Banish "the groggies" with my Wild Blueberry Kick-Start Smoothie! It's rich in antioxidants, fiber, electrolytes and high energy carbohydrates. Plus the stimulating ginger and cayenne will give your senses a serious wake-up call.

Recipe Rewind. I was inspired to re-post this classic HHL recipe after watching the #LongestTennisMatchEver at Wimbledon yesterday. Plus, this smoothie pic is the icon image for my new Smoothies! IPhone App - and a few folks were asking for the recipe. So here it is! Get my vegan smoothie recipe...
---> Get my Kick-Start Smoothie Recipe Here

Soaking Nuts - still obsessed. In my Ricotta Nut Cheese post I confessed my new found fascination with raw soaked nut recipes. Well I'm still at it. And this time I've created my new favorite snack: Raw Almond Nut Spread. Three ways.

Pair this easy -to-make spread/dip/hummus (call it whatever you'd like) with fresh chopped veggie sticks, Cheesy Quackers, grain chips or fresh crusty bread and voila! Healthy raw snacking perfection.

We Love Almonds. You can try this recipe with all sorts of nuts, but there is something hearty, chewy, savory and sweet about a soaked almond turned almond spread that makes my senses soar. This fresh almond spread has the aroma of fresh pressed almond milk. Plus, almonds are rich in fiber, vitamin E, magnesium and copper. And a recent study in the NY Times boasted that eating nuts may help cholesterol. So dunk some raw almonds in a big bowl of water to soak overnight, so you can get started on these recipes!

Soaking Nuts. It's simple. Pour a bag of raw, unsalted almonds in a big bowl. Cover the almonds with water - leave a few inches of water space at the top. The almonds will bloom and soften as they absorb the water. I add a nice sprinkle of salt into my almond soak. Soak overnight or for about 24 hours in the fridge. When you drain the almonds - reserve the soaked almond liquid. You will use it in the recipes below.

The Pitch. Really, you guys have to try this. I made three flavors over the weekend and have been snacking on this stuff all week. In fact - it's gone already so I need to make more! It is the perfect mid-morning snack to eat at your desk. Or you can spread it on some bread and pile on a few veggies and tote it in a lunch bag. You can even serve this spread at a party.

Husband Approved. I served all three flavors to my husband and he loved them all. He especially loved the spicy harissa flavor.

Kid Approved. I didn't do a kid-taste-test yet. But here's an idea: you can colorize this dip by adding in fresh fruit. Try purple almond dip by adding blueberries or blackberries. Red almond dip with strawberries. Orange almond dip with sweet potato or butternut squash. Green almond dip with cucumber, kiwis or (if they will eat it) spinach. You can even do a sort of rainbow presentation - or let the kids make their own rainbow sandwich with the varying colors. Something like these fruit rainbow wraps.

My three Recipes...

Spicy Harissa:

Snappy Key Lime:

Sweet Garlic Maple:

Ingredient Notes:

Almonds. I used one 16 oz bag of raw almonds, split between the three recipes. The almonds will expand when soaked - use the soaked almond size when you measure out the 1 ½ cups for each recipe.

Salt: I used an amazing herbed (rosemary, bay leaf, thyme) black sea salt I found at a specialty store. My advice is to not skimp on your salt quality. If you can find a pink, black or grey gourmet salt - use it. Basic white sea salt will work, but an exotic salt adds a unique layer of flavor to these recipes.

Grape Seed Oil. The reason I am using grapeseed oil is because olive oil is too thick and intense to blend well with the almonds. The grapeseed oil has a light fruity taste that meshes perfectly. And grapeseed is heart-healthy since it contains antioxidants, including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins and resveratrol.

Sweet Garlic Maple Almond
1 ½ C raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained
4-6 tablespoon water (use the drained water used to soak almonds)
½ teaspoon black or seasoned salt
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
pepper

Snappy Key Lime Almond
1 ½ C raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained
4-6 tablespoon water (use the drained water used to soak almonds)
½ teaspoon black or seasoned salt
1 ½ tablespoon grapeseed oil
2-3 tablespoon key lime juice
pepper

Spicy Harissa Almond
1 ½ C raw almonds, soaked overnight and drained
4-6 tablespoon water (use the drained water used to soak almonds)
½ teaspoon black or seasoned salt
1-2 teaspoon grapeseed oil
*If using a harissa that contains oil - you can omit this ingredient
1-2 tablespoon spicy harissa
*I used Le Pain Quotidien's harissa - I like its thick chunky texture

Directions:

1. Soak almonds in water and a pinch or salt overnight.

2. Drain almonds, but reserve the drained water for use in the recipes.

3. Start on your first spread. Add the almonds to a food processor. Add all the other ingredients. Note: start out slow with the water by only adding half of what is called for. As you process the nuts add more water as needed. You want a texture similar to a watery chunky nut butter - like the thickness of hummus - only with a lot more texture.

4. Repeat the process with each of the flavors. Do a taste test midway through each batch and adjust salt/pepper/sweetness/spiciness to your preferences.

5. Pour into a separate container, seal and store in the fridge. The spread is best served chilled - but you can also eat it right away if you'd like.

Leftovers Note: When you store the spread overnight in the fridge the flavor and texture actually improves a bit. I think this is because the liquid/flavors absorb into the pulverized nuts. The spread firms up a bit and the flavors become more intense.

I'm excited to announce Smoothies! the very first Healthy Happy Life IPhone App. Just released this week! See it in the App store or find out more...

*Now available on Android phones too!*

Smoothies! IPhone App. If you search for "smoothies" in the App Store, you will get a flurry of Apps to choose from. Here is what my Smoothie App has to offer, over the competition:

* 100% Vegan, Dairy-Free! Most smoothie App recipes are not 'veganized' - mine are! No need to stumble through vegan ingredient substitution guesswork.

* Tested Recipes. Each recipe was tried, tested and tasted by me personally. I provide commentary on each smoothie recipe - with quips about nutrition, lifestyle and ingredients.

*The App that Grows. Yes, I'll be adding more smoothies to the App in the future - and you'll get free updates! All you have to do it buy it once.

* Quality vs. Quantity. When Building my App I focused on the quality of my recipes vs. quantity of recipes. With 20+ recipes (and growing) you'll surely find enough ideas to keep you inspired and fight blender boredom.

* Yummy Photos. Smoothie photos accompany each and every recipe. Some of the other smoothie Apps are stingy on photos.

* Bonus Smoothie FAQ's and Tips are included.

* Recipes Anytime, Anyplace. The App recipes are based on my blog recipes - but now you can get the recipes on your IPhone without an internet connection. Anytime, anyplace. Save paper - no printing out recipes needed.

* Creativity! You won't find boring predictable smoothie recipes in my App. I always try to think "outside the blender" when crafting my creative, healthy, yummy vegan recipes.

* Easy-to-Follow. Ingredients plus step-by-step Instructions for each recipe.

Buy it Now in the App Store or Visit the Promo Page.

*App runs on IPhone, ITouch and IPad

And yes, I hope to add even more Recipe Apps to more store in the future!

Le Pain Quotidien's Seasonal Vegan Specials: Vegetables and Hummus with Basil Pesto.

My Taste Test...

Picnic in the Park! I love that Le Pain now has a Central Park location in NYC. And no matter where you dine - you can have your own Le Pain picnic to-go. Here is one of my new fave seasonal menu items..

Vegan Hummus/Pesto. This vegan hummus appetizer is awesome! The bean hummus is creamy and smooth with a subtle savory bite. The basil pesto is thin, bold and dynamic - it is more like a basil sauce or glaze than a thick chunky pesto. A few fresh veggies dot the bowl - add your own additional veggie sticks, grain crackers of break off a few bits of a Le Pain baguette.

Price: $4.95 in NYC

Last Word: I love this light snack/appetizer. You could easily spread this into a sandwich or pita too. The basil pesto is unforgettable and really makes this dish. Hummus and pesto lovers - try it!

Ever since Starbucks unveiled their vegan-soy-Frapp-friendly However-You-Want-It Frappaccino menu, I have consumed a steady stream of Soy Coffee Frapps whenever a craving for frosted coffee bliss hit. And with a steady stream of 80 degree days lately - Frapp cravings hit a lot!

Frapp At-Home. But as I was slurping down my huge, sticky-sweet Venti Soy Coffee Frapp the other day, I decided I needed an alternative option to satisfy my Frapp cravings. So, I whipped up this frosty, creamy, coffee-flavored beverage - at home.

And my recipe is truly my way: a bit lighter in sweetness than Starbucks, cinnamon accents, a frozen banana blended in and served in my own tall frosty glass. Plus, I can save a little money along the way. Get my recipe and a few flavor accent ideas. Sluuurp!...

Starbucks Via. Don't worry Starbucks, you might not mind my Starbucks-fake-out recipe because one of the main ingredients I used was Starbucks Via instant coffee packs. I had bought a Via sampler pack a few months back (mindless register purchase. Since I usually drink chai, not coffee at home). So I had quite a few Via packs stacked in my pantry. But yippee, Via is a perfect add-in for a cold blended coffee beverage! However, you can also use brewed/chilled espresso or coffee if you'd like. I've posted two variations below.

QuickTip #1 Pre-Made Espresso: Those little canned Illy sweetened Espresso drinks (the dairy-free kind) are a great go-to item for this recipe. Not necessary - but good for a super fast craving buster blend.

Quick Tip #2 Guar Gum: A blog reader gave me this tip: Guar Gum would help prevent the natural separation effect in my coffee drink. I have never tried Guar Gum - but it may be fun to experiment. Bob's Red Mill carries a package of it for sale on Amazon.com. However, do your research on guar gum before using. I personally think I'll just stick to drinking my at-home-frapps quickly before they separate. Bob's Red Mill Guar Gum description: "Gum, Guar is a white flour-like substance made from an East Indian seed. Use small amounts as a thickener, binder, and volume enhancer." Guar GUm info on WebMD here.

Frosty Soy Cinna-Coffee Blended - Via Version
vegan, makes two tall glasses

13 ounces soy milk, vanilla flavor
2 Starbucks Via Instant coffee packets
Maple Syrup or Simple Syrup to taste (I use about 2-3 Tbsp)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1 ½ cups ice
garnish: cinnamon-sugar dashed on top
optional: 1 frozen banana
optional: dash of cayenne for a bit of spiciness

Frosty Soy Coffee Blended - Coffee/Espresso version
vegan, makes two glasses

9 ounces soy milk, vanilla flavor
4-5 ounces dark-brewed coffee, chilled OR
2-3 shots espresso, chilled
Maple Syrup or Simple Syrup to taste (I use about 2-3 Tbsp)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
garnish: cinnamon-sugar dashed on top
optional: 1 frozen banana

Blend and serve! Flavor variations below...

Flavor Variations. Before I get to my recipe, I want to inspire you to get creative with your at-home-coffee bevie. Here are a few flavor/ingredient-add-in options..

Cinnamon-Sugar: This is the flavor combo I used below, I blended cinnamon into my drink and sprinkled cinnamon-sugar on top.
Mocha: Add 1 tablespoon sweetened cocoa powder OR a tablespoon of chocolate nut spread.
Banana Thick: I love adding a frozen banana to my coffee blended drink. It thickens the texture up a bit and adds a mild tropical sweetness.
Coconut: Add a few tablespoon of shredded coconut to your drink before blending.
Minty: Add some fresh mint to your blender for a fresh cool flavor accent.
Peanut Butter: a few scoops of peanut butter will turn your icy bevie into a decadent shake.
Cayenne: Add some cayenne in your drink for a spicy kick.
Soy Whip: Add some on top if you'd like.
Choco-Chips: Toss in a few raw cacao nibs - or some dark chocolate chips for that "chip-shake" taste and texture.
Creamy: Sub a few tablespoon of the soy milk with soy milk creamer.
Protein Boost: A few scoops of your fave vanilla, chocolate or coffee flavored protein powder. Hemp or soy protein are my favorites.
Chai Version: If you aren't a coffee drinker, make a Chai Blended bevie! I like to use Chai Concentrate in place of the coffee and I don't need to add sweetener since Chai concentrate is pre-sweetened. Info on my favorite chai concentrate brand.

Note: Natural settling of frothy foam/liwuid will occur - but simply do a brisk stir with a straw to re-combine the froth with the liquid.

"How do you like your coffee?" Note: Like coffee, everyone likes it prepared a bit differently. So be sure to add more sweetener or stronger coffee flavors if that's what you crave. This recipe is easy to adjust based on your preferences.

I made a lil' video. I call it Are You Hungry? I hope you will watch - then pass it around to your friends. Veg friends, non-veg friends and everyone in between. Watch it!...

Are you hungry?...

*for best viewing results view in 480p mode.

watch and share

More video info...read after you watch.....

The Secret. The secret is that I don't say that any of my food pics are 100% vegan eats until the end of the video. So pass the link, but keep the vegan-reveal at the end a secret..

My main goal of this video is to show people vegan food without using the word vegan. So when you share it - don't tell them that it is a video of vegan eats. Just say it's what it is: yummy food! Then hopefully the stereotypes about what "vegan food" really means won't sway them as they get...hungry.

This week's Hot Plate Monday report:
* Smoothie Season is here!
* Summer sports kicks, rackets, swings, goals.
* Feed You Brain! With free recipes.
* Heirloom Eats, what would grandma make?
* Are You Hungry? the video sensation.
* Battle Papaya! and more foodie TV.
* Happy Bday Whole Foods! Win event tix.
...and much more in Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

**HOT PLATE PIC** of the week:

Vegan Lasagna *the recipe*...

**VIDEO** of the week

Are You Hungry? video. Watch it. Share it.

**NEWS**

Summer is Here! Happy first day of summer!! It's officially smoothie season. Peruse my index of healthy, happy smoothie recipes to keep you cool all summer long!

Happy Bday Whole Foods! 30 Years of Whole Foods! Enter for a chance to win a trip to the WF birthday bash in Austin, TX, Sept. 17-19, 2010. Plus, WF Cherry Fest contest is also open to enter.

Battle Papaya! Iron Chef hosted a Battle Papaya. Did Bobby Flay master my favorite tropical tree fruit?? Good thing I DVRed it! Get the re-cap of the show here.

Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs!. Recall info for most appropriate headline ever.

Free Wifi at Starbucks. All-you-can-use wifi? Great, more reasons to order Soy Frapps. Good thing I have a back-up plan.

Jessica Simpson's Vegan Tweets?? It looks like her "Real Girls Eat Meat" T-shirt should be swapped for a "Real Girls Eat Tofu" tee. Or try one of these veggie tees on for size Jess. The tweeted details from Ecorazzi. Jessica gets my quotes of the week with these tweets:

“I ate tofu for the first time last night! It was yummy! You know your from TX when you have to dip it in ketchup. Ha.”

“I just might like Earth Balance more than butter thanks to one of my vegan friends.” -@jessicasimpson

**TRENDS**

Vegan Ice Cream ...deserves some serious ogling. STOGO and Lula's all around!

Brain Food. Thinkfood Cookbook launched its Recipe of the Week campaign last week! Sign up for free brain-savvy recipes. I am thrilled to be a recipe contributor to book.

Top Chef DC. Did you watch? What do you think? Did you agree with John, the quirky/hippie Chef going home first? Fingers crossed for a vegetarian-friendly challenge. TopChef Contestants. Get the buzz and follow Top Chef Tweets.

Food Blogs. It looks like everyone wants their own food blog nowadays. Even CNN! They launched Eatocracy.cnn.com last week.

Avocado Recipes. Vegan Chef Jason Wyrick is featured in the NYTimes Well blog with a few of his diabetic-friendly vegan avocado recipes.

Summer Sports.
*Wimbledon started today! Fellow tennis fans, check out the buzz on twitter and the official site.
*World Cup Rages on..WC tweets/scores 24/7: Download a WC IPhone app.

Shaved Ice. It's hot outside! And shaved ice is a frosty way to beat the heat. Putting the Fresh in Refreshment, from the NYTimes.

Crunching on Nuts! I love nuts. A study reported in the NY Times finds eating nuts may help cholesterol.

Hungry for Vegan Eats. More and more everyday eaters are becoming curious about trying vegan food. I love that. However, there are a few folks who simply can't look past the word vegan. I made this video for them And for those who simply like to ogle yummy eats.

Heirloom Recipes. Share your heirloom recipes and peruse an index of recipe submissions. Hand-written recipes. Remember those? "Did grandma scribble 2 tablespoon sugar or 2 teaspoon sugar?"

Foodie Swag. Check out the Aspen Food and Wine festival Swag Bag. And it looks like Starbucks Via even gets a spot in these foodie-chic freebie bags. This is what I do with my Via packs.

Summer Smoothies! Get my smoothie FAQ's and substitutions list here! Smoothies/juice recipe index here.

Pretty Sunflowers! Welcome the summer season with these smile-inducing fleurs. Sunflowers are perfect for your dinner party tabletop. Whole Foods gives a few sunflower tips, facts and pics.

Summer Berries. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, olalliberries and blackberries for big berry bowls oh my!

...learn how to store your favorite summer berries here.

Sexy Veg Celebs. Vote for 2010's sexiest here.

Cherry Fest. Win tickets here.

Food TV Icons Slideshow. Looking back on the milestone faces (Martha, Julia...) that inspired us to shop, make, serve and eat.

Chef Curtis Stone. I still don't know if I love or hate him. But his recent comment about using "cage eggs" over organic free-range eggs has ruffled more than a few feathers. Maybe he should just not use any eggs.

Organic Wine Secrets. 8 'secret' facts about organic wine.

JSF. A new interview with Eating Animals author Jonathan Safran Foer at Good.is.

Summer Travel. In a few days I will be in LA! Yay! I'll be wearing my Lunchbox Bunch Cali tees as I compete in the DOLE Cali cookoff. Join me in wearing them this summer: California Pineapple tee And more character tees.

**EVENTS**

NYC Food and Wine Festival Tix went on sale today! Get them. Includes events with all your Food Network faves, like my friend Melissa.

Beverly Hills gathers the foodies in town for the Taste of Beverly Hills! Sept 2-5, 2010.

Restaurant Week NYC starts July 12th! Reserve now...

June 26th Los Angeles, CA: DOLE California Cook-Off - I'm a Finalist!

June 22 - Free Yoga in the Park, NYC.

July 31 and Aug 1 Farm Sanctuary NY Hoe Down!

VegFest DC: Sept 11, 2010
It's a while away, but plan ahead because VegFest DC is a fun, festive green gathering in our nation's capital.
Details at DCVegFest.com

PETA's 30 Year Gala. PETA's 30th Gala is this fall - Sept 25th, 2010 in Hollywood, Cali. Tickets and info here.

Don't forget to submit your green/foodie news, trends, hot plate pics and quips for next week's Hot Plate Monday Post! HotPlate (at) Lunchboxbunch (dot) com

Today is the ThinkFood Cookbook Recipe of the Week Campaign Launch! I am excited to announce that I am a contributor to this brand new Posit Science publication. The cookbook brings together 50 passionate food bloggers - each contributing one recipe highlighting a brain-food-healthy ingredient. Such a smart idea! Literally.

Hot Wellness Topic: Brain Food. We've all seen science/nutrition headlines discussing the connection between brain power and the foods we eat. ThinkFood cookbook answers the demand for brain-healthy recipes!

Free Recipes!Sign up to receive the 50 ThinkFood recipes for free as part of the Recipe of the Week campaign! Find out how and Learn more about the ThinkFood cookbook, the 50 contributors and Posit Science....

About ThinkFood Cookbook.

*ThinkFood features 50 brain-healthy recipes from bloggers around the globe

*Thinkfood cookbook has snacks, appetizers, sides, salads, entrees and desserts

*The goal of this project is to take an integrated approach to brain health that includes brain training and brain healthy eating

*ThinkFood cookbook is sponsored/published by Posit Science

Vegan Recipes Included? The recipes not only have a healthy angle, but a good number of them will probably be vegetarian and/or vegan. There are several vegan blogger contributors. See the full contributors list below.

What recipe did I contribute?? You'll have to tune in to find out! I'll do a special post when my recipe is featured on the ThinkFood Recipe of the Week website.

Join the Free Recipe of the Week Campaign!

To join the recipe of the week campaign, your community can sign up here: www.thinkfoodcookbook.com... It's free!

Beginning on June 16, one recipe will be distributed every Wednesday for the next 50 weeks.

When you sign up, you will have access to the print version of the recipe (for free), which includes more information about the brain healthy ingredient - plus additional cooking tips!

Posit Science community pages:
Twitter Handle: @PositScience
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/positscience
More About Posit Science.

Posit Science's Mission is to apply breakthroughs in brain research to enhance human performance and to promote brain health.

Smarty Tomato thinks this cookbook is a great idea!...

Check out the Amazing 50 Contributors to the ThinkFood cookbook...

ThinkFood Contributors

Posit Science
www.positscience.com
@positscience

• Blog Name
• Blog URL
• Blogger Name
• Twitter Handle

Ambitious Deliciousness
www.ambitiousdeliciousness.com
Esther Chai
@ambitiousdelish

Shelterrific
http://www.shelterrific.com
Erica Policow

Carrots ‘N' Cake
http://carrotsncake.com
Tina Haupert
@CarrotsNCake

Food Loves Writing
http://foodloveswriting.com/
Shannalee T'Koy
@foodloves

Cooking with Amy
http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/
Amy Sherman
@cookingwithamy

Super Healthy Kids
http://blog.superhealthykids.com
Amy Roskelley
@Healthykids

Healthy Everythingtarian
http://www.thehealthyeverythingtarian.com/
Holly Whittlef

A Southern Fairytale
http://asouthernfairytale.com/
Rachel Matthews
@sthrnfairytale

Local Appetite New York
http://www.localappetiteny.com/
Jen Bernstein
@LocalAppetite

Dixie Caviar
http://dixiecaviar.com/
Nealey Dozier

Dine & Dish
www.dineanddish.net
Kristen Doyle
@DineandDish

Brown Eyed Baker
www.browneyedbaker.com
Michelle Norris
@browneyedbaker

Hangry Pants
www.hangrypants.com
Heather Pare
@hangrypants

Fake Food Free
www.fakefoodfree.com
Lori Rice
@lori1329

Food Blogga
www.foodblogga.com
Susan Russo
@FoodBlogga

Project Foodie
www.projectfoodie.com
Pam Thuman-Commike
@projectfoodie

Chocolate Shavings
http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Bartoli
@ChocShavings

The Lunchbox Bunch, Healthy Happy Life
http://healthyhappylife.com/
Kathy Patalsky
@LunchBoxBunch

eCurry
http://www.ecurry.com/blog/
Soma Rathore
@soma_R

Gourmet Fury
www.gourmetfury.com
Melody Fury
@GourmetFury

O-Cookies
http://www.o-cookies.blogspot.com/
Erin O'Leary
@erinocookies

Best Fruit Now
www.bestfruitnow.com
Tom Kovacevich
@BestFruitNow

Off The Broiler
www.offthebroiler.com
Jason Perlow
@jperlow

Stone Soup
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/
Jules Clancy
@jules_stonesoup

Anne's Food Blog
http://annesfood.blogspot.com/
Anne Skoogh
@annesfood

Eclectic Recipes
www.eclecticrecipes.com
Angelia McGowan
@EclecticRecipes

Seriously Good
http://seriouslygood.kdweeks.com
Kevin Weeks
@KDWeeks

Laurel On HealthFood
www.laurelonhealthfood.com
Laurel Moll
@LaurelMoll

Make Life Sweeter
http://linda.kovacevic.nl/
Linda Kovacevic

Herbivoracious
www.herbivoracious.com
Michael Natkin
@michaelnatkin

Wild Yeast Blog
www.wildyeastblog.com
Susan Tenney
@wildyeast

My Sweet Vegan
http://www.MySweetVegan.com
Hannah Kaminskly

The Arugula Files
http://arugulafiles.typepad.com
Mary Cunningham
@arugulafiles

Napa Farm House 1885
www.napafarmhouse1885.blogspot.com
Diane Padoven
@napafarmhouse

Lisa's Kitchen
http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/
Lisa Turner

Pink Bites
http://www.pinkbites.com/
Rita Turner

Katie Cakes
http://iheartkatiecakes.blogspot.com/
Katie Deacon
@Katie_Cakes

Tastes Like Home
http://www.tasteslikehome.org/
Cynthia Nelson

Dash & Bella
http://www.dashandbella.blogspot.com/
Phyllis Grant
@dashandbella

Greedy Gourmet
www.greedygourmet.com
Michelle Minnaar
@tweetygourmet

Daily Unadventures In Cooking
http://www.dailyunadventuresincooking.com/KKaterina Wright
@dailyuncooking

Sugar Bar
http://www.sugarbar.org/
Davina Lim
@sugarbardiva

For The Love Of Cooking
http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/
Pam Nelson

My Cooking Hut
www.mycookinghut.com
Leemei Tan

Closet Cooking
http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/
Kevin Lynch
@ClosetCooking

The Leftover Queen
http://www.leftoverqueen.com/
Jenn DiPiazza Campus
@leftoverqueen

Apples and Butter
http://www.applesandbutter.com/
Jessica Durff
@ApplesandButter

Sassy Radish
www.sassyradish.com
Olga Massov
@sassyradish

Off The (Meat)Hook
http://offthemeathook.com/
Karen Merzenich
@offthemeathook

La Note Restaurant
www.lanoterestaurant.com
Denise Ravizza

Congrats to all the chosen contributors! I can't wait to peruse each of your recipes during the next 50 weeks!

Except for the bright orange color, One Lucky Duck's raw vegan Cheese-y Quackers look nothing like processed cheezy-itzy/goldfishy type crackers. But believe me, these raw/vegan fake-out crackers taste quite similar to the processed dairy-cheese version. Well, sort've. These Quackers are way better!

Plus, the OLD Quackers include a boisterous slew of nutritional ingredients like organic flax seeds, nutritional yeast, almonds and spices. Crunch, crunch, crunch your way to cheese-y vegan bliss. More of my cheese-y bliss and review...

To Your Health. Sometimes I need to jump up and down and wave my hands in the air to get your attention. And the blogging equivalent of that is to write a passionate post that you will hopefully read, ogle and be inspired by. A healthy inspiration of sorts.

So here is my soapbox plea... Try these Quackers! They may change the way you feel about raw vegan snacks. And yes, I know they are much more expensive than say a box of Cheeze-it's. But you get what you pay for my friends. Just a few crackers and you will satisfy your craving and gain some serious raw-powered energy. So really, the price is worth it...because your health is worth it.

Cravings. I received a tweet a few weeks ago asking me about a good sub for cheese crackers. I told her to try these Quackers. (hehe, I love saying Quackers.) Craving satisfied via this raw/vegan snack!

My Road to Quackers. Wandering home from a visit with a friend at Ace Hotel (very cool NYC hotel by the way) I realized I was famished, hot and craving some eats. I was near Union Square, having just walked ten sweaty blocks, and decided to take a detour to my fave raw food spot in the world, One Lucky Duck, aka Pure Food and Wine's to-go joint around the corner from the famous restaurant. There was a good solid line formed inside the tiny room, but I could wait...

I ordered a "Spanking" shake. Cinnamon, berries, cashew nut milk. It was gone by the time I reached the end of the block - in just a few long eager sips. I nearly inhaled the straw trying to get to the last few slurps....

My Shake..

And obviously, I also bought a bag of the Cheese-y Quackers. I plopped down on a nearby bench and had a few crunchy crackers before finishing my walk home. I was totally revived. And to think, I just had a shake and cheesy crackers. Ah, I love the guilt-free lifestyle that a vegan diet offers.

Now back to these Quackers....here is my complete product review...

Review: Cheese-y Quackers One Lucky Duck

Price Check: $13.50 per bag

Taste Test: Crunchy, nutty, savory with a bold cheese-y flavor.

Where to Buy: Buy at One Lucky Duck in NYC. Or order online! They ship almost anywhere.

Last Word: If you think you dislike "raw food" or raw snacks - give these a try and you may change your outlook.

Warm Sunday night's were made for vegan ice cream. And that's why I'm so incredibly lucky to be living in a city where there are two of the most delicious vegan ice cream shops - in the world. No, really. STOGO and Lula's Sweet Apothecary are simply brilliant. They each serve up gourmet 100% dairy-free "ice cream" that is better than the real thing. Bases like soy, coconut and hemp are used. Try a banana split at Lula's or grab a few pints to-go from STOGO. Find your bliss on top of a vegan sugar cone. Lick. Smile. Bliss.

Review Rewind. I am madly craving some STOGO or Lula's and so I decided you should all join me in shamelessly ogling some vegan ice cream bliss. Check out my vintage review of STOGO NYC. I posted this review a few weeks after it opened early last year. I predicted big success for the East Village shop. I was right...

Warning: May result in extreme vegan ice cream craving.

Flavors tweet from Lula's: "PBFudge, MapleWalnut, Vanilla, Drumstick, Strawberry, CoffeeNCookies, Chocolate, ToffeeCrunch, CaramelGingerCookie, MintChip, CookiesNCream."

Flavors tweet from STOGO: We have the salted caramel, peanut butter fudge AND chocolate chip cookie in today!!! Yippeee! Stop on in!

Vegan Transformations. It took me a long time to finally give up dairy because I was addicted to frozen yogurt back when I lived in Los Angeles. Cookies and Cream fro yo was an everyday treat for me! But I finally kicked it cold turkey. Er, cold dairy. And just think, this was all before the big Pinkberry craze hit. I've never even tried Pinkberry - and that's quite OK with me. Hand me over some soft serve Cake Batter from Lula's or a Salted Caramel Pecan scoop from STOGO over dairy fro yo any wday.

STOGO are Lula's are both genius. Both are located downtown on the east side of Broadway. Lula's is a bit further east than STOGO. STOGO is just a hop away from St Mark's Place and Thompson Square Park. Right across the street from another NYC fave of mine: Liquiteria. My review has more about STOGO.

If you are in NYC (vegan or not) do yourself a favor and put one or bot of these spots on your "must try" list! Even if you adore dairy ice cream - give your taste buds a new experience. I promise you'll be pleasantly and uberly surprised by the decadent and cravable flavors that await you.

Here's a quickie look at Lula's sundae (photo by a-soy-bean.blogspot.com) :

Read my Vintage review of STOGO here.

..lots more yummy pics in my review post...

Links:

http://www.STOGOnyc.com
@stogonyc

http://www.lulassweetapothecary.com
@lulasweet

My simple Summer Berry Puffed Cereal bowl is the perfect healthy quickie breakfast to leave you feeling light and energized. Summer blueberry and blackberry antioxidants, protein from the vanilla soy/hemp milk, fiber from the grains and nuts and cinnamon/maple essences will soak into your body, feeding your body, mind and spirit. And FYI, this easy AM bowl may turn into an addicting (yet super healthy) ritual for you. It did for me. Get my recipe and start craving breakfast again...

Summer Berries. Fresh summer berries are healthy and delicious - and perfect for any breakfast feast. Blueberries and blackberries boast a famously high number of healthy fruit antioxidants - with sweet strawberries and raspberries not far behind. Remember to wash your store-bought berries well and choose local and organic varieties when possible. I was in heaven with my $6 box of local organic Greenmarket strawberries - twitpic. More of my berry pics, memories and recipe below...

Food Memories. This sweet cereal recipe is buried deep in my food-meets-life memory. It used to be one of my everyday go-to breakfasts back in college. And recently I rediscovered this cereal bowl combo of puffed grains and berries - with great delight. I literally used to eat this every morning with a black tea latte on the side...

I craved each big fluffy bite! The light puffy cereal texture reminded me of innocent memories of eating Lucky Charms or Pops cereal as a Garfield cartoon-watching Saturday morning kid. But this recipe is obviously way healthier - and vegan. But somehow I had completely forgotten about it - until I found an old photo I took of it (shown right).

The connection between food and memories is an amazing thing. Upon munching on this bowl of puffed kamut, berries, vanilla soy milk and nuts, the memories of cramming for tests, finishing labs and toiling over my creative writing assignments and nutrition research papers all started flooding back.

But now I'm creating a new memory when I eat this bowl. And I'm passing the flavors onto you. I like that. Here's my vegan recipe...

Easy AM Puffed Berry Bowl
vegan, serves 1

1 ½ cups puffed grain cereal, unsweetened
*My faves are Kamut or a blend of grains like unsweetened Kashi
1 cup mixed summer berries
*blueberries/blackberries/strawberries/raspberries
¼ cup chopped nuts
*almonds/walnuts/cashews/Brazil nuts
1 ½ cup vanilla non-dairy milk
*soy/hemp/almond
1-2 teaspoon maple syrup, drizzled on top
*Grade B pref'd
dash of cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

optional: dollop of almond or peanut butter
optional: dash of cayenne for heat
optional: squeeze of fresh lime or lemon over the berries after you toss them on top.

Pour into a big bowl. Enjoy!

*Side hot beverage (Chai latte, Green or Black Tea, Coffee) goes perfectly with this cereal.

My husband and I were running errands yesterday morning just as the USA vs. England World Cup match was beginning. I was amused to see lines out the door at neighborhood bars and restaurants. There were drunken students, wide-eyed tourists and even a few face-painted, flag-toting fanatics - all clamoring to get inside and claim a seat for the big game. It was a diverse crowd - all seeking the same thing: midday soccer (football?) watching, drinks, snacks and a lot of loud laughs. Not really my scene, but here's my verdict: it's nearly impossible to not get sucked into all the World Cup excitement...

And a few moments after we returned home, I found myself glued to my television - watching the lime green field - the soccer/football players like little ants on a grassy knoll. I actually got slightly wrapped up in the loud horns and cheering fans who never seemed to ease up on their high-energy antics. Passionate people make me happy.

..although I will admit to blurting this out while watching the game, "I'm bored. This is like watching hockey, only much slower and less combative." Even still, I watched the entire game. Go figure.

Soccer Snacks. Every good sports game needs good snacks. So I pulled some of my favorite black and white themed recipes and created a list for your very own World Cup Game-Watching Feast. Get my recipes...

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

World Cup Frenzy. The web is a buzz with kicks and headbutts..

The Buzz: Twitter has a cute #WorldCup soccerball icon, ESPN has a trendy World Cup Food Truck in NYC and LA (follow the trucks on twitter) and Snazzy Cup Tweets IPhone Apps are in full swing. Buy the 99-cent Cup Tweets IPhone App. And while I love all the techno-buzz, I created this recipe list to let foodies get in on the soccer-ball action!...

Top 11 Black and White Eats! ...for your World Cup Feast

11. BLACK-Strapped Molasses Ginger Snap Smoothie
OK, so this recipe has #11 status because it isn't exactly black and white to the eye - but the molasses ingredient sure is a deep dark black color! A fresh white ginger garnish on top. This ginger-cookie flavored sip has a drizzle of blackstrap molasses and a layer of white frothy smoothie foam/shaved ginger on top. Quick blend, and your refreshing World Cup smoothie is served. Here's why Blackstrap Molasses is good that's good for you. Ginger Smoothie Recipe.

10. Pure BLACK Olive Dip with WHITE Dipping Crackers
This easy to make dip has a savory creamy flavor that I love. Whip it up, pair it with some white crackers and your dip platter will be World Cup approved. Pure Black Olive Dip Recipe.

9. BLACK and WHITE Mocha
Brew some dark coffee, bland it with some quality cocoa and blend of some rich white soy foam. Build your glass and your black mocha meets white frothy foam bevie is complete! Chocolate sprinkles optional. Cocoa Recipe to inspire your Mocha.

8. Frozen BLACK Grapes and WHITE Jicama
Frozen grapes are super trendy and pack a refreshing fruity punch to your snack bowl. Gobble them up the same way you would cheese puffs - only these antioxidant rich delights are guilt free. Add in some chopped white jicama for a black and white spin on this frozen snack. Frozen Black Grapes Recipe.

7. BLACK Balsamic Shrooms over WHITE Crostini
I call this black and white bruschetta. Simply saute some mushrooms (shiitake or portobella work best for their black coloring) and slice up some baguette rounds. Toast the round with a brush of EVOO. Flavor the mushroom saute. Use the recipe here if you'd like. Then simply top the white bread rounds with black shrooms. Voila, World Cup bruschetta! Balsamic Mushrooms Saute Recipe.

6. BLACK and WHITE Cupcakes
I turned the classic black/white nyc cookie into a cupcake. Try this dessert treat for your World Cup dessert spread. Black and White Cookie Cupcakes Recipe.

5. WHITE Fruit Salad - with added BLACKberries
My Winter White Fruit Salad is easily morphed into WC fare. Simple add some blackberries on top and you're done! Super healthy for a WC brunch menu. White Fruit Salad Recipe.

4. Double BLACK Chocolate Mousse Pie w/ WHITE Soy Cream
Another dessert to knock their soccer socks off! Simply top this dark chocolate pie recipe with some white soy cream and your soccer ball bliss is complete. So good... rave reviews from even the non-vegans in the room. Double Chocolate Mousse Pie Recipe.

3. WHITE Sea Salt 'n Cracked BLACK Pepper Biscuits
I adore this salty biscuit recipe with a bold black pepper kick. Spelt flour and coconut oil give these biscuits a tender flaky crust that and sports fan would love. Salt 'n Pepper Biscuits Recipe.

2. BLACK Tea with WHITE Lychee and WHITE Coconut Milk Ice Cubes
Here's a b&w bevie idea: take deeply brewed black tea (sweeten as you like) add chopped canned lychees (3 per glass), chill well, then pour it all over frozen coconut milk ice cubes. Black and white iced tea! Note: Coconut Milk iced cubes can be tricky to remove from their cube trays - so allow time for them to 'thaw' OR freeze a mix of 1 part coconut milk to 1 part coconut water. All about lychees.

1. BLACK and WHITE Panini
Creamy white Daiya cheese, spicy white horseradish, black olive spread and a panini press or grill pan will have you munching on my B&W paninis in no time. This sandwich recipe is perfect for an afternoon World Cup snack. Maybe some white lychee black iced tea on the side. Black and White Panini Recipe.

Bonus! WHITE colored dips and spreads:
Micro Veggie Cream Cheese
Vegan Ranch Dressing
Creamy Chive Ricotta

This week's Hot Plate Monday report:
* Alicia Silverstone embraces....butter??
* Jamba Juice $1 smoothie day.
* Summer Berries! And how to store them.
* Announced: America's greenest brands.
* Runners! ...your fave shoe goes vegan. For $55.
* Vegan Glee Star's Tony Awards moment.
* Father's Day green gifts.
* Strawberry Shortcake Day! Choco-spun recipe.
...and much more in Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

**HOT PLATE PIC** of the week:

Summer berries...

**VIDEO** of the week

Glee star Lea Michele, proves that vegans can sing. Her amazing Tony Awards moment is this week's VIDEO of the week...Take a happy break.

Vegan Glee star Lea Michele sings "Don't Rain on my Parade" - watch it and feel gleeful...
-see pics and a full write-up of the performance here.

**NEWS**

Alicia Silverstone, iconic vegan celebrity, set to star in new film called....wait for it...BUTTER. "Butter" is set around a butter-sculpting competition in a small Midwestern town. Ironic.

World Cup Twitter Grid.

Vegan Cheese at Home. we all love Dr Cow but how about making your own vegan cheese! The trend is sweeping foodie blogs. Get my Vegan Ricotta nut cheese recipe. Or get a vegan cheese primer from Bittersweet blog.

Green Brands. And America's top greenest brands are...get "the buzz" on a few winners. -2010 WPP Survey

Saving Wild Salmon. William Shatner may be a salmon-eater, but he's also a salmon savior as he fights to save British Columbia's wild salmon.

Travelling Vegan Celeb Chef Dinners. Last week, Horizon's chefs were at the James Beard House for a special meal. This week, Sublime restaurant hosts Ellen's fave vegan chef (he catered her wedding), Chef Tal Ronnen. Catch the 4-course meal this Wednesday - Fort Lauderdale-area vegans are lucky...

Father's Day Green Gifts. 14 gifts for your ECO-savvy dad. Or maybe your treehugging gift will inspire him to go green... My fave TOM's shoes get a mention in here!

Summer Berries. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, olalliberries and blackberries for big berry bowls oh my!

...learn how to store your favorite summer berries here.

Summer Smoothies! Get my smoothie FAQ's and substitutions list here!

$1 Smoothies! ...at Jamba Juice, June 16th. Try the new Yumberry flavor! Vegan-friendly!

Pink Lemonade. In a smoothie...

Studying Veg Heads. An Italian study finds that vegan brains react differently to images of animal cruelty than omnivores, read more in VegNews.

Nut Allergies. Peanut allergies take over the world.

Food Holidays. June 14th is National Strawberry Shortcake Day. See my recipe at end of post. And June 26th is chocolate pudding day! Here's my vegan choco pudding recipe for my Choco pudding Hand Pies.

Big Money in Line Drying Clothes. Levi's is hosting a contest to find some serious line-drying solutions for jeans. You can win $4,500.

Summer Fruit Jam. By You. LA Times recipe for Strawberry Fruit Preserves. Other LA Times

I love breakfast sandwiches. Who doesn't?! But healthy and vegan are usually not the words used to describe a traditional breakfast sandwich. Recipe makeover needed.

Breakfast Sandwich Makeover. The result is my Savory Brunch Melty Muffin. This hearty hand-held bite combines sweet and savory flavors like: maple syrup, smoked tempeh facon, parsley, sweet onion, fresh rosemary and thyme, melted vegan jack cheese and EVOO. All stacked between a toasted whole wheat English Muffin. Try my vegan AM sandwich, and get a healthy after-brunch glow...

Healthier Breakfast Sandwich. This hearty breakfast sandwich combines classic AM flavors like maple syrup with sophisticated accents from fresh herbs. And yes, this towering cheesy-facon recipe is guy/husband-approved... according to my husband who inhaled this sandwich the first time he tried it - and has requested it several times since.

...Feed your guy a healthier alternative to the breakfast sandwich he loves. He may be surprised by how delicious it tastes!

Upgrade Your Breakfast. These ingredients are hands down healthier than the ingredients in a traditional muffin sandwich, like: traditional cheese, processed bacon and/or sausage, eggs, greasy oil, white flour muffin and etc etc.

More Healthy Ideas: Five more ways to Upgrade your Breakfast here.

Savory Brunch Melty Muffin
vegan, makes one muffin sandwich

1 whole wheat English muffin
2 tablespoon shredded or sliced vegan cheese
*Daiya or Follow Your Heart brands are my faves
4 grape tomatoes, sliced in half OR 1 thick tomato slice
½ teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon vegan buttery spread
1 thick sweet onion slice
6 slices vegan tempeh facon
*Tempeh Bacon Recipe and Ingredients here.
optional: raspberry jam spread onto one side of the muffin.

Directions:

1. Toast the whole wheat English Muffin.

2. Spread each side with vegan buttery spread. Set aside.

3. Make the tempeh bacon. Recipe here. With heat still on, top tempeh facon slices with cheese. Remove tempeh bacon and cheese pile from pan, pile on one side of English Muffin-cheese side down to stick to bread.

4. Next, place onion slice in still hot greased pan to do a quick braise on each side. This should take 5 seconds on each side. You just want the flavors and heat to absorb into the outer sides of the onion.

5. Layer to onion on top of the tempeh bacon.

6. Next, sprinkle the chopped herbs and parsley in between the tempeh and the onion. The heat will gently release the fresh flavors. note: you can also add the fresh herbs to your pan when cooking the tempeh facon.

7. Place the tomatoes on top of the onion. Place the top half on the muffin - add optional raspberry jam spread here. Secure with 2 toothpicks. Cut in half.

8. Remove the toothpicks. Serve with a garnish of fresh lemon and parsley. Serve!

*goes well with a fresh juice or smoothie. Or with some fresh fruit on the side. Maybe some papaya doughnuts and a hot spicy chai perhaps...*

For my breakfast Recipe Rewind I'm featuring my Sunny Mushroom Tempeh Morning Bagel. Velvet layers of citrus-saffron mushrooms meet a maple-crusted tempeh patty. A warm H and H bagel cradles this gourmet AM open-faced sandwich. Or substitute the bagel with an English muffin or sprouted grain toast. Protein, veggies and fiber fill each healthy happy morning bite. Foamy cinnamon soy latte on the side - blissful. And FYI, it's easier to make than you may think. Link to recipe ahead...

---> Sunny Mushroom Tempeh Bagel Recipe Here Sunny Mushroom Tempeh Bagel Recipe Here

I've been obsessed with soaking nuts lately. Isn't everyone? It all started last week, when I soaked a bowl of raw cashews and Brazil nuts for a spicy nut cheese spread I was experimenting with - and my ideas for 'soaked nut' recipes began to flow. My idea for Vegan Chive Cashew Nut Ricotta came about when I messed up a nut cheese recipe and my dish came out a bit too watery and creamy. A few tweaks, and voila, my dip suddenly turned into a perfect vegan substitute for vegan ricotta cheese! Vegan ricotta-stuffed lasagna here I come! Get my recipe for Vegan Chive Ricotta...

Soaking Nuts is a basic process where you soak raw nuts in a bowl of water for a few hours or overnight. I like to add a grind of sea salt to my soak. The process is similar to the idea of soaking beans. The main difference is that when you soak beans, you usually end up cooking them. With raw soaked nuts it is easy to simply grind them in a food processor with a wide variety of flavoring ingredients to create unique nut combos for nut cheese, nut spreads, dips, desserts and apparently, a really awesome ricotta cheese substitute.

Soaked and Drained Raw Cashew Nuts:

Chives. I used fresh Farmer's Market chives for my flavoring in this ricotta dish. You can easily add whatever flavors, herbs, spices you'd like to accent. Below are a few flavor modifications to try...

Lemon/Basil: add juice from one lemon and a handful of fresh basil. Garlic too.
Roasted Garlic: add a handful of sweet roasted garlic cloves soaked in a bit of EVOO.
Thyme and Citrus: Grind some orange zest and crush fresh or dried thyme into your ricotta.
Black and Blue: Add a few drizzles of a thick balsamic, throw in a few grinds of mixed color peppercorns and maybe even some sweet fresh or dried figs.
Spicy: Process in a fresh jalapeno, horseradish or roasted spicy pepper.
Savory Olive Mushroom: Add in black olives and raw button mushrooms.
Ultra Cheesy: Add in some Daiya or another brand of vegan cheese - this is a great idea if you plan on baking your ricotta into a pasta dish. Ultra cheesy flavor will ensue.
Sweet Peach: Fold in chopped fresh peaches and maple syrup for a sweet twist on this ricotta dip.
Strawberry Cream: Fold in maple syrup and fresh strawberries and top with fresh soy cream. Cinnamon and dessert wafers for garnish.

Savory Ricotta is perfect for dolloping onto salads. Here I jazzed up my "busy day" to-go veg salad with a nice heaping spoonful on top:

Lasagna with Vegan Ricotta. My Chive Ricotta recipe seemed like a perfect fit for lasagna. So I made a delicious spring ricotta lasagna with my Greenmarket veggies. This ricotta would also be awesome in my Spicy Lasagna Verde recipe! I will post the Spring Veggie Lasagna recipe later this week, but here are a few preview pics...

Preview of Lasagna recipe made with the Chive Ricotta:

Onto my recipe...

Vegan Chive Ricotta Cashew Nut "Cheese"
makes 2 ½ cups

2 cups of soaked raw cashews/pinch of salt, drained
2 teaspoon garlic powder or 3 fresh garlic cloves
1 ½ tablespoon EVOO
¼ cup plain soy milk or soy creamer (for richer flavor)
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar OR lemon juice
*you can also use red wine or balsamic vinegar's if you prefer those flavors
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb blend
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup (or honey)
⅓ cup fresh chives
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste (about ¼ teaspoon minimum)
garnish: handful of fresh chopped chives

optional: 1 tablespoon Vegenaise

note on salt: If you are adding this ricotta to a recipe with salty ingredients (like a tomato-sauced lasagna) go easy on the salt. The ricotta should add a texture/taste component to the dish and not a salty one. However, if you are using the ricotta raw on salads, as a dip or dessert - you may want to increase the salt and even sweetener content a tad to suite your tastes.

Directions:

1. Add raw cashews to a big bowl of water, add a pinch of salt. Soak in fridge overnight or at least for about 2-4 hours. More soaking, smoother texture.

2. Drain soaked cashews. Add them to a food processor.

3. Add in the vinegar or lemon juice, soy milk or creamer, agave and EOO.

4. Blend on high until smooth. This may take a few minutes depending on the strength of your food processor. If your ricotta is looking too dry, add more soy milk and/or more EVOO. I used soy creamer which made my ricotta nice and creamy.

Pulsed nuts:

5. Add in the chives, pepper, garlic and salt. Pulse until blended in. Add in the optional vegenaise here.

Fully blended cashews and ingredients:

6. Transfer your ricotta to a serving bowl and sprinkle with fresh chopped chives and black pepper.

Use as a dip, dollop on top of salads or add to recipes like crepes and lasagna.

Be sure to check back this week for the full lasagna recipe...

Soaked Nuts:

Ricotta Spread on lasagna:

Lunch! Simple Salad Jazzed-up by Ricotta:

That's it. I'm dreading the 92 degree NYC day predicted tomorrow. So how do I plan on staying cool as a cucumber? Skinny dipping! Not that kind. The yummy kind. Here's my top ten list of Skinny Vegan Dips so you can join in too. A few dips paired with a big bowl of of chopped up fresh veggies: carrot sticks, celery sticks, radish and cucumber rounds, jicama stick - and I'm set! Go skinny dipping this weekend - and get my list...

Ten Skinny Vegan Dip Recipes

**click on recipe titles to link to recipe post page**

1. Sunny Asparagus Tapenade.
A thick blend of spring green asparagus and nutty sunflower seeds.

2. Pure Olive Dip.
A savory tapenade of rich black olives.

3. Vegan Ranch Dip.
Cool and spiced, this vegan ranch dip will make your veggies swoon.

4. Spicy Salsa Verde and Salsa Guacamole Dips.
spicy guac and salsa verde are perfect for your homemade fiesta spread. Pair with a Peachy Lychee Daiquiri.

5. Roasted Red Pepper Salsa.
Super easy recipe for a roasted red pepper dip that tastes like it took you more than a few minutes to make!

6. Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto Dip.
Decadent salty walnuts blended with fresh basil and zippy lemon juice. Rich and versatile. Dip it, toss it with pasta or spread it!

7. Maple Sweet Potato Dip.
Sweet. Creamy. Smooth. White beans give this sweet comfort food dip a nice boost of protein.

8. Green Dream Dip.
Vibrant and revived is how you'll feel after a bowl of this amazing green dip. Avocados and leafy greens blend into a dreamy flavor. Green-tastic!

9. Savory Sunny Mushroom Dip.
If you love the woody taste of mushrooms - this savory dip is for you.

10. Micro Veggie Cream Cheese Dip.
Creamy and cool, this easy dip adds a nice serving of healthy (tiny) veggies to your plate, and you'll barely even notice them!

...and a bonus #11 dip that I couldn't stand to leave out...

11. Butternut Squash Sage Dip.

This week's Hot Plate Monday report:
* James Beard House hosts vegan dinner.
* NFNS Season 6: Is Bobby the RPat of FN?
* Bourdain does... nutrition? Hates Farm Chic.
* Daiya Cheese. Hits store shelves.
* Steak-Scented Billboard annoys vegetarians.
* Green Dining a la Jean Georges.
* Foodie Trends: summer cravings.
* Oil Spill reactions, outcries and...HOPE.
* Cute Penguins get in on the World Cup action.
* Quotes: James Cameron revitalizes the word moron.
...and much more in Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

**QUOTE(s)** of the week

"I’ve been watching what’s happening and saying, ‘Those morons don’t know what they’re doing.’" -James Cameron responds to the Oil Spill/BP leaders.

"Impacts from agriculture are expected to increase substantially due to population growth increasing consumption of animal products. Unlike fossil fuels, it is difficult to look for alternatives: people have to eat. A substantial reduction of impacts would only be possible with a substantial worldwide diet change, away from animal products." -UN on Meat-free.

Moby gets Mopey...

"I had a long period of being very annoying......But it didn't really help......I try as hard as possible to be a nondidactic, almost apologetic vegan." -Moby in NY Diet, GrubStreet.

...And the LOL quote of the week comes from last nights episode of Food Network's NFNS reality show. Swooning over Bobby Flay...

"He is all dressed in white, he is like the guardian angel of all the chefs. It's great."
-Serena, Attorney/NFNS Chef-testant, NYC

Ooh la la...is Bobby is the RPat of FN?

**NEWS**

"Go-Veg" PR Boost from the UN. The UN says moving away from meat is good for mankind and the planet. UN Quote above.

Oil Spill Bad News continues. But if you're looking for a glimpse of HOPE...
...I could watch this video over and over and over...

In annoying marketing news...

If you're like me, you're not too excited about paying $10 for a juice or smoothie. But $10+ is the going rate for a new generation of posh, glam, eco-chic juice bar sips.

Juice Bar Gone Glam. The old 'juice bar' stereotypes: smashed. Or should I say, juiced. Mainstream award-winning chefs like Jean Georges are embracing the juicing trend. JG's new NYC green eatery ABC Kitchen hosts an in-house juice bar called Elixir. The elegant fluorescent pink, green and gold-colored juices are made with locally-sourced ingredients. Plus, the high caliber juices are blessed with the JG stamp of approval. SeriousEats calls the menu somewhere between Jamba Juice and Per Se. Nice line.

But really, it's easy to glam up your juice and smoothie recipes at home - by using ingredients and flavor combos that are on the HOT list of juicing trends right now. Here is my list of juicing and smoothie ingredient trends to glam up your glass, without paying the glamorous price...

Paying (and sipping) the Price. Last weekend my husband and I took a long walk downtown and ended up on the west side by Chelsea Market. It was hot and I was thirsty. So I decided to head to the One Lucky Duck juice bar inside the market and get a juice. I grabbed a bottled Swan Greens from the fridge shelf and paid the $10 price tag. I chugged the entire juice in just a few seconds. My husband gave me that look of, "Wow." One swift sip and ten bucks, gone. But the payoff was that I was utterly rejuvenated and refreshed with nutrient-rich juice. The lesson: you get what you pay for. But, could I afford to drop $10 a few times a day for juice - even really good juice? No. Thus why I invested in a high quality juicer, to make juices at home.

Getting Trendy. And to beat juicing boredom, my juicing ingredient cabinet needs some sprucing up once in a while. So just like a SoHo fashionista eyeing the catwalks of Paris - a foodie like me likes to scour the markets and menus for ingredient trends...

Glam Juice Doctors NYC. Three posh juice bars here in NYC come to mind: ABC Kitchen's Elixer bar, Organic Avenue and Pure Food and Wine/One Lucky Duck. All serve up pricey blends that will likely make you smile from ear-to-ear and wonder why you ever let your childhood fave juice-from-concentrate ever touch your lips. But for glamorous juicing at home, all you need are a few trendy juice/smoothie ingredients. Lets jazz up your strawberry-banana smoothies and apple carrot juices...

Side note. Perspective: Drink for Thought. Don't shrug off the pricey juice bar sips all together though. I'm all in favor of high quality juicing - I mean most people pay $8, $10, $15+ for a fancy-schmancy alcoholic cocktail, so why not the same for a juice/smoothie? I've paid for more that a few really bad $15 cocktails in NYC...I would've much rather paid for a $10 extraordinary juice -and keep the change.

My list...

Juicing and Smoothie Trends:
Ten Ingredients to Add Some Glam to Your Glass

1. Thai Coconut Juice and Coconut Meat
The coconut trend continues, with no signs of slowing. And if you can find a pointy-shaped, whole Thai young coconut- and a sharp reliable 'coconut' knife, you're halfway there to glam-juicing bliss. Kristen's Raw has a nice how-to video on opening a coconut. Not only is fresh coconut water and coconut meat delicious, but it's incredibly healthy. Coconut Water Facts.

How do you use it? Scoop out the white coconut 'meat' or 'flesh' and blend it into a smoothie or raw soup for a rich and creamy texture. One of my favorite simple raw soups is made from coconut meat, coconut juice, avocado and sea salt. So good. Use coconut water in juices or smoothies. Or make my fave coconut water ice cubes.
Where to Buy: Whole Foods, Natural Foods Grocers and Specialty Stores. Also online: Melissa's Fresh Young Coconuts, Set of 3 for $26.
Trend Spotted: For $10 at Elixir, you can get a dessert-approved coconut shake made with Thai young coconut meat and water blended with agave, coconut butter, vanilla extract. -nytimes

2. Yuzu
Yuzu is a tiny citrus fruit that is beaming with high vitamin C content. It is a super trendy ingredient in juices, smoothies and cocktails. Yuzu is definitely a tricky fruit to find in stores - but if you can get your hands on one, you'll be swimming in glamorous citrus juice bliss. Blend the yuzu with orange, grapefruit and Meyer lemon for a mouth-puckering morning wake up call that will leave your fresh squeezed OJ in the dust.
Where to Buy: You can find whole Yuzu fruit at specialty stores and Asian markets. You can also buy it online. 6 yuzu for $29.99 can be bought here. Or is you are really desperate, you can buy Yuzu Juice online. But fresh fruit is recommended.
Trend Spotted: Any elite cocktail list will boast this citrus delight. And now juice bars are catching on the trend.

3. Exotic Nut Milks. Homemade.
Soy milk is sooo last decade. And almond and rice milk are becoming passé as well. OK, I kid. I adore soy, almond and rice milk as go-to dairy free staples for my smoothies. But if you really want to glam it up, try making your own nut milks. Fresh almond milk, Brazil nut milk and fresh walnut milk. Perhaps try some pecan, macadamia and even hazelnut milk. Sounds interesting, right? How about a creamy fresh walnut milk, coconut meat, cacao nib nut shake with some grade B maple syrup? ...now that's a swanky smoothie.
Where to Buy: You can find raw nuts at almost any grocery store. Here's a good how-to video on homemade nut milk making, from We Like it Raw.
Trend Spotted: Elixir, ABC Kitchen has a homemade walnut milk on their menu. Many vegan restaurants and juice bars have several rotating fresh nut milks.

4. Algae Flakes and Spirulina.
For a bright green, nutrient-flourishing boost to your juice or smoothie, blend or stir in some algae. Don't worry the impact on color (and nutrition) will be more obvious than the impact on taste. I'm a big fan of spirulina, and even those green smoothie powders. Green Powder Taste test.
Where to Buy: Natural Food Stores in the supplements section.
Trend Spotted: You'll find blue-green algae flakes on the menu at Elixir. And spirulina as an add-in ingredient at Liquiteria.

5. Exotic Substitutes for the Ordinary....and Getting Creative.
Instead of using apple juice. Use fresh pressed apple cider.
Instead of a basic lemon, try a Meyer lemon.
Instead of an orange, try a minola.
Switch up a tangerine for a seedless pixie tangerine.
Switch up your shelf-stable grape juice for some fresh-pressed concord grape juice.
Instead of cranberry juice - try cherry juice.
Switch out your green juice spinach for some green juice kale, wheatgrass or chard.
Change out that banana for a red burro banana.
Switch out frozen peaches with frozen apricots.
Instead of navel oranges, try blood oranges.
Use dried goji berries instead of raisins.
Juice green and purple striped heirloom tomatoes instead of cherry or roma tomatoes.
Going tropical? Change up your pineapple for an exotic sweet cherimoya.
Get the idea? Traditional fruit and veg flavors can be amped up simply by trying the 'more exotic version' of a similar fruit.
Where to Buy: Check the 'exotic' fruits section at your grocery store - or scour your Farmer's Market for fresh new finds. And most of all, you'll want to think creatively. Think outside the fruit bowl. And it doesn't have to be an exotic fruit to be a new, exciting and exotic fruit to you!
Trend Spotted: Exotic, interesting fruit change-ups are everywhere.

6. Aloe.
Aloe juice is all the rage. I love adding aloe juice to my smoothies. And luckily, the trend is catching on. Several juice/smoothie bars are adding aloe as an optional "add-in" ingredient. Aloe's health claims are wide, varied and unconfirmed - but digestion, amino acid supplementation and immune function are a few of the claims. FYI, Aloe used topically is not the same as aloe juice processed for consumption - same source of the aloe plant though.
Where to Buy: Whole Foods, Natural Health Food Stores will sell bottled aloe juice. I suggest going for the unsweetened/unflavored varieties. Trader Joe's sells canned aloe.
Trend Spotted: Liquiteria in NYC offers an aloe add-in and Elixir has Aloe on its menu.

7. Herby Combos.
Huge trend on all the swanky juice and even cocktail menus: pairing a traditional flavor with an herb or a spice. The big flavor combos to try: Basil and lime. Thyme and lemon. Grapefruit and tarragon. More ideas: fig and black pepper. Pear and mint. Cucumber and rosemary. Spinach and chive. Strawberry and chile pepper. Jicama and mint. Jalapeno and Green Apple. Or even, peach and cayenne. Yum..creative juices are flowing.
Where to Buy: Any grocery store. Simply pair some fresh herbs and/or spices with traditional juicing and smoothie ingredients.
Trend Spotted: JG Elixir bar loves this idea. You can find the herby combo in both their juices and cocktails.

Listed! Trendy Ingredients List (some mentioned above)

Acai
Aloe
Apricots
Basil
Blackberries
Blood Oranges
Cacao Nibs
Chia Seeds
Coconut Oil
Currents
Exotic Salts: Pink/Grey/Smoked
Flax
Fresh Cherry Juice
Fresh Ground Spices: Cinnamon/Nutmeg/Pepper
Goji Beries
Grade B Maple Syrup
Hemp Products: Hemp Oil, Hemp Protein Powder and Hemp Seeds
Homemade nut milks
Jalapeno
Meyer Lemons
Mint
Mulberries
Papaya
Peach Nectar
Raw Coconut Flakes
Soaked whole nuts (cashew, Brazil nuts, almonds, etc)
Spirulina/algae
Tarragon
Thai Coconuts and Coconut Meat
Thyme
Wheatgrass
Yacon Powder
Yuzu
Ingredients that are:
Greenmarket/ Farmer's Market Fresh
Seasonal
Organic
Home Garden Grown

Tastes Expensive...but it's not...

Are you sipping on super foods or dollars?...

It's still hot outside. And the heat can make me do crazy things in the kitchen. Like stuff pink-salted cucumbers into my PB&J. Still craving salt. And smoothies. And cold desserts. Sorbet. Soy-Fudge-Sundaes. Coconut Cream. But instead of burying myself spoon deep into a pint of Coconut Bliss Vanilla Island Coconut Cream, I decided to whip up a frosty and freeze-tastic smoothie. Actually, I'll call it a shake. It's certainly thick and decadent enough to have 'shake' status. This shake sells itself...

Dessert Shake. This shake doesn't need my help with PR - so I'm just going to say four little words: Chocolate Strawberry Banana Shake. One sip and you'll be humming with choco-berry frosty happiness. It's vegan. Refreshing. And a healthy cure for that chocolate sweet tooth you've been wrestling with all day. Get my recipe...

Chocolate-Covered Strawberries. This shake reminds me of romantic, chocolate-covered berries. Tart and sweet with a warm chocolaty bite. The recipe is easy. You'll want to make sure to have plenty of frozen bananas in your freezer. I am always stuffing sliced ripe bananas into baggies and tossing them in my freezer for smoothies.

...Simply add in some frozen bananas for that 'shake' texture. A few berries for the strawberry kick. A nice rich vanilla soy or hemp milk. And then, of course, the chocolate...

Chocolate Spread: better than powder. Most people add a powdered chocolate ingredient to their choco smoothies and shakes. Cocoa powders, chocolate smoothie mix, etc. Well I've tried all of those and I absolutely think you need to change up your cocoa powder for some chocolate spread. A heaping tablespoon adds a creamy chocolate boost to your blended. Tiny beads of chocolate will fluff up your frosty beverage and prevent it from becoming too dry - something a powder mix can easily do.

I used Natural Nectar brand... it's made with fair trade vegan cocoa:

Chocolate Strawberry Banana Shake
vegan, 2 tall servings

1 ½-2 cups frozen banana
2 cups frozen strawberries
2 cups vanilla soy or hemp milk
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
1 ½ tablespoon vegan chocolate spread
*I used Dark Choco Dream Fair-Trade Chocolate Spread by Natural Nectar
1 ½ cups ice
garnish: fresh strawberries and chocolate spread
optional: substitute ½ cup of the frozen berries with fresh berries

Directions:

Blend. Pour. Serve. Sip. Smile.

🙂

My Pink Salted Cucumber Sandwich puts an unusual spin on your classic PB&J. This healthy quirky-combo will satisfy your salty/sweet craving...

It's Hot. I'm Sweaty. A muggy bright ball of sun burns through puffy clouds in the powder blue sky - it's hot. I'm trekking home, carrying a ba-zillion heavy bags, huffing and puffing through the concrete city sidewalks. The phrase Urban Desert comes to mind. The taxicabs are starting to resemble camels. A digital billboard clock blinks 85 degrees. I'm parched, sweaty, tired. I'm dreaming of camping out in front of the AC for a few minutes and possibly chugging an iced cold drink as soon as I get home. Salt. I'm also craving salt...

Salty Craving. Everyone gets them. Salt cravings. Whether it be from an active lifestyle or a really hot sweaty day - you're bound to reach for something salty, sometime soon. Funny thing though, "salt" seems to be a *four-letter word* lately. Salt bans. Sodium-reduced foods. Salt is suddenly controversial...

Too Much of a Good Thing is bad. But salt does do a few good things in our bodies... "Salt helps maintain the fluid in our blood cells and is used to transmit information in our nerves and muscles. It is also used in the uptake of certain nutrients from our small intestines. The body cannot make salt and so we are reliant on food to ensure that we get the required intake." -RSC.org

And the down side of the salty story: "“High levels of salt in the diet are associated with high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, particularly among certain vulnerable groups and individuals,” said registered dietitian and ADA Spokesperson Jeannie Gazzaniga-Moloo." -ADA

But everyone is different - Talk to your doctor about your own salt needs. But if you're like me and simply crave a salty fix once in a while - here's my trick for keeping "salty"... "healthy" ...

Salty Foods. Most salty foods are considered low quality snack foods like potato chips, french fries, pretzels, crackers etc. So why not add a pinch of salt to some healthy foods instead. I had this idea a few years ago and posted a Salted Apples recipe on this blog. Well now I'm in love with pink-salted cucumbers. Just a very very tiny sprinkle does it. Think of them as cucumber "chips".

Pink Himalayan Salt. I adore pink Himalayan salt. It became 'trendy' a while back and now even stores like Trader Joe's sell it. I'm not sure why I love it so much, but the flavor is just so pure and light. My pink salt grinder bottle says,

"TJ's Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt gets its soft pink color from the earth's elements."

More on Pink Salt: "Himalayan salt is reported to contain 84 elements that naturally occur in the ocean as well as in our bodies." -sfbsc
"The salt is harvested in the foothills of the Himalayan mountain range and is essentially fossilized sea salt." -WiseGeek
Interesting read: Grey Sea Salt Vs. Himalayan Pink Salt

Sodium Content. ⅛ teaspoon provides 16% RDA of sodium. So use it lightly, but a little grind goes a long way. I actually prefer adding salt to salt-free foods like fruits and veggies - because then I control how much salt goes on.

Now let me put my pink salted cucumbers into a quirky recipe I crafted today...

Salty Sandwich. OK, so you might read this recipe and have a "huh?" moment. But trust me, it's delish. I was making myself a peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich on whole wheat with a side of my pink salted cucumbers. I decided to just cram the cucumbers in the sandwich - and it turned out to be super refreshing.

The Flavors: A juicy crunch from the hydrating cucumbers, paired with the sticky sweetness of the apricot jam and a nice silky buttery flavor from the peanut butter. Give it a try, it's definitely a new twist on your traditional pb&j sandwich!..

Pink salted Cucumber PB &J Sandwich
vegan, serves 1

2 slices whole wheat sandwich bread
1 tablespoon chunky peanut butter
2 teaspoon apricot or any fruit jam
5 slices of cucumber, sliced thin
sprinkle of pink salt

Directions:

1. Spread your pb and jam on your bread slices.

2. Slice your cucumber - thin. Add a light grind of pink salt over top your cucumbers. Add them to your sandwich.

3. Slice and serve!

PB&J with Cucumbers:

Salted Cucumbers:

I was giddy this morning when I read this tweet from the James Beard Foundation...

"Allison Vines-Rushing, Top Chef's Sam Talbot, and haute vegan—all at the Beard House next week http://is.gd/cCIbM" -@beardfoundation

Sidenote. While reading Beard tweets, I was struck by how the Beard Foundation's twitter background, is littered with piles and piles of meat and cheese. Oh the hilarious irony.

Haute Vegan at the House. Vegan, really? I am always perusing the Beard House events hoping that they will embrace a vegetarian or vegan Chef at one of their esteemed foodie dinners. So when I saw the "Sensational Spring Vegan" dinner featuring Kate Jacoby and Richard Landau from Horizons Restaurant in Philadelphia, I was thrilled. Hooray! Beard House has hopped on the delicious, healthy, happy vegan train. (Even if just for one night...) Event Details and Tummy Rumbling Menu...

The Good News. Bravo to Beard. Keep the vegan dinners, meatless Monday menus and perhaps even raw/vegan dinners coming. Green food is in! In case you haven't heard...

The Bad News. So for all you excited vegan foodies out there, the event is next Wednesday June 9th and costs $165 if you're not a Beard Member. Which I am not, sadly. So I don't think I'll be grabbing my tickets. But it is terribly tempting!

James Beard Foundation House Event Details on Website. Order Tickets Here.

Wednesday, June 9, 7:00 P.M.
Sensational Spring Vegan
Through the inventive cuisine of Horizons in Philadelphia, Richard Landau and Kate Jacoby transform meat lovers into vegan believers. The talented duo returns to the Beard House after an awe-inspiring performance in November to thrill more fans with their take on summer’s bounty.

The Beard House
167 West 12th Street NYC

Here is the super-yummy sounding event menu:

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

Sensational Spring Vegan Menu:

Hors d’Oeuvre

Hearts of Palm Fritters with Pickled Asparagus Rémoulade

Grilled Seitan and Horseradish Crèpes with Braised Butter Lettuce

Bruschetta-Style Tofu Banh Mi with Pickled Daikon and Charred Shishito Peppers

Wood-Grilled Shiitakes and Baby Leek Yakimono

Juvé y Camps Brut Rosé Cava NV

Dinner

Amuse > Truffled Fava Bean Vichyssoise

Sunchoke and Horseradish Bisque with Mustard Croutons and Dill Pollen
Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc 2008

Salt-Roasted Golden Beet Carpaccio and Tartare with Applewood-Smoked Tofu, Avocado, Capers, Pumpernickel, and Cucumber–Dill Cream
Handley Gewürztraminer 2008

Glazed Nebrodini Mushroom with Smoked Miso, Chinese Broccoli Purée, Seaweed Caramel, and Cucumber Sashimi
Tõzai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori Sake

Grilled Tofu with Spring Garlic Salsa Verde, Gigante Bean Purée, Pioppini Mushroom Nage, Raw Ratatouille, and Olive Jerky
Charles Joguet Cuvée Terroir 2007

Strawberry–Sorrel Bread Pudding with Saffron Ice Cream and Rhubarb Nectar
Rivetto Moscato d’Asti 2008

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

...yum and YUM!!! My tummy is growling.

Lots of spicy horseradish on this menu-love it! Horsradish was my secret ingredient in last week's Black and White Panini...

More info on the James Beard Website...

Read more about the Horizons Restaurant on their website.

Horizons on Twitter: @HorizonsPhilly

Tweeters: Retweet this blog post and @reply the @BeardFoundation if you want more vegan and green dinner offerings at the House.

Father's Day Sale - $5 OFF Your Entire Order From TOMS Shoes! Use Promotional Code: "FATHERS5"
Expires: 7/1/2010

...I really do love this idea. I am obsessed with my new pair of Tom's shoes for summer (I wear them every chance I get). They are cozy, comfy and even passed my "streets of NYC" shoe test! Dad's will fall in love with these cool, classic styles and the comfy easy-to-wear feel of TOM's. I can't say enough great things about this making-the-world-a-better-place shoe company.

Peruse Vegan styles or classic styles. So many options on TOM's site...

Shop at TOMSshoes.com!

Or peruse my Top Five Summer -vegan- Shoe brands/style here...

...and yes, TOM's Shoes claims the #1 spot.

Follow Tom's on twitter: @TomsShoes

Find great vegan style shoes at TOMS Shoes!

My Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie is the perfect frosty sip to cool you off on a sunshine-filled day. It's sweet, zesty and simple to make. It's rich in potassium, fiber and vitamin C. Get it...

I've always loved strawberry lemonade. There was a little cafe in my California hometown that served up fresh strawberry lemonade with lunchtime sandwiches and homemade potato chips. Blackberry pie for dessert. So good. This smoothie takes me back to those sunshine flavors.

This smoothie takes that sweet-tart fruity flavor of strawberry lemonade and blends it into a thick and frosty smoothie. I even added in a handfuls of raw cashews to add texture - as well as some added fiber and healthy nut goodness.

You can use fresh or frozen strawberries - I like a blend of both. You can use store bought lemonade or make some fresh yourself - sweetened with agave or maple syrup is my favorite.

Party Bevie. You can even substitute some of the lemonade for a few shots of vodka - if you want to make this into a frosty party cocktail.

Summer sunshine approved. Feel like a true surfer girl or boy as you sip this bright pink glass of refreshment! Ocean breeze not included.

Strawberry Lemonade Smoothie
vegan, serves 2

2 cups lemonade
1 ½ cups frozen strawberries
1 large frozen banana
2 tablespoon raw cashews
1 cup coconut water (or regular) ice cubes
squeeze of fresh lemon juice
lemon slices and/or mint leaves for garnish
optional: fresh strawberries blended in

Blend and Serve!

Raw Cashew Bits Add Texture:

Happy BBQ Weekend! I hope you are able to relax, soak in some sunshine and have some fun adventures with your family or friends. And when folks gather, they eat! So as the last stop in my Paninis and Grill Marks Series - here are a few vegan ideas to spice up your weekend get-together BBQ. Get my veg BBQ menu - plus my top 20 Vegan Foods to grill / panini press. Grillfest Inspiration...

BBQ Sauced Grilled Peaches:

Vegan BBQ Menu Ideas:

Sides/Salads/Starters:
Sweet Chili Marinated Cucumber Salad
Savory Trio Boardwalk Fries: Yam, Yucca, White
Lemon Pepper Two Bean Salad
Frozen Grapes
Red, White, Blue Flag Fruit Plate
Super Rouge RED Salad
California Backyard Salad
"Better" Hex Party Mix Snack
Vegan Classic Cole Slaw
Crunchy Cool Jicama Slaw

Burgers and Sandwiches:
Mean Green Edamame Soy Burger
Sweet Potato 'Thanksgiving in July' Backyard Burgers
Classic Club Sandwich - veganized
Chickenless Salad Sandwich
Paninis from the Grill Marks Series
Vegan Beach Dogs

Dips and Sauces:
Vegan BBQ Sauce - better than bottled
Ranch Dressing/Dip
Raw Almond Dip (Spicy, Sweet or Snappy)

Drinks:
Spicy Carrot Sunrise Mimosa
Fruity Fizz White Sangria
Peachy Lychee Daiquiri
Ginger Pear Frosted Lemonade
Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie
Totally Tropical Smoothie
Cool Soy Coffee Blended

*Download my Smoothies! IPhone App - perfect for summer sipping*

Dessert:
Cherry Apricot Pie Bars
Lemon Custard Bars
Chocolate Fruit Dessert Panini
Vegan Smores
Rice Crispy Treats - veganized

...still not hungry?? this will kickstart some cravings --> Are You Hungry? Video.

List: 20 Vegan Foods I Love to Grill.

*in no particular order*

20. Seitan Skewers.
Grilled seitan in crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Black-charred edges. I add a light brushing of a balsamic vinegar/EVOO/black pepper mixture to the seitan before and during grilling. You can also get more elaborate by marinating your seitan overnight. BBQ sauced seitan is also delicious. I like to add big chunks of red or vidalia onions to my seitan skewers. Soak the skewers in water to avoid a charred, breaks-apart stick.

19. Seasonal Fare. Fiddleheads Ferns and Ramps.
For a seasonal taste of the grill choose unique short-lived produce items like Fiddlehead Ferns and Ramps. I like to wrap these small, tender items in a foil packet with a tinge of EVOO, garlic, salt and pepper. Grill until tender.

Fiddleheads over Sauerkraut Grill Packet:

18. Bell Peppers.
Thick slices of bell pepper are perfect for grilling. Grill until tender, or skewer with other chopped veggies like onion and squash.

17. Vegan Sausages.
Field Roast Spicy Chipotle sausages are my favorite to grill. I halve the sausages and place directly on the grill. They are ready to eat in just under 4 minutes!

16. Garlic.
I place whole, peeled garlic chunks inside a foil packet - add a bit of EVOO and grill. Garlic will take about 5+ minutes to get tender - maybe longer. Sometimes I place the garlic cloves directly on the grill to half-roast them.

15. Sweet Potatoes.
Slice them thin. Add a brush of EVOO and maybe a drizzle of maple syrup. Grill until tender and serve!

14. Cinnamon Toast.
Grilled cinnamon sugar toast is so much fun on a Saturday morning. I add thick slices of bakery fresh - crusty bread to the grill, spread a bit of vegan buttery spread on top and sprinkle on a layer of cinnamon sugar. Panini press for 3-4 minutes and cinna-sugar bliss is served. Side of papaya doughnuts would be my recommendation...

13. Vegan Hot Dogs.
Fresh diced veggies on top...I love black-charred vegan hot dogs. The soy dogs and veg sausage dogs are all pretty yummy - especially when you pile on the toppings and spicy mustard. You can even try Veg Chili Dogs.

12. Corn.
Classic summertime veggie that tastes amazing on the grill. I slather my frilled corn in some vegan buttery spread for an extra special summertime treat. Add cayenne and chili powder for that spicy grilled corn flavor.

11. Green Tomatoes.
Instead of battered fried green tomatoes - I do EVOO/peppered grilled green tomatoes. Be sure to use a nice brushing on EVOO on the tomatoes or they will stick to the grill. I like to add a sprinkle of sunflower seed or vegan cheese on top.

10. Tempeh.
Grilled tempeh is fantastic. Here is how I prepare it in a flash...
2 cups Tempeh, sliced thin and triangled.
1-4 tablespoon EVOO
¼ cups apple cider vinegar and/or lemon juice
2-3 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
optional: garlic powder, cayenne, other dry run spices/herbs.
salt/pepper
Hot To: Marinate in the above ingredients for about 5 minutes. Place on panini press or grill until dark grill marks appear and tempeh is tender to a fork poke. Remove, cool. Add fresh black pepper and sea salt to taste.

9. Portobella Mushroom Caps.
You'll be amazed at the amount of natural flavor in portobella mushrooms. Simple soak in a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar and EVOO prior to placing on the grill, grill until tender, add salt and pepper to taste. A sprinkle of vegan cheese over top is also a nice touch. Slice thin and spread over salads. Or add to a bun for a vegan porto burger.

8. Artichoke Hearts.
I love grilling artichoke hearts - from a can even! So fast and easy - yet the grilled hearts add tons of dense flavor to salads and even sandwiches and veggie burgers. I simply pull the hearts from the can or jar, slice in half and place right on the grill! It's that easy. You can brush some EVOO over top if you'd like.

7. Tofu.
Grilled tofu has a black-charred flavor that simply can't be beat by any other preparation of tofu. Grilling tofu allows the outside to firm up while leaving the inside moist and tender. Grill marinated tofu, slather tofu in BBQ sauce and grill or simply do a super fast grill of straight from the box tofu and add your seasonings post-grill. Tofu grills up in a matter of minutes. Easy! My favorite flavors for marinating tofu:
Asian: soy sauce and agave and mandarin oranges
Southwest: BBQ sauce
fiesta: lime, EVOO, chipotle powder and garlic powder
Simple American: Maple, Apple Cider Vinegar, black pepper
Picnic: Lemon, Orange juice, citrus zest, Grapeseed Oil

6. Onions.
Onions become sweet and tender on the grill. Simply place thick slices directly on the grill - or attach thick chunks to a skewer and grill. Add grilled onions to burgers, sandwiches, salads or pitas. Soak onions in a sugary substance prior to grill to get a nice caramelized effect.

5. Asparagus.
Asparagus is delicious when grilled. And it cooks in about 3-5 minutes. Simply add lemon juice, pepper and a sprinkle of course sea salt to the grill marked finished product. Serve hot!

4. Bread.
This may seem obvious, but grilled bread is the perfect addition to a big veggie meal. Add triangled grilled bread slices to the side of a big salad bowl. Grill baguettes for bruschetta, or grill bagels and rolls for sandwiches. You can grill bread dry or add a brush or EVOO. Just don't over grill - or your grilled bread will turn into toast!

3. Brussel Sprouts.
I tried grilling brussel sprouts last week and loved the results. I halved the brussel sprouts and added a brush of EVOO to the outer leaves. A quick 4-5 min grill, a little salt and pepper and lemon juice and they were a delicious addition to my dinner plate.

2. Apples, Pineapple and Peaches. And Citrus.
I'm not a big fan of grilling fruit - simply because I prefer to eat fruit raw. But sometimes a nice slice of grilled apple or pineapple is the perfect addition to a sandwich or salad. I grill the fruit naked - no need for oil or seasoning. Grilled fruit is also delicious is a grilled fruit dessert. Scoop of vanilla soy cream over top some grilled peaches and maple syrup=yum!
Also, grilled citrus slices make a beautiful garnish for your plate. I love grilled oranges for a Mexican enchilada plate.

1. Marinated Mushrooms.
I toss sliced mushrooms in a bit of vinegar and EVOO - salt and pepper - additional herbs and spices optional. Then I wrap them in a foil packet and simply place the packet on the grill. I press my panini press down and in 5 minutes my mushrooms are perfectly cooked in those delicious marinated juices. Flavors I love to add: chopped leeks/ramps, rosemary, thyme, finely chopped jalapenos, chopped parsley, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, sunflower seeds.

Flag Fruit Plate:

Bonus: The Apple Prop. My Smoosh-Free Panini Grill Tip: If you are panini pressing delicate foods and don't want to over smoosh them - add a grill block. I add a halved apple to the grill to prop up the panini press so that it doesn't weigh too heavily on whatever i am grilling. However, most paninis and flat grilled veggies can handle the full weight of the press. Apple props work best on delicate items like marinated artichoke hearts, tomatoes and soft flat bread.

See the entire Paninis and Grill Marks Series here.

My Grill Marks series is winding down, and I saved my favorite panini recipe for last! I adore this recipe. My Black and White panini is a comfort-food recipe with salty, spicy, sweet, cheesy flavors. And it looks oh so elegant - for a grilled cheese sandwich anyways. I'd gladly stroll through a black tie event with this two-tone panini dream in-hand. No caviar on toast for me thanks. Try my b&w creation...

My Black and White kitty gives two paws up to this recipe. Totally lickable...

Kitty Lovers: more kitty pics.

And if you are craving more Panini Pics - check out this vegan grilling photo slideshow I just posted.

Now onto my recipe...yum yum yum

Black and White Panini
vegan, makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices of sandwich bread, whole wheat
2 tablespoon Olive Tapenade
*homemade Olive tapenade recipe below
1 ½-2 tablespoon Horseradish spread
4 tablespoon Daiya Cheese Italian Blend or other white cheese, shredded
2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
fresh black pepper

Pure Olive Tapenade
½ cup cannellini beans, drained
1 can black olives, 6 oz.
*I used basic black olives, you can use kalamata or green olives if you choose.
1 tablespoon EVOO
a few grinds of fresh black pepper
*olive dip recipe post here

Directions:

1. Gather your ingredients and prepare olive tapenade (if making fresh).
Quickie Olive Spread: You can also choose from several store bought brands. Le Pain Quotidien has a fabulous olive spread - and there are several brands I've tried from Whole Foods that are delicious. However, I do adore my olive dip/tapenade recipe - homemade is the less expensive route.

My Smashed Chocolate Covered Cherry dessert panini combines the luscious flavor of fresh juicy cherries with creamy spreadable chocolate. Sometimes a simple, classic flavor combination can create a new recipe worth sharing, repeating and making your own. Get my recipe...

Make it your own: Cherries or Berries. Cherries and chocolate is a classic combination. But for a fruity spin on this recipe you can substitute fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries or even fresh raspberries. Because sometimes cherries are hard to find. And sometimes a smashed chocolate covered blackberry panini sounds just divine.

Choco-PB Spread. I chose to make today's panini with cherries and chocolate. I used a dark chocolate peanut butter spread . But you can use your fave spreadable chocolate brand. There are more than a handful of brands on the market. If you need help finding a vegan option - let me know in the comments.

I love this recipe so much I entered it in the Great PB Exhibition. Theme fruits/veggies.

UPDATE:
I Won! Thrilled that this recipe won first place in PeanutButterBoy.com's recipe contest "produce" category. I received an amazingly awesome prize pack from one of my favorite brands: Peanut Butter and Co.
Thanks PB Boy and PB&Co - I'm peanut-butter-happy today!!

Prize Pack *yum*:

..and I was shocked and thrilled to read that the baking mixes are certified vegetarian and kosher parve - after reading each ingredient closely - yes vegan as well! PB Brownies for me.

Here's my choco-peanut-cherry-licious recipe. Side of ice cold soy milk on the side...

Smashed Chocolate Covered Cherry
makes 1 panini

5-6 fresh cherries, halved and de-pitted
*or sub another fresh fruit - berries are best
1 heaping tablespoon chocolate spread
*I used peanut butter chocolate
2 slices sandwich bread
*I used a sliced whole wheat pullman loaf

Directions:

1. Prep cherries by halving and de-pitting.

2. Spread chocolate onto one slice of bread.

3. Place other slice of bread on panini press or grill and add fresh cherries. Use enough cherries to cover the surface.

4. Add top chocolate-spread bread slice.

5. Grill for 3-5 minutes.

6. Slice and serve warm.

Hot and cold. Fire and ice. Spicy and chill. My Harissa Cucumber Cheddar Panini is lovingly called "the Fire and Ice". Super spicy Le Pain Quotidien tomato harissa and Follow Your Heart vegan cheddar is panini pressed between two slices of Amy's walnut-wheat bread - a juicy Farmer's Market tomato slice on top. The hot panini is removed from the grill and then the cool-off cucumber magic begins. Oh boy, I'm loving my Paninis and Grill Marks Series. Get my recipe...

Hot and Cold Panini. This panini is a two-faced, veggie-stacked, cheddar-melted sandwich with a serious Jekyll and Hyde flavor complex.

The harissa is a bold blazing spicy tomato spread - and my recipe spreads it on thick. But don't worry, the chilled crunchy cucumber slices will cool off the spicy bite. So if you can't decide on your food mood, this sandwich is for you...

If you can use Farmer's Market produce - go for it. The freshness and flavor is superb...

Farmer's Market Hothouse Tomatoes and Seedless Cucumbers:

Fire and Ice Panini: Harissa Cucumber Cheddar
vegan, makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices grain bread
*I used Amy's Bread Walnut-Wheat
1 medium hothouse tomato, sliced
½ seedless cucumber, chilled and sliced
6 thin slices of vegan cheddar
*I used Follow Your heart Brand
2 teaspoon of harissa spread
*my fave brand is Le Pain Quotidien's Harissa
black pepper
optional: soak cucumbers in a squeeze of lemon juice and maple syrup for a tart sweet flavor.
optional: EVOO as you desire
optional: fresh basil leaves

Directions:

1. Slice your tomatoes and cucumbers. Grind some fresh black pepper over top and set aside. Optional: Soak cucumbers in a bit of chilled lemon juice and maple syrup.

2. Slice or grate your cheese. Spread harissa on bread.

3. Place your bread on your grill or pan. Add the cheese and tomato slices. You can add a bit of EVOO to the outer sides of the bread or to the tomato slices - if you'd like.

4. Add the top layer of bread and panini press or grill until cheese is lightly melted.

5. Remove from the grill and remove top of bread.

6. Add the chilled cucumber to the inside of the sandwich.

7. Replace the top bread.

Ready to slice!

8. Slice.

9. Serve!

Note: Fresh basil would be a lovely flavor addition to this panini if you have it on hand.

My Melted Cheese Apple Panini on cinnamon-raisin bread is the perfect panini sandwich to cozy-up your day. The flavors: creamy white Daiya cheese, thinly sliced green apples, a slice of red onion and a hint of red pepper - all on whole grain sweet raisin sliced bread. Panini press - and the flavors melt into each other like magic. Get my recipe...

Post pics updated: 2018

Pre-Grill...

Mutsu Apple Slices, EVOO, Red Pepper...

Green Apples. I am an apple lover. Each week I head to the Farmer's Market in Union Square and come back with more apples than I know what to do with. I love the giant yellow-green Mutsu apples the best. I slice them into salads, cube them into sangria, crunch on them whole and slather them in almond or peanut butter. Or, I slice them wide and thin for a super duper panini sandwich. Apples and cheese is quite the romantic combo...

And yes, Daiya vegan cheese melts magically...

Raisin Bread Inspired. Last week I was reading one of my favorite blogs Cup of Jo, and she had posted a melted cheese sandwich on raisin bread. I was inspired! I actually re-made my cheese/apple/onion sandwiches on raisin bread and fell in love. Jo got the idea from the She Eats Bears blog. So great ideas seem to spread like wildfire on the internet. Paninis using raisin bread...genius!

Pin for later..

Note: You can use a panini press or a basic saute pan - or if you're really fancy, you can use a BBQ and give the burgers something to ogle at.

In funny foodie news...

I had a serious "Huh?" moment when I was perusing the EatRight.org (American Dietetic Association) website and health-food-shunning foodie Anthony Bourdain flashed up on the screen. I rubbed my eyes and was convinced that I must have clicked on an ad for No Reservations - but alas, I was still on the ADA website. Here's the screenshot that wow-ed me...

Again, "Huh?!" Tony and Dietitians are like Tigers and Bunnies. Salt and Sugar. Fire and Ice. Dairy and Soymilk. Alice Waters and Garden Haters. Polar opposites.

The Newsflash: Tony Bourdain will be a speaker at the 2010 ADA Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo in Boston Massachusetts this coming November.

Really?

..Isn't this the same guy who gladly chomps down on greasy street food like it's candy on Halloween? Isn't this the same guy who flamboyantly bashes little 'ol Alice Waters and her veggie garden frolicking bliss? Isn't this the same guy who blurted out this now famous Bourdain quote:

"As a chef, I’m not your dietitian or your ethicist. I’m in the pleasure business . . . My responsibility is to give you the most delicious tomato that I can afford, given the circumstances, and maybe increase the likelihood that you get laid after dinner.” -Tony Bourdain

...OK, sometimes Tony acknowledges that he 'gets it'..:

" ...I'm a little reluctant to admit that maybe Americans are too stupid to figure out that the food we're eating is killing us. But I don't know if it's time to send out special squads to close all the McDonald's. My libertarian side is at odds with my revulsion at what we as a country have done to ourselves physically with what we've chosen to eat and our fast food culture. I'm really divided on that issue." -Tony Bourdain

How did the ADA do it? How did they get Tony to walk right into the lion's den of healthy-eaters? Will the RD's cheer, boo, pelt tomatoes at him?

How did they get Tony to cross over to the other side? Pass back over his gluttonous river of fried foods, street food and ungodly animal parts and into the light of the angelic, food-pyramid-toting dietitians? That must be a nice speaker fee he will be pocketing.

OK, I kid. I think it's actually quite refreshing that Tony will be speaking at the ADA conference. Perhaps this means he has seen the light. Maybe he is ready to set a healthy happy example for his fans out there. Or maybe he just can't say no to a trip to Boston.. I'm sure he loves a good bowl of Clam chow-da...

The Facts:

Tony's talk will be called How to Stop Worrying and Enjoy Globalization
Tuesday, November 9 from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Closing Session

...so it's just an hour and a half out of Tony's day. Good luck Tony. Dietitians can be wonderfully fierce. I really hope they don't throw tomatoes at you. haha.

Full Disclosure: I heart Tony Bourdain. My Yelp.com profile slogan used to be "a vegan who likes Bourdain." Obviously our theories about food vary greatly - but I still love the guy, his books, his stories, his character and most of all, his honesty. So no Tony bashing from me...

More Conference Info: http://www.eatright.org/FNCE/content.aspx?id=67

Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo
FNCE 2010

Location: Boston, MA
Start Date: November 6, 2010 @ 8:00 AM
End Date: November 9, 2010 @ 5:00 PM
Contact: FNCE Staff
Register Online: http://www.eatright.org/fnce/

Pack a picnic and head out into a blue sky day! My recipe for a vegan Chickenless Salad Sandwich was originally posted about a year ago. I'm so in love with this picnic perfect recipe, that it's my lunchtime recipe rewind for today! This is a perfect recipe for your long Memorial Day weekend too. Get some spring lunchtime bliss - songbirds, cool breeze and grassy knoll not included...

---> Chickenless Salad Sandwich Recipe Link

This week's Hot Plate Monday report:
*LOST Foodies: Lots of Dharma, but no Greg.
*Crying over TV finales may be good for you.
*Martha guilt's me into feeding my plants.
*Updated ZICO post!
*Two melons, price: $16K?? Priceless.
*Hot Trend: Farm Chic! ...says @Lee_Schrager
*Clean the beach, hear free music (by J.Johnson)
*Ellen's plant-based school lunches letter.
...and much more in Hot Plate, Hot Plate News...

QUOTE(s) of the week

"Two years ago, we switched to a plant-based diet out of concern for animals and the environment. Many children stop eating meat for the same reasons. Adding vegetarian options in schools would not only benefit these children — it would provide healthier options for all young people."
-Ellen and Portia support plant-based options for school lunches.

lol Quote:

..with a serious look on her face, Martha speaks..

"You eat everyday, your garden needs to eat also." (long pause) "haha."
-Martha, Recipes from the Garden, May 24th show.

...I immediately jumped up to check on my houseplants.... oh Martha.

NEWS

LOST Reactions and ReCap
The LOST cast has been found...sort've. If you didn't watch...or did watch and are still LOST on why the rest of the room was sobbing with weepy tears all night - catch up with the recap link above.You'll feel a bit happier when you don't feel so LOST. 🙂

The Apprentice Finale on NBC
Bret was hired and Holly was Fired. But both celebs walked away with a very nice chunk of change from the folks over at Snapple. Both charities benefited health-related issues. Holly for Autism. Bret for Diabetes.

Buy Snapple, help the celeb's charities... Trop-a-Rocka or Compassionberry

breaking news...Babycakes NYC still has the best Cinnamon Toastie on the entire planet. (aka cinnamon swirled loaf) It's vegan. It's moist. It knocks all other baked goods out of the stratosphere...see the exclusive paparazzi shots of this bakery wonder here.

May 24th is Garlic Lovers Day! Here is one of my fave sunny garlic-infused recipes...
Mango Pesto Pitas!

Expensive Fruit Auction: Yubari Melons
And I thought my $7 cherimoya was expensive!...

RECALL: Watch Out for Alfalfa Sprouts.

UPDATED: ZICO Goes Plastic and From Concentrate...
I've been emailing back and forth with the folks at ZICO. And reading the many comments from you guys on this post the message is clear: we want transparency when it comes to our fave food products. Has ZICO delivered? What do you think about the ZICO bottles? Weigh in here.

Yuck Alert: KFC Double Down. Really people, really??! KFC's "most successful sandwich launch ever"...

Twitter News: Britney may have taken over Ashton...but I'm simply ecstatic that I just tipped over 50,000 followers this weekend! You can follow me on Twitter @lunchboxbunch

Ellen Joins Rach
Last week I reported the Rachael Ray lobbied the Capitol for better school lunches. Well this week it seems fellow Talk-show host Ellen (who is vegan) has written a letter to support plant-based lunches in schools. Go Ellen and Portia! Their letter is a Hot Plate quote of the week, see above.

I'm a finalist in the DOLE California Cook-Off! Wish me luck...

TRENDS

Farm Chic. Food Trucks, Farm Chic, Popsicles and Chickpeas...
...are the next big trends, according to @Lee_Schrager

Crying. Over TV Finales. Gray's Anatomy, LOST and maybe even the Bret Michael's saga on the Apprentice has left you weeping like a little baby, right? I had to whip out my box of tissues more than a few times the past few weeks. But that's OK because a good cry can be an excellent stress reliever.

LOST Foodies. LOST Finale brings the foodies out to party! There are a lot of LOST themed creations out there. Dharma cupcakes, Dharma beer, and more - but the Adventures in Bentmaking Bento boxes are my fave super-fan wonder of foodie creativity...

Lots of Dharma, but no Greg. ..you can even buy some official DHARMA Vanilla Cookies in this charity auction.
...I wonder if they are vegan?

Biking: Cupcakes & Muffins...I want to be a blueberry muffin...

"Not What it Seems" Food.These Doughnuts are super healthy for you! And they even come with sprinkles...

Funny Fruit. Chiquita Bananas get a sense of humor...

Road Trips. America's Top Ten Roadtrips MSNBC Top Ten Yahoo
Travel season! Grab a picnic lunch and head out into the horizon, top down if you're lucky. Top 10 roadtrip lists invite you to explore some of America's prettiest natural wonders like the Big Sur coastal roadways - you'll discover towering cliffs and a redwood tree-speckled coastline. Did your fave getaway get a mention?

Kiddie Technology. Psychology Today discusses Social Networking.....for six year-olds!

Fizzy Summer Drinks. Organic/Biodynamic Champagnes.
Summer drinks like my Spicy Carrot Mimosa call for a spritz of bubbly.

More Travel Trends. I wouldn't mind weekending-it here by the pool. Or wellness splurging here. OK, a fruit bowl vacay isn't bad either.

Meatless Monday. The Protein Principle - VEG Protein Refresher
Here are a few tips, more great info in the full HuffPost article..
Broccoli -- 4 grams in 1 cup
Brown Rice -- 5 grams in 1 cup
Refried beans -- 7 grams in ½ cup
Soymilk -- 7 grams in 1 cup
Peas -- 8 grams in 1 cup
Tofu -- 11 grams in 5 oz
Oat Bran -- 16 grams in 1 cup
Lentils -- 18 grams in 1 cup
Chickpeas -- 18 grams in 1 cup

Vegan Baking. Babycakes NYC helps you bake perfect vegan cookies!!
Babycakes Cookie Kit? Yes!

Planet-friendly Bikini Bods. PETA launches the Fit 4 Summer, Healthy for Life Campaign.
...does this mean we'll all look like Pam Anderson?

Funny Twitter Accounts. HULK Twitter tweets will make you crack a smile for creativity

Green Books. ABC's of Ecology
The classic ABC children's book gets environmental.
Or you can always keep it cute and flip though the Lunchbox bunch ABC book...

EVENTS

Paninis and Grill Marks Series is in full swing this week through Memorial Day weekend! Yippee! Lets bring on summertime...

Meatless Monday- Are You Joining in??

Clean Up the beach, hear free music.
...by Jack Johnson. May 24th in Santa Monica, CA

"We are all looking for a way to make a contribution to the preservation of our planet. Having a Meat Free Monday is a great way to do your bit, while eating in a kinder and more conscious way.” -Gwyneth Paltrow on Meatless Monday

Top Chef Tour
The BravoTV Top Chef Tour rolls on. More city dates to be announced - check the site link above. And yes, it's FREE!
...I randomly passed by the Tour this past weekend in meatpacking nYC. Snapped this photo.

June 26th Los Angeles, CA: DOLE California Cook-Off - I'm a Finalist!

July 31 and Aug 1 Farm Sanctuary NY Hoe Down!

VegFest DC: Sept 11, 2010
It's a while away, but plan ahead because VegFest DC is a fun, festive green gathering in our nation's capital.
Details at DCVegFest.com

HOT PLATE PIC(s) of the week:
With over 50 Facebook shares, you guys LOVED my Banana-Berry Smoothie recipe and photo, so I had to make it one of this week's Hot Plate Pics...

And Pic #2 is basically saying. Yes! Vegan cheese can melt!! Daiya...

And Pic#3 is one of my fave vegan treats on the planet...Babycakes NYC Cinnamon Toastie. Mmmm......

Don't forget to submit your juiciest news, trends, hot plate pics and quips for next week's Hot Plate Monday Post! HotPlate (at) Lunchboxbunch (dot) com

I found out some fun and exciting news this week: I am a Top 5 Finalist in the DOLE California Cook-Off! The competition takes place at the Epicurean School of Culinary Arts on June 26th in Los Angeles California. You guys know I'm a (Santa Cruz/LA) California girl living in NYC, so I'm super excited for any excuse to visit my old stomping grounds in LA.

Celeb Chef Judge. The cook-off will be judged by Celebrity Chef Ben Ford of Ford's Filling Station Restaurant in Culver City California. He's also Harrison Ford's son, and who doesn't love anything to do with Harrison Ford? Say hi to him on twitter: @ChefBenFord.

Vegan Underdog. I am proud to say that my dish is the only vegetarian recipe finalist. I am simply giddy to be showcasing a healthy, delicious, 100% vegan dish. So, are you dying to see which recipe I will be spinning out at the cook-off? Here is it...

DOLE California Cook-Off. Among other rules, these were two biggies:
* recipe must contain at least one (1) of the following DOLE ingredients: 1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Pineapple (crushed, tidbits, chunks, or slices, in syrup or juice), 1 can (11 oz. or 15 oz.) DOLE Mandarin Oranges, 1 can (15.25 oz.) DOLE Tropical Fruit, 1 cup DOLE Pineapple Juice, or 1 cup DOLE Pineapple Mango Juice;

* The Contest Submission must not contain more than eight (8) ingredients (herbs/spices, water and cooking spray do not count);

So I entered one of my favorite recipes that I make using DOLE mandarin orange slices...

practice makes perfect - making this dish more than a few times (good thing it's delicious!!)...

Ginger Mandarin Orange Rice with Cashew Tofu! It's a vegan comfort food dish with a sweet and sassy flavor appeal. A little salty, a little sweet and a hint of heat from the warm fresh ginger. Super healthy and cravable - definitely one of my go-to meals when I'm short on time. I love this recipe because it actually uses the mandarin orange can juice to help flavor the tofu and the rice. Nothing wasted is one of my favorite cooking mottos, right?

You can see my recipe and the 4 other finalist recipes on the DOLE California Cook-Off website. All you have to do is enter your email to view the contest finalist recipes as well as some other info about the competition and Chef Ford.

Foodie Blogger Power. Another fun aspect of the cook-off is that each finalist will get a 'helper' and from this DOLE CC post by Food Tramp Diaries, I think the helpers are food bloggers. How fun is that?! I can't wait to see who I'll be paired up with. Food bloggers just happen to be some of my favorite people. Erin from Food Tramp Diaries on twitter.

...and yes I will take tons of photos and blog all the DOLE-tastic cook-off fun!

And I want to say a big CONGRATS to the other four finalists! I'm so excited to meet you and have a deliciously fun day in Cali at the DOLE California Cook-Off. Good luck to everyone!

So be sure and check out the DOLE California Cook-Off website . And please spread the word about the contest - I'm super excited and appreciate all the support I can get!

🙂

Other links:

Chef Ben Ford on twitter: @ChefBenFord.
Ford's Filling Station Restaurant
Food Bloggers involved:
@foodtrampEF
@JustinEats

DOLE on Facebook
DOLE Nutrition Institute
DOLE Promotions

Dole logo and contest image from www.dolecookoff.com

Love those DOLE mandarin orange slices...

Fuzzy memories of childhood tell me that I craved two main foods for lunch as a kid:

1) A sticky apricot jam-slathered, honey-drizzled, chunky peanut butter, quartered-into-square slices PBJ sandwich on toast. Or...
2) A buttery warm grilled cheddar cheese sandwich. Cut into triangles. Crusts on.

Flash Forward to adulthood. Kitchen. Lunchtime. I'm slathering almond butter, apricot jam, sliced bananas and cinnamon onto toasted spelt or sprouted grain bread. Crusts on. Side of ice cold vanilla soy milk - dash of cinnamon and nutmeg stirred in. PBJ's transition from kid food to adult food: seamless.

Grilled Cheese: Revisited. As part of my Paninis 'n Grill Marks series, here is my Vegan Grilled Cheese 101. Cheesy childhood treat for all...

Vegan Grilled Cheese 101

PART ONE: The Cheese.

Soy Cheese. A History. Like I said, vegan cheese was pretty bad for a good few years. I remember years ago experimenting, as a vegetarian, with this new crazy food called "soy cheese". It came in several flavors. I decided I liked the Spicy Jack Soy Cheese the best. It melted like a dream. Yippee. I felt empowered. I brushed aside my once-beloved Brie, Munster and Swiss dairy cheeses. Who needs dairy now?! This soy cheese is perfection!

With the "soy cheese" I made pizza, grilled cheese sandwiches, and even those 1990's English Muffin Pizzas with pizza sauce and some soy cheese - into the toaster oven on broil for ten minutes. Then I started reading. Magazines, books, food labels. Ingredients: casein.

Huh? "What is 'milk-derived' casein doing in my soy cheese? Wouldn't that defeat the point of...." Like most, I was perplexed. What's the point of soy cheese if it still contains dairy?

Well now I know that casein is a milk-derived ingredient that is added to many soy cheese varieties. The casein allows the cheese to do what all cheese should do: melt. However, soy cheese containing casein is not vegan.

I had embraced casein-containing soy cheese for a while - but as I read more and ate more and listened to my body more - I decided to nix the dairy from my diet. And that meant tossing fro-yo, milk chocolate, whipped cream, dairy ice cream....and soy cheese with casein. Goodbye grilled cheese.

I then experimented with every type of casein-free vegan soy cheese you could find. #FAIL. Almost all of them failed to pass the "melt test". Cheeseless me.

Vegan Melt-Tested Yummy Cheeses:

Flash Forward to now. Hooray! Vegan, meltable, yummy, cravable, versatile cheese is alive and well thanks to me two favorite brands: Daiya and Follow Your Heart. No, it is not exactly the same as dairy cheese - but I love it.

When I'm craving a melting cheese accent to my recipes, a tiny sprinkle of Daiya or a sliver of FYH will satisfy that craving. I'll admit when I first discovered Daiya cheese pizza I was craving it every night (from Pala pizza here in NYC). Too much of a good thing and I had a Daiya-overload. Do not do this. I felt like a kid trying chocolate for the first time. But be an adult, and manage the vegan cheese cravings well - everything in moderation - including cheese. The vegan label doesn't give you a free-for-all eating pass.

SIDENOTE: My other all-time fave vegan raw cheese is tree-nut cheese from folks like Dr.Cow. I have not tried a Dr.Cow tree-nut grilled cheese sandwich. I imagine it would be delicious - but very expensive! For salads and cheese 'n crackers I adore Dr.Cow - more info here.

Shredded Daiya Cheese:

Daiya Cheese. Melts into a gooey slick-taffy-like consistency. Kinda like mozzarella. Perfect choice for pizza and...grilled cheese sandwiches. It has a slightly milky texture to it which deserves a taste test. Are you a Daiya fan??

Daiya has come to be referred to as the 'tapioca-based' cheese. It comes in a variety of flavors like mozzarella and cheddar. Sadly, it is only in limited retail distribution right now. But it is quickly gaining popularity - among all cheese-lovers. I know many non-vegans who love it. And many pizza restaurants (like the chain Zpizza) are quickly hopping on the bandwagon of offering a Daiya cheese option for their vegan customers. But if you can find Daiya in a grocery store, lucky you! Here are the ingredients...

Follow Your Heart Vegan Cheese. FYH melts very well at high temperatures. And the flavor of the Monterey Jack is my amazing - my favorite. I actually use the Monterey Jack flavor instead of the Mozzarella flavor on my FYH vegan pizzas. FYH is more widely available than Daiya cheese right now.

Melted Follow Your Heart:

PART TWO: Bread. Have you ever seen Shear Genius on Bravo where they end each show by saying "Hair. Is important." Well my slogan for grilled cheese making, "Bread. Is Important."

The cheese shouldn't be the star of the show. Yes, I'll say it again. Cheese shouldn't be the star of the show. It's all about bread quality and flavor. If you have great cheese on crummy bread, you've #failed.

Tips for Bread.

*Choose bread that is hearty enough to stand up to the grilling process. A fluffy white bread will usually wilt or burn on an at-home grill.

*Grain, dried fruit or seed containing bread is a nice touch because the toasted bits bring out warm complex tones in the bread.

*Slice your bread thick enough so that there is a nice two-tone texture in the final product. You want a crunchy outer crust while maintaining some moistness on the inner layer of the bread. A cracker-crunchy end product sandwich isn't ideal to most.

*Don't slice too thick though. You want the bread just thin enough so that the cheese can melt properly.

*Bread from a professional baker is my favorite. I love using Amy's Bread, Black Rooster or Sullivan Street here in NYC. Something with a hearty crusty. Amy's fennel seed, golden raisin, cornmeal crusted = yum. Or walnut whole wheat. But FYI, day old bread is very grillable, just watch out for dryness. The great thing about grilled bread is that it doesn't have to be 'fresh-baked' bread.

*ideas: spelt, whole wheat, baguette bread, sourdough, cinnamon raisin, Country white sliced thick, rye, potato, thin bagels, seeded multi-grain, pumpernickel, ciabatta or one of my healthy faves: sprouted grain bread.

PART THREE: The "spread".

I think my mom used to slather a thin layer of butter on my grilled cheese bread. Then the butter soaked bread would grill up into buttery bliss. Today I use:

*Nothing. Keep it dry and hope for the best.

*Vegenaise. Just a very light spread on the outer sides of the bread will do it.

*A light brush of extra virgin olive oil. (Or I get adventurous with grapeseed, walnut or macadamia nut oils)

*A light spread of vegan buttery spread.

I very often do the 'dry bread' grill and it actually works out just fine on my panini press.

PART FOUR: Tools. I use a panini press. But you can use a wide saute pan, stove top grill or even backyard grill. Read all about my tools advice in Grilling Guide 101. You'll want to have a nice wide spatula around as well.

PART FIVE: Step-by-Step Grilled Cheese

1. Turn on the stove or warm up the panini press and grab the ingredients. Bread, cheese, optional 'spread' and other optional ingredients. There are thousands of different grilled cheese ingredient combos - but lets start off with a basic cheese and bread sandwich.

2. If using a spread, apply it to the outer sides of the bread now.

3. Place the first slice of bread - spread side down - on your grill. Add the cheese quickly, trying not to spill it onto the grill. Note: you can use thinly sliced cheese or traditional grated cheese. Grated cheese melts fastest.

4. Place the top layer of bread over the cheese - spread side up this time. Close the panini press with a firm press. If using a basic saute pan, you'll want to press down on the sandwich firmly with a spatula. If using a basic pan - you can cover the bread with foil to crate some intense moist heat that will melt the cheese faster without drying out the bread too quickly. When the cheese is melted, remove the foil to get that final crisp outer layer texture.

5. Grilled cheese sandwiches take anywhere from 2-5 minutes, depending on the tools and ingredients you are using.

6. Remove sandwich from heat. Place on flat surface to cool for about a minute. Remember that some of the cheese will continue to heat and melt a minute or so after the sandwich is removed from the grill - so don't burn the bread just to over-melt the cheese. Slice. Serve.

Easy, right?

My number one tip: practice makes perfect. And experimentation is king. Try out a few different varieties of bread, combinations of cheese flavors, thickness slices in the bread, spreads and tools. Discover what you like. Everyone is different..

Grilled cheese is a very personal thing. I like my grilled cheese super moist on the inner layer with accents of fresh basil and black pepper. Sometimes a hint of spicy harissa. On thin sliced grain/seeded bread that crunches on the outside - while staying soft and chewy on inside. But that's just me. How do you like your grilled cheese...?

Tomorrow I'll be posting one of my favorite recipes for a modified grilled cheese sandwich some super yummy ingredients added. Here is a preview...

More Cheesy Pics...

Bust your doughnut craving by trying my yummy Papaya Doughnuts with Sunflower Seed Sprinkles and a Lime-Agave Drizzle. Super fun and super delicious.

Those Aren't doughnuts! Not really. More like Fruitnuts. But they are 100% guilt free doughnut-looking treats. Use your imagination and your happy tastebuds will be all you need to make this recipe again and again. Serve this fruit breakfast dish to your favorite kid - big or small.

No Papayas or Sunflower Seeds on Hand? That's OK. You can make a craft out of this dish by using assorted seed sprinkles and different "doughnut" fruit slices. Try peaches, apricots, pineapples, grapefruit, mangoes, melons or apples. If they don't have a natural hole - simply punch one out with a narrow glass or cookie cutter.

Here's the sweet 'n simple recipe...

Kids Allowed! You can even have the kids 'decorate' their own papaya doughnut. Simply give the platter of lime-juice coated doughnuts and let them squeeze on some agave and sprinkle the seeds. You can use a variety of seeds sprinkles such as:

sesame seeds
poppy seeds
sunflower seeds
fennel seeds
hemp seeds
...and more!

And you can even make apple or pineapple ring doughnuts too! Simply remove the core instead of scooping the seeds. Any other doughnut ring fruits you can think of?? Get creative!

Papaya Doughnuts with sunflower sprinkles and lime-agave drizzle
makes 5-8 doughnuts, depending on size of papaya

1 large ripe papaya
*I used a Red Mexican Papaya
¼ cup roasted and salted sunflower seeds
1 lime
agave syrup squeeze bottle (maple syrup or honey also works)

Directions:

1. Wash the skin of your papaya in cool water or with veggie was very well.

2. Slice the papaya in half and scoop out the seeds.

3. Slice the halves into ¾-1 inch thick rounds.

4. Squeeze lime juice over top the papaya rounds. Position on serving platter.

5. Drizzle agave syrup over papaya rounds. Sprinkle plentiful sprinkles on top.

Serve the doughnuts! No dunking allowed...Eat with your hands for maximum fun-factor.

..this makes a perfect weekend fruit recipe for a brunch spread. So much fun. And trust me, delicious.

My poor husband has been drowning in vicious seasonal allergies this week and all I want to do is pour fresh healthy juices down his allergy-stressed throat. Sinus pain, itchy eyes, miserable pressure headaches and Claritin-D pill popping is no fun. But guess what, drinking fresh juices and smoothies is! Getting a nice dose of live enzymes and healthy nutrients from fruits and veggies is my at-home wellness tip for anyone who is "Achoo-ing" themselves into misery.

I Have No Time to Chew. Someone once told me that they have no time to chew during their workday. I laughed, but I also get it! It's tricky to digest a big bowl of fruit or veggies when your stressing out over meetings and your Blackberry won't stop violently blinking at you all day long.

My solution: sipping fresh juices and smoothies is a fast and easy way to replenish your body on-the-go. And even if you don't have a at-home juicer, that's OK - you'll still pick up a few wellnes tips and know what ingredients to look for when "juicing-out" at a juice/smoothie bar. Make allergy season, juicing season. Get my 6 juices and tips...

Superfoods. There's obviously no cure for seasonal allergies. But you can test and try out a few of these flavors and ingredients and see if they ease your allergy symptoms at all. The idea is that healthy foods are healing foods.

Lightbulb! Instead of chugging a double Tall iced cappuccino in the morning between sneezes, try chugging a nutrient and enzyme rich juice or smoothie.

Fun Fact: The National Institute of Health sites that fruit enzymes like bromelain are proven to be an effective way to assist in treating Sinusitis (sinus inflammation) and inflammation pain.

Live Enzymes. A stuffy nose is nothing to laugh at, and watery itchy eyes are a pain. Allergies usually mean that your immume system is in overdrive gear - it's trying desperately to maintain a level of calm, but all these allergens in the air continue to disturb its restful state of health...

Give your immune system a hand! Nurture it with live enzymes and healthy nutrients. The enzyme action from fruit enzymes like papain and bromelain might assist your distressed immune system.

Spicy Kick! Wack those allergies with a spicy kick from foods and accents like ginger, cayenne and garlic. My favorite line at the juice bar this time of year: "extra extra ginger please." "...and yes lost of cayenne."

Here are some recipes and flavors to inspire you:

Allergy Juices (and smoothies)

1. Ginger Juice Shooters.
No time for a full glass? Whip up a nice juice shot with a serious spicy ginger kick. Fun for a pre-party palate cleanser recipe too...

2. 100% Fresh Pineapple Juice
Lots of fresh live raw enzyme action from the bromelain in pineapple. Juice freshly cut pineapple for the best effects. Add some ginger or cayenne for a spicy kick.

3. Super Sinus Juice
Lots of vitamin C and spicy ginger in this simple morning juice that I make for my husband quite often.

4. Pineapple Enzyme Banana Smoothie
This one is a smoothie. And it's awesome. Fresh zing flavor with a super spicy kick to cool your throat off and wake your sinuses up! Plus some potassium rich banana to help with any dehydration from all that sneezing!

5. Golden Spicy Beet Juice
Vitamin A and a sweet smooth beet flavor. If you are craving a veg-based juice - try golden beets and lots of ginger. Perfect combo fo flavor and wellness-appeal.

5. 100% Papaya Juice
Rich in the fruit enzyme papain, papayas are one of my favorite wellness fruits for breakfast. Get an easy dose of papaya by juicing it! Juicy papayas will produce a nice amount of juice too - so let the pink-juice-chugging begin!

Bonus! Calm Tummy Banana Smoothie. Sometimes its nice to calm out a frazzeled tummy. Allergies can make your digestive system a bit confused and upset. So here is one of my favorite smoothie recipes for chilling out a hungry belly.

...and you can never go wrong with Green Juice. My Green Juice 101 here.

Last week I posted about ZICO's new plastic bottle packaging option and new 'from concentrate' formula. I had a lot of questions about the changes. A ZICO PR rep saw my post and emailed me some facts. (see below)

But What's all the Fuss? It's "just coconut water" right? And the changes are so minimal, right? Yes and no.

There are two issues here. Coconut water and brand transparency. Both issues have merit. So it's not just about coconut water. The deeper issue is about keeping the conversation between consumer and company transparent. Just look at the secrecy in the meat and dairy industries - corruption galore. So, it's not just coconut water. It's food. Food is personal - lets keep it that way. Read ahead for ZICO's fact statement and my response to it...

Another UPDATE 5/20/2010
Here is the most recent update directly from ZICO:

-----------start ZICO info

- The evaporation process in general is extremely high-tech these days and therefore there is little to no impact on nutritional profiles of the product. Also, because ZICO is using a unique process that completes the evaporation in a matter of seconds and at a lower temperature than normal processes, the heat-intensive processing step that she was concerned about does not come into play. This is what allows us to maintain the nutrition content and maintain the fresh, clean taste of the product.

- There are cost savings in shipping (though that was not the primary goal), but the more environmentally friendly HDPE bottles also have a cost to them. Therefore we will continue to try to pass along whatever value we can to the consumer, while also doing our best to minimize the impact on the environment.

-----------end ZICO info

continue to original post...

Here are the facts from ZICO:

-----------begin ZICO statement:

*Though ZICO is made from concentrate that actually doesn’t change the all natural benefits of the product. The phrase “from concentrate” often has a questionable reputation. It really just means that the coconut water has had most of the water removed during the production process so that it could be more easily transported and stored. The water is then added back in, giving it the same nutritional breakdown as the original coconut water. ZICO does this to reduce production materials and resources, making it better for the environment.

*The new ZICO tastes a little different, but this has nothing to do with concentrate or the packaging. For the new ZICO, coconuts are sourced from all over the world, while the carton uses only coconuts from Brazil . The blend of coconuts in the ZICO bottle was specially selected for a lighter taste, lower caloric content and increased sodium, which helps optimize hydration. If people prefer the original ZICO taste, they can buy ZICO in the carton. It’s merely a taste preference.

*Both ZICO products contain five essential electrolytes, more potassium than a banana and zero fat, zero added sugar and zero cholesterol.

*The plastic ZICO bottle is #2 recyclable, which is accepted in almost all curbside recycling programs nationwide. These bottles are recycled 40 times more often than the paper carton Tetra Paks. The bottles are also made domestically.

*The Tetra Pak is not being discontinued. ZICO found that while many people love ZICO, they sometimes felt the Tetra Pak wasn’t shaped well to fit easily into their lifestyles. Since ZICO is such a great hydration drink for athletes and active people, the new bottle with the screw off cap makes it easier for people to carry it around, store it on a bike rack or toss it in their gym bag.

------------end ZICO statement.

Interesting enough right? Glad to have some questions answered. Here is my complete response I sent to ZICO:

Thank you for the information - I will pass it onto my readers. And I have a few comments of my own:

I am thrilled to hear that the ZICO Tetra Pak formula is not being discontinued. I am a huge fan of the traditional Orange Peel Passion Fruit flavor - from the beginning, it has been my favorite flavor-essenced coconut water.

In regards to the 'from concentrate' issue.
I understand that the nutrients may still be equally accounted for when you compare fresh to 'from concentrate' coconut water. But by concentrating the coconut water, you have added another processing step. And an intense one at that. I have read that the process of pasteurization (something done to all brands of packaged coco water) is much less heat intense than the process of concentrating (removing the water from) coconut water - which is a very heat intense process. Do you have any comments on this?

I ask because obviously the more you process a food - the farther the food strays from its original natural state. And when I shop for food I seek products that are minimally processed. I'd rather buy apples from my local farmers than from Whole Foods. Or buy soybeans and crush them into homemade veggie burgers than buy highly processed soymeat burgers. And I'd rather drink fresh squeezed orange juice from my neighborhood cafe than buy a frozen concentrate to mix at home. Less processing is simply a shopping mantra of mine. So when I read that ZICO has added another processing step to my beloved coconut water - it immediately hit me in the gut the wrong way. Regardless of the facts and figures about nutrients.

I will say that your assurance that the nutrients stay in tact does clear up a big question mark for me - but I personally still prefer the less processed formula over the 'from concentrate' version.

Last thing. As for the shipping ease of the new from concentrate formula - that's great! Better for the environment and I would imagine that this lowers ZICO's shipping costs greatly as well. I wish the cost savings would be passed onto the consumer. Most coconut water (of every brand) runs around $2 a drink - not exactly accessible to all consumer price-points. I recommend coconut water to just about everyone I meet - and they often comment that it is too expensive to drink regularly.

Again, thank you for the information - I will post it on my blog. I am a big fan of coconut water and ZICO has always been one of my top two favorite brands - simply delicious. Thus my intense interest in any brand changes.

Kathy

Your Turn! Now I'm curious... what do you guys think? Do you care? Are you sick of bloggers like me dissecting food brand news - or do you like being an informed consumer who holds companies fully accountable for their products?

I'll admit I get a little frustrated by the lack of immediate transparency from some companies nowadays - but I was glad to get some direct facts from ZICO.

OK, so maybe it's just a silly coconut beverage to some of you out there. But I think as consumers we have to stick up for brands we love and demand transparency. Just look at the extreme secrecy in the meat and dairy industries - corruption galore. Food is personal - lets keep it that way.

Read my original post on ZICO's new packaging and formula here.