Company Cookies.

July 13, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

These moist and chewy Cinnamon Spice Orange Zest Company Cookies are quite a treat for you and your guests. Plus baking these cheerful cookies makes the whole house smell like a cozy, warm hug. Expecting summer guests or simply want to make your house ooze with comfort? Make these cookies and show everyone who nibbles them that you are glad they came...

Cozy Home Cookies. Breathe in vanilla, citrus, cinnamon, clove and ginger. Dreamy, sweet and comforting. These cookies kind of melt in your mouth. Perfect with tea or coffee. Mine are gluten-free - but you can play around with subbing with your favorite flour.

I'm expecting company this weekend. Did you guess? Why else would I bake cookies in the middle of a summer "heatwave" - and even more extreme - reach to the back of my spice shelf and pull out the cinnamon and pumpkin pie spices. But these cookies deliver! They give me something cozy and cheerful to offer guests - and bonus.. They saturate my place with the aroma of home. Spice. And cookies.

And that divine scent of spices, vanilla and citrus hopefully creates some cozy-home appeal...

Cozy atmosphere accomplished .. kicked up paws...

Smells Like Home. My mom was a real estate agent when I was growing up. Once in a while I'd tag along with her to Sunday open houses. I'd watch her arrange the cheese and cracker platter, set up a stack of business cards and house flyers, dust the crevices of each bookshelf, adjust the lighting and schlep those heavy "Open House" signs all the way down the street to the corner where cars would hopefully drive by and follow the arrows to check out her listing.

California real estate in the nineties may not have been as splashy as BravoTV's Million Dollar Listing (love that show) .. but hey, the market was way better so I guess she didn't need all the glitzy bells and whistles anyways.

But my mom did have a few secrets up her sleeve to make her a top selling agent in coastal Northern Cali (Santa Cruz) where I grew up.

Secret #1. As I quietly followed my mom around with wide eyes, watching her prep for brokers, agents and buyers I'd watch little curious tricks. My favorite memory is when I spotted her pulling out a fresh bottle of vanilla extract. Baking cookies mom? Nope.

She tore off the cap and dumped about half the bottle in a pot - plus a few cups of water. She turned on the stove burner and let the liquid simmer for about a half hour. Letting the vanilla-y steam waft through the house like the ghost of freshly baked cookies past. Heaven. The aroma was heaven.

I must have looked at her crazily because I remember her explaining that this trick made the whole house smell like freshly baked cookies. Like home. Like cozy. Like "I want to buy this vanilla-scented dream house!"

Good trick. I still use it to this day if I need to made a room smell cozy (and don't have the time, space or tools to bake cookies) .. of course being me, I'd always rather just bake cookies...

Freshly baked cookies, piled high on a platter..

Watch them disappear..

Company Cookies: Orange Spice
vegan, makes 12-17 cookies depending on size

1 ½ cups white gluten free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill Sweet Sorghum flour)
*substitute with your favorite flour of desired .. wheat, spelt ..
*if using non-gluten free (heartier) flours you may want to add a splash more liquid.
¾ cup organic sugar (I used Florida Crystals)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or sub with ginger powder)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoon safflower oil (veg oil)
3 tablespoon water + 2 teaspoon flax seeds
½ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon orange zest + extra pinches for tops of cookies as desired

½ cup sugar for rolling the cookie dough balls in

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, spices, salt.

3. Soak flax seeds in water for a few minute - until gel forms a bit. Add in the soy milk. Add this milk + flax + water mixture to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend from low to high until the seeds become ground up and smashed. The liquid should be slightly gel-ish. (note: you can skip this step if you'd like - I added it because sometimes my guests don't like whole flax seeds showing up in their cookies.)

4. Pour the oil, flax mixture + the vanilla extract and sugar into the dry mixture. Fold until smooth. Fold in the orange zest - or add zest in pinches over top cookie dough balls if you'd prefer.

5. Place dough in the freezer for at least ten minutes - this step is optional but will allow you to form more perfect balls of dough for "prettier" cookies.

6. Scoop dough and shape into balls - roll the balls generously in your dry sugar mixture.

7. Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes - or until edges begin to crimp and brown. These cookies will firm up quite a bit as they cool. They become chewy yet stay moist.

Cool. Serve on a pretty platter for your guests. Accent cinnamon sticks are a nice touch.

Lets see that drowsy kitty again..

Sweet Potatoes. Baked. Stuffed. Over-Stuffed.

July 11, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 42 Comments

Sweet potatoes are pure bliss to me. Straight from the oven - all steamy, sticky and sweet - I'll gladly eat them as simple as can be.

Glam it Up. However, a plain sweet potato doesn't really count as a "meal" - so it usually gets served alongside other meal-type things like leafy salads, hearty veggies, tempeh, tofu, beans, grains. But what if instead of giving it side dish status, we made the potato the centerpiece of mealtime?..

Time to give the luscious baked sweet potato the treatment it deserves..

Sweet Potatoes. Baked. Stuffed. And over-stuffed.

Two recipes for you: Skinny Style. And Fully Loaded Style. So pop a sweet potato in the oven and stuff it in a flash!..

The canvas..

..and my edible art..

Tender kale salad, shiitake mushroom quinoa, spicy vegan refried beans, chipotle sauce and chopped chives - stuff this potato..

Any shape will work..

Stuffing or Re-Stuffing a Sweet Potato? Many "stuffed" or "loaded" sweet potato recipes I have seen online call for scooping and re-stuffing the potato flesh (usually after mashing it with some seasonings and accent ingredients or spices). Yummy, yes, but I prefer a more minimalist route.

To me, scooping and re-stuffing them seems unnecessary when that flesh is so darn delish all on its own. So instead, I have chosen to crack those golden babies open and simply load 'em up! No scooping, mashing and re-loading required.

Two recipes for you today:

1) Simple Stuffed. Skinny Style.
2) Over-Stuffed. Fully Loaded.

Simple Stuffed. Skinny Style..

Over-Stuffed...

Stuffings.. Today I used (among other fillings)..

Shiitake Mushroom Quinoa (quinoa + sauteed mushrooms):

Kale Salad (recipe below):

But really, you can stuff sweet potatoes with a very wide array of toppings..

Topping ideas:

* grains (quinoa, brown rice, barley, couscous..)
* beans (hummus, re-fried beans, whole beans..)
* chopped veggies
* seeds (hemp, sunflower, chia..)
* salsa
* salads
* plain soy yogurt or vegan sour cream
* dressings/dips/sauces galore (BBQ, vegan chipotle mayo..)
* Slaws, sauerkraut
* Tempeh bacon bits

And on and on..

Recipe One: Simple Stuffed. Skinny Style.

1 sweet potato, oven-baked/slit down middle
¾ cup plain soy yogurt
⅓ cup tomatoes, diced
sprinkle of chopped cilantro
chopped chives
a few dashes of chipotle spice
salt/pepper to taste

The simple-stuffed result..

Recipe Two: Over-Stuffed. Fully Loaded.

1 sweet potato, oven-baked/slit down middle
½ cup vegan refried beans (spicy flavor for me)
⅓ cup mushroom quinoa (basic quinoa tossed with sauteed shiitake mushrooms + optional nutritional yeast)
¼ cup marinated kale salad (recipe below)
2 tablespoon vegan chipotle sweet potato sauce (recipe below)
chopped chives
pepper to taste

Directions for stuffing potatoes: Simply pile on the toppings! Sticky or heavy items are best layered first. For the loaded potato I did beans, quinoa, salad, dressing, chives/pepper on top.

Kale Salad
2 cups kale, chopped
1 tomato, diced
2 tablespoon sliced almonds
2 scallions, chopped
tossed in Miso Dressing - recipe in this post

Chipotle Sweet Potato Sauce
1 tablespoon baked sweet potato (scoop from potato)
1 tablespoon vegan mayo (Vegenaise)
a few dashes chipotle powder
1 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
(thin out with a splash of liquid if desired - water, vinegar, oil works)

Dive into sweet potato comfort food..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up 7/9

July 9, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

Today's Meatless Monday Recipe Round-up via my posts over at Babble's Family Kitchen include .. 'wacky' banana hot dogs, a strawberry split, easy kale sweet potato soup, banana split-dillas and more. Start today and keep meatless going all week long!..

Yay! Meatless Monday round-ups are back. I took a few weeks off (for the book) but back to posting round-ups from my Babble.com posts!..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up - 7/9/12

* Strawberry Split Dessert Sundae
Who says bananas get to have all the fun? With so many seasonal strawberries right now, trade in your banana split for a strawberry split!

* Sweet Potato Kale Soup
And easy sweet potato soup accented with tender green kale!

* Banana Hot Dogs
This wacky idea gives you something yummy to do with any extra hot dog buns you may have this summer. Hot dog buns are the perfect fit for a banana. Add nut butter, fruit or whatever creative toppings you'd like!

* 2 ingredient Creamy Broccoli
Broccoli is nutritious and delicious. Rich in calcium, fiber, vitamins A, C and K, potassium and manganese - this is a super easy recipe to turn steamed or sauteed broccoli into a creamy, flavorful side dish in seconds!

* 5 Go-to Vegan Food Products for Kids
My sister recently confessed to me that she is trying to give a more meatless diet a chance for her family and two young kids. But then she said that she "still had chicken nuggets in the freezer.." I told her about Gardein and she had never even heard of it! So this list is for her - and anyone else looking to veganize a few popular go-to kid food products.

* Banana Split-dillas
Turn lunch into a healthy banana split-fest! Using sprouted grain tortillas, fresh fruit, soy yogurt, nut butter and maybe a tiny swirl of soy whip - just for fun.

* Sweet Potato Burgers with Avocado
My Meatless Monday favorite!..

Catch up on Healthy. Happy. Life. (recent recipes)

* Strawberry Avocado Pink Heart Salad

* Kale Avocado Chipotle Miso-Dipped Tempeh Salad + Wraps

* Sweet Potato Rice with Tofu

* Sweet Peach Balsamic Arugula Summer Salad

* Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake

* Gluten Free Matcha Banana Morning Muffins

* Happy Summer Recipe Round-Up

* Peanut Butter Banana Oat Pancakes + maple syrup drizzle

* Summer Bruschettas: Lime Citrus Peach and Balsamic Tomato

Finding Vegan Updates! Have you checkout the NEW look of my site FindingVegan.com? The post page now has easy share options, blogger gallery access, "heart" stats and more!! -> More inspiration: Find vegan... FindingVegan.com

About my Meatless Monday round-ups: Every other week (or so) I link to my recent posts over at Babble.com so that you don't miss out on any of my recipes. These round-ups are a great way to find inspiration for a Meatless Monday.

Browse my HHL Recipe Index for many more vegan, meatless recipes!

For more "get healthy" inspiration check out this year's Veggie Girl Power Series. And catch-up on past interviews here: 2009 and 2010 and 2009 quotes.

Strawberries + Avocado: Pink Heart Salad.

July 7, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

I recently fell in love with the combination of avocado and strawberries. These two popular ingredients - easy to enjoy on their own - pair quite deliciously together. The bright, perky-sweet flavor of juicy berries bouncing off the cool, tender, oily flesh of the green avocado. I have paired the two in pitas, over top garlic hummus-spread toast, and over top salads. Today I feature them in a salad I obviously really LOVE...

LOVEing Avocado + Strawberries..

Pink Heart. And to showcase the simple beauty of this pairing, I dolled up a salad. This Pink Heart Salad combines berries + cado, over top a fluffy bed of bright pink-toned Micro Red Amaranth. A simple, light, sweet lemon dressing over top, accents of red onion and tomato.

Micro Greens. So soft, silky and perky with flavor - I often crave micro greens. They not only make a dish very visually appealing, but they are loaded with nutrients. I buy mine from Whole Foods or TJs. If you don't have micro greens - a great PINK sub would be grated beets, shredded red cabbage or grated radishes!

I used Micro Arugula in my tofu-topped Spring is in the Air Salad.

Some info from MicroSalad.com: "Micro greens are edible plants that originate from the seeds of herbs, vegetables and other plants. Unlike sprouts, micro greens deliver a wide range of powerful, developed flavors. The concentrated vitamins, nutrients and proteins packed into these tiny plants make them a perfect addition to any healthy diet."

I usually use them as an accent ingredient, but this heart-shaped salad was a fun creation using the power of pink.

So give strawberries + avocado a try! You can try the combo in this recipe, or slice over top your fave salad or open-faced sandwich recipe.

Pink Heart Salad: Strawberries + Avocado
makes 2 salads

2-4 organic strawberries, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
1 cup red amaranth micro greens (or another veggie base)
¼ cup tomato, diced
¼ cup red onion, sliced
optional: for a heartier salad add this salad over top another layer of greens - arugula or spinach would be nice.

simple sweet citrus dressing:
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon grape seed oil
black pepper + salt to taste

Arrange: Add a bed of micro greens. Then the avocado and berries. Add the tomato and red onion as accents around the plate. Drizzle everything with dressing and additional pepper.

Kale Avocado Wraps w/ Spicy Miso-Dipped Tempeh.

July 2, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 58 Comments

This recipe post is like a 3-in-1 bonanza of deliciousness. First up, my raw kale salad + easy white miso dressing. Then my miso-dipped chipotle tempeh logs, Then finally, my recipe for Tempeh-Kale-Avocado Wraps - which merges all the vegan yum into one bite. I used sprouted grain tortillas - which were surprisingly easy to handle even though they were not my usual extra large wrap size - warming them makes them pliable and easy to shape and seal.

This feast was our make-ahead Sunday dinner and even my husband who usually prefers more 'crunchy' style salads - was loving the chilled, marinated raw kale. And the chipotle-spicy tempeh wraps were hearty yet light - perfect for summertime eating.

The best part is that I was able to make this meal in advance (Sunday morning) - so dinner was as easy as pulling dishes from the fridge! The kale salad + tempeh would also be delish in a jar. Yup, it has been a while since I have posted a tempeh wrap (one of my fave things) here we go. Get my recipes!..

Salad style - pre-wrapped version..

Or wrap things up..

OK, so we have a lot of recipe ground to cover in this post so there won't be much personal chatter here today. If you want a more leisurely stroll through my thoughts - check out my whirlwind travel post and my "Dulles" travel reflection. But today, it it all about these fabulous summer-approved slew of recipes!..

Miso-Dipped..

Cool-water plunged kale..

Into the warmed wrap it all goes..

Or enjoy it salad style..

Sprouted Grain Organic Tortillas. Just warm, fill and fold...

My inspiration came from a craving for white miso, raw kale and a hint of chipotle spice.

Shopping list (you probably already have some of these..):

* one bunch kale
* white miso paste
* apple cider vinegar
* agave syrup or maple syrup
* chipotle powder
* tortilla wraps (try sprouted grain!)
* tempeh
* avocado + tomato + red onion
* healthy fat oil (optional)

The Recipes:

1) Miso Dressing
2) Miso-Dipped Chipotle Tempeh Logs
3) Raw Kale Salad
4) The Wrap (or you can do a tortilla-less version and serve in a bowl)

Let us get to it! (ps I hope you are all having a great July so far! And I hope you heat-wave folks are chugging plenty of watermelon frosties.)

Recipe 1: Easy White Miso Dressing

3 tablespoon white miso paste (fridge section - tub)
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoon agave or maple syrup (I like to use 1 tablespoon of each)
a few dashes black pepper
1-2 tablespoon your favorite healthy-fat oil (light version: sub added oil with water!)
(optional) 1 teaspoon tahini (adds a nutty flavor and added richness)

Directions: Briskly stir until smooth. This dressing will be used for the salad and for the tempeh. Note that miso paste is quite salty and that is

Recipe 2: Miso-Dipped Tempeh Logs

1 package tempeh, sliced into 8 logs.
tiny drizzle of oil for saute pan
chipotle powder
black pepper
Miso Dressing (recipe above)
(optionsl: try a few drops vegan liquid smoke too!)

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in your saute pan.
2. Dip about half the tempeh log into miso dressing - it should coat it nicely. (If your dressing is too thin, try adding in another spoonful of miso paste)
3. Lay dipped tampeh logs on hot pan - then sprinkle each log with a few dashes of chipotle powder and black pepper - allow logs to cook for about a minute on each side - or until all sides are caramelized and browned. Do not overly-blacken tempeh as this will burnt he delicate flavors.
4. Remove from pan - transfer to plate and set aside to cool for use in wraps or salads.

Recipe 3: Raw Kale Salad

1 bunch kale (I used purple kale)
2-3 tablespoon white miso dressing (above)
½ cup red onion, thinly sliced

toppers:
1 tomato, diced or thinly sliced
avocado, thinly sliced or diced

Directions:

1. Remove kale leaves from thick stems and chop into small pieces.
2. Wash kale well. My process: I rinse the kale in warm-hot water. Then immedietly rinse in very cold water + a cup of ice cubes. Then I drain the water and sither spin the leaves dry or pat with a paper towel.
3. Transfer washed/dried kale to large bowl and toss with the dressing and onions. You can add in other fridge-friendly veggies like carrots, cucumber, celery, radishes and many more.
4. Fold in tomatoes and avocado or add as toppings later.
Use salad in wraps, serve or store covered int he fridge until ready to serve. Note: if storing kale salad in the fridge you want to use a minimal amount of dressing so that you do not make the texture soggy. About 1-2 tablespoon should be enough to lightly wet your kale leaves.

Now lets put it all together!...

Recipe 4: Full Service Wrap or Salad

Wraps (per large wrap):
½ cup kale salad
2-3 slices avocado
1-3 slices tomato
1-2 tempeh logs
1 sprouted grain tortilla wrap (or another variety)

Wrap and serve or store in the fridge until ready to serve. You can serve stored wraps chilled or warm in the oven before serving.

If making salad: add same ingredients to bowl instead of tortillas (add more for larger salads!)

Enjoy!!!

More pics...

oh kale, I love you..

miso-dipped logs - delicious eaten on their own too!..

Serve a hungry family for a vegan wrap feast..

Summer Comfort Food Recipes + Whirlwind Travel.

June 27, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

How fitting that I post a few summer-perfect, comfort food recipes like my Sweet Potato Rice and Balsamic Peach Avo-Arugula Salad amidst a work+play whirlwind trip - I'm coated in jetlag and busy day fatigue, as I type.

..Right now, all I really want to do is close my computer - and exit the trenches of manuscript editing - pull on some PJs, grab a bowl of comfort food and sink into a book on my iPad or even an evening of mindless TV - husband and kitty cat by my side. Then slowly let a cool window breeze waft over my face as I surrender to the woozy intoxication of dreamland. Sigh. But I'm glad to procrastinate a little and write this post. Get my recipes and my red eye travel reflection ahead..

Travel reflections + dinner date + summer comfort food .. my kind of post..

(pardon the poor lighting + cell pic) .. Travel highlight .. meeting up with my blogger BFF Gena - choosing raw - Gena and I seem to always end up at Le Pain Quotidien. This time with twin watermelon coolers + lentil salads..

(my red eye travel reflection below the recipes..)

Sweet Potato Rice. Perfect for summer because I love it chilled! Warm is yum too.

Cozy up. first two recipes...

Sweet Potato Rice. I am addicted to these little containers of "Pumpin Rice" I find at Whole Foods (I've only seen them in the LA area.) The ingredients look pretty simple - pumpkin, brown rice, maple syrup, salt, garlic, grilled tofu. So I decided to try a homemade spin on this dish using sweet potatoes and steamed tofu..

Sweet Potato Rice with Tofu

1 medium sweet potato, oven-baked and cubed
3 cups cooked brown rice, short grain
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1-3 tablespoon maple syrup
1 cup firm tofu, cubed (baked, sauteed, steamed or grilled)
salt/pepper to taste

top with chopped nuts or hemp seeds if desired (optional)

Directions: Once preparing all the components the assembly is pretty simple. Fold the garlic powder and maple syrup into the rice. Fold in half the sweet potato cubes so that they mash into the rice - turning it a sticky gold color. Then gently fold in the tofu and remaining cubes - salt and pepper to taste. Easy.

And easy to modify.. add in flavors and accents like Cajun spice, chopped onions, garlic hummus (for extra creamy rice), nutritional yeast, tahini, chopped kale and more. Really awesome for a easy make-ahead meal. Serve warm or cold.

This farmer's market inspired salad kind of invented itself. Summer peaches, aged balsamic...

Balsamic Peach Avo-Arugula Salad

6 cups arugula (big bowl)
1 large peach, sliced
1 avocado, sliced
2-3 tablespoon balsamic, drizzled
Walnut oil - drizzled to taste (or another oil - optional)
scattered rings of sweet onion
handful raw pistachios
spicy seasoned salt+pepper

Assemble, toss and serve! I have made this salad several times this summer. It tastes AMAZING paired with BBQ (sauce) -slathered tofu or tempeh .. FYI.

Travel Reflection.

I think everyone needs a whirlwind trip once in a while. To allow us to reflect on our place in this world (both geographically and soulfully speaking). They give us a little shake up, in the way we perceive our surroundings. Coming "home" after a journey can make the light change. Everyday things appear new and strange for the first few moments of your arrival. And analysis of your emotions likely follows. Sometimes you appreciate your everyday surroundings - and people - and pets - a little more. And sometimes you can be awakened to realize that you need a change.

DULLES. I had optimistically booked my red eye flight. Bound east to DC. But after five gray hours of clumsy sleep and aching limbs, I had seen enough of sleepover flight travel. As the local DC time pressed towards 6am, a sleepy flight attendant spoke through a piercing in-cabin speakerphone to announce our impending arrival. With a hazy mood and frazzled ponytail, I squinted in annoyance. My eyelids weakly opened as I peered outside at the bashful periwinkle horizon. My senses felt like they were drifting somewhere between moderately awake and dreamland.

The only saving grace to my red eye hangover was watching the sunrise. The sky melted from purple to pink and my eyes searched for the sun. Suddenly a glowing tangerine globe peeked over a milky horizon. I stared at it for a long moment, taking in its swelling colors of citrus. Then my eyes turned sleepy from the neon glow and I pulled down my window screen - just enough to block the glare, but so that I could still see the playful echo of colors. Cotton candy pink and summer orange rays bounced off the foggy, plastic window as the plane descended towards fuzzy patches of green and dirt brown - a few silver lakes and ponds in between.

Exiting the plane I felt like I was stumbling out of a night club at 3am. Only it wasn't three. It was 6am local time and the DC locals were becoming more "bright eyed" at every clock tick. I felt very behind on 'rising and shining' - because I never had my 'good night' sleep. Hm, I sighed at my scattered thoughts, trying to avoid inner chatter with my sleepy brain - and waltzed forward to find the taxi spot.

I picked up my pace as I glided through the shiny-floored Dulles airport terminal, glowering at the white brassy lights overhead. I had to do a double take when I saw a line of customers at Chipotle. I couldn't fathom why anyone would want a burrito at 6am. New breakfast bowls maybe? I followed the green and yellow signs to ground transportation, double checking my route with each pass of a new sign - like a cautious tourist.

I hustled down the silver escalator to catch the already crowded terminal-to-terminal shuttle train. I stared at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the other somewhat dazed travelers - waiting for the subway-like doors to close. Flashbacks of NYC subways flooded my brain. Then I recalled the last time I was at this airport - taking this shuttle - forced to mingle closely with other travelers for a short minute, face to face across the wide car. Last time, I was toting a wide black cat carrier with my kitty Nelly inside. We were bound for LA. And everyone at the airport seemed to stop with wide eyes and peer into my cat bag to see the fuzzy creature. Nelly, an unambitious (she likes things cozy) house-cat, hesitantly peered back, curious and shocked at the flurry of new faces.

Whoosh. The sliding train doors opened just as I smiled to myself at my Nelly memory. Another escalator. More long, quiet, echoing walkways lit by garish lighting. I shuffled down the last slate-colored walkway, and out the sliding glass doors to greet the fresh morning air - and the very nearest vacant taxi cab.

My taxi hailing prowess that I picked up living in NYC kicked in, and I spotted, hailed and poured myself into a cab in one quick swoop. The cabbie was friendly. Chattering about the break in the weather and my luck of that. The day would be beautiful, he said, a cool 80 degrees at most. I replied with a smile in my voice, faking enthusiasm for a few minutes of his words. It exhausted me. So I slumped down and pulled my cell from my bag and focused on fuzzy headlines and unimportant subjects in my bold-font cluttered email inbox. I didn't read any of it. I just let my eyes glaze over as I mentally prepared myself for the first day of my whirlwind.

Get more vegan summertime recipes (lots more!) here.

My Secret-Ingredient Matcha Shake .. Obsession.

June 24, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 68 Comments

I'm kind of addicted to this tall, frosty, pastel green matcha shake. It has become my morning ritual, my afternoon craving and my "makes everything all better" blend.

I drink it for energy, focus, hydration and calm. It fills me up and sends me clear into whatever project for the day I have in mind. I think it is my official "smoothie book writing" blend - I can thank it for fueling me through my long hours of editing photos, typing ingredients and tallying nutritional content.

And yes, it has a secret ingredient that makes it better, more delightful (and more addictive) than any other matcha smoothie I have tasted! ps - the shake is even delicious WITHOUT adding matcha...

See the 2.0 post here: Matcha Shake 2.0

I make many matcha shakes...

And one more via crappy cell pic..

Why Matcha? Learn all about my obsession with it - and why it is so great + my matcha muffins recipe here.

secret ingredient: frozen watermelon

Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake
serves 1-2

1 large banana, frozen
1 ¼ cups watermelon, frozen
¾ -1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon chia seeds (optional)
½ - 1 teaspoon matcha powder*

*the matcha is actually optional. The watermelon-soy-banana shake on its own is quite fantastic.

calories: 276, fat: 5g, protein: 9g, fiber: 7g Rich in vitamins A and C and calcium.

Blend until frosty smooth.

This is a thick blend so use a plunger to get things moving.
If you have a weaker blender, adding a few more splashes of soy milk may help.

Switcheroo. If you'd like you can flip flop the amounts for melon vs. banana - and use 1 ½ frozen bananas + about 1 cup frozen watermelon. This will produce a creamier shake - even more like a "milkshake"

I seriously can't even describe how much I love this smoothie. You just have to try it. There is something about the watermelon that makes it frosty - and when blended with the creamy banana and soy it takes on the texture of an ice cream milkshake.

I tried subbing the watermelon for strawberries one day and it just didn't have the same effect.

No matcha? ..yes, you can actually remove the matcha if need be and just enjoy as a creamy watermelon-banana shake.

Back to smoothie book writing for me! Hope you are all having a fabulous weekend. Nelly sure is..

Matcha Morning Muffins. Gluten-Free.

June 22, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 28 Comments

I've been wanting to experiment with baking matcha muffins / loaf for a while now and finally gave it a whirl this morning. Fridays are my favorite time for baking so that I can post a recipe in time for YOUR weekend mornings. Last week I did peanut butter pancakes.

Today's fluffy, moist, freshly baked treat: gluten-free Matcha Morning Muffins - accented with ginger spice, banana, green California pistachios, vanilla and orange citrus juice - or non-dairy milk - whichever you'd prefer. I tried these muffins both fat free and with a splash of safflower oil - both ways were taste-test approved by my husband (who ironically hates all things tea - but loves all things muffins).

Plus get my Matcha 101 facts and info - a quickie smoothie recipe (or try my Secret Ingredient Matcha Shake recipe) - and how I ended up with three bottles of matcha...

I love matcha in smoothies & now in muffins!..

$50 30g jar of organic matcha, American Tea Room

muffins... (no oil added, gf, vegan)

or loaf (I added some safflower oil to the loaf)..

Matcha Morning Muffins or Loaf
makes 12 muffins or 1 loaf or 1 mini loaf + 6 muffins, vegan, gluten-free

1 ⅓ cups gluten-free sweet sorghum white flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1 tablespoon organic matcha green tea powder (*)
2-3 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoon organic sugar (Florida Crystals)
2 bananas, mashed
1 cup orange juice (*see notes for non-dairy milk sub)
2 teaspoon flax seeds
2 teaspoon ginger powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-2 tablespoon safflower oil (optional)
2 tablespoon pistachios (optional)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Notes:
* If you want to sub in soy milk for orange juice (gives a smoother, vanilla-ish flavor) you will want to add in a few extra tablespoons of sugar to account for the natural sweetness of citrus.
* I used 1 ½ tablespoon matcha powder, but only do that if you like a stronger tea flavor.
* Also note - I did not use the super spensive matcha for muffins .. I only use that in beverage form 🙂

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine all dry ingredients.
2. Stir flax seeds into liquid - allow to sit a few minutes.
3. Mash bananas. Fold all wet ingredients into dry and stir until smooth.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes - or until edges look firmed. Loaf will take longer depending on size.
5. Cool a few minutes to allow muffins to set. Serve warm.

Nutrients per muffin (12 muffins per batch):
Calories: 107kcal, Fat: 1.4g, Carbs: 22g, Protein: 2.6g Fiber: 2.3g, Vita C: 20% RDA

matcha muffins or loaf..

Matcha 101

What is Matcha? Matcha is a green powder made from ground whole leaf green tea. So instead of soaking the leaves and drinking an infusion of tea - you are in a sense "eating" or consuming the entire leaf of green tea. In turn, you are getting more antioxidant benefits and the "high" from green tea caffeine is released in a more even distribution - as opposed to a quick caffeine jolt and soon followed crash of energy. Matcha is also known for creating a sense of focus, calm - aka ZEN mood.

My Recent Matcha Obsession. In the past two weeks I've bought three different jars of matcha. Let me explain...

my three matcha jars...

I didn't buy them out of need - a bottle of matcha takes a good while to consume - but I was more so 'sold' on them. The first tiny jar was from Whole Foods - maeda-en brand. This was the tiniest and cheapest jar I could find - since I was trying matcha for the first time and didn't know if I would even like it.

Turns out, I love it! I went through most of that first jar very quickly. Then as I researched matcha I found that the benefits were plentiful and I'll admit to having sticker shock from some of the prices I found. An average price for 30g or organic matcha seems to be around $20-$30.

At Whole Foods, I found my second jar of matcha - made by The Republic of Tea - which was 43 grams at around $26. But then I realized that I was not buying organic matcha and that didn't sit well with me since green tea is such a delicate plant. So I sought out to find some high quality organic matcha - and I found myself at the American Tea Room in Beverly Hills with a salesman who is even more of a matcha-lover than me and drinks it everyday - sometimes twice a day. But I was pleased to meet him since he gave me some very interesting info...

From my chat with the salesman at American Tea Room, I learned that high quality matcha "is a art form - much like a fine bottle of champagne." Of course he was trying to sell me a $50, 30g jar of matcha at the time. Hmm..

No really, I actually do have oodles of respect for this 800 year old tradition of matcha. In fact I even caved and bought the $50 jar because it smelled so darn fabulous - and sitting next to the $170 jar of 30g matcha - it seemed like a deal.

Plus, the salesman confessed to me that he had tried both the $50 and $170 30g jars and they were about equal in flavor quality. The price difference came from how the matcha was made - the more expensive jar being painstakingly crafted in very small batches by Buddhist Monks - all according to the ancient traditions.

Are you following me?

Or did I lose you at the $170 jar of matcha?

My husband gave me a serious dose of evil eye when I grinned a wide smile, snatched a $50 jar and set it by the register for purchase. I've been blaming a lot of my super food purchases lately on my "smoothie book ingredient needs" but this one seemed a little far fetched for that - so I just followed my mother's advice "when in doubt - smile!"

I don't always splurge like that. And trust me, it was the fact that the American Tea Room was offering 15% off all purchases for father's day weekend that pushed me over the edge to buy it. If not for that, I wouldn't have caved so easily on my impulse purchase. But I must say that the American Tea Room matcha is pretty fantastic. Amazing, really. And as small as 30g seems - it should last me a good month.

So why my recent matcha obsession? Well here are a few tidbits of info..

Matcha Info (source: American Tea Room factsheet)

* Matcha is the oldest variety of shade grown Japanese green tea ground into fine powder - matcha has been a part of Zen Buddhist culture for over 800 years.

* By consuming green tea in the for of matcha - as opposed to drinking it - you are consuming 10 to 15 times more nutrients.

* Matcha is granite ground and is best when organic (for obvious pro-organic reasons like pesticides and earth-friendly status.) Granite ground teas contain the highest concentration of antioxidants compared to even fruits and vegetables.

* one gram of matcha has an ORAC (oxygen radical absorption capacity) of 1384. In comparison, one gram of spinach: 27, cranberries: 95, gojiberries: 253, dark chocolate: 227, blackberries: 54...

* Matcha green tea is the healthiest natural beverage known to mankind thus far .

..whoa, hold your horses ATR, that last statement is a little extreme - but I won't rule it out as a possibility. I'd call it a toss up between coconut water, pure spring or mineral water and then also maybe this amazing matcha stuff.

If you are still skeptical (like i was) just try it and see how it makes you feel. I've become addicted to my matcha high and enjoy it both dissolved in warmish (almost boiling) spring water - and also in smoothies.

Basic matcha smoothie: (many more in my 365 smoothie book!)

1 ½ bananas, frozen
¾ cup soy milk (vanilla flavor or add a squeeze of agave syrup)
1 teaspoon matcha
¼ cup ice (optional)
(I like 1 teaspoon chia seeds added too)

Matcha Nutrients Note: I asked the ATR man if matcha is effective in smoothies and baked gods. He seemed to think that 'tea' form is best and the most widely studied - but smoothies could also be good. We both agreed that baking probably destroys some of the nutrients - but I honestly don't know for sure. Any matcha experts have some insight on this??

Happy Summer! Recipe Round-Up.

June 20, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

It is 6AM Los Angeles time - first day of summer - I am watching a citrus orange sun creep over the dusty blue horizon, creating patches of pink and gold across a hazy sky. Fresh green leaves sit on the trees and pastel pink and periwinkle spring blooms still accent the garden in velvet patches. Summer is here and I couldn't be more excited.

SummerThyme Hummus, Summer Sorbets, Cool Cucumber Tartines - Watermelon Frosties - I'm ready! Here are a few of my favorite vegan summertime recipes and an update on my smoothie book writing process!..

First the eats... A few of my fave summertime recipes (more links below images)

Cali Tahini Sliders - Blackberry Pie - PB Shake - Tofu Feta Watermelon Salad:

Peach pie - Bagel-wiches - summer berries - arugula salad:

Summer Berry Cereal - Acai Smoothie - Farro Porridge - Wedge Goddess Salad:

Lazy Frescas - Tomato Salad - Potato Salad - Summer Rice Wraps:

Summer Bruschetta - Sweet Potato Burger - Peach Smoothie - Portobello Salad:

Sprout Sandwich - Ranch Dip - Zucchini Guac - Tomatoes:

Cole Slaw - Tofu Crunch - Quinoa Boat - Kiwi Basil Smoothie:

Kathy's Vegan Summer Recipe Round-Up

Sides:
* Lemon Summer-Thyme Hummus
* Summer Bruschettas: Citrus Peach Lime + Balsamic Summer Tomato
* Cool Creamy Vegan Ranch Dip
* Creamy Dill Potato Salad + wrap
* Sunny Asparagus Tapenade
* Pineapple Fried Quinoa - in a boat!
* Easy Tofu Crunch Salad
* Summer Zucchini Guacamole + Zucchini Appetizer
* Thick and Creamy Vegan Cole Slaw
* Sweet Chili Fridge Sliced Cucumbers + Tartine

Desserts:
* Summer Peach Pie + how-to crust video
* Summer Sorbets
* Fresh Blackberry Pie
* Banana Peanut Butter Shake

Salads:
* Tofu Feta Watermelon Basil Salad
* Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad + lemon
* Summer Wedge Salad + Green Goddess Dressing + Tempeh Bacon Bits
* Simple Summer Heirloom Tomato Salad
* Arugula + Mango + Avocado + Macadamia Nut Salad
* Caesar and Cobb and More Salads in a Jar

Smoothies + Drinks:
* Watermelon Frosty + video or my new chia seeded version
* Lazy Agua Frescas
* Kiwi Basil Smoothie
* Dark and Frosty Acai Smoothie
* Coconut Water Slushee

Light Entrees + Veggie Burgers:
* Spicy Vegan Chili Bean Burgers - red beans & rice
* Summer Rice Wrap Rolls with tofu + Asian slaw
* Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burgers + avocado
* Sprout-Lovers' Sandwich + citrus
* Tahini Rice Veggie Burger Sliders + Sunshine Carrot Slaw
* Sunny Mushroom Veggie Burgers
* Florida Avocado Summer Wrap
* Perfect Bagel-wich Lunch + Lemonade Strawberry Frosty
* Lemon Jalapeno Cashew Salad Sandwiches

Breakfast:
* Plum and Pluot Parfait
* Summer Berry Puffed Grain Bowl
* Chia Oats + Blueberry + Walnuts
* Strawberry Farro + Walnuts

Had to restrain myself from adding more to this list - but these are some of my favorites for summer. You can browse more recipes in my new visual recipe index!

What are YOU looking forward to making (and eating) most this summer??

Smoothie Book Update. The countdown is on. I am in the final days of writing my 365 Vegan Smoothies manuscript and I have to say I am finally feeling euphoric about this whole process. Sure, there were a few sketchy days where I found myself sobbing over my keyboard, wondering how I was only on recipe #100 of nutritional data calculations - 265 recipes in front of me. And days when my poor husband would come home from work and find me glaring at the computer screen muttering something to myself like, "This is hard! Do you know how many recipes 365 is?!" But my minor meltdowns ran their course and from what I've read via other bloggers-turn-cookbook-authors, my crazy-town mood swings are pretty much normal...

"I have heard it said that writing a cookbook is like being pregnant. You’ll eat tons of food, gain a minimal of 15 pounds, and find yourself consumed about the whole process from start to finish." - Alice of SavorySweetLife (who I had the pleasure of meeting at the Dole California Cook-off a few years back.)

And the Pioneer Woman's quote, after comparing cookbook-writing to childbirth.. "Wait. Are we talking about writing a cookbook? Or childbirth? Sometimes I get the two confused." She also says, "Someday I’m going to write a book about writing a cookbook. I wrote on Twitter one day that such a book would contain more suspense, tragedy, and drama than any epic literary work in history. And I still feel that way. Boy, did it mushroom into more of an undertaking than I ever thought it would be."

Luckily, my "cookbook" is really a smoothie book. So all the recipe testing weight-gain is actually smoothie-overload-bliss - and frazzlement of juggling recipes for breakfast-lunch-dinner and more is absent.

Actually instead of unwanted weight gain, aka the cookbook fifteen, I can happily say that during this process I have gained much in terms of wellness and strength! Testing smoothies (sometimes 5+ mini smoothies a day) actually fueled me with a sort of nutrition-infused energy like never before.

I can honestly say that smoothies have been a wellness cornerstone in my life for many years - and now this super smoothie infusion has basically proven to me why. I can't wait for you to read all about the wellness and joy to be had from starting a serious smoothie habit. Next spring/summer it will all be revealed.

Meanwhile, here is a glimpse into my writing process.. 🙂

..Everyone writing a book needs two things: a comfy pair of pajamas to wear until noon and a cozy kitty cat purring on your lap. And laptop.

But enough about me, lets get on with SUMMER!! My husband and I are dying to take a trip to hawaii this summer or early fall, but I'm looking for some advice on fave hotels, beaches, restaurants etc. Any ideas?

Any fun plans in store for YOU guys? I want to hear them ALL!!

Summer Entertaining: Citrus Peach & Balsamic Tomato Bruschettas.

June 18, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

It is easy to make appetizers an afterthought when hosting a summer party where the main course gets all your attention. Instead of pouring chips in a bowl and calling it a day, put some thought into your appetizers—your guests will thank you! I can’t tell you how many main courses I've forgotten from parties I've attended, but a platter filled with exciting and thoughtful appetizers always sticks in my memory. Bruschetta + Frosty party recipes ahead!..

summer peaches..

Bruschetta is one of my favorite summer appetizers. It is super-easy for me to prepare, but my wide variety of bruschetta toppings gives my guests enough variety. I love a traditional tomato, basil, garlic and onion bruschetta topping, but I get creative and top toasted bread with a variety of ingredients. Here are some bruschetta topping variations to try:

Diced Avocado + Lime + Cilantro + splash of EVOO = Guac Bruschetta
Diced Peaches + Diced Orange + Chili Salt + Lime Zest + splash of Walnut Oil = Summer Orchard Bruschetta (recipe below)
Butter Beans + Balsamic + Basil (lightly mashed together) = Balsamic Butter Bean
Mashed Sweet Potato + Maple Syrup + Cinnamon = Maple Sweet Potato Bruschetta
Diced Tomato + Diced Red Onion + Balsamic + Pepper = Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta (recipe below)
Diced Peach + Diced Apricot + EVOO + Orange Juice = Sweet Orchard Bruschetta
Diced Bell Pepper + Basil + Diced Tomato = Bell Basil Bruschetta

Those are just a few of the bruschetta possibilities! You can easily take your favorite summer produce and turn it into a creative bruschetta appetizer.

Bruschetta Recipes:

Balsamic Tomato Bruschetta
1 cup tomato, diced
½ cup red onion, diced
2 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
a few dashes of black pepper
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (optional)

Summer Orchard Bruschetta
1 cup peaches, diced
1 cup naval orange, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice + pinch of lime zest
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
chili salt to taste

Bread: Any variety of toasted bread works. Crusty French or sourdough is my favorite. You can toast or grill the bread rounds. Brush with EVOO before grilling if desired.

Directions: Toast/grill bread rounds and set aside. Toss the bruschetta ingredients together and pile on top of bread. Serve! Tip: You can make your bruschetta toppings ahead of time and allow to marinate overnight if needed.

Drinks: Blend a Frosty!

My favorite summertime beverage to pair with my bruschetta—especially on a hot summer evening—is a melon frosty. Melon frosties can be made using cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon or another favorite melon. You can even add alcohol, if you want.

Making a frosty is simple and quick. Remove the melon's flesh from its rind, chop it, and then freeze it in a plastic bag or freezer-friendly container until you're ready to use it. Then blend the frozen melon with a small amount of liquid and an optional banana for creaminess. The result is a super icy, refreshing beverage that your guests will rave about.

One thing to keep in mind when planning to serve frosties: they do need to be blended close to serving time—they will melt if left sitting around waiting for someone to grab them. You can store blended frosties in the freezer for up to 20 minutes before they start to get too frozen to serve. And left out, they should be consumed within 10 minutes of blending to prevent melting. If you are a very hands-on party host, you could simply blend frosties to order—you can even get your guests to help you out so they can pick up a fun smoothie technique to try at home.

My favorite frosties:
Watermelon Lime
Cantaloupe Ginger
Lemonade Honeydew

Drink Recipe:

Lemonade Honeydew Frosty
½ cup Lemonade
½ banana
3 cups honeydew cubes, frozen
1-2 tablespoon lime juice (optional)

Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth. This recipe is easiest with a high-speed blender. If you are using a basic blender, you may want to allow melon to thaw a bit before attempting to blend, or add more liquid if needed. Serve with a garnish of lavender and lime or lemon! Tip: Try infusing your lemonade with herbs like lavender!

Also check out last year's Summer Entertaining recipes + video I did with Gena!

This post is part of the BlogHer Summer Entertaining series, which includes 100 percent editorial content presented by a participating sponsor. Recipes/content by me. This post is sponsored by Home Depot and BlogHer.

Coconut Bundt Cake. Moist. Glazed. Vegan.

June 14, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 30 Comments

This is my first Bundt cake recipe post. Probably because until a few weeks ago I never owned a Bundt pan. And if there is one thing you do in fact need to make a proper Bundt cake - it is a Bundt cake pan.

My first Bundt cake: Vegan Coconut Bundt Cake with a glossy Coconut Glaze drizzled over top. Moist in texture with a spongy quality. Serve it warm and moist, the glaze shiny and wet - as shown in my photos. Or serve chilled and allow the cake to firm up, gaining rich body - the icing turning to sweet, opaque, snow-colored velvet - buttery in texture.

Now this whole Bundt cake thing feels a little 1950's-ish to me. Which is exactly why I kind of love it. And there is good reason for the retro mood a Bundt cake inspires...

In Awe of the Bundt Pan. Think about it, besides the ever-popular "cupcake" - what common baked good requires a very special pan in order to create it? Brownies and layer cakes can work in a wide variety of square or round baking vessels - and a nice multi-purpose bread loaf pan can make everything from banana bread to a sourdough sandwich loaf. But the Bundt pan is so unique - it is its own baking event really. And baking a Bundt cake inspires a retro, 1950's tea-time, celebratory, social vibe, for good reason..

History of the Bundt Cake/Pan. As much as it might seem that the Bundt pan was magically invented in the iconic American era known as "The 50's" - it wasn't. Well, sort've. The Bundt pan was trademarked in 1950 by H. David Dalquist, founder of Nordic Ware, based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The actual origins of a Bundt-style pan traces back to the other side of the world - Germany, Austria, and Hungary really. So what do you know, the infamous American Bundt Pan (like most of our ancestors) is an immigrant.

Actually the Bundt Pan/Cake frenzy was very ahead of its time. Like those silly-tastic cake pops, foods in-a-jar and green smoothies - the trend of "Bundt" was a sign of the times - and occurred via some crafty marketing mixed with some serious 1950's word-of-mouth appeal. You can thank 1950's women for giving this trend legs. This was the era of the Tupperware Party. Bundt cakes were another hot trend floating around the neighborhood social circles. I keep picturing scenes from Pleasantville and The Help.

I can just see it .. the "ladies who lunch" sipping tea and coffee in flowery pastel dresses, hair combed in rigid hair-sprayed outward loops - frosty pink lipstick on their excited mouths as they swapped Bundt cake recipes and bragged about how many slices of their signature Bundt recipe their husband's devoured after supper. Oh if only those ladies had Pinterest.

But since social media was still a half century away, we have to thank big business for igniting the Bundt cake frenzy. The trend was sparked when Pillsbury sponsored a Bundt Cake Cookoff - also around that time, a pound cake (which everyone already knew and loved) was cooked in a Bundt pan and placed in the pages of the Good Housekeeping Cookbook. Boom. Bundt was born in American culture.

(Bundt history via foodtimeline)

And the Bundt trend continues. My post is proof of that.

I must admit that there is something charming about a Bundt cake. The soft ridges in the cake, the signature doughnut shape, ideal for easy, uniform slicing. The appealing slim cake lines that allow glazed frosting to melt and curl over, swooping down in a shiny sugar puddle.

So enough Bundt chatter ladies (and fellas - yay to how times have changed in the kitchen), lets pop a Bundt in the oven, steep some tea, brew some black coffee, lay out our best linen tablecloth and turn up the The Chordettes version of Mister Sandman .. Bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung, bung.

Vegan Coconut Bundt Cake with Coconut Glaze
makes one Bundt with glaze

Cake:

dry:
3 cups organic white flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fine coconut flakes, unsweetened

wet:
1 cup organic sugar
¼ cup maple syrup
⅓ cup virgin coconut oil, softened
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups full fat coconut milk
½ cup water
2 tablespoon flax seeds + ½ cup water
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Coconut Glaze:
1 cup organic powdered sugar
½ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened
a few splashes of leftover coconut milk (or soy milk)
2-3 tablespoon virgin coconut oil, softened
1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
pinch of salt + a few drops vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease your Bundt pan with virgin coconut oil.
3. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
4. Briskly stir the flax seeds with the ½ cup water and set aside.
5. Gently beat the wet ingredients - all except the flax mixture and apple cider vinegar. You want your virgin coconut oil to be soft enough to smoothly blend into the other ingredients - all should be about room temperature.
6. Fold the flax mixture into the wet ingredients. Stir until smooth.
&. Fold the dry mixture into the wet. Until smooth. Then fold in the apple cider vinegar last - it is OK if it is chilled.
7. Pour mixture into Bundt pan.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes or until the top is bubbled and browned - use the toothpick test if needed.
9. Allow to cool a good 20 minutes before attempting to remove cake from pan. set aside to cool.
10. Beat together your coconut glaze. You can adjust the basic ingredients to suit however thin or thick you like your glaze. Note that since you are using coconut oil, the glaze will firm up when chilled - so it is OK if it seems watery or oily upon pouring over the Bundt cake.
11. Pour glaze over top cake. Serve warm and 'wet' or chill in the fridge and serve cool and buttery.

Happy Bundting! What is your favorite Bundt cake recipe?

Need a Bundt pan? -> Bundt Cake Pans

Summer "Seeded" Watermelon Frosty

June 12, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

Here is a super cute, super simple twist one of my favorite summer beverages - the Watermelon Frosty. Meet the "Seeded" Watermelon Frosty! The tip + watermelon frosty recipe variations..

My favorite frosty summer sip - my Lime Watermelon Frosty.

Seeded. I recently discovered a cute way to not only improve upon the nutrient profile of this frosty sip - but to make it look super cute for your summer parties... Make it look like a true "seeded" watermelon frosty simply by adding chia seeds!

Chia seeds are awesome because they add a nice amount of fiber, protein and omega fatty acids. They were even featured in the LA Times recently as a popular super food: Chia Seeds are Popular Again - this time for nutrition.

Chia Seed Nutrition. One tablespoon of chia seeds provides about 70 calories, 3g protein, 5g fiber and 5g of healthy fat - including omegas. Plus a nice dose of calcium and iron.

So easy...

1) Blend your frosty as usual. Recipe Here.
2) Fold in the chia seeds - I add about ½ teaspoon per serving glass. I sprinkled right over top and swirled into each glass individually.

Notes: Fold them in after blending - you can't blend the seeds with the frosty because they will break down - making them look less seedy and more grainy. But don't worry - these "seeds" are soft and bubbly since they plump up when they hit the melting frosty.

Allow the "seeded" frosty to sit for just a minute or so before consuming for more chia "plumping" action.

Nutrition Facts for Frosty. Per serving, my "seeded" frosty has about 134 calories, 2g fat, 3g protein, 5g fiber and 30g carbs. This frosty is rich in potassium and vitamins A, C and B6. One serving contains roughly: 1 cup watermelon, 1 teaspoon chia seeds, 1 teaspoon lime juice, 4 tablespoon coconut water, ½ banana

Watermelon Frosty Variations:

Base recipe: 2 cups frozen watermelon + coconut water or water as needed to blend + optional agave or maple syrup or ½-1 banana

Tweak the base recipe with these variations..

1) Watermelon Lime = 1-2 limes, juiced + ½ - 1 banana
2) Watermelon Banana = 2 bananas (1 fresh, 1 frozen)
3) Watermelon Berry = ½ cup fresh strawberries or raspberries
4) Seeded Watermelon Lime/Banana = ½ teaspoon chia seeds swirled into each glass + ½ bana + 1 lime
5) Watermelon Mint Lemon = 2 tablespoon mint, chopped + 1 lemon, squeezed
6) Watermelon Coconut = ½ cup coconut meat + 1 lime, juiced
7) Spicy Watermelon = a few dashes cayenne
8) Watermelon Orange = ½ cup fresh squeezed orange or 1 whole orange, peeled
9) Soothing Watermelon = 1 tablespoon chamomile flowers
10) Watermelon Grape = sub half the frozen watermelon with frozen green grapes

...and I'm sure you can think of a few more fun tweaks.

Get my Watermelon Frosty recipe here - plus I also did a video demo of this drink with my good friend Gena of ChoosingRaw.com (video viewable via recipe link.)

Cobb Salad. Caesar Salad. In a Jar. +Results!

June 8, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 39 Comments

Salad in a jar. Cobb. Caesar. I'm loving it. In my last post which introduced you to the idea - (thanks again to The Daily Muse for inspiring me!) - I described how I was a tad skeptical as to how these salads would hold up throughout the week - in terms of freshness, color and flavor. This past week I documented the salad-in-a-jar results. So ahead I'll show you how each salad delivered once I served it and a few things I discovered.

More Salads in a Jar! My imagination is running wild with ideas, but here are two of them.. Get my salad-in-a-jar recipes and results ahead!!..

I'm at it again..

Vegan Cobb Salad - kind of like the one I did here - but this time in a jar. My vegan Cobb in a jar is speckled with diced citrus, tempeh bacon bits, diced carrots, diced tomato and even some diced avocado tossed in lemon juice to preserve that bright green color.

Vegan Caesar. And then I also did a vegan-crouton infused, lemon-doused, vegan Parmesan-sprinkled Caesar Salad. My husband's fave.

Vegan Caesar In-a-Jar:

Vegan Cobb In-a-Jar:

New Salads!! Cobb and Caesar.

Cobb = Diced Carrots + Diced Onion + Diced Tomato + Diced Naval Orange + Diced Avocado + Lemon Circles (for avocado freshness) + Diced Lemon/White Miso-Marinated Tofu + Diced Tempeh Bacon
*dressing: apple cider vinegar + walnut oil + spices

Caesar = Yellow Heirloom Tomatoes + Romaine Lettuce + Vegan Parmesan + Vegan Croutons (optional: tofu or vegan chick'n cubes + diced onion)
*dressing: I used lemon juice and EVOO + spices at the bottom. You could also use a creamy vegan Caesar dressing.

The Salad-in-a-Jar Taste Test Results. Four days later and my salad still rocked. I think the photos say a lot so check those out first ('results' recipes shown in this post)..

Green Garden:

Quinoa Oasis + Vegenaise Toast:

Sunny Kale + vegan poppyseed dressing:

Butter Bean:

Now let me chat freshness and flavor. Flavor: Amazing! The veggies that were marinating in the bottom layer dressing totally intensified in flavor and pickled a bit. I had mostly onions, radishes, cucumbers, butter beans and tomatoes on that bottom "wet" layer and they all worked out perfectly. I think other good "wet" layer ingredients would be tofu cubes, citrus, cabbage and anything that does well sitting in an acidic liquid. Things like croutons, soft lettuces and greens, some nuts, tempeh or anything that doesn't do well "soggy" would not be a good "wet" layer ingredient.

As for the middle and top ingredients - again - flavor stayed lovely and fresh. The greens did dry out a bit but that was quickly remedied when I shook the jar and dispersed the dressing (oil/vinegar/spices.) And the last thing I found is that I really preferred to pour the "shaken" salad out into a bowl. You could easily eat it out of the jar (with a long fork!) but since I was at home and had access to a bowl I liked to pour. Obviously if these salads are for a picnic, at work or school you could eat straight from the jar and look pretty cute doing it.

So yes, they were successful!..

More Salad-licious Cobb/Caesar Photos..

How are YOUR salads-in-a-jar coming along??

Citrus Daiquiri. Fiesta Sip.

June 8, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

This frosty cool Citrus Daiquiri is lime-accented, salt-rimmed, pure frozen bliss.. or is it a Margarita? I guess it depends what shot of alcohol you use, right? I'm not a bartender. But I know this sip will inspire a fiesta for sure. Fresh orange juice makes it divinely juicy in flavor..

Inspired Daiquiri . I was staring at my bowl of Valencia juicing oranges and wanted to try a freshly squeezed juice daiquiri with them.

The flavors of this daiquiri are light and fresh – creamy and smooth. The lime-scented undertones accent the light sweet orange flavors perfectly. A scoop of frozen pineapple adds the perfect hint of zing.

Frozen Drink Tip! Instead of plain water ice cubes, try freezing juice into cubes for extra flavor. Or you can even freeze coconut water ice cubes for a subtle tropical flavor – and plenty of healthy electrolytes.

The best part about creating a daiquiri is that there are really no rules! You can use a wide variety of juices and fresh fruits – frozen too. Guava. Banana. Kiwi. Pineapple. Apple. Watermelon. Papaya. Coconut. Strawberry. Blueberry. Lime. Grapefruit. And on and on.. Blend up your craving. The only rule: no “margarita mix” allowed.

Fresh Orange Banana Lime Daiquiri
serves two

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 ripe bananas, frozen
2 limes, squeezed
½ cup frozen peaches OR mango
½ cup frozen pineapple
¾ cup ice (or use juice ice cubes for even more flavor)
pinch salt
2 teaspoon agave syrup (opt’l)
3 shots gold tequila (to make virgin, sub with more fruit juice)

Directions: Blend. Pour. Salt glass rims (optional) serve with a lime-slice garnish.

Serve alongside superfood tacos!

Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty

June 6, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

This Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty is smooth and arctic with vibrant lime and lemon citrus flavors swirling with mellow lavender, creamy frozen honeydew melon and a hint of banana.

Lovely Lavender. I picked up a bunch of organic lavender at the farmer's market last weekend, not really knowing how I was going to use it - of course the idea of lifting those purple buds to my nose and taking a strong whiff whenever I need some instant relaxation-inducing aromatherapy was reason enough for me to buy it.

Then yesterday I spotted this amazing hot pink-colored, summer-perfect lavender lemonade on Tastespotting and clicked over to check out the recipe. Perfect! But I didn't stop there. I have been making myself melon frosties in the morning lately with either honeydew, cantaloupe or watermelon - and infusing some of my soothing lavender lemonade into my latest recipe seemed like a simply fantastic idea. Get the recipe!..

First I had to make the lavender lemonade - I put my own spin on it by making a few tweaks. I used UseRealButter.com's basic recipe as a guide. Funny enough, she noted Native Foods as her inspiration (I also love NF's Lavender Lemonade, so I knew I'd love this recipe.)

Flavor. The lavender essence is very mild - not perfume-y like you might imagine it to be. The citrus and sugar really overpowers the lavender - in a good way. The result is a truely unique and relxing lemonade-inspired summer beverage.

Want More Flower Power? Try steeping chamomile buds too for an added relaxation effect!

Here is my tweak of the recipe using half maple syrup and half sugar. You could use all sugar, all maple or all agave syrup - it all depend what you like. You could even experiment with using stevia for a very low-cal beverage.

I also tweaked it by using half lemon juice and half lime juice.

I should note that my drink didn't turn out as brilliantly PINK as hers did. Not really sure why. It may be because I did leave in a few of the green stems as I boiled.

I also halved the recipe.

Lavender Lime-Lemonade (adapted from UseRealButter)

3 tablespoon culinary lavender buds*
1 cup boiling water
2 tablespoon organic sugar
2-3 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
½ cup fresh lemon juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
+ a pinch of lime or lemon zest if desired
1 cup chilled water
1 cup ice

*NOTE: Do not consume lavender unless you know that it is organic and is for "culinary" use.

"Coconut Water Version" - replace the 1 cup of chilled water + 1 cup of ice with coconut water and/or coconut water ice cubes! You will be able to reduce the total amount of sugar since coconut water is naturally sweet. This version has extra electrolytes and minerals like potassium, magnesium and manganese! I will probably make this version next time.

To Make:

Steep lavender buds in boiling water for 10-15 minutes.
Strain buds from water.
Briskly stir in sweetener until dissolved.
Stir in chilled water and ice for fast cooling.
Note: when sweetening add a little at a time and taste test until it reaches the sweetness you prefer.
Stir in or steep zest if desired.

Lavender.. for a pinker lemonade be sure to pluck out all those stems (unlike what I did - leaving a few in)

Yet to add in the citrus juice and added water..

Now onto the frosty recipe...

Lavender-Lemonade Honeydew Frosty
serves 1-2

½ cup Lavender Lime-Lemonade (above recipe)
½ banana (optional for a hint of creaminess - could also be a frozen banana)
3 cups honeydew cubes, frozen

Add all ingredients to blender and blend from low to high until smooth. You will probably want to use your plunger wand if you have a Vitamix - have you entered my giveaway yet? The hard melon blends best in a high speed blender. If you are using a basic blender, you may want to allow melon to thaw a bit before attempting to blend. Or add more liquid.

Serve with a garnish of lavender and lime or lemon!

Add-ins:

* Chia seeds (for an all around nutritional boost - omegas, protein and more)
* Mint (would be a nice cooling accent! Blend 1 tablespoon chopped mint leaves in with the frosty)
* Aloe Vera Juice (extra soothing - add 1 tablespoon to the frosty blend)

Vegan Salad in a Jar. Make-Ahead Bliss.

June 4, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 65 Comments

Salad. In a jar. I totally get this one.

A while back (and maybe still) there was a spirited "foods in a jar" trend hovering around the food blogs. Mostly, cupcakes in a jar. And while I love dabbling in cupcake-making, they aren't really my passion. I'll leave cupcakes to a few vegan experts like Erin and Chloe.

..But salad in a jar? Inspired! Thanks to The Daily Muse for inspiring this post...

The Daily Muse's post "The Best New Way to Bring Your Lunch" introduced me to the "Mason Jar Salad" concept. They asked me if I wanted to take a crack at creating some vegan Mason Jar Salads on my blog. My mind was dizzy with ideas. Grains, beans, greens, nuts, seeds, fruit, veggies, dressings .. so many ingredients to layer, stack and arrange.

And as I showed in my Vegan Cobb Salad, I love lining salad ingredients up in an orderly fashion.

..actually, doing a "vegan cobb in a jar" would be pretty fantastic. (See it here!)

Fresh Factor? So while I was inspired, I was still a tad skeptical. Why salad .. in a jar? Sure, it looks super cute. But what was the practical part of this concept? Well, here is what The Daily Muse said..

"The best part is you can make five salads at a time, and they’ll stay fresh for the whole week—just grab and go on your way out the door! When lunchtime rolls around, you’ll be sitting pretty with your delicious salad ready to be shaken up."

..considering my crazy book writing schedule lately, the part that really stuck out was the "make ahead" concept. Could I really make a slew of these babies on Sunday night - with all my farmer's market produce - and eat them all week long?? Would they really stay fresh?

Well just so you know, it hasn't been a week yet. But I'm going to save at least one of my jars for later this week and see what happens. I'll let you know.

But as of now these salads look and taste AMAZING. UPDATE: Part Two - the results here.

Here are the four jars I assembled. But REALLY, you don't need a recipe. Just follow this method, loosely:

Layering Salad Jars:

1) BOTTOM - dressing/liquid
2) Heavy ingredients that hold up well when submerged in dressing - beans, cucumbers, radishes, onion..
3) Heavy items that you may not want directly touching the dressing when stored.
4) Leafy greens/light ingredients that take up a lot of space - spinach, kale, chard, arugula..
5) A small amount of heavy accent items - nuts, seeds, dried fruit, croutons, accent spices
6) TOP - colorful ingredients to perk up your taste buds when you pop open the jar - fruit, edible flowers, herbs..

Other: grains and pasta are nice add ins. I like to put these on top of the plentiful salad so that it doesn't get soggy in the dressing but helps to weigh the greens down a bit so I can fit more yummy stuff in each jar.

There are no exact "rules" and that is the fun part. Let creativity take over.

My recipes...

* I made some spicy Cajun quinoa (quinoa + dried Cajun spice blend) for these jars and used fresh farmer's market produce and nuts.

* I used balsamic + EVOO + peppercorn spice blend for the dressing in all of my jars. You can try oil/lemon, creamy dressings, tahini/lemon/oil, citrus and more as your liquid infusion.

#1 Green Garden
EVOO/Balsamic/Peppercorn spices dressing
diced persian cucumbers
diced tomato
arugula + baby spinach
raw pistachios
edible flowers
diced dried apricots

#2 Butter Bean Bliss
EVOO/Balsamic/Peppercorn spices dressing
sweet Maui onion, diced
butter beans
arugula + baby chard
raw walnuts
Cajun Spiced Quinoa
diced dried apricots

#3 Sunny Kale Kruncher
EVOO/Balsamic/Peppercorn spices dressing
radish, diced
sweet Maui onion, diced
walnuts
kale + shredded carrots + cabbage, chopped
seedless tangerine segments

#4 Quinoa Oasis
EVOO/Balsamic/Peppercorn spices dressing
red onion
Cajun Spiced Quinoa
kale + carrots
walnuts
edible flowers

What would you put in your salad jar???

Win a Vitamix! PunchTab Powered Giveaway.

June 1, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 1,115 Comments

Summer is coming. (yay) Summer means smoothies. Smoothies mean blenders. My blender of choice: a Vitamix. Want one?.. Giveaway time! Enter to win a Vitamix TurboBlend VS!...

THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED! I emailed the winner "Sarah" please check your inbox if that is you! She has not responded yet! Again, thank you everyone - wish I could give you all Vitamixes!!1

PunchTab Powered Giveaway. I love my readers. I mean it. I love you guys. You give me cheerful comments and happy feedback all while trusting my recipes to make your time in the kitchen worthwhile. And for that, you really do make my blogging adventures worthwhile. So when PunchTab.com offered me the chance to pick a super awesome prize to giveaway to my readers I knew exactly what to choose - I think I know what you guys like because it is exactly what I like. Love. My Vitamix!

Giveaway Prize: A brand new $449 value Vitamix TurboBlend VS. I can say first hand that this machine is amazing. Why I love Vitamix. Details about the Vitamix TurboBlend VS package on Vitamix.com.

Thank You PunchTab! And all I have to do for this amazing giveaway prize is spread the news about PunchTab's nifty giveaway widget - shown below. This widget is so cool - I will definitely be using it for all my giveaways from now on! So much more convenient than the traditional "commenting system" for blog giveaways.

Plus, if you (tweet, facebook, comment) on this giveaway you can earn more entries - all built into the widget - so easy. So go on, enter below. Good luck!!

Fellow Bloggers.. sign-up (for free) with PunchTab.com to start a loyalty program or run your own giveaway!

fine print: there is none. I received nothing for this post - but I do get to give YOU a Vitamix. And that makes me super happy.

*one fine print note: only USA and Canada entries please - due to shipping constraints of the prize*

Smoothie Recipes to inspire (some shown in photo at top)

* Kiwi Basil Smoothie - middle left
* Banana Berry Smoothie - top left
* Grapefruit Detox Smoothie - lower left
* Frosty Acai - middle
* Watermelon Frosty - not shown but always a fave

ps. If you are the lucky winner of this giveaway, this prize will come in handy once you get your hands on my 365 Smoothies Book next year.

10 Vegan Lunch Ideas.

May 31, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

I almost skipped lunch today. But then I reminded myself that there is one situation when I should never skip lunch: when I am hungry!

Get my ten vegan lunch ideas and pull off lunch..

More often than I'd like to admit, I slack on lunch when I am indeed hungry. Sounds silly. It makes no sense really, but I'm sure you know what I mean. It is just too easy! A busy work day gives us more than enough reason to keep powering through the afternoon - ignoring that growl in our stomachs. Trying to calm it with a coffee beverage, quick snack, water chug or even worse - something processed/salty/from a bag/from a vending machine/in the chip family/etc.

But today I pulled myself out of my chair amidst smoothie book writing and into the kitchen where I did in fact pull off lunch. In a flash. And it was super yummy. And not surprisingly, I think I even got more work done after my lunch break than if I had skipped or slacked on lunch - and been famished by dinner time. Healthy food = productivity. So how did I succeed? I certainly don't enter that kitchen unarmed. I have a long list of recipes that I refer to as my "go-to" lunch ideas. Here are a few...

Site Update: Visual Index. Still tweaking and tagging - but I'm happy to say that my new visual index is LIVE. Check it out!

And heads up - BIG giveaway starts tomorrow! You will want to enter this one for sure!!!

10 Easy Vegan Lunch Ideas

note: some of these recipes are easier/faster than others - and some can even be made ahead of time to easily pull from the fridge or reheat.

1. The Quickie Sandwich. This is what I did today. I pulled two slices of sprouted grain bread from the freezer and toasted them - good as new. Then I slathered on some garlic hummus and vegan mayo from the fridge. Then I added a quickly toasted (you can even microwave it) vegan veggie burger - I used Amy's Kitchen California Veggie Burger. Then I piled on the greens. I was pleased to have some micro cilantro and spicy arugula which both really gave this sandwich some 'gourmet' appeal. Lastly, I added a juicy slice of grapefruit - I swiped a slice from the grapefruit I used in my smoothie. Oh and some Penzey's Spices on top. Boom. Sandwich done.

I paired this meal with baby carrots and a Grapefruit Smoothie: 1 large grapefruit, peeled. One large banana. Handful ice. Drizzle maple syrup. Splash of rice milk. Blend. I topped with a handful or organic blueberries. YUM. Here is what today's lunch looked like..

Grapefruit + Banana + Blueberry Smoothie:

(OK, so that was my lunch today. Here are a few more ideas below..)

2. The Wrap. Love a wrap at lunchtime. Wraps can hold just about anything. Grilled veggies, beans, grains, a giant few handfuls of lettuce, dressing, hummus, chopped fruit, raw veggies and more. Keep some extra large wraps on hand and stuff whatever healthy delicious ingredients you have on hand inside. I lightly warm my wraps before filling and folding. VIDEO on wrap-folding here.
Try my Wrap Recipes.

Also try.. The Wrap Spiral. These are fun. Grab some lavash wraps, tortillas or flour wraps and slather them with something. Hummus, vegan cream cheese, pesto, BBQ sauce - whatever. Then pile on the toppings - veggies work best. Then you simply roll and slice into sushi-sized rolls. Lunchbox-approved fare.
Make my Hummus Veggie Spiral Wraps.

3. Bagel-wich. Bagels make everything better. I love smashing my bagel sandwiches between my panini grill - kind of like a bagel grilled cheese - but you don't even need any vegan cheese. Try vegan cream cheese, hummus or a mix of veggies on lunch bagels.

Try my Bagel-wich Sandiwch & Lemonade Frosty. Try my Guaca-Mango Bagel.

4. The Hearty Pita. It is easy to stuff a pita with hummus, lettuce and such. But sometimes I like to make more hearty vegan fare like tempeh and broccoli for lunch. I may also have some leftovers from dinner - hearty grilled or steamed veggies and protein like tempeh or tofu. Instead of serving these items on a plate i love to stuff them inside pitas. A pita makes hearty items more "lunch-y" in a way. Leftovers + pitas = easy lunchtime bliss.
Try my Smoky Tempeh Broccoli Pita.

5. Giant Salad. Grab a bowl. Fill it with all the veggies, fruit and legumes you have on hand - get creative and have a little fun. The good thing is that most vegan ingredients mesh well together so a giant random salad will usually be quite yummy. Or you can work off a specific recipe too. Leftover ricotta cashew cheese on a giant salad - yum.

I also love love love slaw salads. They can be made ahead of time for grab and go lunching.
Make my creamy slaw salad.

Carrot Slaw with Tofu Cubes.

6. Tofu Salad. Tofu is a nice go-to item for lunch. It is rich in protein and absorbs flavors well so you can pretty much make it whatever you are craving. It also keeps well in the fridge for easy make-ahead lunches. I like to make chilled tofu salad and spread it on sandwiches or eat it with crackers.
Make my Tofu Crunch Salad. Try my "Eggless" Tofu Salad Sandwich.

7. The Smoothie! Oh yes you guys know i love my smoothies. A smoothie can very easily be a meal in a glass. Quick, healthy, yummy lunch!
Try my Easy Energy Almond Butter Smoothie.

8. Tempeh Sandwich. I love tempeh on sandwiches. And my favorite includes either smoky tempeh with avocado or BBQ sauce slathered tempeh with some accent items like onion, kraut or greens - or all of the above.
Make my BBQ Tempeh Kraut 'Wich - and get 15 sandwich truths.

9. Soup! Leftover soup paired with some bread is atotally easy lunch idea. I like to reheat and add in some nutritional yeast and additional spices. I also like to plop a giant handful of greens over top my hot soup - it wilts them down nicely so I get the best of both worlds for lunch: soup and salad. And yes, canned or boxed vegan soups can make a nice, easy base for a vegan lunch. I spruce them up by adding in some fresh ingredients.

10. All About Hummus. Good hummus can really define a lunch. Heck, take the time to whip up some tasty hummus and your lunch is done. Serve with toasted bread, veggie sticks, crackers or over top a bowl of salad greens. Good hummus is packed with flavor and makes lunch easy. Plus you can easily make it ahead of time so all you have to do at lunch is pull a few items from the fridge.
Make my Sweet Potato Cajun Hummus.

BONUS. Outsource it. OK, I love making my own lunches. But I have no problem outsourcing them.

What is YOUR fave way to pull off lunch???

Black Eyed Sweet Potato Sliders + La Jolla Cove

May 28, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 34 Comments

These Black Eyed Pea Sweet Potato Veggie Burger Sliders are a mini-spin on my Sweet Potato Avocado Veggie Burgers. They use the same base mixture of sweet potato mixed with a legume - but I've simplified the recipe even more and made these tasty burgers into petite vegan sliders. The earthy sweet black-eyed peas mesh deliciously with the creamy sweet baked sweet potato, accented with bold Cajun spices and a hint of nutritional yeast. Some thinly sliced red onion for bite and fluffy micro greens on top to complete the "tiny" theme.

Get this easy recipe - plus check out my La Jolla Cove Cali pics - cute sunbathing seals, seascapes and blue skies. So glad I was able to get in a mini road-trip this holiday weekend!..

First the recipe .. then my La Jolla pics!..

Black Eyed Sweet Potato Sliders
vegan, makes 15 sliders or 8 large burgers

patty:
3 cups black eyes peas (I used 1 bag, frozen)
1 ½ cups sweet potato, mashed
1-2 tablespoon tahini
spices/seasonings:
1 teaspoon salt (add ¼ teaspoon at a time to taste)
¾+ teaspoon spices (your choice! I used Penzey's Cajun seasoning + 4/S spicy salt)
a few dashes fine black pepper
2+ tablespoon nutritional yeast

1-2 teaspoon oil (if baking, fold the oil into the patty mixture, if sauteing add the oil to the pan.

plus:
spicy mustard + vegan mayo
thinly sliced red onion
micro greens
vegan sesame slider buns (Trader Joe's)
avocado, tomato, other sprouts/lettuce (optional)

Nutritional info: each slider has about 50 calories with 3g protein and 2g fiber. These sliders are rich in fiber, vitamin A, iron, magnesium and B vitamins. Low in fat.

Directions:

1. Bake, peel and mash your sweet potato. Add to large mixing bowl.
2. Cook your black eyes peas - I steamed mine. Add to large bowl along with the remaining patty ingredients.
3. Using a large fork or potato masher - mash the contents of the bowl.
4. If baking, heat oven to 350 degrees. If using stove top - heat 1 teaspoon oil in large saute or grill pan.
5. Form slider patties - about golf ball sized scoops of mixture. Baking: 350 degrees for 15 minutes for sliders. Larger burgers take about 22 minutes. For saute: cook about 3 minutes on each side - you want the outside to be toasty brown while the inside stays moist yet heated through.
6. Assembly: toast burger buns. Add a slather of vegan mayo and or spicy mustard. Add burger, thin red onion, optional avocado and tomato and micro greens - or another form of lettuce of sprout.
Serve warm!

Off to La Jolla..

La Jolla Cove California - so pretty there! Sand Diego area - about 2-3 hour drive from my part of LA..

yay sun. yay ocean air.

walk down to the shore..

steps to the tiny cove beach - if snorkeling or sunbathing is your thing...

steps down to the rocky cliffs..

360 view of the Cali coastline..

Happy sunbathing seals..

More burger pics..

Back to School Vegan: Videos with Kathy & Gena!

May 25, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

New videos up! The topic: Back to School. Or back to work. A few weeks ago Gena of ChoosingRaw and I got together and filmed a few tips and recipes. Not just for kids, our info is geared towards anyone who is busy when fall rolls around (and who isn't?) Moms and dads shuttling their kids off to school, college students or even adults heading off to work.

Our two videos which feature: Gena's grain salad, tips on packing a kids vegan lunch, Gena's kid-friendly banana wrap/sushi and I'll even show you how to make a steaming hot, busy-morning breakfast bowl of tofu scramble in... 5 minutes. Don't miss this jam-packed video post!!..

(side note: THANK YOU everyone for the VegNews cover well wishes. I'm totally glowing with pride this month.)

It's always fun getting together with Gena. We always seen to manage to find (or make) and photograph amazing vegan food. Even in DC :)..

Gena and I in Georgetown a few weeks ago..

Planning a blogger video shoot. We both have crazy schedules, so finding time to prep for a video shoot with recipes, thoughts and an actual plan is quite a challenge. We usually pick a topic, exchange a few brainstorming emails. Then pick a date. Postpone the date (ha). Then finally pick a new date that eventually happens. And usually half the stuff we put in the video is on-the-fly fun. The best part is seeing what Gena brings over for the shoot. I am always inspired by her RAW creations.

And for those who don't know, Gena just started Georgetown pre-med this past summer. She's proudly on her way to becoming the raddest vegan raw doctor ever. Hurry up Gena, I'm aching for a doctor like you! 🙂

B2S VIDEO. And I have to say, my favorite part of the video was doing the tofu scramble 5 minute challenge. It's in video two - so don't miss it!

Video 1: Back to School Vegan: Kathy's Lunchbox Tips and Gena's Grain Salad

Video 2: Kathy's 5 minute breakfast challenge (tofu scramble in 5 minutes!) and Gena's 5 minute lunchbox tips. Plus Gena's banana wrap.

Links for the recipes shown in the videos are below as well! Enjoy..

VIDEO 1

VIDEO 2

Recipe/Post Links

* Kathy's Tofu Scramble: version 1, breakfast burrito version, 5-ingredient scramble - see video TWO for 5 min version.
* Kathy's Mushroom Bite Nuggets (or veggie burger)
* Kathy's Chilled Pasta Veggie Salad: Lemon Veggie (shown in video), Cheez & Peas, Alphabet Pesto
* Gena's Banana Sushi
* Gena's Oatmeal Bars

25 Vegan Lunchbox Sandwiches. And don't miss my 25 Back to School Sandwich Recipes slide show...

And after school snacks like "Ants on a Log" never get old..

And maybe a banana peanut butter shake too..

Watch more of healthy. Happy. Life. vegan cooking videos!

H A P P Y (vegan) B A C K T O S C H O O L !!

Veggie Lemon Pasta (from video 1):

Fresh juice. From a Georgetown cafe. Just because.

Creamy Minted Fresh Pea Soup + Summer Fever.

May 25, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

This Creamy Minted Fresh English Pea Soup is a soul soothing bowl. Rustic texture, savory-sweet, mint-acented, fresh pea flavor - with nutty, peppery undertones. Totally creamy - yet totally soy free.

Dreamy & Greeny. I've blended steamed sweet spring peas with soaked raw almonds. This is an easy go-to recipe when you want something light and lovely - that makes you feel good. Vegan protein rich. You will need to soak some almonds ahead of time, but after you do that this can be made and served in mere minutes. Get my recipe and lets chat summer adventures!..

Next Stop Summertime. We were wandering around Westwood Village last night (yay Native Foods) and the usually sparsely trafficked weekday streets of Westwood were buzzing with activity. It was like a sea of students spilling over from the UCLA campus. The streets, coffee shops and restaurants were flooded with wide-eyed students - all with that finals-are-over glimmer in their eyes.

It had me feeling all summer fever-y myself. Maybe it is a weird memory thing that links back to my own school days when the end of May meant pure elation, excitement and giddiness for the freedom-infused days of summer that lied ahead. It was the best time of year, when school was ending and summer comes creeping around the corner.

But I don't have to be in school to still get charmed by the sweet mellow eyes of summertime. So many beach days, frosty smoothies, lazy afternoons and candy-colored sunsets yet to be enjoyed. Vacation plans, stay-cation adventures and maybe just a few extra hours a day to slow up on working and start something leisurely - a new hobby or wellness habit. Heck, an afternoon nap habit would make a fabulous summer hobby to try...

..Or maybe dive into that virtual pile of books you've already downloaded on your reading device. I have recently started reading (don't laugh) the Twilight saga books. Escape reading. I'm actually enjoying every page. I'm up to Eclipse and I want to have all the books read for the Breaking Dawn Part Two movie by fall. Oh no, did I really just admit that?

So whatever your summer plans may be I hope you have at least one crazy adventure on your vision board. Actually, I need to get around to making a new vision board. Some summer dreams for me.. A drive down or up the coast has been on my list for a while. Wine-tasting in Santa Barbara or Napa, hiking in Tahoe, another trip to Vegas, a boat ride to Catalina Island, another day at Disneyland, more beach bike riding in Santa Monica and Malibu, a few more vegan dining adventures here in LA (still need to go to Madeleine Bistro among others!) and more.. And I'm dying to take a last minute trip to Hawaii with my husband for our July wedding anniversary. We will see.

Now you. Spill it, what are you planning for this summer??

Fresh Almond Pea Soup + vision board making -- sounds like an awesome afternoon to me ..

Creamy Minted Fresh Pea Almond Soup
vegan, 3 servings

10 ounces English Peas, steamed**
½ cup raw almonds, soaked overnight/drained (you can add more for a thicker, nuttier soup)
1 cup purified water
¼ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 sprigs mint leaves, chopped
1-3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
pepper to taste

optional ingredients: 1 teaspoon fresh or roasted garlic + a splash of truffle oil or olive oil

more add-ins: this recipe is very open for adding in fresh herbs, spices, sideline veggies like spinach, whatever you may be craving to accent your soup!

Nutritional Info (per serving - 3 servings total)
Calories: 180kcal, Fat: 8g, Carbs: 18g, Protein: 10g, Fiber: 8g
Vita A: 15%, Vita C: 63%, Calcium: 7%, Iron: 16%
*based on 2000 calorie diet

Rich in fiber, magnesium, manganese, protein, niacin, phosphorus, Vitamin C, riboflavin and thiamin.

**Peas. I used Trader Joe's fresh English Peas. The fresh peas have a super moist and perky texture - never mushy like frozen peas can get. This recipe works best with fresh, seasonal peas. But you can experiment with other varieties if needed.

Directions:

1. You will need to soak your raw almonds overnight in some salted water. Or for at least 4 hours to really get a creamy blend.
2. Drain almonds and add about ½ cup to your Vitamix blender (a food processor will also work).
3. Steam the peas until tender and warm - you want to put hot, just-cooked peas in the blender so that you can eat the soup right away without needing to reheat.
4. Add the peas, water, salt, mint and optional nutritional yeast to the blender. Start on low and blend until smooth and creamy. Add in more water if you like a thinner consistency. You can also add in a drizzle of oil if you'd like a richer soup.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve straight from the blender - warm. With some cristy bread and a mint garnish.

cheers to summer dreaming.

Frosted Blueberry Cake. Vegan slice of spring.

May 23, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 52 Comments

Oh blueberries, how I love them. Blueberry muffins. Blueberry pancakes. Blueberry smoothies. Blueberry anything sounds just heavenly to me.

Blueberry Cake. I took a pack of organic, plump, sweet spring blueberries and made this Blueberry Cake. I love this recipe because it doesn't quite fit into a recipe category box. It is a hybrid. Blueberry muffin meets frosted cake meets hearty, grain-filled goodness. This cake is easily a dessert, tea cake, sweet treat breakfast nibble or afternoon snack.

The frosting is a simple virgin coconut oil-based blend. Silky, fluffy, decadent enough to rival any traditional "buttercream" frosting. There are blueberries baked into the cake - melting with their silky blue stain , mingling with oats, flax seeds and chopped nuts. And there are also fresh, raw berries on top. The more blueberries the better!..

Blueberries. Blueberries are amazing little fruits. One cup contains about 80 calories and zero fat. 4g fiber and 24% of your daily vitamin C needs. They are rich in vitamins C and K - and they also contain smaller amounts of various B vitamins and vitamin E. They are rich in manganese and contain some potassium too. Blueberries are quite amazing based on their strong antioxidant capacity. Beyond the rigid nutrition data facts - the power of blueberries is in their color - their phytonutrients.

Fron WHFoods.com: "Virtually all of the (blueberry) phytonutrients function both as antioxidants and as anti-inflammatory compounds in the body, and they are responsible for many of the well-documented health benefits we get from regular consumption of blueberries."

..the short story: eat more blueberries! Here is one delicious way (scroll down for recipe!)..

Smoothie Book Update. All is going well in the land of 365 vegan smoothies. I sometimes wonder what my neighbors must think hearing my Vitamix buzzing around so many times a day. There could really be only two explanations to all this blender noise: either I'm on a really weird blender diet or I'm writing a smoothie book! Smoothie book it is. I'm deep into the taste-testing phase and will be starting on calculating all the nutritional info soon. Which is actually a lot of fun for me. I love breaking down each smoothie and seeing what it offers nutritionally - the numbers can be quite interesting. I'm excited about more photoshooting - but I have to admit that I am dreading the photo editing process. I already have 2500 shots in my "smoothie book" folder - new photos I've been taking the past few weeks - and more to come. But overall - loving this adventure!

My smoothie consultants/officemates..

Blueberry Cake
vegan, makes one 9" round cake

1 ½ cups organic white flour
*sub with other flours if desired
¾ cup sugar, organic (why organic here)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoon vegan butter, softened
½ teaspoon almond extract (sub with vanilla if desired)
3 tablespoon rolled oats
2 tablespoon flax seeds + ⅔ cup warm water
⅓ cup soy milk, vanilla
¼ cup applesauce, unsweetened
3 tablespoon orange juice + pinch orange zest (fresh squeeze room temperature oranges - or warm OJ to about room temp)
½ teaspoon salt
optional: ½ teaspoon cinnamon

fold -ins:
½ cup blueberries
½ cup chopped walnuts (or almonds)

topping: blueberries +pinch rolled oats + sprinkle of almonds

note: I used about 10 ounces blueberries total - buy 2 6oz packs and eat any leftovers 🙂

Frosting:
⅓ cup vegan butter, softened
⅔ cup virgin coconut oil
3 cups powdered sugar
pinch salt

note: if you only use coconut oil this frosting is STILL super yummy. You could also add in or sub in some vegan cream cheese if you'd like.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Add flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, oats and optional cinnamon to a large mixing bowl. Toss a bit.

3. In a small dish, combine the water and flax seeds. Stir briskly and let sit for about 2-4 minutes.

4. Add the water/flax mixture, orange juice, applesauce, vegan butter, salt, extract and soy milk. Tip: try to make sure these ingredients are either room temperature or slightly warmed. I used room temperature oranges to fresh squeeze - and room temp applesauce. This will help your batter blend more seamlessly - and the vegan butter will stay smooth.

5. Stir your batter by hand until smooth. Fold in the blueberries and chopped nuts.

6. Pour your batter into your cake dish - grease and flour the sides before pouring.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25-30 minutes - or until edges begin to brown a bit. Remove from oven to cool.

8. Start your frosting about 20 minutes before you want to frost your cake. Your cake must be cooled when you frost it or the frosting will melt.

9. Add frosting ingredients to mixing bowl and blend with hand beater mixer until fluffy and smooth. Add in a splash of room temperature soy milk or coconut milk if needed to thin out the blend. Place frosting in fridge for just about five minutes before frosting. Any longer and the frosting will get too firm.

10. Frost cake and add blueberries on top. Serve with softened frosting. Store in fridge - but allow frosting to soften a bit before re-serving from fridge.

Cashew Milk How-to

May 22, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 14 Comments

Question: Why in the world hasn't nut milk replaced dairy milk yet? It is so yummy!! And easy to make. And oh yes, the best part, it is cow-friendly. Lets take all the dairy cows and place them in wide open grassy fields and put some cashew-soaking, almond grinding nut milk factories in place of those dairy farms. Lets add in some soy, grain, coconut and rice milk factories too just in case you have nut allergies (but then this post probably isn't for you anyways.) I don't think the world would miss dairy milk at all. But that is just me.

Back to nut milks. They are amazing. Creamy, velvety, white .. swoon.. Here is a simple cashew milk recipe I love!..

How-to Make Cashew Milk - raw, vegan

1 - Empty a bag of raw cashews into a large bowl.

2 - Add very warm or hot water to the cashew bowl until the nuts are well submerged. Add a few sprinkles of salt. I like pink salt because it is rich in minerals. And who doesn't like anything PINK. Swirl the salt into the cashews. Allow bowl to sit on counter for at least four hours. tip: Sometimes I soak the cashews in very hot water and it speeds up the soaking time.

Yes, this is the boring part.... SOAKING SOAKING (nibble a cashew to taste test how soaking is going) SOAKING SOAKING SOAKING (another nibble!) soaking soaking... DONE!

3 - Drain water from the cashews. Rinse the nuts in cold water. Add about one cup of soaked/rinsed cashews to a high speed blender like a Vitamix.

*if not making cashew milk right away, or if not using all the soaked nuts - store soaked cashews in fridge - I like to keep mine submerged in water so they don't dry out. Use within a couple of days though.*

4 - Add in the additional ingredients: 4 cups fresh, chilled water + a few drops vanilla extract or some real vanilla bean seeds + maple or agave syrup to taste (I like about 1 Tbsp) + salt to taste (I like about ¼ tsp)

And here we go - watch the magic happen. BLEND FROM LOW TO HIGH SPEED - for a while. Until smooth. And creamy. And frothy.

5 - You could just drink the "chunky version" or for the smooth version you will need a nut milk bag - or a mesh strainer. Strain your blended milk. You should be left with just a small amount of pulp. You can use this pulp in cookies, baked goods or simply toss it.

6 - DRINK UP. store leftovers in sealed container in fridge. I like glass containers. Drink within a few days. Separation/settling is natural - shake before drinking.

7 - Tweak it. Blend cashew milk with some raw cacao powder for chocolate cashew milk - or a few fresh strawberries for strawberry milk (yum!!)

Enjoy your nut milk! The cows thank you.

ps... you can use this same process for a wide variety of milks - almond, walnut, pistachio and more..

Spinach Hummus Pitas, Sweet Potato. Easy Dinner!

May 21, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 11 Comments

Here is an easy dinner idea for your busy week ahead. My Spinach Hummus Pitas paired with a large baked and maple-mashed sweet potato. Served with a side of smoky baked tofu squares and pepper truffle shiitake mushrooms. Picnic-inspired. This recipe would make a wonderful eat-outside feast for spring/summer. Get my recipes (and a vegan dessert idea too!)..

Steamy, oven-baked sweet potato. Aka, My favorite thing ever.

Spring-y and Picnic-inspired... We had this casual, picnic-y vegan spread for dinner last night - it was so delicious AND easy (yet still quite a full feast) I had to share. You will notice the absense of tofu and shiitake photos - that is because the sun was fading (bye bye natural photo lighting) but mostly because everything smelled so yummy I just wanted to dive in.

Go-to feast. To add to the "easy" part - I already had some leftover roasted garlic hummus in the fridge so I basically tweaked it by adding in plentiful handfuls of spinach, some lemon juice and water (all done in my Vitamix.) Then I folded in some avocado into the finished hummus to get a sort of chunky-style mixture - I made my hummus a bit thin so it easily drizzled into the pitas and soaked into the toasty pita crevices. I hate pitas/hummus that are too dry - so this helped prevent that. Some fresh sauerkraut added a zesty, crunchy accent to the pitas. (And fyi, if you don't have any pre-made leftover hummus (you probably don't) I've included the complete hummus recipe below.)

More Veggies. If you want to stuff more veggies in your pitas than I did in the photos - go for it. That's why pitas are so rad - you can cram lots of healthy veggies, fruit, nuts, seeds, beans and more in them.

I served the pitas alongside a few of my favorite sides. A sticky-sweet baked sweet potato mashed with a drizzle of grade B maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Then some fresh shiitake mushrooms - sauteed with various spices, a splash of wine and a hint of truffle oil. And lastly, I served some baked tofu squares which I literally just very simply sliced, tossed in some dry spices, salt/pepper, tiny drizzle of oil and baked.

This was easy and amazing. I will be making this meal again! Hope you can try it too.

Spinach Pitas, Shiitakes, Tofu, Sweet Potato - serves 2-4

Super Spinach Chunky Avocado Hummus
This spinach hummus is a bit on the thin side - but that was what I was going for since the creamy chunks of avocado get folded into the mixture. This hummus fills the toasted dry pitas perfectly - with plenty of lemon-y flavor.

1 can chickpeas, drained
3 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2-4 cloves garlic - EVOO roasted in oven
*if you don't use roasted garlic, sub with garlic powder
2 tablespoon tahini
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2-3 handfuls baby spinach
2-5 tablespoon water - thin out to desired consistency
optional: pepper, nutritional yeast, cayenne to taste

fold in: ½ avocado, chopped into large cubes
serve in: 3 pitas, sliced in half and toasted

Directions: process in Vitamix or food processor until smooth and creamy. I needed my plunger for Vitamix blending - to get all the spinach pressed down.

Pour into bowl. Fold in the avocado chunks.

Toast pitas. Add hummus to inside of pitas - generously. Add a few pinches chopped spinach and chilled sauerkraut.

Serve with these sides:

* 1 large sweet potato, oven baked (400 degrees for 30 minutes) - mashed with maple syrup, s&p and optional smoky spices.

* small side of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced and sauteed win 1 teaspoon truffle-infused oil (or any veg oil) + s&p to taste + a splash of wine added towards middle of cooking process.

* baked firm tofu: toss thick tofu slices in dry spices: salt + nutritional yeast + spices of choice - bake at 400 degrees for about 15-20 minutes - until edges become crispy. (I made 3 modest sized tofu steaks for our meal)

tofu - this was a chipotle spiced tofu, but you get the idea 🙂

Want dessert with that? Try my Chocolate Oat Pantry Cookies - recipe on Babble.com's Family Kitchen..

Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits. Simple Vegan Recipe.

May 18, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

Homemade biscuits instantly infuse a little cozy, rustic, homestyle, warmth into a meal. My latest biscuit recipe: Vegan Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits - melty cheese and spicy jalapeno bits in every fluffy, steamy bite. Grace your dinner table with a platter of these oven-fresh biscuits, and smiles abound...

Why are biscuits such feel-good fare? Maybe it is the way a fluffy cloud of steam escapes each buttery crevice when you pry open those soft, flaky layers. Maybe it is the way the fluffy flour and simple ingredients knead delicately into a ball of smooth ready-to-rise dough. Maybe it is the magic of watching your yeasted dough grow into a puffy double-sized ball, ready to be punched down, fist first - (punching out the dough is always my fave part of bread baking.) Maybe it is cutting out the biscuits into perfect humble circles. Maybe it is the toasty browned biscuit bottom. Or maybe it is the cozy aroma that fills the house when you bake up a batch.

Whatever it is. I know I love biscuits. And veganizing a classic recipe like "cheddar" jalapeno made me quite happy.

Flour Quality. The best biscuit tip I can give is to make sure you use fresh, high quality flour. And, yes, you can use a wide range of flour varieties for this recipe. Gluten-free, whole grain, your call. You may need to use a bit more water for heartier flour varieties. I went totally classic with all white flour. I used Bob's Red Mill Organic, Unbleached White Flour. The quality is outstanding.

quick tip: If for some reason you find yourself without a rolling pin - use a large glass bottle to roll out your dough. Just be sure to wash surface of bottle well.

Jalapeño Cheddar Biscuits
makes about 12 vegan biscuits

Dough:
1 packet of yeast
1 teaspoon organic sugar
½ cup warm water + 2-3 tablespoon water
2 cups white flour, organic/unbleached
2 teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup vegan butter, softened
¾ teaspoon pink salt
+ more flour as needed to knead and roll out dough

fold in:
¾ cup vegan cheddar cheese shreds (I used Daiya)
2 tablespoon dried jalapeno (I used Penzey's Spices brand)
*you could also use fresh jalapeno! I just really like the ease and smoky flavor of dried

Directions:

1. Add ½ cup warm water + sugar + yeast to a large mixing bowl. Stir until yeast is dissolved. Let sit a few minutes.
2. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and softened vegan butter. Fold until a thick ball forms. Add in a few more splashes water and a few more pinches flour as needed to knead into dough. Knead dough for a few minutes on floured surface or in bowl.
3. Place the dough back in the mixing bowl - grease the sides. Cover and place in a warm spot for 30min -1hour (depending on your yeast packet instructions.)
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
5. Punch out dough. Fold in the vegan cheese and jalapenos while - knead for a few minutes - roll out on a floured surface to about ¾ - 1 inch thickness.
6. Cut out biscuits and place on parchment paper lined baking sheet.
7. Bake biscuits for about 11 minutes at 400 degrees. You want the edges to start to brown and the bottoms to brown.
Allow biscuits to cool a few minutes before serving - this allows them to set a bit. Best served warm!

These biscuits would make a yummy bun for a vegan breakfast sandwich too! Like my Green Kale Avo..

Aloha Salad with Tiki Tempeh.

May 16, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 166 Comments

Tiny umbrellas seemed like the perfect accent to this tropical getaway style salad. My Aloha Salad with Tiki Tempeh is filled with vibrant salad greens, crunchy chopped macadamia nuts, sweet, juicy pineapple and a few thin circles of sweet banana. My creamy vegan Avocado Pineapple salad dressing completes the dish. Top each salad bowl with a triangle of my Tiki Tempeh - smoky, sticky-sweet island fare.

Spring-y & Summery-y Salad. This zesty, bright, fun Aloha Salad is perfect for sunny days. This would taste amazing dining outside with a cool glass on sun tea and some hearty slices of freshly baked bread or toasted pita on the side.

Aloha Salad with Tiki Tempeh

Salad:
1 bag baby spinach
1 bag Romaine Lettuce or Cole Slaw Cabbage Blend
1 cup pineapple, chopped
⅓ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1 banana, sliced
pepper to taste
optional: shredded coconut

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

Tiki Tempeh:
4 triangles tempeh
2-3 teaspoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon liquid smoke
2 teaspoon tamari
salt/pepper to taste
1 tablespoon safflower oil for saute
1 teaspoon macadamia nuts as texture (optional)

Directions:

1. Add all dressing ingredients to high speed blender or food processor - blend on high. Adjust salt/pepper to taste.
2. Toss the greens with a few spoonfuls of dressing. Do not over dress. You can always add more dressing during serving. Arrange nuts, banana and pineapple over top greens.
3. Tempeh: Heat oil in skillet. Add triangles. Add maple syrup, tamari and liquid smoke over top tempeh. Allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side - until sticky and browned. For quicker cooking, slice triangles into thinner slices before sauteing. Add pepper/salt as desired. You can also add other spices if desired. Turn off heat and add nuts over top hot tempeh - the hot pan will slightly warm the nuts and stick to the tempeh which is still cooling. Once cooled, add tempeh to salad bowl or serve on separate plate.

Colorful mini umbrellas optional 🙂

Another one of my FAVE Dole-inspired salad recipes: Mango Avocado Macadamia Nut and Arugula Salad.

GIVEAWAY. First the giveaway! GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED - CONGRATS TO CECELIA P.

Promo into from the lovely Felicity Huffman!..

Blackberry Walnut Oat Rolls with Coconut Frosting.

May 12, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 21 Comments

Light and fluffy berry-filled swirls are a spring-y change from a normally cinnamon-filled roll. These vegan Blackberry Walnut Oat Rolls with a cloud-like dollop of Coconut Buttercream Frosting on top, taste like a cross between a thick slice of sweet-tart blackberry pie, a moist oatmeal muffin and a frosting-topped cinnamon bun. I was actually kind of surprised that I didn't miss the cinnamon at all.

Pair with some chamomile tea..

There is a hummingbird in our yard. I'll call her a she. She comes to dart around the green trees, dancing in the sunlight, several times a day. Like a shimmery green fairy. She moves like a swift breeze. She almost reminds me of the vampires in Twilight the way she swiftly jets from one spot to the next. Here and gone in a flash - leaving you looking all around asking "where did she go?"

And most everyday, at around 6pm that dainty hummingbird - I think it is the same friendly bird - sets her tiny body on a skinny twig that jets out from the massive tall tree outside my window - and she does something amazing. She rests. Sits. Those vibrant blurred wings that had been whizzing all day long suddenly, stop. Her hummingbird body is quiet. It is actually incredibly awesome to see that busy little bird just puff up its feathers and take a rest. It looked shockingly so easy for her. I gawked with curious eyes as she sat so still, so quiet. You rarely see hummingbirds rest! It was kind of magical. And it was as if she was starring back at me and saying, "What? A bird can't rest?"

The Hummingbird. snapped this pic through my window..

I think we can all feel like hummingbirds - I certainly do lately. Fluttering around madly. Whizzing around our daily routes and twisted schedules. Flower to flower. But even busy birds need to find a quiet branch to perch on and let their wings rest. If a hummingbird can be so Zen - than so can I.

My restful beverage of choice: chamomile tea. Have you ever noticed how chamomile flowers look like really chilled out daisies? Their petals all slumped backwards like they just had a spa day? One of those crazy ingredients that kind of looks like how its benefit - calming. (Like walnuts look like little brains.)

And maybe you can pair it with this cozy berry roll too..

Customize it. You can change up this recipe with any berry and nut combo you'd like. Try Strawberry-Pecan, Blueberry-Pistachio, Raspberry-Almond and more.

Is the frosting sugar vegan?? Yes! Learn about why organic sigar is your ticket to spotting vegan sugar easily - my video post here.

Blackberry Walnut Oat Chamomile Rolls with Coconut Frosting
vegan, makes 6-8 rolls

Dough:
part 1:
1 yeast packet
1 cup + 2 tablespoon warm water (try a tea infusion! By using warm tea instead!)
1 teaspoon organic sugar

part 2:
¼ cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon flax seeds
2 ½ cups organic white flour
½ cup organic sugar
2 tablespoon vegan buttery spread, softened
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
+additional pinches of flour as needed

Filing:
1 pint blackberries, organic
¼ cup organic sugar
½ cup raw walnuts, chopped
½ teaspoon almond extract
3-5 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
1 teaspoon maple syrup

+additional drizzle maple syrup

Frosting:
⅓ cup vegan buttery spread
½ cup unrefined organic virgin coconut oil
1 ½ cups organic powdered sugar (more or less for desired thickness of frosting)

Directions:

1. I make the frosting first and place in the fridge. It hardens up quite a bit, but that is the perfect temperature to slather onto the warm rolls since the frosting easily melts and softens when it warms. So I add all the ingredients to a large bowl and beat with a hand mixer until fluffy. Do not over beat or the coconut oil will start to melt and get oily. Add more sugar if you like a thicker, sweeter frosting. Set in fridge.

2. Add the yeast packet, teaspoon of sugar and warm water or tea to a large mixing bowl. Swirl the water until the yeast dissolves. Let sit for about 2 minutes or so.

3. Add in the ingredients for part two (flour, sugar, salt..) Start folding together and as dough thickens, begint o knead in bowl. I usually add in a few more pinches of flour to help with kneading. Knead until a smooth ball forms. Keep the ball in your floured bowl and place in a warm spot, covered, for about an hour - or until dough doubles in size.

(preheat the oven to 400 degrees.)

4. Punch out dough and transfer to a floured work space. Roll out to about a ½ inch or thinner thickness. Sprinkle the sugar over top evenly. Then add bits of the butter - scattered all around - . Add the blackberries - scattered. Then drizzle the almond extract over the dough is an even scattering. Lastly, chop the walnuts and add them - with a swift drizzle of maple syrup over top.

5. Roll the dough up tightly.

6. Quickly prep your baking dish. I used a round 9" cake pan - glass. I generously slather 2 teaspoon vegan butter along the insides then flour the inside as well. This adds a very nice texture to the exterior of the rolls.

7. Slice the rolls and transfer, spiral side up, to the baking dish. Drizzle an additional 1-2 teaspoon of maple syrup over top.

8. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes, then lower temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 30 minutes - or until the edges of the rolls start to brown and the center becomes slightly toasted.

9. Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool at least 20 minutes before serving. The warmth from the just-baked rolls pairs perfectly with the chilled, hardened frosting. Ad you add the frosting - it will melt onto the rolls.

Enjoy!!

News to Share! 365 Smoothies..

May 10, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 53 Comments

I am feeling ecstatic that I have a bit of happy news to share with you all! Read ahead to hear about my exciting new adventure!

In this moment I am elated. Energized. Giddy. Here is why..

It all happened so fast, but long story short, I am super excited to announce that I am working on a cookbook! Well, a vegan smoothie book actually. I know, my favorite subject, right?!

..But this is not just any smoothie book. It is a total wellness guide. I can't give away too many hints about the project yet, but lets just say it will bring you 365 days of delicious, wellness-infused vegan smoothies. Yes, a different smoothie for every day of the year. I'll be creating a rainbow of brand new smoothie recipes for this book!

My Vitamix is going to get a workout as I create and craft all these new recipes! (And yes, I'm shooting the photos for the book as well. yay!)

As you guys know, I love smoothies and post them frequently. And so this book is a perfect fit for me.

I can't wait to share these NEW recipes with you all!

And yes, I will be sticking a small handful of blog-posted favorites in the book. Like my watermelon frosty - recipe..

Avery. My book proposal sold to Avery, an imprint of Penguin Group. I have been a huge fan of Avery's wellness books (and Penguin in general) for years now - so joining with them on this project is a dream come true.

Avery has published some fantastic cooking and wellness titles like Sticky Fingers' Sweets: 100 Super-Secret Vegan Recipes by Doron Petersan - founder of the Washington DC-based, award-winning vegan bakery Sticky Fingers. Gorgeous photos and amazing recipes in Doron's book. I frequented Sticky Fingers Bakery more than a few times when I lived in Wash DC - and I adore their yummies - the vegan sticky buns - swoon. Doron is a 2x winner on Food Network's Cupcake Wars.

Avery is also publishing the highly anticipated new vegan memoir/cookbook (includes recipes!) by the amazing Robin Quivers, of The Howard Stern Show. Ecorazzi Report. And VegNews.

Another title I have been a fan of for many years (it is now in its fifth edition!) is Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis Balch. It is the nation's #1 bestselling guide to natural remedies. The new fifth edition incorporates the most recent information on a variety of alternative healing and preventive therapies and unveils new science on vitamins, supplements, and herbs.

I am so energized to begin this journey and hope you guys are ready for some amazing vegan smoothies next year! (I know, I know so long to wait! But anticipation is half the fun, right?)

Big thanks to my uber-talented agent Holly of Hollan Publishing, who I am so grateful to have met.

HHL rolls on. Yes I will still be blogging my little heart out here on HHL - and editing my other site FindingVegan.com - and posting for Babble.com's FamilyKitchen. Wow, I'm going to have a very busy few months!!

Good thing I will have plenty of smoothie taste testing to keep me energized.

Estimated publish date is spring/summer 2013.

soy banana-berry - recipe..

About Avery from their site: an imprint focusing on health, wellness, fitness, psychology, and popular science, is best known for publishing cutting-edge, but accessible books from the top experts in their fields.

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

I wrote this entry the evening my book deal was finalized..

Reflection on this Moment. I'm drenched in a happy glow on this blustery Friday night - capping off an adventurous work week. The pouring rain that had been crashing against my window all afternoon, shaking the trees and sturdy palm leaves, has finally cleared away.

Outside, shiny puddles of rain linger on the porch. Silver globe dew drops mingle with bright green grass - exposed chocolate patches of muddy soil happily soak up the needed moisture.

Chalky cream clouds hover and melt as a setting sun casts a brassy beam of white and pink light over the hills, bouncing off of raindrop-speckled glass windows and tall metal buildings. The leftover drops look like tiny disco-balls, with glinting faint rainbows curled up in each bead of water. Soon, the sky will fade to a dusty blue and everything will be calm, quiet and sleepy.

And all I can do is savor this moment.

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

The Avery books I mentioned above..
Sticky Fingers Sweets!
Prescription for Nutritional Healing.

Video: What is Vegan Sugar? How to Easily Spot it!

May 9, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

Is my sugar vegan? What about white sugar? Powdered sugar? What about bone char? I should just avoid all white sugar when I am vegan. right?..

I want to make it simple for you! Yes you could research every single sugar company and figure out the "vegan" status - aka if they use bone char in the refining process. But there is a much easier way! I have a fast way to easily identify some of the vegan sugar out there. Watch my video to learn the trick! And this even includes powdered sugar - a staple ingredient in delicious vegan frostings. And Nelly the cat fans - she makes a (long) background cameo in the video too..

*note: increase video quality if needed

Thanks to VRG.org for the info on vegan sugar. Learn more -> VRG "Is Your Sugar Vegan?"

If you have any vegan sugar tips or info to add please leave them in the comments!

Lemon Jalapeño Asparagus Cashew Salad Sandwiches

May 8, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 10 Comments

Tofu salad sandwiches - like this one - are my vegan substitute for a classic "egg-salad" sandwich. Well now I have a soy-free alternative to tofu salad... Cashew salad sandwiches!

This fluffy, light Cashew Asparagus Lemon-Jalapeño mixture has a creamy, nutty, spicy flavor with a zesty fresh lemon pepper accent. This recipe is perfect for spring (asparagus season!) and can be used in a variety of ways. Dip it. Spread it. Dollop it. Or stuff it into pitas or wraps. Enjoy it raw with veggies, on salads and bread or add it to pizza or lasagna and bake as a "ricotta cheese" alternative. You can even bake in a dish for a cashew cheese dip.

But today I used it to make tiny tea sandwiches. Rustic. Easy. Totally perfect when paired with a tall glass of iced tea and eaten in an afternoon sunbeam. Get the recipe..

Farmer's Market goodies from my weekend..

Cut off the crusts if you want to be "elegant tea party-approved"..

Luscious cashew-asparagus mixture...

Baked cashew mixture (cashew cheese) spread on a homemade vegan cheddar jalapeno biscuit (recipe coming soon!)..

Pair with some iced tea or spa-ahh water..

Raw Veggies. I had forgotten that asparagus - fresh and crisp from the Farmer's Market - can indeed be eaten raw - crunched on just as you would a carrot stick. Remove the woody thick lower stem of the spear and crunch away. So I decided to Vitamix some raw asparagus into this cashew mixture. The result seemed like a cross between a bean dip and tofu salad. So I slathered this stuff between two fluffy fresh slices of grain bread. So easy. And quite tasty.

And yes, if you want to steam, boil or lightly saute your asparagus before blending go for it! That would also be yummy. I just really love adding the raw asparagus because it gives it such a fresh taste and it is EASY! 🙂 I'm all about easy right now. Aren't we all.

Also, see my list of 7 Veggies You Can Try Raw over on Babble's Family Kitchen.

Ecorazzi Feature. I was happy to be featured on Ecorazzi.com this week - one of my favorite websites ever. I shared a recipe and a few photos. Nelly was very excited to make it in one of the photos since she loves reading Ecorazzi's animal features. 🙂 Check it out here!

And psst.. I have some news coming up later this week - so stay tuned!!

Now soak some cashews and make this recipe!..

Lemon Jalapeño Asparagus Cashew Mixture
makes 5 cups - about 10 servings

3 cups raw cashews
⅓ cup water (+ more if needed)
2 tablespoon garlic-infused extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried jalapeño (fresh will work too)
10 spears asparagus (remove woody stubs of stem)
*about 4 cups chopped raw asparagus
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
a few dashes garlic powder
4 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest

Nutrition info: per serving based on 10 servings per recipe
Calories: 270, Fat: 20g, Protein: 8g, Fiber: 2g, Iron: 20% RDA, VitaC: 10% RDA
*estimated - from caloriecount.com

Directions:

1. Soak 3 cups of raw cashews in 6 cups of water and a pinch of salt. I use very hot water since I find it speeds up the soaking process. Allow to soak for at least four hours. Overnight is best since the cashews will get nice and soft.
2. Drain your cashews and add them to a high speed blender or food processor. I used my trusty Vitamix.
3. Add in the water, oil, asparagus, spices and lemon. Blend on low to get started and then move to a high speed. Use your plunger or scrape the sides with a spoon to blend. If your mixture is too thick and not blending through, add in a few more splashes of water.
4. Once your mixture is noce and creamy - yet still chunky - like a chunky guacamole consistency - do a taste test. Add more salt and seasonings if desired. You can even add in more asparagus if you'd like.
5. Transfer to serving dish for dip or slather on bread for sandwiches. You can serve right away or chill the mixture in the fridge. If you want to serve your dip right away but want it to be chilled - chill your water and cashews before blending.

For baked cashew cheese: add to an oven safe container and bake at 250 degrees for 2 hours. Or until you like the consistency. It should be dry on top and still slightly moist in the center.

Enjoy!

ps.. This recipe is super easy in a Vitamix - check out the Vitamix website to peruse the features, versions and deals - plus get free shipping by using my link!

Rainbow Slaw with Sweet Tahini Dressing

May 3, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 50 Comments

This colorful, fresh and vibrant Rainbow Slaw was an unexpected, last-minute, use-what-is-in-my-fridge recipe. But I loved it so much I simply had to (make it again) and share it with you all! I've also included my favorite go-to Sweet Tahini Dressing (the one I often tweet about) - so grab your veggie grater and made this slaw! Only 200 calories per generous serving - and packed with nutrients - nutrition info follows recipe!..

Dinner time. I go into the veggie drawer to pull out the fresh bunch of kale I had intended to make into that evening's dinner salad. I dig through the produce. Digging. Digging. Alas, no kale. No kale?! It was a salad-catastrophe I tell you.

Not really wanting to change back out of my snuggly bedtime clothes for a quick Whole Foods kale run, I put my hands on my hips in a sassy way and tapped my toe in a loud dramatic fashion. I let out a determined sigh and went back into the admittedly overcrowded fridge.

There had to be enough ingredients in here to make something for tonight's "salad" - even if it won't be kale salad.

Yes, I think I am addicted to my beloved kale salad.

So I pulled out half a head of red cabbage - leftover from vegan taco night.
A chilled cucumber.
A long carrot.
And a half-used bunch of parsley - leftovers from yesterday morning's green smoothie.

And then I pulled out my trusty grater and got to it.

Note: this slaw recipe is not only a yummy, healthy dish - but it is an excellent strength training workout too.

seriously.

After grating all these veggies - you will feel the burn in your arm muscles!

Then I tossed the colorful veggies and added my favorite go-to tahini dressing.

Plus my husband loves anything smothered in tahini - husband approved dressing - he actually ate his entire bowl of slaw. That's a win!

YUM! I was in love. And didn't miss kale at all. And that says a lot.

Give this lovely slaw salad a try tonight! Or the next time YOU run out of kale 🙂

Rainbow Slaw with Sweet Tahini Dressing
makes four generous servings

Rainbow Slaw:
3 cups shredded or grated cabbage (I did half thinly sliced and half grated)
1 cup grated carrots (about 1 large carrot)
¾ cup grated cucumber (skin on)
½ cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup grated sweet onion
1 ¼ cups finely chopped flat-leaf parsley (stems too!)
½ cup shelled organic hemp seeds

optional: chopped walnuts or pecans and/or raisins or dried cranberries

Sweet Tahini Dressing:

note: be sure you stor your tahini well - you want a thin pourable tahini. If your tahini is overly dried up or chalky you will need to add in some oil to loosen it up.

2 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoon grade B maple syrup
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 small lemon, juiced
½ teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

Nutrition Info (estimate) - per serving - makes 4 servings:
Calories: 204, Fat: 11g, Protein: 8g, Carbs: 20g, Fiber: 5g, Calcium: 11%, Iron: 23%, VitaA: 125%, VitaC: 92% - Also rich in manganese and magnesium
*percentages based on 2000 calorie diet

Directions:

1. The slaw is pretty simple. Just grate or chop and add everything to a giant bowl. Toss the veggies and get ready to toss with the dressing.

2. Dressing: Again, easy! You combine all the ingredients and briskly stir until everything combines. Taste and add salt and fine black pepper to taste. I actually only add a few dashes of salt - you really don't need much with all the zesty vinegar and lemon juice flavor.

stir dressing well until creamy...

3. Toss the slaw with the dressing. Use as much or as little dressing as you'd like. I use it all..

Serve right away. If you want to make this slaw ahead of time - you probably want to chop your cabbage instead of shred - the shredding make the slaw very WET. Which is one of the reasons why I like it so much. But your really have to eat it right away or it gets soggy. But if you use thicker cabbage - it will stay nice and crisp chilled in the fridge.

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up

May 1, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Today's Meatless Monday Recipe Round-up via my posts over at Babble's Family Kitchen include .. Martha's secret green juice, veggies you should try raw, pizza party recipe round-up, blackberry lime pie, hemp milk in a flash and more. Start today and keep meatless going all week long!..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up - 5/14/12

* 7 Creative Ways to Serve Fruit
These seven recipes will spruce up how you serve healthy-delicious fruit.

* Vegan Pizza Party!
Try these vegan pizza recipes - something for everyone!

* Warm Chipotle Maple Asparagus Corn Salad
Amazingly yummy spring side dish.

* Talking to kids about Where Food Comes From
How do I talk to kids about being vegan? This is a discussion that everyone can get in on.

* Martha's Secret Green Juice
Martha's secret green juice recipe is OUT!! Well, because she told us..

* Calming Chamomile Tea
Seeking some quiet from the storm? Turn to chamomile - one of my favorite chill-out ingredients.

* Blackberry Lime Pie
Vegan blackberry pie meets zesty lime flavors.

* Homemade Hemp Milk
Make hemp milk from hemp seeds - in a flash!

* 7 Veggies you can try Raw!
You may usually cook these 7 veggies - but you can deliciously enjoy them RAW! Link to my friend Gena's RAW brussel sprout salad recipe in the slideshow. Yum!

* Vegan Mexican Recipe Round-Up!
11 delicious vegan Mex recipes gathered from Cinco de Mayo. But if you are like me, you will want to enjoy Mexican food much more than once a year!

* Go-To Dressings - Sweet Tahini - Citrus Avocado
Try these amazing dressings for instant salad deliciousness.

More inspiration: Find vegan... Vegan Recipes from Finding Vegan. Embrace a week of vegan with the help of my other site: FindingVegan.com

Browse my HHL Recipe Index for many more vegan, meatless recipes!

For more "get healthy" inspiration check out this year's Veggie Girl Power Series. And catch-up on past interviews here: 2009 and 2010 and 2009 quotes.

Grilled Cheese Bliss: Tomato Basil Vegan Panini with Roasted Pepper

May 1, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 13 Comments

Two things there are never enough of: hours in the day - and counter space in the kitchen.

Sorry waffle iron, ice cream machine and panini press, you guys are banned to the back of the cabinet shelf until I have use for you. My Vitamix, Nespresso, juicer and humble toaster own permanent spots. Lucky plug-ins. So when I crave a freshly grilled panini - I have to lug out my shiny, wide-bodied press. Not really fair when you take a look at what this simple machine (just plug and press!) can do to a few slices of bread and some sandwich toppings.

This vegan Tomato Basil Pepperjack Roasted Pepper Panini is one of my go-to favorites when I'm craving something in the "grilled cheese" family. It never disappoints...

Sometimes I will add just a few shreds of Daiya cheese (or even skip it altogether) and other times I'll pretty much empty however much is currently left in the bag (vegan cheese bonanza) - a downpour of silky vegan cheese shreds over top my Earth Balance slathered bread. Splurge.

But besides the grilled cheese euphoria that occurs based on my many childhood memories of the dish - I mostly love this panini for the combination of aromatic flavors - sweet basil, bold and juicy red roasted bell peppers - the kind you have to pry out of a jar and slice into thin shiny ribbons - bright tomato swimming with garden-fresh seeds, plenty of fine black pepper - maybe some harissa for extra spiciness - and sometimes some spinach stuffed in there too.

Pair this panini with a warm bowl of tomato or veggie soup for a meal to cheer up any average or gloomy day... Recipe for my roasted tomato soup..

Vegan Tomato Basil Pepperjack Roasted Pepper Panini

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 05/01/2012
This melty bliss vegan grilled cheese sandwich pairs aromatic basil with pepperjack Daiya and lively red tomatoes.

Ingredients

2 slices bread (sourdough used)
2 teaspoon vegan buttery spread - for outside of the bread
5 thin slices of tomato
¼ cup (handful) of fresh basil leaves
¼ - ⅓ cup pepperjack Daiya cheese shreds (vegan)
2-3 thin slices roasted red or yellow pepper
½ cup baby spinach
pinches of black pepper
optional: onions, harissa, lemon juice, other veggies

Instructions

Slather the vegan buttery spread on the outside sides of the bread.
Warm up your panini press while you prep your veggies.
Place one slice of bread, vegan butter side down on the panini. Add all the toppings and top with the other slice of bread, vegan butter side up.
Press down on the panini press and grill for 2-4 minutes or until the cheese melts and bread toasts. Slice and serve

Yield: 1 paniniPrep Time: 00 hrs. 07 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 05 mins. Total time: 12 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 377
Protein: 10g
Fat: 14g
Totalcarbs: 49g
Dietaryfiber: 5g

Tags: sandwich,vegan,grilled cheese,daiya

Vegan Nachos for all! Cinco de Mayo Recipe.

April 29, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 23 Comments

Serve up some fresh and feisty Vegan Nachos for the upcoming Cinco de Mayo holiday .. or save this recipe for any day really!

I rarely make nachos. But when I do I go all in - fully loaded style. Melty orange vegan cheese, hearty layer of black beans, cashew sour cream, fresh avocado, vegan taco crumbles, jalapenos, tomatoes, cilantro and zesty diced red onion. And with Cinco de Mayo just around the corner, you have every reason to hop to the store and fill your cart with nacho fiesta ingredients. And my Citrus Daiquiri on the side..

Pie Tin Nachos. The best nachos I had as a kid were served at this little hole in the wall spot in Santa Cruz Cali. They served blue corn chip nachos loaded with cheese, beans, veggie toppings and then baked in the oven until the edges of the chips were black-charred and crisp. They baked and served those hot plate nachos in a pie tin. And since then I always prefer to serve my nachos in a shiny rustic pie tin. I simply haven't found a better serving vessel for hot, oven-bubbly nachos.

Serve with a Citrus Daiquiri - (plus many more Cinco de Mayo recipes here!)..

Nachos are FUN! Total party food. I think it may be impossible to be grumpy with a perky, cheerful platter of colorful nachos in front of you.

You can get fancy or keep it simple. Just pile on the toppings and serve. I like to quickly bake (about ten minutes 400 degrees) my chips + cheese + jalapeno slices (the cheese melts and the chips toast up all warm and crisp - the fresh jalapeno softens and adds a spicy aroma.) Then I pull my warm pie tin of chips from the oven and add the remaining toppings over top.

Hot/Cold. The oven-fresh pie platter, cheesy chips, taco crumbles and beans will all be warm to hot. The veggies, sour cream, avocado and such will be chilled or room temperature - so when you bite into those fresh nachos you get a perfect hot and cold sensation. Crunchy warm chips topped with melty cheese and cool vibrant veggies. As you eat, the flavors and textures change as the hot and cold mesh to a soft nacho cheesy warmth. The moisture penetrates the chips and they get kinda soft, soggy and melted - but in a cozy-good, I may need a fork to devour all this goodness - sort of way.

Here are my ingredient details for making vegan nachos...

Vegan Nachos

Beans.

Easy: canned black beans.
More Time: dried beans, soaked overnight, then simmered with spices, garlic and onion. Recipe below..

Easy Black Beans
1 ½ cups soaked dried black beans (soak overnight)
1 cup veggie broth
2 teaspoon safflower oil
¼ cup onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon spices: chipotle, chili powder, onion - customize..
optional: a few dashes liquid smoke, nutritional yeast, cilantro, bell pepper..

Simmer the beans with the ingredients until tender. Add more broth if needed.

Chips.

Grab your favorite bag. Blue corn, multigrain, white corn, baked..
You could also use chopped corn tortillas for a less "fried" nacho platter.

Cheese.

Probably the most important aspect of nachos is the vegan cheese. You can go with Daiya's pepperjack flavor. Follow Your Heart's Nacho flavor. Teese's Nacho flavor. I used Teese in my nachos today - LOVED it - this was my first time trying. It really melted well for nacho-style cheese)..

OR you could make your own cheese - which is pretty awesome. Make your own cashew nacho cheese sauce, as seen in my -> Ball Park Nachos recipe photos and link.

Veggies.

Jalapeno, avocado, onion, olives, tomato, cilantro, corn... this is the fun part where you can add any veggies you crave.

Veggie Taco Crumbles.

These are optional - but nice because they add lots of flavor and a nice dose of vegan protein. There are a few brands available now I used Wildwood's taco crumbles. Loved them!

You could also make your own taco crumbles using either tofu or tempeh - some Mexican spices, a splash of liquid smoke and a splash of oil. Simply crumble and saute over high heat just as you would a tofu scramble. Marinate the protein before sauteing for more flavor. Chopped chipotle in adobo sauce, dried chipotle powder or diced jalapeno will bring some heat to your crumble mixture.

Sour Cream.

You could easily grab a container of vegan pre-made sour cream. Tofutti and Follow Your Heart have options. Or you could make your own cashew or silken tofu based sour cream. My recipe below..

Cashew Sour Cream

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
½ cup silken tofu
2 tablespoon lemon or lime juice + a pinch of grated zest
¾ teaspoon salt
1-2 teaspoon agave or maple syrup
1 tablespoon walnut oil (or another oil)
½ cup water (add 1 tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached)
a few dashes spices (garlic powder, pepper, chipotle, chili salt)
2 tablespoon soy creamer, plain flavor (optional - adds creamy richness)

Directions: blend in a high-speed blender - be sure to blend very well - at a high speed - so that you get a creamy smooth sour cream)

Get more vegan nacho inspiration on Family Kitchen: How-to Veganize Your Nachos

Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus Dip

April 28, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 12 Comments

This Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus is dreamy and rich textured with a hint of heat. Make it as spicy as you'd like. This healthy vegan dip can be served with freshly chopped veggie sticks, slathered on sandwiches, alongside salads or spread on bagels and toast. You can make an easy lunchtime wrap by simple scooping a nice portion of hummus into a large tortilla and adding a rainbow of veggies or greens - maybe a few grains like quinoa or cooked and chilled farro too. The flavor in this bean-filled hummus goes a long way to perk up produce. Get my recipe..

Omegas. I've been really into learning more about omega 3 fatty acids lately. And so I've been adding foods like walnuts and flax oil more to my diet - good vegan sources of omega 3's. And an easy recipe to use these ingredients in is hummus. I've replaced my usual olive oil ingredient with a mix of walnut and flax oils And I've tossed in a few omega-3 rich raw walnuts too. But you can use EVOO if need be.

Want to get more Omega 3's? For vegans, it is as easy as eating more flax and walnuts. And other moderate sources of omega 3's include beans like kidney and pinto, spinach, winter squash and broccoli. As well as other oils.

Always add walnut and flax oils to recipes at cold or room temperature - you don't want to heat them as cooking can destroy the omega fatty acids. So if you plan on baking this hummus or warming it in your oven you might want to use a super low temperature and bake for a longer period of time to help preserve the omegas.

Party Food. I love serving this dip is a big bowl, it looks so pretty and inviting. And this hummus is super delicious and perfect for a big bowl party dip!

Creamy Tomato Garlic Hummus Dip or Spread.

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 04/04/2012
Creamy, flavorful tomato hummus with sun-dried tomato and garlic flavors. Dip it or spread it on sandwiches.

Ingredients

1 cup canned white beans, drained/rinsed
1 ½ cups canned chickpeas, drained/rinsed
½ cup raw walnuts
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes
⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
5 cloves roasted garlic (roast in oven with oil until soft)
1-2 cloves raw garlic (optional for a spicy edge)
2-3 tablespoon walnut or flax or extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup fresh tomatoes
1 tablespoon tahini
salt to taste (about ¾ tsp)
black pepper and cayenne to taste
optional: ¼ cup fresh basil blended in + basil to garnish

Instructions

Prep: Drain the excess liquid from the cans of beans, rinse beans. Roast your garlic in the oven with some EVOO and sea salt - about 20 minutes at 400 degrees should do it. Wrap a clove of garlic in foil. Slice off the top of the garlic before drizzling and wrapping.
Omit 1 teaspoon of the sun-dried tomatoes. Add all ingredients to your blender of food processor. Pulse and blend until creamy – thickness to your preferences.
Serve in a big bowl with chopped sun-dried tomato on top. An an optional sprig of fresh basil. Optional: Warm in oven to serve warm baked hummus dip! About 20-30 minutes in a 200 degree oven should do it.

Yield: 4 cups - 8 ½ cup servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 10 mins.

Nutrition

Calories: 240
Fat: 11g
Protein: 11g
Totalcarbs: 26g
Dietaryfiber: 7g
Cholesterol: 0g

Tags: hummus,vegan,dip,snack,tomatoes,appetizer,party,beans

Vegan Pepperoni Pizza

April 24, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 18 Comments

Another vegan pizza post for you all! This one is a bit more classic than the last..

Sometimes I have to curb my desire for culinary innovation and just surrender to the classics. Enter my Easy Vegan Pepperoni Pizza.

Bubbly, melty Daiya Mozzarella meets dreamy marinara smothering my homemade Walnut Flax Wheat Pizza Crust. This crust is incredibly moist and fluffy. The edges stay fluffy and crisp and chewy while the topping-covered parts stay tender - crisp up the bottom if you'd like too. The crust softness is very much like a deep dish pizza crust without the dish. Perky pepperoni, thinly slices red onion and a few more favorites on top. Don't forget the homemade vegan Parmesan and red pepper flakes too. Have a pizza night!..

So since this is billed as an "easy" pepperoni pizza .. I made the crust, bought the pepperoni..

Vegan Pepperoni. The last time I tried vegan pepperonis on pizza I could've sworn I hated them. Kinda like the first time I tried nutritional yeast and hated it too. Second time is a charm for me I guess. (lesson: always try foods at least twice before saying you "hate" them!) So interestingly, this time I loved my Tofurky brand vegan pepperonis. Totally processed food. But for today, I'm indulging because these skinny circles taste spicy and flavorful - plus they make my pizza party super easy.

For the vegan cheese: Daiya Mozzarella.

But so far this is just too easy, right? Well here is where you can get fancy - the crust. I baked my own yeasted pizza crust - filled with healthy ingredients like nutritional yeast, flax seeds, walnuts and whole wheat flour - moist and fluffy. Upon baking, you can crisp the bottom of the crust nicely if that is what you like - I do this by transferring my almost fully cooked pizza directly to my oven rack for the last few minutes of cooking.

And yes if you want to get all super fancy and make your out seitan pepperonis and use some vegan cashew ricotta cheese instead of Daiya - go. for. it. All-approved by me.

But for easy. Classic. Yummy. House smells like an NYC pizzeria pizza night, simply make this recipe and indulge.

Now for a glimpse at MY pizza night pretense.. Yup, this is my life.. sleeping kitty in studio? check. stuffed bunny? check. vegan pizza hot from the oven? check. perfect overcast day photography lighting? check. happiness? big check!..

Now crank up the oven and make this pie!..

Classic Vegan Pepperoni Cheese Pizza with flax walnut wheat crust
makes 2 BIG mini pizzas

Flax Walnut Wheat Crust
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon vital wheat gluten
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 packet yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup warm water
⅓ cup raw walnuts + ¼ cup nutritional yeast + 2 teaspoon flax seeds (pulsed into meal = vegan Parm)
*more info on this vegan Parm recipe here on my Family Kitchen post
½ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon olive oil
½ teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

Pizza Assembly:

2 balls of dough (from above recipes)

toppings: red onion slices, as desired
chopped garlic or garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 cup Daiya Mozzarella vegan cheese
10-20 vegan pepperonis
red pepper flakes, as desired
fresh basil (if you are lucky enough to have on hand)

simple sauce (or use your favorite pasta marinara sauce):
1 cup san marzano tomatoes, smashed
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh basil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon black olives, chopped
a few dashes dried Italian herbs
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Start the dough about an hour before you want to serve pizzas. I let my dough rise for about 45 minutes and that worked well.

For dough:
Combine the yeast, warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Stir. Let sit for about five minutes.
In a separate large bowl combine all the dry ingredients (flour, vwg, baking powder, walnut mixture, salt). Add in the olive oil and red pepper flakes.
Note: For the walnut mixture, you will want to pulse the walnuts, flax seeds and nutritional yeast in a Vitamix until a meal/powder forms. Salt to taste. This recipe makes vegan Parmesan cheese.
Fold the water into all the remaining ingredients in the large bowl. Add in additional flour as needed to get a knead-able texture - not too wet and not too dry. Knead into a ball for a few minutes. Keep dough in mixing bowl and cover with towel. Allow dough to rise for at least a half hour - about an hour is ideal.

2. You can use any basic marinara sauce for pizza sauce or use my recipe above. Prepare the sauce by blending in a Vitamix or simply smashing everything roughly by hand with a fork. Chop the tomatoes if they do not mush apart by themselves.

3. When the dough has risen .. Heat your oven to 415 degrees.

4. Roll out your dough - roll out one pie or split into two balls for two mini pizzas.

5. Add the sauce.

6. Add a sprinkle of herbs, red pepper flakes and garlic powder over top. EVOO drizzle optional.

7. Add the Daiya cheese.

8. Add the onion and pepperoni. Top with red pepper flakes and more spices. I also add on some of my vegan Parmesan (walnut/nutri yeast/flax mixture.)

9. Bake for about 13-18 minutes for mini pizzas - depends on crust thickness and how crispy you like it. Broil for one minute to bubble the Daiya cheese on top. note: the pepperoni package says to add the pepperoni with only 2 minutes remaining in cooking the pizza - I did not do this and found my pepperonis to be quite nice - I like them a little crispy.

Serve warm - fresh basil, red pepper flakes and vegan Parm is yum on top!

crafting the pizza..

Pink Lemonade Coconut Water Frosty

April 24, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 13 Comments

Cool off with this Pink Lemonade Coconut Water Frosty. Rich in electrolytes, antioxidants - and low in calories - this is your go-to, light and lovely beverage as the weather warms up.

Perfect as an after-workout hydration beverage (bright pink - colored by berries - not chemicals like most "hydration" beverages.) Grab your blender and get ready to say "Ahhhhhh!" as you chug this frosty glass..

Change it up! You could easily add-in or swap fruit in this recipe. Blueberries, bananas, pineapple, mango, kiwi, melon and so many more. Use fresh or frozen fruit - frozen fruit will give you an icier beverage.

Use "unflavored" coconut water - and make sure it contains no added sugar! And if you can find fresh coconuts (those clunky big white things in the produce section at Whole Foods) - go for it. Fresh coconut water is AWESOME.

Low Calorie Version – around 100 calories..
11 ounces coconut water = 60 calories
½ cup strawberries = 22 calories
⅓ cup frozen peaches = 18 calories
ice/lemon = minimal

Pink Lemonade Coconut Water Frosty
makes one tall glass

11 ounces coconut water (unsweetened)
⅓ cup frozen peaches
½ cup frozen strawberries
¾ cup ice (use coconut water ice cubes if desired)
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
optional: drizzle of agave or maple syrup for added sweetness

optional: mint would be lovely added to this sip
optional: make it creamier + sweeter by adding ½ frozen banana

Directions:

Blend.
Pour.
Enjoy.
Say "Ahhhhh!"

Vegan Macro Bowl

April 24, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 6 Comments

Macro Meal. Tender wilted kale hugged by warm, nutty brown rice and white beans. Peppered shiitakes tumble alongside, an accent of tangy sauerkraut and a few crisp, fresh sprouts on top. Maple tamari tempeh triangles fan along the rim of my wide, white bowl. A kiss of sweet, juicy, zesty satsuma. And plentiful amounts of rich, tangy tahini-maple dressing drizzled over top. This is my kind of macro meal.

I have been curious about macrobiotics lately. One can only order the "Macro" Bowl at Native Foods so many times before wanting to refresh their expertise of what "Macro" actually means...

The term, "Macro Diet" (short for Macrobiotic) has been tossed around in pop culture quite often, especially because of its popularity among celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. But dive a little deeper in to the topic of macrobiotics and you will find that it is more than just a diet.

Macrobiotics is a way of life. Much like veganism. Macrobiotics (just like veganism) is about more than what you put on your plate. These "diets" have a much greater purpose and reflect a philosophy on how you live life. Veganism of course is deeply rooted in animal welfare, while macrobiotics has a strong hold on everyday wellness and balancing of yin/yang. So put those two together, and see how a vegan macro diet can be a thing of beauty.

And while I'm not planning on taking a summer off to study macro cuisine at the Kushi Institute anytime soon (although that would be fun). I've certainly become a fan of building my own macro bowl here at home. Get my recipe below..

Learn the basics of Macrobiotic meals here, my post on Disney's Babble.

Vegan Macro Bowl

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 04/23/2012
This meal in a bowl includes tempeh, sauerkraut, shiitakes, rice and veggies. This is a casual take on a macrobiotic meal.

Ingredients

Rice:

1 cup brown rice, cooked
1 cup white beans, cooked
¼ cup nutritional yeast

Mushrooms:

1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon tamari
a few pinches of black pepper
¼ teaspoon sesame oil (or EVOO)

Other:

½ cup sauerkraut or pickled veggies
2 cups organic kale, shredded
a few florets of broccoli (optional)
pinch of sprouts (optional)
1 tangerine, peeled/sliced (optional)
nori wrap, crushed or seaweed rice crackers

Tempeh:

4oz tempeh, sliced into triangles
2 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon tamari
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Dressing: 1 tablespoon tahini + 1 teaspoon maple syrup + 3 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Start by preparing your tempeh. Saute tempeh and EVOO in a skillet over high heat. Flip after about 2 minutes. Add the maple and tamari and continue cooking until edges are slightly crisp and surface browned. Remove from heat. Set aside.
White pan is still hot, add in the sesame oil and mushrooms. Saute until tender. Finish with a splash of tamari and black pepper. Push mushrooms to one side of pan and add in the kale and optional broccoli florets. Press the kale into the hot pan to gently wilt. These veggies will absorb loads of excess flavor from the pan.
Pile the wilted kale into a plating dish. Add the cooked mushrooms alongside the kale. Also add the set aside tempeh.
Add your rice and beans to the sauté pan. There should be a bit of oil/flavor still left on the pan. Turn the heat up to high as you warm the beans and rice. If needed, add a splash of water or veggie broth to moisten the pan. Once the beans and rice are warmed, transfer to a large bowl and toss with the nutritional yeast to create a savory mixture. Now add about 1 ¼ cups of the beans/rice to your macro bowl. You may have some leftovers of this.
Optional: I like to gently warm my sauerkraut by placing it on the still hot skillet for 1-2 minutes. It also absorbs some of the excess flavors from the pan. Add to your bowl.
Add the satsuma, sprouts and seaweed to the bowl as well. Quickly whisk the dressing and drizzle it over top to serve.

Yield: 1-2Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Cook time: 00 hrs. 10 mins. Total time: 20 mins. Tags: vegan,macro bowl,entree,rice,macrobiotic,

Pin for later:

Maple Tahini Dressing. Triangles of Tempeh..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up: 4/23

April 23, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

Today's Meatless Monday Recipe Round-up via my posts over at Babble's Family Kitchen include .. a warm breakfast buckwheat bowl (gluten-free!), 21 common vegan cooking mistakes slideshow, strawberry chocolate raw tart, cinna-chili popcorn, a discussion on virgin coconut oil, news on my recipe gallery, a FindingVegan.com milestone and more. Start today and keep meatless going all week long!..

Cocoa Berry Cake (upper left) - Coconut Nests (lower left) - Apple PB Shake (right)

Milestone Moment to my other site FindingVegan.com - it has reached over 10,000 posts in the past 18 months - all thanks to all the very talented bloggers who have submitted their photos/recipes. A big THANK YOU - keep those submissions coming so the world can see what vegan really tastes/looks like! Check them out on Finding Vegan!

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up - 4/23/12

* Hot Cereal: Buckwheat Fruit Porridge
This gluten free hot cereal gives you a tasty break from oats. Plus learn about why buckwheat is so good for you!

* Cooking Tips: 21 Common Cooking Mistakes: VEGAN Edition!
I've made my fair share of vegan mistakes in the kitchen - so now I'm sharing them with you! I make the mistakes so you don't have to!

* Popcorn: Cinna-Chili Coconut Oil Popcorn
This warming spicy-sweet popcorn will make the whole house smell like bliss. Bring on movie night.

* Waffle Breakfast: The Perfect Waffle Morning
Blueberry Waffles, a steamy coffee beverage, some fruit and a long lingering AM. Recipes for an awesome waffle breakfast morning.

* Dessert: Cocoa Berry Mini Cakes
Fluffy berry-cocoa cakes slathered in my vegan cream cheese frosting. Fancy yet comforting.

* Slim Spring: Slim-Down Secrets for Spring
Whether you are trying to lose a few pounds or simply maintain your healthy weight - these slimming tips will keep you on your toes as you power through your day and fill up on plenty of healthy foods.

* Apples: 9 Apple Recipes
A recent study said that eating two apples a day can significantly improve your cholesterol levels. More about the study and nine apple recipes!

* Nutrition: Virgin Coconut Oil for a Healthy Metabolism?
I've been using a lot of virgin coconut oil lately - so I wanted to chat about a few of the health claims and the claim that it actually boosts metabolism - basically calling itself a "fat" to help reduce "fat."

* Veganized Recipes: Turn Mushrooms into Faux Dishes
How to turn mushrooms into faus seafood dishes like "clam" chowder and "scallops" - a fun look at how to fake-out your meal with tasty vegan mushrooms.

* Side: Lemon Garlic Cashew Ricotta
This versatile recipe was featured in my Pesto/Ricotta Vegan Pizza - but you can use it for lasagna, as a dip, dolloped on top of salads and more.

* Raw Dessert: Raw Chocolate Strawberry Pie
Fresh strawberries and a creamy cashew cacao mixture are the stars of this dessert show!

* Easter Leftovers Dessert: White Chocolate Coconut Nests
Simple dessert using vegan white chocolate chips and coconut - no bake!

* Apple Shake: Peanut Butter Banana Apple Shake
Peanut butter lovers fruit shake with creamy banana and sweet whole apple!

* Earth Day Burger: Veggie Burger for Earth Day
Can you guess my #1 recipe to celebrate Earth Day? A veggie burger .. my Easy Sweet Potato Veggie Burger with Avocado!

* Nutrition 101: Nutrient Rich Recipes for Spring
Step into class folks, it is time for a little nutrition 101. Refresh your mind with why our bodies need certain nutrients like vitamin C and D - and you just may be inspired to eat a little healthier this week. Plus recipes for that specific nutrient you crave!

* Dessert: 16 Vegan Spring Treats
If it is vegan treats and desserts you crave this spring - I have 16 of them for you!

More inspiration: Find vegan... Vegan Recipes from Finding Vegan. Embrace a week of vegan with the help of my other site: FindingVegan.com

About my Meatless Monday round-ups: Every other week (or so) I link to my recent posts over at Babble.com so that you don't miss out on any of my recipes. My round-up is a great way to embrace Meatless Monday.

Previous Meatless Monday/Family Kitchen Recipe Round-Up's:

* 4/2 - Cashew Dip, Purple Smoothie - nutrition super post!
* 3/19 - Green Cashew Cheese, Cupcake ATM fun, Smoothies, green smoothies, vegan St Patty's Day eats, chocolate peanut butter cupcakes.
* ⅗ - Cinna Rolls, Mardi Gras Smoothie
* 2/20 -chocolate shake, BBQ tempeh salad, VDay wrap-up recipes
* 2/6 -Vegan Pesto, Coconut Chickpea Fritters, Buffalo Bites, Pesto Salad
* 1/23 - Mushroom Bowl, Pineapple Smoothie, Banana Pie
* 1/17 - Spelt Biscuits, Chia Bread, Kale Sandwich, Fresca How-to
* 1/9 - Cocoa Peanut Cookies, Apple Pancakes, Cheezy Leek Chow Mein, New Year's Detox..
* 12/20 - Holiday Edition!
* 12/12 - Vegan Cheese, potato stew, cardamom chocolate cake and more.
* 11/28 - Post-Thanksgiving Meatless Monday recipe.
* 11/14 - Pre-Thanksgiving Meatless Monday recipe.
* 11/7 - Pumpkin Cheesecake, BBQ Chickpea Wrap, Easy Spicy Chick'n Ranch Wrap, Concord Cranberry Sauce and more!
* 10/31 - Halloween Bonanza - treats, sips, and more..
* 10/24 - Banana Pecan Muffins, Halloween Candy Veganized, Halloween Cupcakes.
* 10/17 - Papaya bowl, witches brew broccoli cheesy soup, cheezy broomsticks, Spiderweb Brownie Bites, Tofu Triangles over couscous with candied cashews and broccoli.
* 10/10 - Pumpkin Pizza, Fruity Faces, Peanut butter Banana Pudding, Carrot Juice and Double Pumpkin Cream Pie.
* 10/3 - Naughty/Nice Vegan Desserts, Raw Chocolate Shake, Pumpkin Potato Salad, Pumpkin Spice Cider Smoothie and more..
* 9/26 - cauliflower soup, pomegranate fizzy cocktail, food truck gyros at home, ghost whip, almost tiramisu pie
* 9/19 - apple jack flapjacks, seared tofu, tropical green smoothie, vanilla coconut latte, sumac salad
* 9/12 - ginger frosty, peanut butter cream pie, vegan chili, easy coconut rice and wonton lunch, peanut butter fruit stack sandwich
* 9/5 - Labor Day "Southern Food" Feast - biscuits, "chickn" fried seitan, cole slaw, pb shake
* 8/29 - pesto alphabet pasta, banana split, sweet potato biscuits, pasta salad to-go, cheeze sauce
* 8/22 - tropical smoothie, mushroom bites, veggie burger, love your green juice, peas and pasta cheezy style
* 8/15 - vegan jello, sunny pesto pasta, peachy "A" Smoothie, creamy cole slaw recipes, vegan sloppy joes, apricot cobbler and lime basil sorbet!
* 8/8 - jumbo croutons, fresh tomato hummus, peanut butter pillows, veggie burger slideshow, sticky maple french toast, cinna-rolls and more!
* 8/1 - hazelnut hummus, pesto pasta, tofu scramble, squash blossoms, savory waffles, hash browns.
* 7/25 - smoothies, vegan burrito, blueberry bread, panzanella salad, beet salad, peach crisp.
* 7/18 - roasted pepper hummus, raw food eats, papaya smoothie, owl cake, chocolate pudding parfait, hemp mashed potatoes and watermelon recipes.

And you can always peruse my HHL Recipe Index for many more vegan, meatless recipes!

For more "get healthy" inspiration check out this year's Veggie Girl Power Series. And catch-up on past interviews here: 2009 and 2010 and 2009 quotes.

Citrus Quinoa Tempeh Plate with Avocado Cream

April 20, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 8 Comments

My Citrus Quinoa Tempeh Plate with vegan Avocado Cream is like serving up a platter of sunshine.

..I even attempted to make the dish look like a cute little sun .. with golden mango and squiggly beet rays of sunshine. #AbstractFoodArt 🙂

Sun Plate. Citrus spiced fluffy quinoa is topped with glowing, juicy slices of fresh navel orange, and skewers of peppery citrus-maple tempeh triangles. A ring of sweet diced mango circles the plate with swirly accents of finely shaved raw beet and a few chopped walnuts. A drizzle of my Super Avocado Cream (amazing as a salad dressing too) over top. Sunshine on a plate I tell you!

Feast on this and feel all glow-y inside..

Something to Celebrate.. I wanted to pause and give a big shout out to my other site: FindingVegan.com - recently, it passed the 10,000 post mark!

I started the site about a year and a half ago as a way for people to find delicious vegan recipes, products and other vegan "finds." I am so grateful for all the AMAZING bloggers who have submitted their posts to the site. I am inspired by the submissions on a daily basis.

FindingVegan.com is a great way to get a big picture view of what the world of vegan food is all about - simply put - it is cruelty free, creative, fun .. and delicious!

Now back to MY vegan recipe creation for the day.. (I'm sure you will see it on Finding Vegan very soon too!)

Side of strawberry smoothie..

Yummy Avocado Cream. Seriously, if you make only one component of this plate - make the Avocado Cream and use it as salad dressing. It is creamy, spicy, sweet, salty, zesty. It was sooooo yummy I really don't even want to try and describe it with fancy culinary words like "bright" and "balanced." It was just plain... yummy.

More avocado cream please...

As is, this plate makes a nice lunch or even breakfast! I enjoyed it for a sunny lunch and was quite satisfied eating the fluffy quinoa, sunny fruit and tempeh protein.

For a heartier meal, you can add a giant pile of spinach, arugula, kale or chopped romaine - the Avocado Cream begs to be slathered over top some greens.

If you have leftover dressing, store it in a tightly sealed dish and add a bunch of lemon, orange or lime slices on top (in between the dressing and the container lid/foil/plastic wrap) - helps to keep it from browning.

OK, enough talking. Start reading the recipe so you can be eating it!

Sunshine Plate:

1 skewer of tempeh (recipe below)
3 slices of peeled orange
1 ¼ cups spiced citrus quinoa (recipe below)
¼ cup beets, finely grated
1 tablespoon chopped raw walnuts
½ champagne mango, diced
a few dashes chili salt over top (I used Penzey's Spices Spicy 4/S - love it)
Generous drizzle of Avocado Cream over top + more if you'd like 🙂 (recipe below)

To Assemble:

1. Mound the quinoa on your plate.
2. Add the citrus over top. Then the skewers of tempeh.
3. Add the diced mango and walnuts along the edges. Add the beets in little mounds.
4. Drizzle the Avocado cream over top the tempeh and dash a few more spices as you'd like.

Super Avocado Cream/Dressing
makes about 1 ½ cups
1 large avocado
1 tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoon tamari
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 teaspoon maple syrup (or agave)
2 teaspoon oil (walnut, EVOO, pumpkinseed .. something with some flavor & omega-3's)
1 small jalapeno, stem removed (if you don't like spicy - scrape away the seeds)
a nice amount of fine black pepper - to taste
optional: ½ cup cilantro or parsley

Directions: Place all ingredients in blender (I used my trusty Vitamix) and blend until creamy.

Spiced Citrus Tempeh Triangles
makes 8 mini triangles
8 ounces tempeh, cut into about 8 small triangles
⅓ cup orange juice
2 teaspoon tamari
2 teaspoon maple syrup
a few dashes chipotle spice (or another fave spice)
pepper to taste
1 teaspoon safflower oil
optional: a few drops of liquid smoke
optional: 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Directions: Heat the oil in a saute pan, add in the tempeh and smother it in the spices, liquid smoke, maple syrup and tamari. After you have a nice sear, add in the orange juice and cover with lid. Allow tempeh to cook for a minute or so. Remove lid and add some pepper and the optional nutritional yeast. Simmer until all the liquid has been absorbed or steamed off.

Fluffy Citrus Quinoa
makes about 4 cups
1 cup + 2 tablespoon dry, unrinsed quinoa
⅔ cup water
1 cup orange juice
¼ cup white onion, diced
Fold in to the cooked quinoa:
3 tablespoon nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste
3 teaspoon spices (use any variety! I used a spicy Cajun blend)

Cooking instructions for quinoa: How-to make fluffy quinoa.

Peanut Butter Cacao Fudge Bars, Coconut Oil

April 19, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 37 Comments

These Peanut Butter Cacao Fudge Bars are silky, decadent, melt-in-your-mouth delish.

Ribbons of creamy peanut butter ripple and swirl with rich coconut oil peanut butter fudge. Hints of banana, maple and cinnamon too. Bold crunchy raw cacao nibs on top and a thin layer of soft hemp seeds as the crust. Cravable. And oh so easy.

Fast Treat. It took me only about five minutes to prepare this fudge. And then about fifteen minutes to sit back and twiddle my thumbs while the mixture chilled in the freezer. No baking. No fuss. Just blend, chill, slice and serve.

Seriously, look at how easy this recipe is! ..(and lets chat coconut oil)...

Peanut Butter Cacao Chip Fudge
vegan, makes about 9 squares

1 cup + 1 tablespoon unrefined coconut oil, virgin organic cold-pressed (measure at room temperature state - fluffy form, not melted)
1 cup creamy peanut butter, organic salted at room temperature (or warm to soften)
⅓ cup maple syrup
½ banana
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt (dash)
crust: ¼ cup organic hemp seeds

topping:
1-2 tablespoon creamy peanut butter, softened to drizzle-able state
1-2 tablespoon raw cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender (high speed works best.)
2. Blend until smooth and creamy.
3. Spread crust hemp seeds over bottom of a glass dish (anything about 7"-10" inches square - or close to it - will work.)
4. Pour the blended mixture right over top the hemp seeds.
5. Warm the peanut butter topping (microwave a few seconds) and drizzle over top the mixture. Swirl it with a toothpick for pretty designs. Sprinkle the cacao nibs over top.
6. Place dish in freezer for about 15-20 minutes - or until the center of the mixture has firmed - enough to slice into bars. This may take longer or shorter depending on how thick your bars have been poured. If you are not serving the bars for a few hours you can just place the dish in the fridge. Store leftover bars in fridge.

Serve!

Easy, right?

The Good Stuff. Now like I said - this dessert is rich! You can easily just eat a tiny fudge-sized nibble and feel like you have treated yourself. Peanut butter and coconut oil makes for a rich treat. But hopefully those antioxidant-rich cacao nibs and protein-rich hemp seeds will make you feel a little better about indulging. The hemp seeds just bind to the bottom of the fudge..

And this is an almost raw recipe.. the peanut butter was roasted. But actually, to make it raw you could use raw peanut butter or another raw nut butter.

The secret to this vegan fudge is the virgin coconut oil. Coconut oil has literally transformed the world of vegan baking and desserts. Even the mainstream baking crowd is falling in love with this versatile ingredient - for example, you can find coconut oil in the Sprinkles vegan red velvet cupcakes.

Just for fun lets look at the nutritional analysis (per half pb fudge bar) 18 servings per recipe above..

calories: 217, fat: 20g, protein: 4g, carbs: 8g, iron: 3%

Not to go all nutrition-y on you in a dessert post - but I want to chat about this crazy coconut oil stuff, since there is so much of it in this recipe…

Coconut oil has the amazing ability to firm up at when chilled (stick it in the fridge and it becomes a solid block - waxy almost - yet coconut oil stays soft and pillow-y at temperatures at about 66-75 degrees. Anything over 75 degrees and the oil turns liquid. I have seen it used in a wide variety of raw recipes including vegan cheesecake, energy balls, truffles, cookies and more.

Now the tricky part, for me, about coconut oil is that there is still some controversy as to whether or not it is a nutrition powerhouse or a healthy fat dud. You can find virgin coconut oil in the "nutrition and supplements" section of Whole Foods (and the oil section) - and I often see it for sale at nutrition stores like The Vitamin Shoppe.

But here comes the tricky part. If you skim the virgin coconut oil label you will find a lot of fat. Not surprising. But 13g out of the 14g of fat per tablespoon are saturated. Bad, right? Well maybe not. Simply explained, the saturated fat in coconut oil is actually quite unique and possibly really good for you!

Fat burning fudge bars??? Lets investigate..

Dr Mercola says this about it.. (and I've found that a wide number of experts agree with his stance)

"It may be surprising for you to learn that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil is actually good for you and provides a number of profound health benefits, such as: Improving your heart health. Boosting your thyroid. Increasing your metabolism. Promoting a lean body and weight loss if needed. Supporting your immune system. Coconut oil even benefits your skin when applied topically and has been found to have anti-aging, regenerative effects."

His reasoning, "Coconut oil is also nature's richest source of medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs"

He continues to explain how MCT's are easily digested by the liver and burned as fuel. And while eating too many calories of anything will contribute to weight gain, coconut oil as a whole food is actually beneficial to us - and may even help our bodies burn fat. Sounds too good to be true, right?

These fudge bars may be weight loss bars!!! 🙂

Read more of his explanation on Huffington Post

For me, I am staying on the "everything in moderation" side for coconut oil. How about you?

Coconut Butter Spreads: Cacao, Goji, Banana, Strawberry

April 18, 2012 by Kathy Patalsky 29 Comments

Warning, your toast, muffins and tea cakes will never be the same after tasting a slather these coconut oil-infused butters..

Continuing on my virgin coconut butter kick, I whipped up these Coconut Butter Spread recipes in my Vitamix. I literally made all three of them in about ten minutes and they were ready-to-serve in about another ten minutes. Easy, pretty and super yummy.

I can just see this trio of flavors set out at a spring brunch - slathered on toast or muffins in place of traditional "buttery" or "jammy" substances. Health-nuts, vegans and even those who shun "all things healthy" will love these flavorful spreads..

Trio. I started with three flavors, cinnamon coconut banana, espresso cacao chip and creamy spicy goji berry. Then at the last minute this morning I whipped up some strawberry coconut butter with some farmer's market organic berries.

The flavors are all very different and that makes for a fun tasting experience. Get my recipes and get inspired to craft your own coconut butter spread flavors!..

The trio..

Simple Strawberry..

After making my Peanut Butter Fudge Coconut Oil Bars, I knew coconut oil would be a new staple in my kitchen. So I bring you another insanely easy recipe using coconut butter...

Coconut Butter Spread Recipes

To Make: Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Spoon mixture out into freezer-friendly container. Place in the freezer for at least ten minutes - longer for firmer spread - serve. The spread should be served firm yet spreadable. Place back in fridge to store. Use within a few days.

note: you can use refined or unrefined coconut oil. I like unrefined because it has a stronger coconut essence.

tips:

* Do not blend coconut oil with slightly cold or chilled liquids or you will be left with bead-y, clumpy butter. Room temperature to warm liquids work best.

* If you get stuck blending smoothly, add a few splashes of warm water.

* Always use coconut oil that has been warmed to room temperature - or slightly softer - for easiest blending.

* For a "lower in fat" spread - add in a few tablespoons of non-dairy milk (warm in microwave before adding.) The butter will still firm up nicely, but be a tad less "oily." You can also add in other "fillers" like silken tofu, soy cream cheese, nuts, nut butters, avocado, creamy fruits and more. So many options!!

* In place of banana - you could also use creamy avocado for all the recipes below.

* If making ahead of time - allow at least 10-20 minutes for coconut butter to soften to room temp before spreading .. this avoids "waxy" spread. Try warming in microwave if needed.

* I used my beloved Vitamix for an easy, ultra-creamy blend.

Cinna-Banana Coconut Spread
5 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
pinch salt
1 banana
2-3 dashes cinnamon
2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup

Banana Coconut Cinnamon..

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Espresso Cacao Chip Coconut Spread
5 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 shot espresso, warm (about room temperature)
1 teaspoon raw cacao nibs
½ banana
2 teaspoon cacao powder - or another teaspoon of nibs
dash cinnamon
2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
pinch salt
note: you can easily make this with either cacao nibs OR cacao powder - you don't need both - although the double cacao flavor and texture is nice.

notes: I tried this with avocado instead of banana and it was just as tasty - meybe even more so! Try them both and see which you prefer. Also, you do not have to add the espresso. If you want just basic "cacao" spread - go for it. Maybe sub the espresso with warmed non-dairy milk.

creamy cacao espresso..

---------

Spicy Goji Coconut Spread
5 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
2 tablespoon goji berries, soaked in warm water for at least 20 minutes (drain water before adding)
1 banana
2 dashes cayenne (optional)
1-3 teaspoon maple or agave syrup

Spicy Goji Berry Coconut..

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Simple Strawberry
5 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
5-6 strawberries
pinch salt
2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup

yum: add in a few spoonfuls of peanut butter for PB&J spread!

Simple Strawberry..

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Also try:

Almond Butter Coconut Spread
2 tablespoon almond butter
3 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
1 banana
1-2 teaspoon maple or agave syrup
pinch salt
dash cinnamon

To end this post.. I had to reflect on where I first heard about the unique ingredient virgin coconut oil...

History. I first heard about "virgin coconut oil" as a "health superfood" about seven years ago at work. My co-worker came into the office with a big smile on her face, eager to tell all about her latest health discovery. She said she was eating spoonfuls of coconut oil every morning in order to help her lose weight.

In a flash, she popped out her opaque white jar of virgin coconut oil, unscrewed the lid and dug a silver spoon deeply into the thick creamy oil. Out came a heaping spoonful of a globular, white, shiny substance - and without flinching, she stuck it in her mouth. It was gone in a few seconds. She smirked in a "Oh yes I did!" sort of way.

My mental reaction was probably easy to read - I probably looked at her like she was crazy - I'm a really bad facial liar. I paused and calmly asked without staring directly at the now empty coconut spoon, "so, how does that work?" I faked a little excitement to hide my freaked-out-ed-ness.

In my mind I was secretly calculating the calories in one heaping spoonful of pure fat/oil - and I knew it was saturated fat from my studies in nutrition. My mind was spinning, How in the world could this stuff make someone lose weight??

She continued smiling as she explained the theory involving lauric acid and how it supposedly boosted metabolism. I don't think she was quite convinced herself of the "sounds to good to be true" science - but wanted to give it a shot for a few weeks. I wonder if she still enjoys her spoonful a day 🙂

I still giggle of that story because I have a picture in my head of her licking spoonfuls of coconut oil with a scrunched up face. The image just begs for a joke - wannabe "weight loss" dieters licking heaping spoonfuls of fat. Oh, field of nutrition, you always amaze me.

So the point to this story is.. if you are going to increase your consumption of virgin coconut oil - why not do it with a delicious spread (recipes above) rather than just straight up oil.

So what do I think now? Culinary-wise, this stuff is amazing. Vegan desserts love it. So on the cooking end of things, I'm all in. And on the "health claims side, I still want to follow the latest research. Personally, I'm more interested in the immune system and brain health effects of coconut oil. The research in this area is still quite new - but still something to watch and listen for.

The Coconut Oil Conversation Continues.. I continued the "coconut oil for health" conversation over on Babble's Family Kitchen.