Thick 'n Creamy Vegan Cole Slaw. Crave it.

August 11, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

I've done a number of vegan cole slaw recipes. Some are uber light and zesty, others crunchy and sweet. This one is simply: thick. And creamy.

This Thick and Creamy Vegan Cole Slaw is the answer to your classic cole slaw cravings. Fresh chopped, crunchy green cabbage is coated in a tangy, vibrant, flavorful dressing. Cole Slaw lovers, lets dive into this zesty, creamy, crunchy bite..

*Get 20 of my Vegan Slaw Salad Recipes Here*

Classic White Creamy Version:

Fancy Version with carrots and onions (after overnight in fridge)..

The dressing: (a mixture of tahini, cider vinegar, silken tofu, spices, tamari, agave and grape seed oil)

Inspired by...

Picnic Trio! The label screamed. I peered inside the shiny plastic "picnic trio" containers snugly stacked between the hummus and guac in the Whole Foods prepared foods fridge section. Picnic trio indeed.

Inside the container was a creamy potato salad, creamy cabbage cole slaw and .. well, to tell you the truth, I forget what the third prepared dish was simply because my eyes were glued on that cole slaw! It was thick and creamy. Yet still looked totally crunchy and zesty. Dreamy kind of cole slaw.

Yes, I'll admit it. Before my vegan years, I was a (dairy-filled) cole slaw addict. I can recall diving into bowls of it, fork first, pushing past any main course for this sinful side dish. Sweet and creamy, zesty and hearty. My fave cole slaw memory? KFC. Gasp! Yes, I loved that stuff. *hides head in hands*

OK, maybe gushing about "what I used to eat" is a bit silly, but like many of you, I didn't grow up on vegan food. I grew up on mainstream eats. And so even today, my food cravings can sink back into those weird and random childhood food memories. Thus the "creamy cole slaw" infatuation.

*cut to today*

Thankfully, I'm a wiz at veganizing just about anything. And my vegan recipes more than satisfy my cravings - they make me feel good from the inside out. 🙂

..I still haven't gotten around to veganizing the "soufflé" yet. But I did say, yet.

Choose from two versions (fancy with carrots and onions - or classic creamy white)..

Thick and creamy Cole Slaw
vegan, makes about 6-8 cups of slaw (one large mixing bowl)

1 small head of green cabbage, chopped

creamy slaw dressing:
1 cup silken tofu (about 8 ounces)
½ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ cup tahini
2 tablespoon agave syrup
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoon tamari
⅓ cup oil (I used grape seed oil)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
a few dashes cayenne
pepper (to taste)
salt (to taste)

Flavor Changers:
extra creamy? -> add ⅓ cup vegan tofu-based sour cream
extra fancy version? (seen in header pic) -> add in chopped carrots, ½ cup onion, some red cabbage and more fancy veggies!
extra robust? -> add in your own additional blend of dried spices or herbs
extra sweet? -> add in a few more splashed of agave or maple and a diced sweet onion as well

To Make:

1. Chop your cabbage - remove the hard stem. Place in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add all the dressing ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on low until creamy. Then drizzle in the oil - while blender is on - very very slowly. Do a taste test and adjust ingredients as desired.

3. Fold the cabbage into the dressing. Serve immediately for crunchy, soft slaw or allow to chill in the fridge for a more marinated, pickled slaw. Allowing the slaw to set overnight will slightly wilt the cabbage but also intensify the flavors.

Enjoy!

Want more slaw??? -> *Get 20 of my Vegan Slaw Salad Recipes Here*

fancy version:

Frozen Limeade Frosty!

August 9, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

One sip, and your mind freezes over in a pure state of fresh bliss. You could call this a palate-cleansing frosty - but I call it a day-cleansing frosty. "Stress be gone." says the hypnotic green lime juice.

For an arctic chill inspired, zippy, juicy and sweet-tart sip - give this Frozen Limeade Frosty a try. It is infused with bright fresh lime juice with sweet undertones of basil, a hint of lemon and sweetened with smooth maple (or agave) syrup. This frosty is free of mint - but you could certainly add some if you'd like. Vibrant, clean flavors will cool you off and chill you out. And yes, if you want to add a happy hour splash of silver tequila, go for it...

Change it up (a few yummy add-in's):

* Add frozen watermelon!
* Add frozen or fresh mango!
* Add double bananas for a creamier sip!
* Add cherries!
* Add a scoop of vanilla soy ice cream for a lime-cream-sicle sip!
* Fresh mint!
* Cayenne for spice!

or go with the pure lime and basil flavor..

Frozen Limeade Frosty
makes about 24 ounces

2 juicy limes, squeezed (about ¼ cup lime juice)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (or use all lime)
1 ½ cups ice
⅓ cup frozen banana
2-3 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
pinch of lime zest
2 tablespoon fresh basil or mint leaves
2-4 tablespoon chilled water* (I used sparkling mineral water!)

*the amount of water you use determines how intense your frosty flavor will be.

Optional: make it a cocktail + splash of tequila

garnish: lime wedges

To Make:

1. Add the fresh citrus juice to the blender. I used my Vitamix.
2. Add in the ice cubes, banana, sweetener, lime zest and basil.
3. Start blending on low - slowly add in the water 1 tablespoon at a time. Keep blending until a desired thickness is reached.
4. Pour into glasses. Garnish. Salt-rimmed glasses are a nice touch too.

Enjoy!

Veggie Burger Test Kitchen! Lemon Herb Sliders.

August 9, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

Burgers and Americans go hand in hand. Call it tradition, call it childhood or teenage nostalgia, call it what you will. But to me, the classic American meal of a burger, fries and a milkshake is pure comfort food. Well, that is until you realize what you are in fact consuming in this "classic" meal. And you certainly won't feel so comforted.

But guess what, a burger (and even fries and a "milk"shake) can come in a much healthier, happier, cruelty-free, vegan form: the glorious, wonderful, redeeming, cozy, comfort-food recipe. The Veggie Burger.

A good veggie burger is not a sacrifice. It's not a let down and it's not second rate to the "real" thing. A good veggie burger is something to swoon over, crave and wholeheartedly enjoy. And be proud of.

My Proof. I always go back to a memory I have from childhood. Even before I was vegan or even vegetarian, I always ordered "the veggie burger" from one of my hometown's best burger joints. It was a luscious, rich soy burger - so moist and silky that I craved it. I craved it more than any "classic" meat burger I had ever eaten.

But I know well that a "good" veggie burger is not an easy product to achieve! That's why I'm sharing my Veggie Burger Test Kitchen with you all today!..

Lemon Herb Sliders..

The Patty (I took these out of oven a tad early - before done to show you the texture/color) about 5-7 minutes longer in oven and they were perfection...

White Bean Burger..

Portobello Burger..

Fiesta Black Bean Burgers..

Shake with that burger??..

Be sure to check out my Veggie Burger 7 Recipe Slideshow after you read my Test Kitchen Tips!

The first time I made a vegan Veggie burger I had no clue what I was doing. How in the world would I successfully combine some random ingredients to form a sticky, complete, won't-fall-apart, tastes delicious veggie burger? My first veggie burger fell apart like a crumbly cookie. But it did taste good. I had hope.

Since then, I'm always experimenting with new veggie burger recipes and techniques. And in the end, I'm proud that I've come up with a few go-to recipes. It takes practice though. As Bobby Flay says (veggie burgers are hard!)..

"..But a veggie burger, I think it’s something I have not found that I can do well, so I’m not going to do it. I don’t want to serve something that’s sub par." -BFlay ..ps, Bobby, I'm still waiting on your BBP Veggie Burger! 🙂

Well today I'm serving up a super delicious veggie burger recipe as well as some basic veggie burger tips so you can create your very own flavors and textures!..

Veggie Burger Test Kitchen: Tips, Ingredients and Techniques

The Base. For the base ingredients of the veggie burger you have a few options. Some folks use tempeh, seitan or even tofu. But my favorite option is to use legumes, aka mostly beans. Lentils too. Beans are the perfect veggie burger base because they are sticky, versatile, rich in nutrients like protein and fiber - and they are easy to get creative with. A wide variety of beans means you can create a wide variety of veggie burger flavors and textures.

Just a few bean options: cannellini, garbanzo, fava, butter, navy, lentils, pinto, black and more. I will often add a variety of bean flavors to one burger patty. For example, in the recipe below, I use cannellini and garbanzo. Garbanzo adds a hearty nuttiness to the burger - while the cannellini beans mash easily and provide a super sticky texture to help stabilize the patty.

..I also just fell in love with TVP! Perfect base for veggie burgers. See my sloppy nellys here - and more about TVP for veggie recipes and burgers. Posting a TVP burger recipe soon!

The Filler. I like to call this next part of the veggie burger, the filler - aka "the glue" that binds the ingredients together. Yes, the beans will be doing the majority of the binding work - but there are a few more ingredient options which can assist. These ingredients absorb water well - and thus soak up liquid "gluing" the ingredients together.

Options include: flour (any variety), fine bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, dehydrated potato flakes, mashed sweet potatoes, fine seeds like hemp seeds, rice, various fine grains like quinoa, crushed crackers (like rice crackers) and even fine powder spices like garlic powder. These items not only aide in binding, but they add flavor and texture as well. Another filler is vegan cheese. It can add a subtle stickiness - especially as the burger cools and firms up.

Moist Makers. ..Have you ever seen the Thanksgiving episode of Friends (the TV show)? Monica explains her famous "moist maker" gravy-soaked slice of bread she adds to her leftover TDay sandwiches - to keep them moist..

Well, I love that term "moist maker" so for my veggie burgers - I try to add something that keeps things moist. Trust me, the worst thing you can do to a veggie burger is bake it too long, of not add enough moist ingredients to the patty. The edges may crisp up and as the patty cools you'll be faced with a dry, brittle mess. Moisture enhances the flavor of the patty. So keep it as moist as you can without letting it fall apart.

Moisture ingredients include items like: chopped frozen spinach, hemp seeds which absorb the excess moisture, moist rice or grains like barely, vegan cheese, liquids like lemon juice which can absorb into ingredients like nuts and seeds and basically any 'moist' veggie you want to throw in there: marinated mushrooms, mashed potatoes or baked winter squash, fresh chopped herbs, roasted veggies, shredded carrots, shredded zucchini, eggplant - the list can go on and on.

Just remember that your binding ingredients will absorb liquid as your burgers bake - so be sure to be thoughtful about including a moist maker ingredient. In the recipe below, my moist maker ingredients were the hemp seeds and frozen spinach. The excess lemon juice also added to the moisture level and bright flavor.

To Grill or To Bake? My first veggie burger recipe was intended for the grill. But alas, it fell apart. I wanted to make a recipe that would stay together the same way a meat patty does on the grill. But in the end, the veggie burger I enjoy most is simply baked in my oven!

However, if you want to "grill" your veggie burgers the simple trick is this: bake them first. Store them until ready to be served, aka grilled. Then toss them on the grill - over a flame or on a hot grill rack for a few seconds until they are warm to hot. Just don't overcook and dry them out. The burgers will stay together because they are already baked. Yet they will still achieve that'grilled' flavor and look.

Flavors and Spices! My favorite part of crafting a veggie burger is choosing the flavors. Do I want a spicy red harissa burger? A bright lemon garlic burger? A bold black pepper, mushroom and caramelized onion burger? A sweet white bean and roasted garlic burger? Or maybe an ultra-savory, cheezy, nutritional yeast-infused veggie burger? The sky is the limit!

You can match your veggie burgers to just about any cuisine. Beans and grains are incredibly easy to manipulate when it comes to flavors - they absorb flavors well. Italian, Mexican, Greek, American or Middle Eastern. Just change up the flavor accents to change up your burgers.

Some of my fave "flavors" include: garlic powder, lemon seasoning, tahini, white miso, nutritional yeast, liquid smoke, jalapeno, harissa, chopped garlic, roasted veggies, cumin, cayenne, pepper, citrus, cilantro, mixed herb seasoning, various vinegars and oils - so many options.

Cook Time Tip! I usually bake my "palm-sized" veggie burgers at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. I used to bake them longer - say 30 minutes. But then realized the burgers always dried out very quickly once they cooled. So I shortened the cooking time and problem solved...

Veggie burgers will firm up significantly as they cool - or "rest" as they say in the culinary world. When you turn off the oven heat, make sure your burgers look and feel a bit "wet" to the point of where they would fall apart to grab them immediately. In about 20 minutes 'rest time' they will stabilize into stay-together patties.

Think of them as fresh-baked cookies. You certainly wouldn't pull cookies off the baking sheet and serve them right as the oven timer goes off. They need a few minutes to cool, settle, firm and bind.

So those are just my tips on veggie burger making. Below is a new fave veggie burger recipe that I've been playing with all week...

Lemon Herb Veggie Burger Sliders
makes 6-7 large patties or 12-14 sliders

1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can cannellini beans, drained
2-3 tablespoon hemp seeds
2 tablespoon raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup dried parsley
½ cup nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoon salt-free 21-spice blend (like Mrs Dash)
1 tablespoon garlic granules
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ cup lemon juice
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon flour
fold in: ½ - 1 cup chopped frozen spinach (moist maker!)

optional: a drizzle of agave syrup. Sometimes it's fun to add in a splash of "sweet" to accent with the savory flavors.

salt note: if your beans are salted you probably won't need added salt - but do a taste test and salt to taste. Any 'salty' flavor will slightly intensify as burgers bake and dry out.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Grease a baking sheet.
3. Drain your canned beans. Add beans to a large mixing bowl.
4. Add in all other ingredients - except the spinach.
5. Mashing process: I mash all the beans by hand with a large fork. This process takes about 5 minutes. You want to make sure that you split open most of the beans so that they bind well. once you have a nice sticky mixture, you can fold in the spinach. I like the spinach to be cold - still frozen so that it actually helps chill the burger mixture. This makes the mixture easier to place into patties on the baking sheet.
6. Arrange your patties - they do not have to be perfect rounds at all.
7. Bake at 375 for about 20 minutes. Sliders: if you are making sliders, make your patties half sized and bake for only about 12 minutes.
8. Allow the patties to cool for at least 10-20 minutes before handling.
9. My sliders included vegenaise, sliced heirloom tomato, kale and Dijon mustard - all on a mini multi-grain bun.

The best tip I can give you is to play around with your veggie burger recipes. Try various ingredients, techniques and flavors. It may take a few tries to see what you love most in a veggie burger - and the process it takes you to get there!

And ps, looking for a complete "classic" meal. Try these recipes alongside:
* crispy taters
* trio of boardwalk fries
* Panko Green bean "Fries"
* 10 vegan "Shake" recipes

Shake with that burger??..

Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Bars

August 9, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

Yesterday, while strolling through DC's Eastern Market, I spotted some beautiful peanut butter chocolate crispy bars at a coffee shop. They weren't vegan. But the craving stuck with me. So I veganized the classic confection and enjoyed my own homemade peanut butter bliss. Try these easy vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Crispy Bars...

This weekend was a hot one. Humid, upper ninety degree weather mixed with random thunderstorms and sudden gushing downpours. Most of the time it feels like you are strolling around in a steam shower. Swimming is a better word. Thick heavy air, wet and soggy. It's enough to make even the most enthusiastic outdoorsy person retreat with a grumpy huff to a nice air conditioned building. Ah, August in DC. Not my favorite month in our nations capital.

But summer is also a time for exploration. Vacation. Even in your own backyard. My husband and I are always thinking of weekend 'adventures' to have here in DC to fight our "we miss NYC" fatigue. I love DC, don't get me wrong, but the energy level can certainly be less vibrant than New York - which can be nice at times as well.

Yesterday, for our adventure, we took the Metro out to Eastern Market. I have been meaning to go for the past .. 5 years or so .. and so finally it happened. Eastern Market, completed in 1873, was designed by a German-born immigrant named Adolf Cluss. In 2007 it was victim of a horrible fire - but in the past few years has gotten back on its feet quite well. This public market carries goods of all sorts in various indoor and outdoor venues.

Market. You step off the Metro and walk a few blocks to the central market area. The US Capitol building right in view. It was hot, sticky, the crammed vendors looked not so cheerful to be sitting out in almost triple digit heat. But still, plenty of DC-ers scurried around the market buying art, produce, bohemian-style clothing, sparkly handmade jewelery, some clever crafts and some furniture. Compared the the outdoor and indoor markets in NYC (Essex, Eataly, Union Square Farmer's Market, Brooklyn Markets), I was pretty underwhelmed. However, I was glad we went - and I did manage to pick up some gorgeous summer tomatoes, peaches and peppers..

As we were leaving, I managed to get stung by something - on my foot. Or maybe it was a painful heat blister, not sure. But it hurt! So we wandered into a little espresso cafe and picked up two soy iced lattes. I didn't realize how overheated I was until I gulped down that chilled icy coffee.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a display of confections. Brownies, cookies and then these gorgeous peanut butter chocolate rice bars wrapped in shiny cellophane. Not vegan. So I went home and made some veganized bars of my own. Perfect cool "icebox dessert bar" for a warm summer day.

This recipe is quite easy. You can whip these bars up in under twenty minutes and not even have to turn on the oven. You can soften the vegan butter and peanut butter in the microwave and melt the chocolate on your stove top with a double broiler. Then chill for at least an hour - I put my bars in the freezer to speed things along. And serve!

Recipe Notes: My initial concept for this recipe included melting in 2 cups of vegan marshmallows instead of the maple syrup. This would make a "stickier" bar. But actually the flavor of these bars were fabulous. I would imagine that adding a tad more vegan butter would make them stick together better. Or another way to solidify them is to put a chocolate layer on both the bottom and the top - creating a choco pb bar sandwich. But either way (well solidified or not), they were yu-mmy...

And also, I used "puffed" cereal which made my bars more tender rather than "crispy" - if you want a crispier/crunchier bar, use crispy rice rather than thick puffed grains.

Easy Peanut Butter Bars
makes about 16 2" bars

3 cups puffed rice cereal (use crispy rice cereal for crispier bars)
2 cups puffed kamut cereal
¾ cup maple syrup, grade B
1 cup vegan butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter, softened

1 cup vegan dark chocolate chips
1 teaspoon veg oil
¼ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine the maple syrup, peanut butter, vanilla and softened butter in a large mixing bowl. You want to have a thin liquid mixture.

2. Melt the chocolate chips - with the oil and sea salt - on your stovetop - or very carefully in your microwave.

3. Add your rice and kamut crisps to your butter/maple mixture. Fold until all the crisps are coated.

4. Pour your crisps into a wax-paper lined dish. Flatten with a spoon.

5. Drizzle the melted chocolate over top. Note: You can also double the chocolate amount and do a top and bottom later of chocolate. Or you can even fold the chocolate right into the crispies to create true peanut butter chocolate crispy bars.

6. Chill in the freezer until hardened. Store in the fridge.

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up, 8/8

August 8, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

This week's Meatless Monday Recipe Round-up! Inspiration for today and the week ahead! Plus, my busy AM..

Crazy morning for me. I decided to wake up early and venture out to the Westin in DC for Season 8 auditions for Food Network Star. I guess you can say trying out is a tradition for me. I'm a pro. I get there early so I get out in a flash. #16 in line. I was out by 11am. Short and sweet. And it never hurts to try. I always keep pushing for something I want badly enough.

Plus, it's always fun meeting fellow food-passionate folks. And the post-audition adrenaline rush is pretty addictive. I'll let you know if I get a call back! I had better luck getting to the final round of casting for Masterchef last year. But after watching that show this season, I'm quite thrilled I didn't make it on! You can read about my NYC audition from last year here.

Onto this week's recipes!..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up - 8/8

* Homemade Jumbo Croutons
You already love your salad, right? Well make your salad bowl even more exciting by adding homemade jumbo croutons! Here are three of my fave recipes. Super easy to make - you'll never want to buy store-bought croutons again. Plus this is a great way to use up day-old french bread.

* 7 Veggie Burger Recipes
If you checked out my Veggie Burger Test Kitchen post, you're probably anxiously awaiting your next veggie burger night. Well here are 7 of my fave veggie burger recipes - with photos - in a veggie burger slideshow!

* Mini Peanut Butter Pillows
The perfect ending to a Meatless Monday meal? Peanut butter cookies! And with these mini pb pillows, you can certainly have more than one.

* Fluffy Maple vegan French Toast
If you think French Toast needs eggs to be fluffy-tastic, think again! This maple-infused, caramelized edge, spongy-center toast is everything you remember and more!

* Mini Pancake Cinnamon Rolls
Here's a sweet breakfast (or dessert!) recipe that is fun to make and eat: mini cinnamon rolls, made from thin vegan pancakes. Simply slice, roll, drizzle and serve. Totally kid-approved too. (I bet you can even make this recipe using the french toast above!)

* Five Dairy-Free Alternatives to Cheese!
Craving something cheezy? Pasta, pizza, grilled cheese?? Well have no fear, here are my five fave "cheese" alternatives that give you all the dreamy, savory, cheezy flavor you dream of .. without the dairy!

* Sweet Summer Tomato Roasted Garlic Hummus
Out of basil? No problem! This garlic tomato hummus is pure and delicious - the sweet taste of juicy summer tomatoes throughout.

* Coconut Water Frosty
I'm throwing this beverage in the mix because I've been drinking them a lot lately! Frosty, cool, hydrating and packed with electrolytes! So cravable..

* Watermelon Frosty
And just for fun, lets add in my Watermelon Frosty recipe just because it really makes just about any summer Meatless Monday meal better! 🙂 ..I have some frozen watermelon in the freezer right now - planning on making one tonight!

Previous Babble.com Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up's:

* 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.

Vegan in Vegas: travel!

August 2, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

Back from my long weekend in Las Vegas, I can't wait to share my summer travel fun with you all. I'm splitting my "Vegan in Vegas" adventure into two parts. Today is an overview of my trip (and all the vegan eats!) - and then I'm doing a separate post for one of the greatest meals I have ever had. Hint: it happened at The Wynn. Total vegan dining bliss.

Many of us hear about "vegan options in Vegas" - so I was excited to test out those options first hand. Get ready for some Vegas-style vegan dining, wellness, fun and beauty!

Vegan in Vegas: Highlights

* Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Dining & Spa
Our home base for this trip. I couldn't imagine a better oasis in Vegas!
* Vegan Dining at The Wynn
I'll save my details for a separate post to come this week. Not to miss..
* Casual Vegan Dining: Pink Taco!
Surprised by how fabulous this spot was.

Vegas, Baby. My husband and I needed a quick adventure (long weekend trip) for our 5th wedding anniversary. Though we had been planning a long week in Italy for some time now - we had to postpone that trip since my kitty Nelly has been adjusting to her kitty diabetes/insulin. So we didn't want to stay too long right now. (Ps, Nelly is doing great though!)

..So we chose a long weekend in Vegas.

We often hear about the vegan options in Vegas. But I wanted to see if I could really pull it off. Vegan in Vegas - without really trying? By going to all the mainstream spots. Could it be done? Find out...

The Hotel. We researched hotel options diligently. In the end, we couldn't decide on The Wynn (for all its amazing vegan dining options, casino energy and beautiful rooms) or the Mandarin Oriental (since we were married at the MO in Miami - and know the rooms/spa/dining and service are always first rate).

We decided on the Mandarin Oriental. Other perks were that the MO hotel is smoke-free and doesn't have an in-house casino. You may consider this a downside (I mean, it is Vegas) - but if you need to some energy all you have to do is walk across the street. Energy craving satisfied. But inside the Mandarin you are in a world of Zen. It is a true oasis. A calm from the Vegas storm.

To be honest, a half hour into our trip I wasn't sure if the hotel was in fact too zen for our Vegas trip - but in the end I am beyond thrilled with our choice. Expectations were far exceeded. My fave points: breakfast by the calm pool, fresh fruit, soy lattes, a morning swim, an amazing spa to cure just about anything that ails you (and it's just an elevator ride away) - plus the super friendly MO staff is always impressive. Hotel heaven. And the view from our room rocked too..

When we arrived at the MO we were starving. So we ordered room service. Though the Mandarin doesn't have a plethora of vegan options apparent on the in-room dining menu - all you really have to do it ask. I ordered an amazing vegan salad, and some crispy perfect scallion pancakes. The perfect light meal since I was headed down to the spa later that evening.

Room Service at the Mandarin. Day one it was scallion pancakes and salad. The next day I has an amazing edamame falafel wrap. Watermelon juice shooters too...

The spa at the Mandarin is insane. In a good way. I have been to several of the MO spas (New York, Miami, DC) and the Vegas spa is one of my faves. It's huge for one thing. And the services were blissful. Employees: amazing. True, I can't compare the spa to any other in Vegas - but I can't imagine a better spa on the strip. I had the Jade Facial, Mani/Pedi and a Detoxifying Foot Treatment. All were heavenly.

That evening we decided to go out on the town - even though we were all "zenned out" - complete with oily spa hair - that's a good thing by the way! My feet wanted to stay in cool spa slippers and lounge on the fluffy bed - but this is Vegas - and we only had a few evenings to experience it. So out we went..

On the Town. Night One. We trolled a few casinos. Had a drink at the sparkly pink Chandelier bar in the new Cosmopolitan Hotel, then settled on dinner at Blue Ribbon. So funny because Blue Ribbon Sushi in NYC is one of our favorite dining spots. I adore their veggie rolls, miso soup, hot sake, rice and veggie plates. The Vegas Blue Ribbon was pretty fabulous. My husband raved about his sushi. And I was pleased with my vegan eats. But after such a long day of travel and spa-ing we were both about to fall over and start snoring in our sake. So bed called. Exhausted, we walked home and plopped into bed.

Waking up in Vegas. The next morning I woke early (still on DC time) and hopped down to the pool. I enjoyed an amazing infinity lap pool/hot tub experience all to myself. Literally, there was only one other person at the pool this early. Loved that.

We ordered a light poolside breakfast. Soy lattes. A fresh fruit platter. A bagel with jam. Fresh orange juice. Lovely. Poolside relaxation complete. But eventually (by around noon) that Vegas sun knocks me out. So out and about through Vegas we went! Yay for AC. It's so fun to peruse the various hotels and people watch.

Strolling the bird park at the Bellagio, Pink Taco dining and more Vegas fun..

Later that day we somehow ended up at Hard Rock Hotel. I wanted to check it out so we took a cab there (it's not on the strip). I was dying for Pink Taco eats and so that's where we went.

Pink Taco Vegas. I was so impressed with this place. I love Pink Taco LA - so I hoped "Vegas" would be just as good. It was. We sat outside in the oddly humid heat and drank frosty bevies, listened to the thumping music from the nearby pool area and played with the chip-hungry birdies fluttering all around us. Our waitress was vegetarian so she was incredibly helpful. I had a huge vegan tostada, a prickly pear margarita, guac, salsas and a huge platter of grilled veggies complete with homemade corn tortillas. Yum!!..

Pink Taco Eats..

Later that night we went to Border Grill at Mandalay Bay. Sadly this place was not very good. I love, love, love the Border Grill in LA - but this one lacked energy and freshness to the food. Kinda a let down.

Along the way we also went to see the Phantom of the Opera Vegas Edition Show. I snagged front row center seats. It was a fun show with amazing special effects.

Also fun, we drove by the "Pawn Stars" spot. Anyone watch that show? I'm obsessed. There was a long line so we didn't wait to go in. Still fun to see though.

Vegas is such a fun place. It's like Disneyland for adults. And where else do you see signs that say "Margaritas to Go"..

Come Saturday, we repeated our pool routine. And were even more "zenned" out than the day before. That's a great thing when you are on vacation 🙂

And that night was our official anniversary dinner at The Wynn. But that evening was so amazing it deserves its own post! Stay tuned... 🙂

ps You guys tweeted/emailed me some advice including checking out Pura Vida Vegan restaurant or Ronald's Donuts. I didn't make to either spot - but funny enough, our limo driver (on our special anniversary night out) had heard great things about both spots - and had even visited Pura Vida. So next time I will have to squeeze those spots into my itinerary!

Mandarin Oriental Vegas
The Wynn Vegas
Pink Taco Vegas
Blue Ribbon Vegas

VegNews Veggie Awards 2011: Vote for HHL!

August 1, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

What a treat to return from an amazing weekend in Vegas and find out that Healthy. Happy. Life. has been nominated as "Favorite Blog" in the VegNews 2011 Veggie Awards! Vote and you'll be entered to win fabulous prizes...

VOTE! I hope you guys will vote for Healthy. Happy. Life. for "Favorite Blog" - I'm so excited to be nominated this year. Especially since my fellow nominees are simply amazing as well! Hooray for vegan bloggers. You can also win some snazzy prizes when you fill out the Veggie Awards survey (must be at least 50% completed to win prizes) - prizes include a Caribbean Cruise (vegan-friendly!), a Vitamix and even a year's supply of my fave ice cream, Coconut Bliss!

Vote for Healthy. Happy. Life. for "Favorite Blog" - Enter Here!

And ps, even though my other site FindingVegan.com wasn't nominated this year - you could still write FV in as a write-in nominee in the "Favorite Site" category!

Thanks so much for taking the time to vote - it only take about a minute.

Much, much appreciated! xo, Kathy

*note - if the site link is acting up .. try http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/vegnewsveggieawards2011 - I noticed the link doesn't work in Firefox, but did work in Safari... *

Vegan Breakfast for Dinner!

August 1, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

For the past few weeks I've been craving Breakfast for Dinner. And usually when I crave something it is because i made it out of the blue and it tasted so fantastic that I simply had to have it again. And again. And again. Here's what I'm talking about..

My PM Breakfast. Savory cheezy golden hash browns - speckled with pepperjack Daiya cheese. Warm, steaming tofu scramble with fresh chopped veggies, plenty of spices and oozing with savory flavor. A side of my new savory herbed cheese waffles. Some fresh squeezed grapefruit juice - or perhaps a grapefruit mimosa. Some killer hot sauce and if you'd like (as I must) wrap all these goodies, sans the waffles and juice, up into a grilled flour tortilla for a fatty breakfast burrito. Dinner for breakfast. Craving satisfied. For now.

And ps, for the rest of the week I'll be in Las Vegas celebrating my fifth wedding anniversary! I can't wait for my spa treatment at the Mandarin Oriental (hotel brand where we were married in Miami) - and I can't wait for our dinner at Bartolotta in the Wynn .. testing out those vegan delights we've all heard so much about! So while I'm in Vegas dancing til dawn, you better be snuggly at home chowing on some breakfast for dinner. I want to hear all about it! Get my menu of recipes...

Kathy's Breakfast for Dinner vegan Feast!

Breakfast Burrito - tofu scramble style

Herbed Cheezy Savory Waffles

Golden Secret Ingredient Hash Browns

Orange Juice Frosty

Spicy Carrot Mimosa

Soy Mocha - with soy whip!

Fresh Papaya "Doughnuts"

Minted Lime Tropical Fruit Salad

Roasted Grapefruit

Salsa Verde or your fave super spicy hot sauce

More Vegan Breakfast recipes here - plus see my energizing vegan breakfast slideshow!

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up for 8/1

August 1, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

This week's Meatless Monday recipe Round-Up!..

Meatless Monday Recipe Round-Up - 8/1

* 5-Ingredient Tofu Scramble
The perfect hot breakfast to whip up when you are in a hurry, yet still craving something warm and satisfying to get you through your day.

* Summer Eats Checklist - 7 Foods that Scream Summertime
If you haven't fully indulged in the joys of summertime eating - here are my top seven "summer eats" to help you embrace the season.

* Savory Waffles and Savory Hash Browns
If you haven't checked out these vegan breakfast recipes yet - I hope you will! Try them for a weekend brunch, breakfast or even a Meatless Monday "breakfast for dinner."

* Hazelnut Hummus
This warm and cozy bowl of hummus has a savory sweet flavor with the intoxicating essence of rich, dreamy hazelnut oil.

And a few oldies, but goodies - since my recipes on Babble.com were a tad sparse this vacation week! 🙂

Meatless Monday Dinner Ideas:

* In the mood for Mexican? Try my Vegan Enchiladas or Tempeh Tacos
* Craving Pasta? Try my Easy Vegan Spinach "Alfredo-y" Pasta or my Rockstar Pesto Pasta Bowl
* I love these Corn Cake Bean Balls - mushroom version too!
* Or try a casual, Mini Vegan Beachy Pesto Pizza or my fave: Broccoli and Daiya Cheddar Pizza
* Something more elegant: Cashew Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms over Saffron Rice
* Totally refreshing would be a crunchy raw veggie wrap - or I could grill it thin for a veggie quesadilla.

To Drink..
* I've been at the spa all weekend, so I really can't get enough of this refreshing Spa-aaah Water

A Salad..
* Something simple, an Heirloom Tomato Salad
* Something purifying - lotsa green apples and crunch: Tahini Green Apple Edamame Salad
* Or just a cozy side of Savory Tiny Taters with spicy mustard

For Dessert. I'm craving something cool...

* Minty Green "Milk"shake, aka Shamrock Shake
* Raspberry Sauce Smothered Sundae
* Smores Sundae
* Mocha Root Beer Float
* Fruit Sorbet

So many recipes, so few Mondays!!!

Happy Meatless Monday.

Please share with a non-veg friend to hopefully inspire them!

The Vegan Cobb Salad.

July 26, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 5 Comments

I have always been mesmerized by Cobb Salads. With those colorful rows of perfectly arranged, freshly chopped, salad ingredients. Bright red tomatoes, shiny black olives, fresh chopped onions, succulent avocados and more.

Of course, if you are familiar with "the Cobb" you know that it is anything but vegan. It usually contains such cubed ingredients as eggs, chicken, bacon and cheese. So instead of whimper at not being able to order the Cobb Salad on another menu - I decide to make my own. Meet The Vegan Cobb!

My Vegan Cobb. Luscious green avocados, sweet mandarin oranges, perky cherry tomatoes, sweet Vidalia onions, smoky tempeh bacon bits - and even a clever little way to fake hard-boiled eggs. Make it tonight!..

Egg - less. So you know those white and yellow hard-boiled egg cubes that always end up on the Cobb? Well I considered simply doing a tofu cube. But I though of an even snazzier option: Zesty Turmeric Hearts of Palm! Not only does this fake the egg thing quite well, it tasted delish!

Cobb Fun Fact - How the Cobb Came to Be: "Cobb was the owner of the famous Brown Derby restaurant in Hollywood. Legend has it that Cobb was strolling through the restaurant kitchen late one night probably in 1936, hungry, and started pulling things off the shelves and out of the refrigerators — avocado, tomato, lettuce, cold chicken, hard-boiled egg, bacon, Roquefort cheese, etc. (the ingredients vary a bit, depending on which legend you follow) — and put together quite a nice salad. The ingredients were chopped into a fine dice, arranged in stripes on top of the lettuce, and dressed with French dressing." -www.ochef.com/858.htm

Tempeh Bacon Bits on top..

The Vegan Cobb
makes one giant big bowl

6 cups of chopped fresh spinach - or another salad green for the base
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
⅓ cup sliced black olives
½ cup chopped sweet onion - tossed in black pepper
1 avocado, chopped - tossed in the juice of 1 large lemon
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
¾ cup tempeh bacon bits - recipe here
1 cup chilled kidney beans, drained
1 cup hearts of palm (diced) - tossed in ⅛ teaspoon turmeric + 1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar + 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

To Make:

1. Toss your spinach in a light salad dressing - only if serving immediately. If your Cobb will sit for a while, leave greens undressed.

2. For your hearts of palm - only toss half of them in the yellow turmeric mix. This way you will have half white and half yellow. Just like an egg would look. Continue assembling salad - add all your ingredients in thin rows across the top.

3. Serve! I like this salad with a generous drizzle of my Vegan Ranch Dressing. or you can use the traditional Cobb Salad dressing - which is zesty french. Yum!

Happy Cobb-ing!

Recipe Round-Up for a Meatless Monday: 7/25

July 25, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Delicious dishes for today's Babble.com Meatless Monday Vegan Recipe Round-Up! This week, you don't want to miss out on a vegan burrito, a Refreshing Grapefruit Fizz, Bluebird Cake, Twilight Salad and an easy Panzanella...

You can also peruse FindingVegan.com for more Meatless Monday inspiration! Here is this week's FK round-up!..

7/25 Weekly Vegan Recipe Round-Up - perfect inspiration for your Meatless Monday
(click link for complete recipe and photos)

* How-to Veganize a Standard Baking Mix. Recipe: Bluebird Cake.
My recipe for Blueberry Bluebird Cake - fluffy and moist. Plus how-to veganize a baking mix with easy substitutions!

* Vegan Burrito Night
Vegan burritos with some twists - lime quinoa and "cheezy" pinto beans.

* Lime Mint Grapefruit Fizz
This refreshing mint and lime infused fizzy sip will cool you off and chill you out.

* 20 Vegan Summer Smoothie Recipes - with photos! (slideshow)
A rainbow of smoothies! 20 of my fave recipes.

* Summer Peach Crisp
Leftover peaches from your peach pie? Makes a peach crisp. Easy and rustic.

* The Twilight Salad
Juicy black plums, red beets and deep purple figs. This salad is totally Edward Cullen approved! (well, if he ate salads..)

* Hummus Panzanella, aka Bread Salad
Try this easy panzanella - the perfect way to use up your day-old loaf of crusty bread!

You can follow my post timeline on Babble's Family Kitchen here: here.

Smoky Maple Tempeh Cheezy Broccoli Pita.

July 25, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

My Smoky Maple Tempeh Broccoli Pita is not your typical pita. It carries some serious weight. Muscle. Body. I call this the hungry-man or woman's pita. Super satisfying.

The Flavors: Florets of smoky broccoli - accented by tamari and spices - mingle perfectly with the crispy maple tempeh slices - which have a flavor of over sized tempeh "bacon" - salty and sweet. The tender tomato and slather of Vegenaise add just the right amount of moisture. Generous portions of these hearty ingredients are stuffed into a grilled slice of pita. Have an appetite? This is the pita for you!..

Flavor Tip! Dust cooked broccoli in nutritional yeast and broil in oven for 2 minutes for an extra cheezy, savory taste and crispy texture!..

Who says a pita can't carry a little muscle? Usually you'll see a delicate ingredient paired with a hearty ingredient in a pita. Like spinach paired with chunky blocks of tofu. Or dense beans paired with fluffy rice and light crunchy veggies. Well, I adore eating broccoli and tempeh for lunch or dinner - so I decided to stuff it all into a pita. It was a hearty bite filled with flavor.

A meal in a pocket. Pita pocket that is.

There is just something nice about being able to eat your meal via pita, rather than via fork and plate. Side of lemon iced tea to swig.

Plus this pita is super healthy! Fiber, protein, vitamins - and anytime your can get lots of broccoli on your plate (or pita) that's a very good thing.

For the pita part I used Trader Joe's Soy Pita because it is super tender and chewy - just how pita should be. You could also use whole wheat - but just be sure to warm the pita properly to get it crispy on the edges and warm and tender on the inside. I used my panini press to grill/warm the pita. A dry, un-warmed pita pocket will not work for this recipe.

..hmm, isn't there a song this reminds me of? That pocket full of sunshine song? Well here's my version "Pocket Full of Yumminess" ... "I got, got a pocket full of tempeh. Broccoli and tomatoes. And I, I know that it's all mine. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh."

.. 🙂

Smoky Maple Broccoli Tempeh Pita
makes two pita halves

5-6 blocks of long-thin cut, Crispy Tempeh Cubes (see link for recipe and how-to video)
1 ½ cups cheezy broccoli (see below)
1 tomato, sliced
1-2 tablespoon Vegenaise OR warmed hummus
1 pita pocket, sliced in half and warmed or toasted

Cheezy Smoky Broccoli:
2 cups broccoli florets
1 tablespoon safflower or extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoon tamari or soy sauce (since this is salty - no additional salt is needed)
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional)
½ teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional - see flavor tip above)
fresh black pepper - to taste
To Make: Saute over medium heat until tender.
Steam it: You can also steam the broccoli and toss in the added spices and liquids if you'd prefer. By steaming the broccoli, you can omit the added oil.

Add: Your favorite garlic hummus - splashed with EVOO and warmed up in the microwave. Or try this hummus recipe.

To Make Pita:

Warm or grill your pita. Slice in half.
Add the Vegenaise or warm hummus.
Add the tempeh, broccoli and tomato.
Allow the warm ingredients to soften the inside of the pita a bit. This can be helped by wrapping the pita in foil and placing in warm oven for a few minutes.

Serve warm.

Vegan Wasabi Slaw

July 24, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

When I first set out to make this creamy Vegan Wasabi Slaw - I wanted something extra spicy - with a wasabi kick to make you shake your fists in the air until the shock of heat passed. Kinda like when you get a mouthful of wasabi on your vegan sushi roll. Needless to say, I love wasabi.

But this construction of this slaw didn't turn out exactly how I had planned..

Once I started playing around with this recipe, I realized that wasabi is a tricky, temperamental ingredient. It likes to stay pure. Singular. Bright. Simply piling in spoonfuls of wasabi wouldn't really increase the heat - it just throws the flavors out of sync. So mellow and light is how the wasabi had to stay.

And since I wanted a "creamy dressing" for my slaw I knew the moody wasabi would put up a fight against my heavy ingredients like silken tofu. It was a battle at the Vitamix, but after several tweaks to this recipe, I came out very satisfied.

Instead of a bold, spicy slaw - this recipe is actually quite mellow. The awesome creaminess of the dressing slowly overpowers any sharp wasabi taste. And rather, the wasabi "kick" is slow, mellow and understated - but definitely still there.

So even though this recipe didn't turn out exactly as I had planned - I am still loving the result: a super crunchy, refreshing, vibrant slaw with a creamy wasabi kick.

I chose to use Brocco Slaw and Matchstick Carrots instead of cabbage because it has a heartier texture that really stands up the the heavy, silken tofu wasabi dressing. You could try using cabbage, but I'd only use half the wasabi dressing.

How to Serve? Aside form eating in a big bowl as is, this slaw would be delish piled in a wrap or on a veggie burger. This slaw would pair perfectly with a few tofu skewers or sizzling hot pepper tempeh sticks. That hot and cold combo would be killer.

Vegan Wasabi Slaw
makes 7 cups

Creamy Wasabi Dressing:
2+ tablespoon wasabi powder
2 tablespoon grape seed oil
16 ounces silken tofu
2-3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon tamari
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried parsley flaves (opt'l)
sea salt (opt'l to taste)

1 bad (12 ounces) Brocco Slaw
1-2 cups shredded carrots
1 green apple, shredded (opt'l)
½ cup hemp or sunflower seeds (opt'l)

Directions:

1. Add all the dressing ingredients to your Vitamix or blender. Blend until smooth. Taste test the dressing - you can add more/less of certain ingredients if you'd like. Salt to taste if needed.

2. Add your slaw ingredients to a large mixing bowl.

3. Pour dressing over the slaw. Toss well.

4. Serve right away - this salad will get slightly soggy when left overnight. But even "soggy" it's delicious in wraps!

If you want more heat (like I did) - instead of adding spoonfuls upon spoonfuls of the wasabi powder into the dressing - try this: drizzle some simple wasabi paste and soy sauce right over the slaw before you eat it. Or you can make a side dish of wasabi/soy dipping sauce - just as you would for sushi. Or add in a ½ teaspoon of cayenne to the dressing blend.

Kathy's Summer Peach Pie. How-to Video!

July 21, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 8 Comments

My Vegan Summer Peach Pie is rustic and delicate. Sweet and spiced. Light yet rich. Tart and buttery. I add a few unique flavor accents to my pie - a hint of cayenne and a dash of cinnamon. Butter (vegan!), spices, peaches - dessert heaven. And that flaky homemade crust? Easier than you think. So grab a bag of fresh summer peaches, pull on an apron - and dust some flour on your nose. It's summer pie baking time!

V I D E O. And please check out my latest how-to video! I show you step-by-step how to make this pie crust and filling. This video was quite the adventure to create! But I hope it will help you in your pie making process - so enjoy!...

THE VIDEO (recipe below)...

More of Kathy's Cooking Videos.

Spicy Pie. My favorite twist on "peach pie" is to add in spice - almost like a cinnamon-y apple pie. The sweet, tender peaches are coated in a light, spicy warmth that makes them sing.

Fresh peaches float on the par-baked crust. Ready for the top layer and a good 50 minutes in the oven..

No need to remove the peach skin. Those skins add so much color, texture and nutrients!..

Kathy's Summer Peach Pie

1 vegan pie crust - recipe

Filling:
3-4 peaches, roughly diced and sliced
⅓ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot powder
⅓ cup sugar or maple syrup
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon cinnamon
⅓ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoon real vanilla extract
¼ cup melted butter - cubed

Pie Crust:
2 cups white flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup vegan butter, cubed
⅓ cup soy milk
⅓ cup water
extra flour for dusting/pressing out

Directions:

*see video for complete how-to*

1. Crust. Use my technique in video to mix up the pie crust. Press out ½ of the dough into pie dish. Bake at 350 for ten minutes.

2. Peaches. Fold the peaches into the filling ingredients.

3. Pull the crust from the oven and pour in peaches. Dot with your ¼ cup cubed butter. Grab chilled dough (other half) and roll out. Slice into strips. Arrange on top.

4. Bake at 350 for 55 minutes. Cool. Serve warm.

Leftover peaches? Make an easy vegan peach crisp

summer in a pie..

Rustic Pie. Perfection need not apply.

Recipe Round-Up for a Meatless Monday

July 18, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Delicious dishes for today's Babble.com Meatless Monday Vegan Recipe Round-Up! Throughout the week, aside from posting here, I post vegan recipes as a contributor to Babble.com's Family Kitchen. You can bookmark my post timeline here. But to make sure you don't miss out on any of those posts - I'm making these Monday round-up's a regular feature.

..Because you certainly don't want to miss worm-y chocolate "mud" parfaits, papaya smoothies, Lego tofu and cheezy mashed hemp potatoes!

Plus, these round-up's are perfect for Meatless Monday inspiration. Or you can always peruse FindingVegan.com for more MM inspiration! Here is this week's FK round-up!..

7/17 Weekly Vegan Recipe Round-Up - perfect inspiration for your Meatless Monday
(click link for complete recipe and photos/slide show)

* Lime Maple Papaya Protein Smoothie
Frosty, silky vegan breakfast smoothie - flavors of lime and maple paired with tropical banana and papaya - with hemp protein added in!

* Double Roasted Pepper Hummus
A savory sweet blend of yellow and red roasted pepper. Creamy and totally dippable.

* Worm Hill! Vegan Chocolate "Mud" Pudding Parfait
Fun blend of spinach-colored coconut "grass" - and chocolate pudding and cake "rocks and mud" - potato crisp "worms" and a cute little sign too.

* 20 Ingredients for Raw (or mostly raw) Vegan Meals!
Jam-packed slide show featuring my favorite ingredients and pantry items for creating healthy (mostly raw) meals in a flash.

* Harry Potter Party: Hedwig Owl Cake
This sweet little Snowy White Owl from the Harry Potter books and movies looks too cute to eat! Almost..

* Eight Cool Ways to Enjoy Watermelon
Some of my favorite watermelon recipes for the summer season.

* Tofu Lego bites for Kids!
Loved these yummy tofu bites shaped like Lego's! Plated with pesto and hummus. Kids will love tofu with these stackable bites! Savory sweet.

* Easy Cheezy Garlicky Mashed Hemp Potatoes
A staple in my house - I blend up these "way-to-easy" potatoes at least a few nights a week as a dinner side dish.

* Fancy Food Show DC - 2011 Trends Slideshow
I visited the Fancy Food Show and picked up a few of the food trends you may be seeing on store shelves this year.

A few photos from these yummy dishes..

Archive Babble.com Round-Ups:
7/11/11 Recipes

Pumpkin Cinnamon Bun Layer Cake. vegan.

July 17, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

A little taste of fall in July is fine by me when the I'm biting into a fluffy, cream-cheese frosted, spice-infused vegan "cinnamon bun" cake!

Sweet swirls of cinnamon, vegan butter and baked walnuts unravel in each pumpkin spice - fluffy cake bite. Vegan cream cheese frosting is the perfect cool light topping for this super moist cake. Each fork-ful tastes like a cinnamon bun - only softer, fluffier and a tad more decadent. Dessert approved. Get my recipe for vegan Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Bun Cake with vegan Cream Cheese Frosting...

Fluffy Frosted..

Note: My cakes were still warm when I frosted - that's why the frosting has a slightly "melted" effect. For no melting - cool cakes completely. But delicious either way!

Pumpkin in July. I had a rare can of pumpkin - in the middle of summer. This pumpkin was not easy to come by - if you have ever tried to buy a can of pumpkin in July, you will know this. Whole Foods told me it was a "seasonal item" and several other stores the same. Finally, my husband found me some at .. Target. I'll take it!

I was making a few pumpkin-infused recipes for a side project - and this was one of them. It was an experiment really. I had heaps of leftover cream cheese frosting from another recipe (plus some leftover pumpkin) - and instead of making pumpkin cinnamon rolls, I decided to make a cinnamon roll inspired cake. Quite tasty. And fun.

Pumpkin Spice Cinnamon Bun Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
vegan, makes one 9" layer cake

2 ½ cups flour
2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup cane sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup soy milk
½ cup water
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Fold in:
2 tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer + 3 tablespoon water to activate (optional)

Sweet Cinna-Nut Swirl
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon cinnamon (or pumpkin pie spice)
½ cup vegan butter - melted
½ cup maple syrup
½ teaspoon cayenne

Fluffy Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting (my recipe posted here)
8 ounces tofu cream cheese
½ cup vegan butter – softened
½ cup vegan shortening – softened
½ cup vegan sour cream
5 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoon soy milk or soy creamer
1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
3 tablespoon corn starch
2-3 tablespoon dark grade maple syrup
pinch of salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease two 8" or 9" circle cake pans.
2. Combine the dry cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Toss well. Fold in the wet ingredients.
3. Mix up the cinnamon swirl in a separate bowl.
4. Fold the Ener-G egg replacer into the cake ingredients if using.
5. Pour batter into cake tins. Swirl equal amounts of the cinna-swirl mix into the batter.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes - or until edges start to lightly brown.
7. Cool cakes completely before frosting.
8. Prepare your vegan cream cheese frosting (can also be done a day ahead). Blend all ingredients with a hand or counter top mixer. Blend until smooth and creamy. Chill in fridge until frosting firms up a bit.
9. Frost your cake. Garnish with cinnamon. Serve!

Creamy Cool Vegan Ranch Dip - Frisée Ranch Salad!

July 14, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

I'm continuing on with my summer skinny dipping! Well, skinny-ish. But no hummus today - I'm sharing my recipe for Creamy Cool Ranch Dip. It also works great as a salad dressing. This vegan Ranch is made from silken tofu and blends up in a snap. Serve it in seconds.

Creamy Cool Ranch Salad. This stuff is perfect for drizzling over crunchy, crisp summer salads. Try a vegan Iceberg Wedge salad or over some crunchy romaine. Or recreate my frizzy Frisée Ranch Salad - recipe below. And bonus! - in this salad recipe there is an entire bag of baby spinach and a giant block of protein-rich tofu. Talk about healthy. Yet all you see and taste is creamy/crunchy, zesty salad bliss.

So grab some veggie sticks, my ranch-tastic party platter is about to be served!..

Cool Ranch Salad:

Creamy Ranch. There are many versions of vegan ranch dressing. This is one of my favorites because it blends up perfectly thick and creamy. And it really is "cool" - since the major ingredient is silken tofu - all you have to do is chill your tofu ahead of time and blend - your dip will be nice and cold (cool) to serve - so no extra fridge time before serving. Yes, I know tofu is usually kept in the fridge anyways, but some of the boxed versions are shelf stable.

Spices. You can get creative with your own spice blend. Or simply use a multi-purpose veggie spice. Or try my spice suggestions in the recipe.

Secret Tofu. Tofu gets all dolled up for this ranch dip. Nothing scary about a bowl-ful of creamy goodness. In fact, I challenge any party-goers to put this dip right next to a non-vegan ranch dip at a party and see which one goes fastest. Hmm, I think I need to go to a party soon just so I can do this. 🙂

..And after you've mastered the "Ranch" part - you can move onto my Frisée Salad recipe below. This thing was amazing. Perfect balance of creamy and crunchy, silky and zingy.

Creamy Vegan Ranch Dressing
makes about 2 cups

15 ounces silken tofu, drained/squeezed dry
⅓ cup apple cider vinegar
¾ teaspoon celery seed
¾ teaspoon coriander
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon fine black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoon maple syrup - grade b
¾ teaspoon sea salt - salt to taste
2-3 tablespoon grape seed oil

Optional Add-In's:
* 1 teaspoon parsley flakes or handful of fresh parsley - this will give your ranch a slightly green hue though.
* 2 tablespoon plain soy yogurt - for a more tangy "yogurt" flavor
* dollop of vegan mayo for extra richness
* use a seasoned salt for more flavor depth. Try lemon or truffle sea salt.

To make: Make sure tofu is well chilled when you blend. Blend until creamy - salt and spice to taste and serve!

Frisée Ranch Salad
serves 2

Zesty Green Ranch Dressing:
1 cup Ranch Dressing (see above)
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 bag baby spinach

¼ cup sunflower seeds
4 cups Frisée salad
2-3 cherry tomatoes, sliced
a few croutons
pepper

plus extra Ranch Dressing for topping

To Make:

1. In a blender, add the Zesty Green Ranch Dressing ingredients. Blend until the ranch thins out into a more watery dressing.

3. In a large mixing bowl add the Frisée salad, sunflower seeds and the blended green dressing. Toss well until the greens are well coated.

4. Plate Frisée salad. Add a generous drizzle of the original Ranch Dressing (white) over top. Add tomatoes, pepper and croutons. Serve!

You can see how saturated the crispy greens are with the light green dressing..

So creamy cool..

Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Hummus Recipe

July 13, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

I have always loved Sun-Dried Tomato Basil Hummus - whenever I find it at the store, I snatch it up. But not anymore..

A few days ago I was strolling the aisles of Trader Joe's - ogling the hummus section - with all those red, green, and white, oh-so-colorful, bean-filled tubs stacked on the fridge shelf. I was about to grab a container of the sun-dried tomato hummus by reflex. But instead I was inspired to make some myself - at home. Super easy. And more delicious than I've ever tasted because it is so fresh! And as a ps, TJ's has a new fresh tahini product that I am in love with. oh my. two thumbs way up.

Hummus Obsessed. It's so typical for me to get obsessed with a recipe and go crazy making variations of it for a while - and that's what hummus is doing to me this month. I'm hummus obsessed. I was hooked at my first bite of my SummerThyme Hummus. So here is my next fave flavor to blend up!..

Why Hummus? Maybe it's all those healthy whole beans that get blended up into creamy deliciousness. Or maybe it's the fact that hummus is so darn versatile and I can use it in pitas, drizzle it over salads or just grab some veggie sticks and start dipping. Or maybe it's that the possible flavor combos are endless.

Will my hummus rampage ever end? We will see. But for now I'm sharing my creations with you. And this is a fave. It's a classic Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil Hummus. Just like the kind I end up spending $4 for at the store - only this one is a lot better! And cheaper. Since it blends up a nice 3 cup amount (instead of a tiny tub). I'm loving this pinkish red hummus - little specks of green basil throughout - bold notes of garlic and subtle notes of sweet basil. I hope you love it too.

I even used this hummus to plate my Tofu Lego Bites for Kids! (and adults.) Must-see fun recipe 🙂

Sun dried Tomato Basil Hummus
makes about 3 cups

1 can white beans, cannellini
1 can garbanzo beans
½ cup sun-dried tomato strips- pure state - no oil (bagged)
1 cup fresh basil
½ cup lemon juice
6-8 cloves garlic
¾ teaspoon truffle salt (or sea salt)
⅓ cup olive oil (add more or less to suit your preferences)
1 heaping scoop of tahini, optional
fresh pepper

tip! Make sure the sun dried tomatoes you buy are nice and soft. I like the soft bagged strips. Hard or too-dried-up tomatoes will not blend well - and may need re hydration in water or lemon juice. You could use the oil packed tomatoes if you prefer. Or if you have time - make some yourself.

To Make:

1. Drain the excess liquid from the cans of beans.
2. Add all ingredients to your blender of food processor.
3. Pulse and blend until creamy - thickness to your preferences.
4. Do a taste test and adjust ingredients as desired.

Summer Sorbets - Cool, Creamy, Easy!

July 12, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 34 Comments

These Summer Sorbets are cool, creamy and surprisingly easy to make! Yesterday I blended up four flavors: Strawberry Banana, Banana Pineapple, Zippy Wild Blueberry and Spicy Mango.

And the best part about this post is that you'll learn the basic technique I use - so you can whip up your own sorbet flavor creations! You could try creamy coconut banana, peach cinnamon, banana lime, raspberry lime, blackberry, banana papaya and more!

Bring on the summer heat with these colorful sorbets waiting in your freezer!..

Triple digits. It's going to be a hot one. As they say. High of 101 is what my dashboard weatherman is telling me. At least this time I have working AC. Unlike the sticky, humid NYC heatwave of 2010 where our west village apartment's AC broke and I was stuck with a ditsy little fan buzzing away - trying desperately to keep me cool. I actually resorted to dunking my face in a bowl of ice water at one point. Ah, memories.

..So this time around, I'm not complaining! I'm simply making sorbet and enjoying the warm, hot, triple digit heat. So grab a sorbet spoon and dive into these easy frosty, fruity recipes!

And sorbet is really very similar to a smoothie. Just as healthy - though a tad sweeter and less complex. The main difference is that you are basically only adding frozen fruit, a bit of accent liquid and enough sweetener to get it to that sweet-tart sorbet flavor.

Sorbet Tip. I like to use plenty of creamy fruits to make my sorbet have optimal texture - so it's not too icy and more creamy. I add in bananas, mango and even pineapple when possible. Bananas are really the best for getting that creamy sorbet texture.

For this post I really started with some basic flavors. But feel free to get creative with ingredients. All sorbets listed are fat free!

Fruity Summer Sorbets

To Make: Add all ingredients to a high speed/high quality blender like a Vitamix.
Tip: slightly thaw the frozen fruit so that it easily blends - but is still frosty.
Blend until smooth - do not overblend. You do not want to "melt" the mixture. Keep it as thick and frosty as possible.
Pour into freezer-friendly container.
Tip: A chilled metal container works best. If you can find small metal containers to chill for your sorbet - grab them!
Chill until firm.
Scoop and serve!

Strawberry Banana
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries
1 ½ bananas (fresh)
¼ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup maple syrup

Pineapple Banana
2 bananas (fresh)
1 ½ cups frozen pineapple
½ cup lemon juice
⅓ cup maple syrup
optional sub: try coconut milk instead of lemon juice for an ultra creamy sorbet (not fat free)

Zippy Wild Blueberry
1 ½ cups frozen wild blueberries
½ cup lemon juice
½ cup maple syrup
1 banana (fresh)
optional: ½ teaspoon ginger powder or grated fresh ginger OR dash of cayenne

Spicy Mango
1 ½ cups frozen mango
1 banana (fresh)
⅓ cup lemon juice
½ cup maple syrup
a few dashes of cayenne powder

Ingredient subs: You can easily substitute the maple syrup with agave syrup. And the lemon juice can be subbed with lime juice. A hint of citrus zest is also a nice touch.

Summer Recipes with Kathy & Gena! Duo video.

July 12, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 9 Comments

I'm excited to share a few more cooking videos with you guys - the topic: Vegan Summer Recipes that are totally party-approved.

Last weekend I invited Gena (of ChoosingRaw.com) over for a little food blogger fun. Oh yes, the "Gena and Kathy Cooking Show" only has one day of shooting under its belt - but I can feel it - Rachael, Bobby, Paula and Giada are already shaking in their boots. Vegan cooking videos are all the rage..

Videos are fun because I can invite you guys into my silly little world of vegan food blogging fun. Via video. And this time Gena shows me a few raw vegan tricks. Totally inspiring.

The Recipes. Featured recipes include Gena's Hemp Hummus and Kale Salad - and you'll watch me blend up my classic Watermelon Frosty! Enjoy..

VIDEO ONE: Gena's Summer Recipes + Kathy's Wrap

VIDEO TWO: Kathy's Watermelon Frosty - featuring modified "lime" frosty recipe

Get the Video Recipes! Gena made her Hemp Hummus. And Kale Miso Salad - massaged by hand. I blended up my Watermelon Frosty (featuring my modified "lime" frosty recipe) and made a trio of bruschetta.

Then we used ingredients from both our recipes to make the GK Wrap. Recipe Below.

Watermelon Frosty..

The GK Wrap - a Gena and Kathy collaboration

video note: sadly, due to technical difficulties, my entire bruschetta trio segment had to be scrapped. Videos are a new language for me. Photos I can nail. Video is still touch and go. My compliments to Spielberg, Howard, Coppola and Cameron.

I've included my bruschetta trio ingredients below..

Trio of Bruschettas
*Avocado Jalapeno Lemon (1 diced avocado, 1 tablespoon diced jalapeno, 1 lemon juiced, lemon zest, salt and pepper)
*Balsamic Shiitake Mushroom (shiitakes, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, truffle salt and pepper)
*Mango Basil Lime (1 diced mango, 2 tablespoon chopped basil, 2 limes juiced, lime zest)
To Plate: Add bruschetta toppings to grilled EVOO-brushed bread.

GK Wrap Recipe
1 XL whole wheat tortilla wrap
1 cup Gena's Kale Salad
1 scoop Hemp Hummus
1 scoop basil lime mango
1 scoop diced lemon jalapeno avocado
1 scoop balsamic shiitake mushrooms
Wrap, slice, serve!

Flashback - The Big Bright Idea. Back in NYC, Gena and I were curled up sitting soy lattes at the Bleecker street Le Pain Quotidien - on a blizzard-filled day, cold and icy - when the genius idea hit us, "We SO need our own cooking show. Food Network hasn't come calling yet. Hmm. We can do our own!" ..so satisfying when an idea actually turns a page and becomes a reality.

And don't miss last week's video: Smoky Tempeh Cubes

Vegan Recipe Round-Up for a Meatless Monday!

July 11, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

In case you missed these delicious bites last week - here is my Family Kitchen Vegan Recipe Round-Up. Six new recipes not to miss! And actually, this would make a perfect Meatless Monday menu!..

Don't miss these delicious vegan dishes I shared on Babble.com's Family Kitchen this week!

Lime Watermelon Frosty
A lime-infused spin on my classic Watermelon Frosty recipe.

Easy Vegan Chocolate Molten Cake
A surprisingly healthy - rich and decadent - chocolate cake that's totally vegan. The fat free chocolate cake recipe is from Dr.Neal Barnard's new book. And it's fabulous! (Fabulously fat free, wow.) A cool history lesson to go with too.

Tropical Lime Papaya Fruit Cup
I am in love with this light and refreshing - totally energizing morning fruit cup. Zesty lime combines with creamy papaya and caramel flavored maple syrup.

Mini Pepperjack Pesto Bites
A fun savory appetizer that almost reminds you of a savory mini cupcake!

Summer Thyme Quinoa Pita
I used my luscious Summer Thyme Hummus to craft this perfect for a picnic pita recipe. I shared this with my parents for a weekday lunch and they loved it. Simple. Satisfying.

White Miso Tofu over Smoky Almond Broccoli
A satisfying bowl filled with good for you foods - tofu cubes fluffy yet tender to bite. And bites of broccoli, all fuming with smoky, white miso, savory sweet flavors.

Summer-Thyme Hummus

July 5, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

My Summer-Thyme Hummus is infused with the flavors or, well, summertime of course.

Fresh lemon, zesty raw garlic, sweet thyme, grape seed oil, white beans, garbanzo beans and plenty of bright lemon zest. This hummus can be prepared as a traditional dip - or thinned out a bit to be a creamy thick dressing to drizzle over salads and fresh summer veggies. I am in love with this recipe and hope you love it too!..

Thick or Thin. This past weekend I had my lovely blogger (and real life) friend Gena from ChoosingRaw.com over to film our very first duo video. You'll see it later this week. Gena made an amazing raw hummus recipe that truly inspired me - and gave me a wicked craving for homemade hummus.

But Gena made it very clear that she likes her hummus thick! I'm actually kind of a thin girl myself. I love to drizzle smooth thin hummus over salads and use it more as a thick dressing - sometimes. Actually, I like hummus both ways - as with anything, it depends on my mood.

But don't worry, you can easily modify this recipe to make the hummus thick or thin based on your preferences. Hooray.

Easy as 1, 2. This recipe rocks because it's so gosh darn easy. Just add the ingredients and process! Pour and serve. You can also chill for a while if you like your hummus cool. You can use a food processor - or if you only have a Vitamix or blender like me - you can use that.

Also posted today - my White Miso Tofu over Smoky Almond Broccoli! Recipe over on Babble.com:

Summer-Thyme Hummus!
vegan, makes 4 cups

½ cup grape seed oil
½ - 1 cup lemon juice (start with ½ cup and add more if desired)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
8-12 small cloves garlic - raw
3 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 can garbanzo beans, drained
1 can white beans, drained
½-1 teaspoon truffle salt (or regular sea salt)- to taste
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
1 teaspoon agave (optional)

Directions:

1. Add all the ingredients (note: start out with only half the written amounts of liquid - the oil and lemon juice) and begin to process the hummus - add more liquid - and salt and pepper as desired. Taste as you go. For thinner hummus use more lemon juice and oil. Thinner, less. You can also achieve a thicker hummus by processing the hummus in a food processor instead of a blender.

2. Pour. Serve! Or chill.

Vegan Menu for July 4th!

July 1, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Hooray for July 4th weekend! A long holiday weekend filled with sunshine, friends and feasting is just what I need. And at the center of many July 4th festivities is: food!..

..Delicious, yummy, beachy, picnic-approved, poolside, summertime food to be exact. There are so many vegan recipes that remind me of this holiday. Red frosty drinks, juicy meatless burgers, summertime salads and cool desserts.

Celebrate Independence Day with a vegan feast! I hope my 4th of July recipe ideas inspire you to add some spunky vegan flare to your holiday weekend. Or go all in for a totally vegan feast. Your vegan spread (think vegan cole slaw, watermelon frosties, Daiya pepperjack portobello burgers & mocha coconut milk ice cream root beer floats) will put those hamburgers to shame.

See my menu..

A few quickie notes! these recipes are just a few of my picks. Be sure to peruse my complete Recipe Index for even more ideas. And ps - be sure to vote for me as Jamba Juice Ambassador of WOW! You can vote once a day until July 13th. And check out my re-vamped "About Kathy" page - and Twitter background. 🙂

Vegan Menu Ideas for July 4th

Drinks
Red Watermelon Frosties
Red Sangria
Red, White & Blue Smoothie
Blended Soy Coffee "Frapp" - better than Starbucks 🙂 .. cuz you make them.
Triple Citrus Lemonade
Pink Frosted Lemonade
Coconut Water Frosty - Blueberry or Strawberry

Burgers & More
Messy Cheesy BBQ Mushroom Burgers
White Bean "Cheddar Bacon" Burgers
Black Bean Fiesta Burgers
Chili Cheese Dogs
Perfect Lunch Bagel-which
Homemade BBQ Suace - how-to! (better than bottled)

Sides & Salads
Creamy Dill Potato Salad
"Tofu Feta" Watermelon Salad
Crisp Wedge Salad with Summer Green Goddess-Style Dressing & Tempeh Bacon Bits
Spicy Cheesy Corn on the Cob
Grilled Portobello Mushroom Salad with Lemon Dressing
Spicy Bean Chili
Spicy Fireworks - Red Bruschetta
Flag Fruit Salad
Cheesy Jalapeno Popper
Sweet Potato Biscuits
Sassy Cole Slaw
Easy Seedy Cole Slaw
Classic Cole Slaw - colorful, creamy, sweet, sassy
Boardwalk Fries - Trio
PCRM'S Recipe: Vegan Potato Salad - as seen in Florida Today, photo by me

Desserts
Mocha Root Beer Float - coconut milk ice cream
Caramel Apple Pie - all American dessert!
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pie
Cool Smores Ice Cream Sundae
Strawberry Jam Cheesecake Bites with Whip

* * * HEALTHY HAPPY 4TH OF JULY EVERYONE * * *

Vegan Peanut Butter Chip Cheesecake + More PB Desserts!

June 29, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

I love peanut butter desserts. You too? So yesterday, I put a peanut butter chocolate spin on my vegan cheesecake recipe that I posted earlier this week. How did this chilled slice fare at dessert time? Well, my taste-tester extraordinaire, also the most discerning peanut butter pie connoisseur I've ever met in my life (my husband) - says that this pie was his new favorite dessert. So I'll give it a thumbs up...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cheesecake / Pie
vegan, makes one pie

8 ounces soy cream cheese (1 tub)
⅓ cup soy sour cream
½ cup creamy salted peanut butter
12 ounces silken tofu, drained
2 tablespoon corn starch
½ teaspoon salt
½ – ¾ cup cane sugar (use ½ cup for a more subtly sweet pie)
4 tablespoon maple syrup
½ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
2 tablespoon Ener-G egg replacer + 3 tablespoon water to activate (optional*)
1 chocolate cookie crust (pre-made, or homemade with chocolate cookies)

* If not using this egg replacer you could use a flax egg, a mashed banana or 2 tablespoon added virgin coconut oil - or simply omit.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the Ener-G Egg Replacer and set aside. This is an optional step, but helps the fluffiness of the cheesecake.
3. Combine all cheesecake ingredients in a blender (all except chocolate chips) – blend until smooth. Add in egg replacer if using.
4. Pour filling into crumb-lined pie pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips evenly over top.
5. Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes.
6. Chill in fridge to allow pie to set. You could also serve warm for a custard-style, melted chocolate taste.
Garnish: soy whip cream and vegan chocolate sprinkles.

A few more peanut butter dessert recipes..

* Easy Chocolate Chip Peanut Cookies
* Peanut Butter Banana Waffles
* Cherry Chocolate Peanut Butter Panini
* Choco Pudding with Peanut Caramel Sauce
* PETA butter Cookies (pb chocolate chip)
* A favorite!.. Peanut Butter Chocolate Mousse Pie Yum-my..

Video Recipe: Kathy's Smoky Tempeh Cubes.

June 28, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

I'm so excited to be posting another video recipe! This time featuring one of my favorite go-to, stand-by, make-this-all-the-time recipes: Smoky Tempeh Cubes. Hope you love it. And be sure to play it through the end for some "oh, kathy" bloopers and a cameo from my kitty Nelly. Grab the vegan popcorn, it's video time!..

Video Recipes. I am obsessed with videos. For this video, I got out of the poorly lit kitchen and into my brand new video corner set-up. I am still learning about sound and lighting, and having fun doing it.

True it takes me an entire day to shoot, edit and process a video - but they are so much fun and I really feel like it helps in the teaching process. So I am trying to present you with my very own Vegan Food Network 🙂

And also be sure to check out my video recipe: Acai Smoothie. Yay videos!

Check out my video and share it with a friend. Action!..

Recipes featuring a few (similar to) tempeh croutons/cubes..
* Easy Potato Soup with Tempeh "bacon" Bits
* Tempeh Cube Tacos
* Napa Salad with croutons
* Cheddar Broc Soup with Tempeh Croutons
* Light n Sassy Slaw with Maple Sesame Tempeh Cubes
* Sunny Mushroom Morning Tempeh Bagel
* Tempeh Nutrition Facts!

Vegan Cheesecake, Custard-Style

June 26, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

I've been craving a unique style of Vegan Cheesecake all weekend - one that is fluffier than your average slice - less dense - with a texture similar to a flan or custard. Something I could feel good about eating all summer long.

My recipe: Custard-Style Vegan Cheesecake - light and fluffy with a creamy-style bite perfect for summer. Serve warm or chilled for a more classic firm cheesecake texture. Recipe..

Served warm (custard-style)..

Served fully chilled..

Serving Style: You can serve this cheesecake cool or warm. I actually served it warm (as shown in a few photos) for a optimal custard-like texture. But if you allow it to fully set it will firm up even more to a more classic cheesecake style texture.

I had some leftover filling, so I made mini cheesecake bites - stacked with strawberry jam and soy whipped cream. This photo also shows you how the cheesecake will look fully chilled. Get this "Strawberries-and-Cream Stacked Cheesecakes Bites" recipe here.

Serving Suggestions: Top each slice with some fresh strawberry jam or cider caramel sauce for a lovely light dessert.

Recipe..

Custard-Style Vegan Cheesecake
vegan, makes about one cheesecake

8 ounces vegan cream cheese (one container)
12.3 ounces silken tofu (one box)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ - ¾ cup sugar*
2-3 tablespoon maple syrup*
½ teaspoon real vanilla extract
2 tablespoon vegan sour cream
1 large lemon, juiced + a few pinches lemon zest
2 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot powder
2 tablespoon soy creamer
For added richness: ½ cup soaked/drained cashews OR 2 tablespoon vegan buttery spread, softened
optional: 1 ½ tablespoon Ener-G Egg Replacer + 3 tablespoon water (stir to activate)

* you can modify sweetener amounts slightly - depending on how "sweet" you want it. I did ½ cup sugar and 3 tablespoon maple.

Crust: 1 cookie or graham crumble crust

dish: I used a 9" pie dish - so I had about 1 cup leftover filling which I used to bake mini cheesecakes in muffin cups. If you use a deep-dish pan you won't have any leftover filling.

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine the Ener-G Egg Replacer and set aside. This is an optional step, but helps the fluffiness of the cheesecake.

3. Combine all remaining cheesecake ingredients in a blender - blend until smooth. Add in egg replacer if using.

4. Pour filling into crumb-lined pie pan.

5. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Or until top begins to brown a bit. Note: I like that slight browning on top - if you do not, bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.

6. chill in fridge to allow cheesecake to set. You can serve slightly warm if you'd like to savor the custard-style flavor.

Serve with strawberry sauce, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, fresh berries or as is!

warm..

chilled..

Want a More Dense Cheese Texture? Easy modification: Sub the silken tofu with 8 ounces of vegan cream cheese.

Want More Pie/Cheesecake Recipes? For a dense vegan cheesecake, try my Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe. Or even my Chocolate Mousse Pie or Peanut Butter Pie (not cheesecakes, but still yummy rich slices).

Mighty Leaf Iced Tea Giveaway for your Cool Summer!

June 24, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 2 Comments

Summer is here and so I'm happy to host a super cool Summer Tea Brewing Kit giveaway for you guys - from the fabulous tea makers at Mighty Leaf.

In addition to the giveaway, Healthy Happy Life readers will get 15% off any purchase at MightyLeaf.com - via a coupon code. Keep reading for the code, to enter and a super cool Iced Tea Frosty recipe!!..

GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED - Congrats to Bobbie, @thevegancrew she is the winner of my Summer Brewing Kit Giveaway!

Iced Tea Lover. Yesterday I tried out the new Mighty Leaf Iced Tea bags. Loved them! I was given four flavors to try - Ginger peach, Calypso Mango, Organic Black and Sunburst Green. I used my new Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher (featured in this giveaway) to brew some tasty tea in minutes. I added some fresh peach and lemon slices to infuse the already flavorful tea with even more flavors of summer. I enjoyed a nice tall glass and was pleased to see how much tea I'll have to drink through the weekend. This pitcher holds a lot of tea!

Iced Tea Frosty. Then today I decided to experiment with an Iced Tea Frosty. I loved the end result. Super frosty and frothy with a bright spiced flavor of tea and fruit. This sip was very frothy and almost creamy - yet totally dairy and soy free! The bananas gave it a subtle sweet creaminess.

Iced Tea - frosted!..

Get my Spiced Peach Lemon Iced Tea Frosty Recipe!

To Enter the Giveaway:

* Leave a comment with your favorite "iced tea" flavor - or way to drink it.
* Tweet this post - you will gain an *extra* entry when you tweet the link. Please note in your comment that you have tweeted as well. Be sure to do the tweet though because I will double check the winner!
* Share on Facebook - same rules apply - let me know in your comment if you have shared on Facebook.

PRIZE: You will receive a Summer Brewing Kit from Mighty Leaf Tea. Includes:
* 4 full sized Iced Tea boxes - flavor as listed above. SPR: $6.25 for a 4-pouch box
* Bodum Iced Tea Pitcher

Summer Brewing Kit:

deadline - I will choose a winner next Friday July 1st 2011 - noon EST!

Coupon Code: Use code summertea15 to receive 15% off your order - sitewide - over at MightyLeaf.com

Good luck and happy iced tea drinking!!..

Spiced Peach Lemon Iced Tea Frosty Recipe!

Lemon Lime Tennis Ball Vegan Cupcake Recipe

June 21, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

These lively Lemon Lime Vegan Cupcakes are totally Wimbledon inspired. As a long time tennis lover (watching and playing) I always get excited when prime tennis season rolls around. So tennis ball cupcakes it was!..

Tennis Ball Cupcakes. Zesty lemon cupcakes, moist from vanilla soy yogurt as the egg-replacer - a hint of olive oil. The lemon cakes are topped with a creamy vanilla butter cream frosting that's accented with fresh citrus flavors - the tennis ball colored "food coloring" is all natural.

The review from my taste-tester: "Mmm! So good. I need another one! Best cupcakes ever. So GOOD!" - followed by grabbing a second cupcake without pause. And contemplating a third. But deciding to wait until after dinner for another.

My review: Refreshing! Summery, light citrus flavors remind me of fluffy lemon pound cake dolloped with zing-ful butter cream frosting. Dive into one of these fuzzy green tennis balls and enjoy some tennis watching with me! The recipe..

This lil guy was my mini 'taster cupcake' - and he tasted oh-so-good!..

lemon cupcakes..

lemon lime frosting..

This is a fun recipe because of all the fun yellow-green colors. For the white tennis ball "stripes" you can either use candy dots like I did - or you can just use a white frosting - via a skinny frosting tube. It was quite a painstaking job to dot on these white decorating dots - but I liked the elegant end result.

Yay Tennis! Like I said, I've been playing tennis all my life. I have a funny video of me at age 4 whacking a tennis ball right into the video camera filming us - I then shyly walked off the court as my sister laughed and laughed - she can be heard in the background sound dying of laughter. Despite that memory of humiliation - I adore tennis. I played all through high school as well. Any fellow tennis fans out there?

So I hope you toast to tennis season with one of these tasty lil cupcakes!..

Lemon Lime Tennis Ball Vegan Cupcakes
vegan, makes 12 cupcakes

Lemon Cupcakes
4-5 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon lemon zest
½ cup vanilla soy yogurt
½ cup + 1 tablespoon soy milk
¾ cup sugar
1 ½ cup white flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
yellow vegan food coloring (I used India Tree brand)

Lemon Lime Frosting
1 cup vegan butter, softened (2 sticks)
3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2-3 teaspoon lemon and/or lime zest
1-3 teaspoon soy milk (as needed - to loosen frosting)
color: a few drops yellow food coloring (India Tree for me) 2 tablespoon green spinach juice (or vegan green food coloring)
note: you can also use lemon extract in place of lemon/lime juice if you'd like

white lines: decorating balls or white frosting in a thin line pastry tube

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, combine the dry cupcake ingredients. Fold in the wet ingredients and stir until well blended and smooth.

3. Pour cupcakes and bake for 18 minutes - or until baked through. Cool.

4. For your frosting, blend together ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth. Blend in the food coloring until your desired color is reached.

5. Chill frosting in fridge until cupcakes have cooled.

6. Frost cupcakes. Add white tennis ball lines. Serve! Or chill in the fridge until ready to eat.

Happy tennis watching (and playing!) 🙂

Pink Berry Bagel.

June 20, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Good morning all! I was quite zonked today from an incredibly busy Father's Day weekend. So all I could focus on this morning was a healthy, hearty, vegan, wake-me-up breakfast!

Get my Pink Berry Bagel recipe using homemade berry jam..

Double Berry Jam. One of my favorite things to do with fresh ripe berries is to make jam. It always breaks my heart to take perfectly ripe fresh fruit and boil it – but at the first bite of jam I never have any regrets. So there are two parts to the recipe. The jam and then the very simple cream cheese blend.

The flavor in this spread is bright and tart with a sweet cream accent. I guess you could call it a berries and Cream kind of bagel.

Cream Cheese. I used a vegan tofu based cream cheese – but you could sub with whatever cream cheese you keep in your fridge.

Sweet Pink Berry Bagels
makes 2 bagels – with plenty of leftover jam/spread

Double berry Jam
3 cups ripe raspberries
1 cup ripe strawberries – destemmed
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoon corn starch
To Do: Boil on low for at least 45 minutes. Chill in fridge.

Also needed:
3 tablespoon tofu cream cheese
2 tablespoon Double Berry Jam, from above (chilled)
2 multigrain bagels, toasted

Directions:

1. Make the jam the night before. Store in fridge to chill.
2. In the morning, simply whip together the cream cheese and jam. Toast your bagels. Spread on bagels. Serve!

Easy. Yummy. Fun. Pink! Pairs well with this frosty coffee beverage!

My Weekend was nutso. Good and bad. Saturday consisted of tennis. Well, walking twenty minutes in ninety degree heat hoping to snag a tennis court at the local public courts - this activity was followed by failing miserably - several times. So walking home in ninety degree heat was how we ended our morning. There's nothing sadder than two tennis-dressed, racket bag toting pedestrians stumbling home from the local courts - without having played a game. However, the heated walk, I will say was a work-out in itself. So a Soy Frapp bevie stop along the way was a necessity. And pretty refreshing. We sat by a fountain and watched the little neighborhood birds picks at bagel crumbs - and little toddlers giggling from the drifting, misty fountain spray. Sunshine.

Next, we decided to forget tennis and go to a bakery! Yup. A bakery. Sticky, sweet delights. But this was not just any bakery. Cupcakes, cookies, little devils.. This was Sticky Fingers Bakery in Wash DC. My husband was dying to try it out for the first time - and I was anxious to see the bakery since it won an episode of Cupcake Wars on Food Network. Hooray and bravo.

After a long metro ride through the dark, sticky, musty, underground maze that is the DC Metro system - we finally made it. It was AWESOME. Review post coming up this week. Don't miss it.

Then on Father's Day Sunday my parents came over for a nice brunch. Or what we thought would be a nice relaxing brunch. Not so much. I have never seen such lines-out-the-door at every restaurant in town for Dad's Day. I guess that's good news for the dads though.

We decided to go to a DC area Le Pain Quotodien. I usually rave about Le Pains. The NYC Le Pains I frequented several times a week were always (or almost always) spot-on - amazing service was expected and received. But lately the DC Le pains have been quite disappointing to me - it pains me to say that. But I actually walk away feeling more stressed out that when I walked in. Not good. I like to chill when I go out to weekend brunch - not worry about getting my order served to me correctly or having to wait painfully long before my first sip of soy latte.

..I will say that there are a small handful of DC Le Pain employees who rock my world. I just wish the service was much more consistent.

And my Sunday isn't over .. there's more..

Luckily my dad seemed to like his Amazon Kindle Dad's Day gift. (yay)

But the day got even "better" when I decided to leave the lights on in my mom's car - so when we returned (lotsa fridge-needed groceries in hand) the car battery was dead. Thank goodness for a speedy AAA service guy - and my wonderful husband who saved the day (so I didn't have to).

..so alas, busy weekend under my vegan belt, today I was craving a nice energizing breakfast. Oatmeal and a lime papaya bowl for me? Or maybe a chocolate shake smoothie. Or maybe some banana bread waffles? Hmm.. What would you have as your perfect Monday morning breakfast after a crazy weekend??

Peruse my options in my Vegan Breakfast Recipe Index or my BREAKFAST tag.

Aloha Dad's Day Pizza!

June 18, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Happy Dad's Day to all the daddy's out there!

Aloha Pizza. This vegan Aloha Pizza is perfect for dad's day. It was actually a very quickie recipe I did that turned out deliciously! Zesty sweet barbecue sauce, grilled pineapple, tender vegan citrus "chickn" and lots of melty Daiya cheese on top of a fluffy/crisp classic pizza crust. Aloha Pizza was inspired by one of my favorite bloggers (and my fabulous dad of course!)..

Father's Day Recipes. Oh yes, "man food" is fun. But really, dad can only eat so many greasy, triple-stacked cheeseburgers and pulled pork sandwiches without feeling, well, crappy. So I'd rather make dad feel good on Dad's Day.

So I rebelled against the traditional greasy, cheesy, meaty Dad's Day articles - check out my jam-packed post: 30 Veganized "Man Food" Recipes for Dad's Day! Lotsa yummy foods for dad - pizza, spicy chili, chili cheese dogs and more.

Lessons From Dad. I loved this moving Babble.com slide show of "Lessons From My Dad" - I am featured on page #2 of the slide show! Here's my quote from it..

Lesson: Get Out of The Car - "My family went on all sorts of outdoor trips when I was a kid in California — Yosemite, Big Sur, Yellowstone, Lake Tahoe and more. Sometimes, after those long car rides, all I’d want to do was stay in the car once we’d arrived at our destination. Another hike? More wildflower fields? But my dad always inspired me to "get out of the car" to discover where the path would take me. This lesson has stuck with me — even when you are tired, just go."

..you can see a nice photo of me and my dad in the Babble feature - and here's my dad (way back when) in Yosemite, doing what he does best "getting out of the car"..

Aloha Pizza! I've often said I am not a huge fan of fake meat products - but I fell in love with VegeUSA's products. I hate the names of the products "steak" "sparerib cutlets" "drumsticks" etc - but the flavor is awesome. High protein. Soy and wheat based.

For my Aloha Pizza I used the Citrus Sparerib Cutlets. I know, I know, don't you just hate the name? Ah, well. Get more info at Vegetarian Plus. You can also use Gardein products (I like the in-freezer products) - or your own Aloha-infused seitan or tempeh toppings.

Cheeky Inspiration. Brooke from Cheeky Kitchen inspired this Hawaiian Pizza. I've attended several food events with Brooke (Thermador. Dole 1. Dole 2) - she is truly one of the sweetest people - I could rave about her for pages, but I'll let her blog speak for itself. It's not vegan, but Brooke's stories, photos and genius ideas still make is one of my faves for inspiration and comfort. See Brooke's Ultimate Hawaiian Pizza here. Then click back here veg folks for my veganized recipe below!..

Dad's Aloha Pizza - vegan

1 ball of pizza dough - or a pre-made crust
1 cup vegan barbecue sauce - homemade recipe (or use fave store bought)
8 round slices pineapple
1 cup vegan citrus "chicken" - brand: Vegetarian Plus
½ cup sun dried tomatoes - marinated in EVOO
1 cup Daiya cheese - Mozzarella & Cheddar blend (or one variety)
½ cup chopped Vidalia onions

Directions:

1. First prepare your barbecue sauce - if making from scratch.

2. Roast your vegan chickn cutlets in the oven according to directions on box. Set aside when tender and roasted. DO NOT over cook -= since you will be placing the pieces back in the oven for a while.

3. Pineapple rounds - I grill them on my stove top over and open flame for about a minute - but you can certainly use an outdoor grill for more flavor. A real grill will also make your pineapple a tad more tender.

4. Now assemble your pizza. Roll out your pizza dough. Brush it with some EVOO. Then brush with your BBQ sauce. Layer with cheese, onions, tomatoes, pineapples and cooked chicken.

5. Place pizza on a pizza pan or stone - in 425 degree heated oven for at least 15 minutes - every oven is different. Make sure the crust is cooked through and edges are crisp on the outside, fluffy on inside. Practice makes perfect when making pizza at home - so don't get frustrated if this is your first pizza.

Serve hot! Aloha.

Drink Pairing - Watermelon Margarita..

Health Food Today. A Reinvention. (and Zoo)

June 16, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Quinoa at Costco, vegan hot dogs at the Zoo, vegan Soy Fraps at Starbucks,coconut water at 7-Eleven and vegan room service in Vegas (a la The Wynn). Today it hit me, "healthy eating" is not what it used to be. And a vegan lifestyle is easier and more delicious than ever!

Just a few years ago, cliché "health food" consisted of items like tofu, carob, wheat germ, bran, sprouts, a few interesting legumes like lentils, standard fruits and veggies and quirky snack items like rice cakes and trail mix. Later came fancy energy protein bars, exotic hummus varieties, high fiber breakfast cereal and a wide variety of bottled juice and smoothie concoctions.

Even some foods that I would consider far from healthy - like egg whites, cottage cheese (low fat dairy products) and even lean deli meats - seemed to be considered the healthy options for nutrition-conscious folks.

Cut to today when trendy healthy foods are everywhere and "health food" seems to have reinvented itself..

So yes, today I spent the morning at the National Zoo in Wash DC with my cutie pie niece and nephew...

This little macaque was quite enjoying his veggie feast!..

..I actually used to work at the Zoo back in college so I have much respect for the people and animals there. The conservation efforts of the Smithsonian's National Zoo are impressive - and although some animal lovers consider Zoos controversial - I am mostly a fan. I mean, where else can you expose children to beautiful animals from all over the world - elephants, lions, tigers, apes - and foster a love of animals at a young age. Anyways, so at the Zoo today I noticed that among the popcorn, soda and hot dogs there were now vegan options! A vegan hot dog. Loved it. So I began thinking about "healthy eating" and how the scene of food has changed..

Modern Health Foods. You don't have to tote around carrot sticks and ranch dressing to embrace your healthy side. Not only are there now many more healthy, vegan foods and new products available in supermarkets - but there are more and more ways to use these healthy foods - thanks to the thriving online recipe blogging community. Instead of having to read a book on the merits of tofu - you can simply google and have a wealth of knowledge, recipes and ideas at your fingertips.

I can't wait to see what new super foods and healthy delicious products come to market in the next few years. It only gets better and better - and easier to embrace a healthy delicious lifestyle.

We've also learned a lot. Like the fact that just because it is vegetarian, low fat or vegan doesn't mean it is necessarily healthy. I remember my mom feeding us "cheddar cheese sandwiches" for a healthy lunch because "milk contains calcium - and cheese is vegetarian" - we've come a long way.

Moving Forward. Here's a good example - I recently went to the mainstream warehouse store Costco for the first time in about five years. I was impressed to find quinoa, almond butter, soy milk, veggie burgers, falafels, coconut water and agave syrup for sale now.

So in honor of my love of the modern "health food" scene, please check out my list of Ten Trendy Healthy Foods to Try. If you already know and love all the foods featured - please forward the post to someone you know who is curious about healthy living, but doesn't know where to start when it comes to new foods.

what are your favorite "modern" health foods?

And what are you favorite "vegan goes mainstream" breakthroughs from over the past few years?

Homemade Berry Jam and Silk Chocolate Mousse.

June 15, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

Have you ever made homemade jam? Take it from this jam newbie - it's terribly easy and the results will impress you - and your family. Better than the bottled suff you buy in stores. Way better.

I played around in my kitchen last weekend and whipped up my very first batch of jam. And a slew of delicious jam-infused creations followed. Like jam-swirled bagel spread and berry-accented chocolate mousse. I was amazed at how easy the process was and how delicious the results are. I don't think I ever want to buy bottled jam again!..

Also in this post.. Silk Chocolate Mousse. Two Ingredients. This silk chocolate mousse is awesome. It's a simple recipe. Together: Jam and Mousse, soy whip on top. Recipes ahead!..

I started off with a Double Berry Jam (shown dolloped on top of the mousse in the image) - it features sweet tart raspberries and juicy strawberries. Then yesterday I made a Strawberry Citrus Jam. This stuff is so yummy that all I need to enjoy it is a spoon! Or slather some on a warm slice of toast and instant jam heaven.

..Now I need to find some jam jars. I am dying to turn my kitchen into a mini jam factory. Bottle my whimsical creations and head out to a Farmer's Market to sell them. None of this "Strawberry Jam" simplicity. Lets try Blackberry Ginger Jam, or Blueberry Cayenne, Cinnamon Maple Marmelade, Peach Papaya, Spicy Grape. I'm inspired. Anyone else a jam-making fanatic? Jam Junkie? And tips to share?

Berries and Cream. Yesterday for breakfast I whipped up some Berry Cream Cheese using my homemade Double Berry Jam. Wow was this stuff awesome! Sometimes I complain that tofu cream cheese is a bit lacking in flavor and texture. Well whip in a few spoonfuls of homemade jam and problem solved. Get my Sweet Pink Bagel recipe here. Isn't it pink-tastic?..

Recipes: Two Jams and a Mousse (below)

Double Berry Jam
3 cups ripe raspberries
1 cup ripe strawberries – destemmed
½ cup maple syrup
¼ cup lemon juice
2-3 teaspoon corn starch

Citrus Strawberry Jam
4 cups strawberries, washed/de-stemmed
½ cup sugar (opt'l)
4 satsuma mandarins, juiced (some pulp is good)
½ teaspoon citrus zest
pinch of salt
2-3 teaspoon corn starch

Jam Directions:
1. For both jams - dissolve the corn starch in the cold citrus liquid. Then combine all ingredients in a large pot on stove. Bring to a boil.

2. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes.

3. Pour into jar(s) and store in the fridge.

Easy Vegan Silk Chocolate Mousse
16 ounces silken tofu
1 cup vegan chocolate chips + 1 teaspoon veg oil
additional sweetener to taste (optional)
pinch of salt (optional)
*I added in about ⅓ cup maple syrup to increase sweetness - additional sweetness is optional though

Directions:

1. In a double broiler, add chocolate chips and oil. Heat until melted. Remove from heat.

2. Add your tofu, optional sweetener, and melted chocolate to a blender. Blend until smooth and silky.

3. Pour into serving dishes and chill in the fridge for a few hours - until firmed up a bit.

Mousse Tips: You can use arrowroot and or agar agar to make your mousse even more firm - but I personally like the silky texture. You can also add more chocolate chips for a deeper chocolate flavor and richer texture as well.

Wrap Obsessed! Ten recipes for summer.

June 13, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 7 Comments

I'm Wrap Obsessed. You too? There's just something about a fat, vegan wrap on a sunny day that makes me happy. I mean when you make a sandwich, it can be all about the bread, but when you make a wrap - it's all about what's inside.

So here are ten of my most favorite Vegan Wrap Recipes for summer! Perfect for lunch - or even dinner. In fact, my latest dinnertime obsession is pairing one of these fatty wraps with a big veggie-filled dinner salad, a side of maple-mashed sweet potato (a pinch of truffle salt) and sparkling (mint and lemon-infused) mineral water. Craving.

Take Two.. I'm also obsessed with perfecting my recent Eggless Salad recipe, aka Tofu Egg Salad. This time I made a few tweaks by trying a few of your suggestions. Ahead, find out what happened with Eggless Salad Take Two. Keep reading wrap lovers..

Wrapping is fun.

Eggless Salad Take Two! Oh boy do I love this recipe - the Tofu Egg Salad Sandwich recipe I posted last Friday. Well I loved the feedback from you guys and a few of you commented about being able to cook or steam the tofu before using it. I loved that idea so I had to try it! The results..

Eggless Salad Take two..

Steaming the Tofu for my Eggless Salad. The pro's of steaming/cooking the tofu first are that you get an even more egg-textured bite. The tofu is a bit firmer and really like chopped egg. And it is definitely less mushy. The con's of cooking the tofu first are that you have to wait for it to cool off before serving on a sandwich since the warmth of the tofu now melts the mayo/Dijon dressing mix. However, if you add this warm mixture to a wrap or pita - it works. So the non-cooked tofu may be a bit faster if you are making a sandwich and not a closed wrap or pita. Either way I love it! See my new and improved Eggless Salad recipe below.

And now onto My Fave 10 Vegan Wrap Recipes for Summer!

1. Smoky Tempeh Avocado Wrap
This tempeh-licious wrap is stuffed with a crunchy citrus slaw, greens and plenty of smoky sauteed tempeh. Avocado too. One of my high protein wrap faves.

2. Smoky Mushroom Avocado Wrap
For the mushroom lover in all of us, this all-veggie wrap will make your taste buds very very happy. (photo at top)

3. Eggless Salad Wrap (updated recipe below)
My perfected Tofu-Egg Salad recipe gets even better when served in a wrap! Check out my version two of my recipe (or see version one here)

Eggless Salad - Wrap
18 ounces firm tofu, cubed and steamed - salted to taste
½ cup vegan mayo, aka Vegenaise
⅓ cup Dijon mustard (I like classic Grey Poupon)
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper - fine
2 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
½ cup chopped sweet onion - Vidalia onions work best
also needed: 1 XL wrap tortilla, and grens (I used dark red leaf lettuce in the wrap photo below)
Directions: Toss Well. Chill. Fill wrap. Serve!..

4. Curried Quinoa Wrap
If you love curry and love quinoa - you will go gaga for this wrap. Hearty and nutty with plenty of flavor and fiber. This hearty wrap will fill you up.

5. Spicy Sunny Raw Veggie Wrap
If you love crunchy veggies in your wrap, give this sunny recipe a try.

6. Potato Salad Wrap
This kinda makes a perfect breakfast burrito - well especially if you add in some scrambled tofu!

7. Easy Hummus Spiral Wraps
This is a different kind of wrap. It's sliced into cute lil spirals. Kinda like wrap sushi. Fun for the lunchbox! And easy for kids to eat. Great party appetizer too.

8. Plantain Poblano Tofu Wrap
This Mexican-flavor-infused wrap is a lovely entree for a fiesta night. Pair with some party guacamole and you have yourself, well, a party.

9. Bullseye Spiral Wraps
I adore this recipe. It's super simple - really just two main ingredients (tofu cream cheese and roasted red peppers) and the flavor is fantastic. Another perfect party recipe.

10. Florida Avocado Wrap
I really loved this wrap recipe. The lower-in-fat Florida avocados are so sweet and tender. If you can find a Fl avo - make this wrap!

11. Cilantro Smother Wrap or Burrito
OK, another non-traditional wrap - really a burrito. But this recipe rocks. It is a stuffed burrito smothered in cashew cream. Plantains, tofu, spinach, salsa - this tortilla has some serious vegan deliciousness inside and around it. So it kinda had to be #11 on this wrap-tastic list.

Happy wrapping! ps, what's YOUR fave wrap recipe??

...now that's a wrap! (sorry, had to.)

Blueberry Coconut Water Frosty! And thoughts..

June 12, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 4 Comments

I've been blending up what has become my new fave sip of the summer: the Coconut Water Frosty. While summer officially starts the *21st* of June, with all these 90 degree days, I'm just calling it summertime now.

Today I did a dark purple blueberry flavor - and I've already shared my strawberry peach frosty recipe with you. These frosty little glasses contain just about everything I crave when it's hot, dry and tiring out - electrolytes, fruit, fiber, antioxidants, ice and lots of hydrating liquid. Straw optional.

Coconut water is my favorite re-hydration beverage because it has more potassium than a banana and up to 15 times more potassium than those sugary "sports hydration" drinks. All natural sip here. Ahead, I share this recipe - plus I have a question for you guys, the HHL readers..

To Book it or Not? Lately I've been feeling a bit anxious to get started on my next side project with HHL. While I keep seeing many of my talented food blogger friends securing book deals and signing contracts for in-print publications, I keep struggling with the fact that I haven't penned my own deal yet. I guess it would help if I had an agent. Or even sent in my own book query or submission. But truth be told, I am happily swamped with my current projects - loving every minute of them: Babble.com, FindingVegan.com and of course Healthy Happy Life.

But still, I would love to have a book to offer you guys. I think? So here is my question. What do you guys want?..

Would you rather have the option of buying an in-print/bookstores only HHL cookbook containing a selection of my recipes - OR would a lower priced, available for download iPad App/E-book be more your speed? Also I am thinking of compiling some videos for a recipe DVD.

So many projects possible, I'd love your help! I know that having "a book" is an awe-inspiring goal. But I also know it is a lot of work - and I know my websites would suffer a bit. Less posts and updates. Which really, not sure if I like. I love having a live, ongoing, updated conversation with you guys on a daily basisQ Thoughts?

..More cell phone Apps? Try for a book deal? (Anyone have some tips/guidance on that- I'm all ears.) Or do you want more how-to recipe videos (a DVD possibly). Or a full E-book style cookbook? Advice wanted! And appreciated. You guys are the reason I do this. And I want to give all the vegan recipe seekers out there what they want. Again, thanks for any input you have. I've really been struggling with figuring this out lately. Le sigh.

So now, the recipe you've been patiently waiting for!..

Custom Frosty. And yes, these tasty little sips are customizable to whatever frozen fruit you have in your freezer. So if you have pineapple and banana instead of blueberry - try that! Coconut water goes with a variety of fruit flavors.

Blueberry Coconut Water Frosty
vegan, serves 2

11 ounces coconut water, chilled
½ cup ice
¾ cup frozen blueberries
1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon agave syrup
dash of cayenne (optional)

tip: for an extra creamy - not as frosty coconut water frosty, add in ½ frozen banana. For more frosty, add in more ice.

..for a more coconut water-infused sip, use coconut water ice cubes instead of tap water ice cubes.

Blend. Pour. Serve!

Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich

June 10, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 24 Comments

This vegan Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich really makes me happy. Spicy yellow Dijon, peppery scallions and a flurry of spices like celery seed and turmeric. This is one sassy, summer-y, salad sandwich.

Easy vegan sandwich recipe, paired with a frosty, hydrating coconut water sip - done and done. Grab these recipes!..

UPDATE! Be sure to check out my updated Eggless Tofu Salad recipe here! And note - YES you can steam the tofu before using - see updated post link above for details.

Pairing beverage? Coconut Water Frosty Recipe - peach and strawberry infused.

Easy. High-Protein. Fun. This is an easy recipe to sell. It is incredibly easy to make - literally under 5 minutes and done. It is high protein from all that tofu. And I'll just throw in that it is fun because - well it is! Bright yellow and easy for kids of all ages to dollop on top of some sandwich bread for an easy picnic lunch. Add a side of watermelon (of watermelon frosty - or coconut water frosty above) and some crunchy corn chips and your cheery, rustic, summer-y, all-American lunch is complete.

..I could easily whip up a towering picnic basket-worthy pile of these tofu salad sandwiches in a flash .. while texting on my cell phone, feeding the cat and arranging my spice cabinet. OK, maybe not, but really this recipe is splendidly simple.

Grab some soft, fluffy multi-grain sandwich bread, a big block of firm tofu and whip this stuff up. Then this weekend, sun in the sky (we hope) .. just go..

Change it up. The best part about this recipe is that since the "tofu" part is so easy, you can get creative with the chopped veggies you fold in. Add scallions, celery, radish, onion, shallots, apple, carrot, bell pepper and more. Whatever lovely crunchy veggies you spot at your Farmer's Market this weekend will fold right into this salad mix. I tried radishes this morning and was in "Egg" salad heaven. OK, tofu salad heaven. Eggs, you're free to go, we don't need you for this recipe. Or any recipe for that matter!

Versatile salad - you could also fill wraps or top salads with this yummy yellow stuff!..

Tofu "Egg" Salad Sandwich
vegan, makes 4-5 sandwiches

18 ounces firm or extra firm tofu, squeezed dry with paper towel/diced into cubes
½ cup vegan mayo, aka Vegenaise
⅓ cup Dijon mustard (I like classic Grey Poupon)
1 teaspoon celery seed
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon black pepper - fine
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 cup chopped scallions (add in a bit of celery for extra crunch - or your own fave veggies)
2-3 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (optional)

Directions: (easy)

1. Prep veggies, dry and cube your tofu - toss in large bowl.
2. combine/whisk dressing and add to large bowl.
3. Toss well.
4. Chill until ready to serve!

Summer Zucchini Apps: Guac & Bruschetta.

June 9, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

Plump, bright green, organic zucchini towering in a perky pile - just begging to be plucked, bagged and taken home. I loaded up on zucchini this evening and into my test kitchen I went. I had my panel of taste testers all lined up and ready to go - aka my husband and kitty Nelly. Nelly just watches. And sniffs the air. But there would be nothing boring tonight - I wanted new, innovative - or at least something to make you curious to try it. Creative recipes are my passion.

Two recipes for you tonight: Green Summer Zucchini Guacamole (lighter and healthier than traditional guac - with all that lovely green color and flavor). And second is a zesty Zucchini Bruschetta. Fall in love with summer zucchini!..

I hope you are all enjoying your soon-to-be-summertime bliss. I know a kitty who is..

Kitty enjoying the summer sunshine..

It's definitely been crazy hot here in DC the past few days. It reached 98 today and maybe 100 tomorrow. But that's fine by me because you all know I'm happiest slurping up a frosty smoothie - preferably laying on a towel - in a beach-y spot - watching turquoise water and sea gulls flutter by. But hey, I'll take what I can get.

And smoothies in the day - paired with some summery zucchini apps at night is just fine by me.

Zooey Mag Feature Side Note! I was super excited last night when my husband and I took a stroll over to Georgetown to pick up a copy of the May 2011 issue of Zooey Magazine - with Ashley Tisdale on the cover.. I have a 4 page vegan recipe feature in the mag! So exciting. I had to twitpic the first page. Zooey Mag can be found at select Barnes and Noble stores. Check Zooey's website for details.

Zucchini Kind of Day. So I decided to make two of my favorite appetizers - zucchini infused - guacamole and bruschetta.

You can find the yum Zucchini Bruschetta recipe here. I loved this stuff! Flavorful and tender - with a light flavor perfect for summer. I chilled the mixture before serving so the flavors intensified and the texture was lovely.

Summer Zucchini Bruschetta:

And below is my recipe for the guac. The fabulous thing about this guac is that it is nearly half the calories of traditional guc - yet totally green and flavorful. Since there is less avocado and more low-cal zucchini, it is a perfect blend for summer eating. A little lighter, a lot flavorful..

Summer Green Zucchini Guacamole
makes 4 cups

1 large avocado - about 1 ½ cups cubes
1 ½ cups raw zucchini, cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil - for quick saute
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch of sea salt to taste
½ cup white onion, diced
¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 jalapeno, diced - or a few dashes of cayenne (optional)

1. I lightly saute the zucchini cubes in very hot oil for just about 1-2 minutes. Just to caramelize the edges. Salt to taste.

2. Toss zucchini with remaining ingredients. Chill. Serve!

Philly Cheese & a Mocha Root Beer Float

June 8, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 1 Comment

If you think Philly Cheese sandwiches can't be vegan, and Root Beer Floats are only for kids - listen up. These two summer treats will impress even the snootiest, veganist, sophisticated of tastes. Well, that and they are just two fun-yummy summertime recipes to try!

Lunch and a frosty treat? done..

Mocha Root Beer Float
makes one float

3 small scoops vanilla bean ice cream (any variety vegan ice cream)
* I used Coconut Milk ice cream which gave the entire float a tropical accent
1 tablespoon chocolate syrup
1 shot espresso (for coffee-free version, sub with more root beer)
1 can or bottle of root beer – use as much as fills your glass – add more as you drink if you’d like
swirl of vegan/non-dairy whipped cream – any variety
* I used soy whipped cream - coconut whip works too

1 tall parfait/milkshake glass

Directions:

1. Add vanilla coconut milk ice cream
2. Add chocolate syrup.
3. Add espresso – or root beer. Add root beer until foams to top.
4. Add vegan whipped cream on top.

Vegan Philly Cheese Panini
makes one sandwich

1 Field Roast Spicy Chipotle Sausage, thinly sliced
½ cup Daiya Cheddar Cheese
¼ cup roasted peppers and /or onions
2 slices of thick-cut sandwich bread – brushed with olive oil on both sides (I like a hearty multigrain bread)
optional: spices for a pepper/onion saute

1. First I roast my veggies and prep my sausage by thinly slicing.
2. Then I arrange all my ingredients – open faced on bread and place under broiler in oven for 3 minutes.
3. Then I fold sandwich together and panini press for another 3 minutes.
Slice. Serve!

Smoothie Break! & Trends

June 7, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Today's very important smoothie break reminder...

Reminder: It's nearly summertime - season of outdoor, frolicking fun. Right now you are indoors, hunched over your computer screen. Parched. Possibly hungry - or at least hungry for nutrients. You may want to consider this important reminder..

Have you had your smoothie break today?

It seems "coffee breaks" are the accepted norm for "taking a break" during the workday - but lets start a new (healthier) antioxidant, fiber, nutrient-infused trend: smoothie breaks! We all deserve a summer smoothie break.

My Smoothie and Drink Recipes

And to inspire you, check out my Five Smoothie Flavor Trends for Summer! ..with recipe links.

**Share this post with a much-loved friend to remind them that they work too hard - and inspire them to take a smoothie break!**

Tofu Feta, Watermelon and Basil Salad Recipe

June 7, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky 3 Comments

It seems everywhere I turn in the "blog-o-sphere" I'm spotting those summer-perfect Feta and Watermelon Salads. Juicy sweet watermelon cubes and savory crumbles of feta cheese - sometimes accented by sweet basil leaves.

Veganized. Since I have seen a few vegan bloggers turn firm tofu cubes into flavorful cubes of feta-cheese-like deliciousness, I wanted to give this classic summer salad a try. And hopefully satisfy my summer salad craving! Plus, I'm always super excited to be work with a new-to-me ingredient: white miso paste! Get my recipe for Tofu Feta, Watermelon, Basil Salad..

White Miso Paste? I found a few "tofu feta" recipes online, and they all seemed to contain the ingredient: white miso paste. So I took a sunny lunch hour stroll to Whole Foods and looked around for this stuff.

I asked the stock boy if he knew where to find "white miso paste" and with bright eyes he said, "Yes! Let me take you to it!" I was impressed that he did indeed know exactly what I was looking for. He even dug in the back of the fridge to find me "white" miso paste - since all we could see out front was red and brown varieties. Hmmph, I was quite excited to give this stuff a try and use it in a variety of recipes! Especially since miso is so healthy.

Miso Paste Taste Test: white miso paste is a concentrated form of salty-savory, almost cheesy-flavored miso. Unlike miso powder, it can easily be blended into liquid to form a thick, slightly creamy/cloudy liquid. I have worked with miso powder before - and can now definitely say I now prefer paste form. I can't wait to experiment more with this stuff and give the red/brown versions a try too.

Salad Recipe. So I puttered around my kitchen making this salad and was very pleased with the results. Savory sweet, loaded with protein from the tofu - nice and salty from the white miso. I was pleased.

Watermelon/Feta Salad craving: satisfied!

Fun Party Serving Idea: For a party, make little "feta" watermelon, basil leaf appetizers. Place one cube of tofu and one cube of watermelon on a toothpick - add a basil leaf too. Serve on a platter.

Here's the recipe..

Tofu Feta, Watermelon and Basil Salad

By Kathy PatalskyPublished 06/07/2011
So refreshing for summer! This salad includes basil, fresh watermelon cubes and a vegan tofu "feta" cheese.

Ingredients

18oz firm tofu, drained and squeezed dry
2 cups fresh watermelon, cubed
1 cup fresh basil, shredded or chopped
spices: cayenne, black pepper, salt to taste
optional: nutritional yeast

Tofu "Feta" Marinade:

2 tablespoon white miso paste
⅓ cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar (or lemon juice)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
garnish: basil leaves, EVOO drizzled over top

Instructions

Prep your tofu - drain, squeeze dry with paper towel, slice into cubes.
In a small bowl or cup, briskly stir your white miso marinade until the miso paste blends into the liquid. If you need to thin the dressing out a bit more you can either add water - or more lemon juice or vinegar. Whatever flavor you would like to lead your salad flavor profile with. I added a splash more rice vinegar to mine. But the recipe - as stated - works too. You don't want to add too much liquid and risk over-soaking the tofu to make it soggy.
In a large bowl, toss the tofu with the miso marinade. Place in fridge to chill and marinate for at least a half hour - overnight is best for optimal flavor infusion.
Toss your tofu with your diced watermelon cubes and chopped basil. Add optional spices and nutritional yeast. Top with pepper and optional drizzle of olive oil. Garnish with fresh basil.

Yield: 2 servingsPrep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins. Total time: 20 mins. Tags: basil,watermelon,salad,tofu,vegan,entree,summer,tofu feta

Thermador Steamy Soiree.

June 5, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Last week I was in Scottsdale Arizona for the Thermador Steamy Soiree blogger event. A chance to play in the dreamy Thermador kitchens? Yes please. Plus, the city of Scottsdale is gorgeous. The colorful, rustic landscape of the southwest is inspiring for food, art and earth-lovers. The perfect setting for the ultimate culinary adventure. Look out Alice, this is Kathy in Thermadorland..

Travel: Arizona. Desert. Sun. Dry canyons. Desert flowers. Purple sunsets. Turquoise, burnt orange. Spiky green cacti. Prickly pears. The rustic landscape of Arizona perfectly accents the sleek, modern, innovative brand that is Thermador. Lets go, lets talk Thermador. And food. And kitchens...

The Scene.

Dinner the first night. Loved my table!..

Bloggers, circling the Ultimate Culinary Center - a true photo swoon..

Modern maze of Thermador kitchens. Forget Wonderland, this was Kathy in Thermadorland

Zach Elkin, Thermador Brand Director - his passion for excellence is loud, clear, inspiring

I love being welcomed inside the "homes" of brands and getting a first hand look at products - and more importantly, the people behind the brand.

W E L C O M E to Thermador. Being welcomed into Thermador's Arizona homebase was thrilling. And geez, do these guys know how to make a vegan lady squeal with delight, aka, they fed me well..

Vegan Food from Thermador's kitchens: fresh berries with red quinoa, edamame black quinoa salad, jicama slaw, warm soft bread galore (can I please take a loaf home?), fluffy vegan blueberry muffins, assorted fresh fruit, grilled tofu, cabbage spring rolls, rice, more quinoa, mango juice, soy lattes and more and more. Check out these plates...

Lunch at Thermador - all vegan..

breakfast eats..

Who is Thermador?

Kiwi Basil Smoothie

June 5, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

My Watermelon Frosty of last weekend seems pretty hard to beat, but this Kiwi Basil Smoothie sure does satisfy my craving for outside-the-box frosty fruit summer sips. I took a hint from my less than pretty Kiwi Watermelon Frosty (I wasn't too impressed with the brown color - although the flavor was fab) and made a few tweaks to blend up this pure kiwi green summer-approved drink.

Poolside Sip. Have your pool boy bring this out to you on a silver platter to you as you sit poolside in the sun, your shades on and glittering pink bikini sparkling in an afternoon sunbeam. Or not. Hmm, I guess that was the scene that flashed through my head as I slurped up this sip at my desk while a tropical island screen saver flashed across my MacPro screen. I'll take what I can get. Recipe..

The flavors: refreshing, creamy cool - perfect pairing for your sunny weekend adventures. Zesty flavor with a mellow aroma of sweet basil.

Kiwi Basil Smoothie

3 frozen kiwis (freeze in small cubes for easy blending.
1 banana
1 pink grapefruit, juiced (about ¾ cup juice)
1 tablespoon agave syrup
small handful of fresh basil
handful of ice cubes

Blend. Pour. Serve!

Party Appetizer: Fruit Tapas!

June 4, 2011 by Kathy Patalsky Leave a Comment

Here's a fun idea for the summer party scene: fruit tapas!

This is spruced up fruit. Think Pepper-Balsamic Strawberries, Cayenne-Maple Cantaloupe and Almond Oranges. And more. We all love crunchy veggie appetizers, well lets give fruit a spruced up look. You always see the "fruit platter" looking so bare and - a little boring. Punch up the fruit flavors with subtle ingredient accents like spices, oils, vinegars, herbs and more.

This fruit tapas idea is especially cute for summer brunch parties. Give these snazzy recipes a try and get inspired to dream up your own fruit tapas ideas. Mint and wasabi marinated apples? Brown sugar and cinnamon soaked peaches? Grilled apricots soaked in vanilla and olive oil? So many ideas. Can you think of any?? Get my fruit tapas recipes here!

Here’s a fun way to spruce up your fruit: Fruit Tapas! Tapas basically means “small plates” and normally we think of small savory dishes like rice or veggies. But really, “tapas” can be anything you dream up and serve on a small plate – instead of say a giant platter of family style food or individual large plates. Here are four fun Fruit Tapas recipes…

Fruit Tapas for all!

Kids (and adults) will adore these creative fruit tapas simply because they are different. Fun. Creative. These fancy plates make eating fruit “surprising!” again. Change up the flavors and enhance the natural texture and sweetness of fruit by adding a few oddball ingredients…

I like to use exotic sugars, vinegars, acids like lemon and lime, spices like cinnamon, cayenne, pepper, sea salt – nuts, seeds, oils and more! Fruit is a beautiful sweet canvas to play with. Check these out..

basic directions for each: toss fruit in liquid and accent with spices/nuts

Fruit Tapas#1: Balsamic Pepper Strawberries
1 cup whole berries, de-stemmed and washed
1 ½ teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon olive oil
dash of fresh black pepper
dash of cayenne (optional)

Fruit Tapas #2: Peanut Crunch Cinna-Maple-Bananas (kid-approved!)
1 banana, sliced
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon peanuts
a few dashes of cinnamon on top

Fruit Tapas #3: Pyramid Cantaloupe
1 cup pyramid-sliced cantaloupe
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
dash of cayenne
dash of sea salt

Fruit Tapas #4: Almond Sugar Citrus
¾ orange, sliced (rind on – seeds removed)
¼ orange juiced
1 tablespoon sliced almonds
pink of sea salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar (or maple syrup)

* for all recipes with maple you can easily sub with agave syrup