies total) - you can also make larger cookies if desired

Nutty Spice Cookies:
1 cup spelt flour (sub with white or whole wheat flour if necessary)
¾ cup walnut meal (raw walnuts, processed until fine to chunky)
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup organic sugar
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional - but amazing!)
¼ cup soy or almond or rice milk (warmed to room temperature)
⅓ cup melted virgin coconut oil

Chocolate Fudge Filling:
¾ cup dark chocolate chips, vegan
2 tablespoon coconut milk
¼ cup virgin coconut oil
pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine all the cookie ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Fold until a wet ball forms. Place bowl in the fridge to chill for 15-20 minutes.

3. Your dough should have firmed up enough for you to gently press out the dough on a floured surface OR wax paper OR stone and cup out circles for the cookies.

NOTE: You do not have to do "cut out" circle round for the cookies. You could also just roll into balls and flatten for more "messy" style Mountain Fudge Cookies! I did both and both were delicious.

4. Bake cookies at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Allow to fully cool on a cooking rack or glass plate.

5. To make the fudge filling, melt the ingredients together. You can do this on your stove or in the microwave. Stir until the chocolate is glossy and thin. Place this chocolate filling bowl in the fridge. Check on it every 20 minutes until it has cooled to a state that is much like chilled peanut butter.

TIP! For easiest cookie assembly, chill your cookies in the fridge before adding fudge.

6. Slather the fudge filling on a cooled cookie. Place another cookie on top. Continue until all the cookies are prepared.

I store these cookies in the freezer and grab one to "thaw" about 5 minutes before I want to eat it. They taste delicious chilled or warmed so the fudge melts a bit.

Vegan Hot Cocoa Cinna-Buns. Toasty Marshmallow Swirled.

November 25, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

These Hot Cocoa, Toasty Marshmallow Swirled Cinna-Buns have all the cozy-sweet flavor of rich, steamy, hot cocoa with marshmallows, wrapped into each tender, swirled bite. Rich chocolate spirals are slathered in vegan agave-sweetened cream-cheese frosting and oven-baked, toasted vegan marshmallows. This recipe makes a fun splurge-worthy treat for your holiday season.

And every single bite is vegan. Stay inside and cozy up to these homemade "cinnamon bun" style treats..

Before adding frosting..

frosting..

"Is that hot cocoa with marshmallows?" Boy says.
"Yes." Girl replies. Boy smiles.
"I just sat down to sip it.." Girl replies.
"Oh." Boy says, disappointment on his face.
"I promise I will make you some next time." Girl replies. Her body melting lazily into her lounge chair.
"Alright." Sad boy exits with dramatic sadness.

(In place of hot cocoa, next time, girl made boy these toasty marshmallow, cocoa-infused treats as a peace offering.)

I love making a special cinnamon-style roll on holiday season weekends. Like this recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Cinna Rolls.

This "Hot Cocoa Buns" recipe puts a chocolate-spin on things. These buns are pretty fun and delicious as a morning bite or as an afternoon pairing with coffee or hot tea.

Made with spelt flour, agave syrup, rich cocoa powder, a subtle hint of coffee and velvetly tropical virgin coconut oil, these tender buns really do taste like hot, lovely, cocoa and marshmallows...

Hot Cocoa Toasty Marshmallow Swirl Cinna-Buns
vegan, makes 6-7 large buns

1 packet yeast + 1 cup warm water
2 ¼ cups spelt flour*
½ cup agave syrup
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar (helps activate baking powder)
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon raw coconut flour**
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoon dark chocolate cocoa powder
½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted

* any flour can be used. A mix of white and wheat would be a good substitute for spelt.
**you could substitute the coconut flour with either shredded coconut, nut meal (any variety or processed whole raw nuts) or just add more flour.

Filling:
15-20 vegan Dandies marshmallows
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½+ cup vegan cream cheese frosting (recipe below)

Toasted Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting/Filling/Topping

6 ounces vegan cream cheese (any brand, plain flavor)
!/4 cup agave syrup
a few drops vanilla extract (optional)
¼ - ½ cup powdered sugar (to thicken)
⅛ teaspoon salt
0-2 tablespoon virgin coconut oil (also to thicken)

Directions:

1. Combine the yeast and water in a large bowl. Swirl to mix.

2. Add in the salt, baking powder, spelt flour, agave syrup, coffee, coconut flour, cocoa powder, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and lemon juice. Fold into a ball of kneadable dough. It should be quite moist, yet just firm enough to form into a ball. Knead a few times, adding extra flour if needed to handle.

3. Place the dough in a greased mixing bowl and cover. Allow to rise for about 30-60 minutes. 30 minutes for quick rise yeast.

4. While the dough is rising, mix up the frosting. Add the cold cream cheese, sugar, agave and salt to a bowl. Blend until smooth using a hand mixer.

5. Gently knead the risen dough. Turn oven to 400 degrees.

6. Roll out the dough on a floured surface. If the dough feels too oily or sticky to knead, place in the freezer for about ten minutes. This will help firm it a bit. Otherwise, roll out to about ¼ inch thickness.

7. Add about 15 vegan marshmallows to the dough and spread about ½ cup or so of the frosting on the inside of the dough - around the marshmallows. You want the entire surface of the rolled out dough to be covered in frosting and marshmallows. Sprinkle the cinnamon over top. Place leftover frosting in fridge to be used upon serving buns.

8. Roll the dough from one end, into a tight spiral. Cup the dough into rounds and place in a greased baking dish. And circle dish will work - even a pie dish could work. 7"-10" round in size. A smaller dish will allow for more plumped up buns, as the press together as they bake. A larger dish allows the buns to spread out a bit more. Add a few extra marshmallows on top if you'd like.

9. Bake at 400 degrees, uncovered, for about 35-38 minutes.

10. Remove from oven and cool before serving.

11. Serve with a dollop of the frosting on top.

Store on the counter if consuming same-day. Store in the freezer or fridge if serving int next day. You will need to warm / reheat these buns before serving since they firm up quite a bit in the fridge.

*Process pics..

Mint Matcha Green Tea Latte.

November 24, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

This warm and frothy, pastel green, Mint Matcha Latte will warm you up from the inside out. After one cool minty sip you will start to feel your body glow from the green tea Zenergy that comes with matcha beverages. There is a bit of caffeine in each serving of matcha, but you will not feel those shaky jitters like you may from coffee. (One teaspoon matcha powder has around 68mg caffeine, 8oz. coffee has around 100-200mg - 8oz. Starbucks coffee has about 160mg.)

Matcha powder is made by grinding up whole leaves of green tea. And most people describe the "Zenergy" from matcha as a slow and steady energy release. I find it is a feeling that is quite calming and centering. Skip the coffee or espresso latte and give this green tea beverage a try..

Frothy bliss with (optional) Dandies on top..

Over the summer, I acquired a great fondness for matcha green tea powder. Not only is matcha an excellent energizing substitute for coffee, but it is rich in free radical fighting, green tea antioxidants. And on warmer days, you will most likely find me squeezing a matcha smoothie somewhere into my busy workday. I add protein powder and make my smoothie into a meal. (And I'm SO addicted to that smoothie, I very often make it on COLD weather days too.) Brrr but YUM!

But now that the crisp, cool fall air has rushed in (and for many, the freezing cold air will soon follow) I wanted to put a warmed-up spin on my matcha beverage.

I am in love with the Moroccan Mint Latte at Urth Caffe here in Los Angeles. And though I have no idea what they use to make their beverage, this is my interpretation of it. And I added a little boost to my latte by adding a few vegan Dandies marshmallows too...

Green matcha. matcha bowl + whisk..

This latte had some soy whip on top instead of foam..

Some agave drizzled on top..

Mint Matcha Latte - vegan, serves 1-2

¾ cup non-dairy milk, vanilla*
¾ cup water
1 teaspoon matcha green tea powder
1-3 teaspoon agave syrup (or to taste)
MINT: (3 options) about 3 drops of peppermint extract, organic OR 1 peppermint tea bag OR 1 large sprig of fresh mint **

foam: ⅓ cup non-dairy milk + ¼ teaspoon matcha + drizzle of agave

*I really like vanilla Soy Dream. I have found that almond milk is the next best thing to soy milk for creaminess.

**you could also use sweetened mint syrup (if you do this, omit any additional sweeteners.

Directions:

1. Heat the water in a small sauce pot, until just before boiling. Add your "mint" to the water. If this is via tea or fresh mint, allow to steep and sit for at least a minute. If using a peppermint extract, you do not need to wait at all. Remove the tea bag or mint sprig before proceeding to the next step.

2. You can pour the minted water into your serving mug or glass - or keep in the pot (either way works.) Add the matcha to the water and begin whisking briskly. Use a bamboo matcha whisk if you have one. This helps to prevent clumping. (A basic spoon or fork works too.) Once the matcha has mostly dissolved in the water, it should be a bright dark green color with a few clumps most likely. TIP: try using a sifter to add the matcha as you stir, to lessen clumping.

3. Heat your non-dairy milk. Bring to a boil either via your stovetop or microwave. Add the steamy hot non-dairy milk to your serving glass - mixing with the matcha water.

4. Stir in the agave syrup to sweeten. Stevia, maple syrup or organic sugar can also be used.

5. Lastly, create your green foam. You will need some sort of milk foaming device to do this. I just use my BonJour Caffe Milk Frother. It works VERY well to make a small amount of foam. Adding a pinch of matcha powder turns the foam green.

6. Serve with foam on top, and optional vegan marshmallows, vegan whipped cream and agave drizzle on top! Serve in one very large mug or two average sized mugs.

dreamy...