It's the first day of March and I found myself googling to find out if Vegan Girl Scout Cookies exist. Markers that spring is near: sun, birds, bunnies, bees, flowers and...Girl Scout Cookies. But not if you're on a special diet (vegan, gluten-free), right? Here is the answer...

Cookies on the Brain? Really? Really. All day my ears and eyes have been ringing with cookies. No, I'm not really a cookie monster - but Girl Scout Cookies are a prime marker of springtime! Thus the excitement when they start to pop up in neighborhoods, at supermarket entrances and community markets. Warmth and sunshine isn't far behind...

It seems that like bunnies hopping and birds chirping on the first day of spring, everyone is a buzz with the topic of Girl Scout Cookies. "I saw Girl Scouts today! Where are they? Did you buy any? What is your favorite cookie? Thin Mints! Those peanut butter ones! o.m.g." It's hilarious how excited the chatter can become. But I get it. I used to be a Girl Scout. Or maybe I was a Brownie. Hmm, same thing I guess..sort've..anyways..

I actually really wasn't that fond of Girl Scout Cookies was a kid, but nowadays I definitely understand the nostalgia. And I love how cookie selling brings out the competitive streak in even the sweetest and shyest of Girl Scouts - it's like The Apprentice, only with smiling, pig-tailed little girls peddling stacks of chocolate-covered, coconut-crusted sugar disks.

Vegan Girl Scout Cookies. So every season, I check to see the updates in Girl Scout cookies. I'm always hoping for a vegan cookie with a few 'healthy features'. Perhaps a dairy-free dark chocolate cookie with a gluten-free cookie crust and a few nuts, seeds or dried fruit blended in. Natural sweeteners like maple syrup, date sugar, brown rice syrup or agave instead of HFCS. I'd love some healthy delicious Girl Scout cookies! Yes, healthy and delicious IS possible. So are there vegan cookies available now? A few clicks of your mouse and you will find this answer to my vegan question:

Are Vegan Girl Scout Cookies Available?

Via the Girl Scout website, FAQ's:

Q: Why don't you offer cookies that are whole-wheat, wheat-free, non-dairy, dairy-free, vegan, sugar-free, gluten-free, organic, low-carbohydrate, low-calorie, low-fat, non-fat, fat-free, etc.?

A: The demand for specialty cookie formulations is simply not great enough to make it economically feasible to offer a variety of specialty types. Of all the different possible formulations, sugar-free seems to be the most popular, yet in the past, even the sugar-free Girl Scout cookies that have been offered have had to be discontinued due to lack of demand. Our bakers continue to experiment and develop formulations that balance the best tasting cookies using the healthiest ingredients.

Now interestingly, if you take a peek at the ingredients of the cookies, you will find four milk-free and egg-free cookies: Lemonades (lemon flavored white cookie), Thanks-a-Lot (white cookie with a thin fudge bottom layer), Peanut Butter Patties (peanut butter covered by chocolate) (note: some 2010 guides show that PBPatties DO contain MILK) and Reduced-Fat Daisy Go Rounds (a cinnamon-vanilla cookie made for 'calorie counting). So I was a bit confused why the FAQ page says they don't make vegan cookies. These seemed vegan after reading the ingredients list - but they are not certified vegan, so you never know if certain ingredients are derived from animal products or use them in processing. And really, are you that excited about white flour, high fructose corn syrup and saturated fat in cookies?

I Support Girl Scouts. My heart kinda breaks because I really want to support the Girl Scouts and their cookie selling - but what do I do with cookies I don't really want to eat?

Demand Cookies! If you want. The Girl Scout website says the demand isn't 'high enough' for a healthier/vegan/gluten-free cookie. Well if you want, send an email or tweet them: @GirlScouts or on their Facebook page - and let them know you want a healthier cookie! Animal product free. Here are a few of my flavor ideas:

*Dark Chocolate Cherry Chocolate Crisps
*Vanilla Bean Walnut Cookies
*Be Kind Cookies - vegan shortbread
*Apricot Vanilla Pinwheels
*Almond Butter Chewies
*Spelt Cinnamon Crisps
*Chocolate Peanut Nut Cookies
*Pure Choco-Vanilla Gluten-Free Cremes
*Coconut Vanilla Almond Balls
*Vegan 'Snickerdoodle' Chewy Cookies

...just a few ideas off the top of my head...

If you need some text for our email here, ya go:

Hi Girl Scouts!
I support your organization and wanted to let you know that I would LOVE to buy a certified vegan cookie from you. I would also love you to consider using healthier ingredients in a new line of 'healthier' cookies. Ingredients like maple syrup, spelt flour, nuts, dried fruit and dark chocolate. Please consider my request. Thanks and good luck this cookie selling season!
-name

Last Words. FYI, I don't mean to make anyone feel badly about buying the current Girl Scout Cookies. Those girls have to sell cookies, right! So hopefully with enough chatter about a demand for a "healthy makeover" vegan or even gluten-free cookie, more consumers can buy the cookies and support the Girl Scouts.

more info: http://www.girlscoutcookies.org/

These jagged-edged, exotic, 'alien-looking' golden beets in my fridge just couldn't sit there for another day. And they were starting to freak out my husband. So this morning I unearthed them from my produce bin to make a refreshing juice recipe: Golden Spicy Citrus Beet Juice. Simple flavors from sweet golden beets, carrots, orange, pear and ginger make this a lovely way to hydrate in the morning. Vitamin A galore. See more alien-beet photos and get my recipe...

Golden Citrus Beet Juice:

Carrots and Golden Beet:

Alien Looking Golden Beet:

Inside of a Golden Beet:

Golden Spicy Citrus Beet Juice

1 large golden beet OR 2 small golden beets
3 small long carrots
1 ripe pear
1 large orange, peeled
1 teaspoon raw ginger, peeled
garnish: 3 dashes cayenne, slice of raw beet

Directions:
Juice in your juicer and serve.

Beet Note: If you don't have golden beets, regular red beets will do, but you obviously won't get that creamy orange sunrise color.

If you don't have a juicer or know much about juicing yet here are a few good posts to read:
Juicing 101 Guide and Tips
Juicing Series

Meet my Peachy Lychee Daiquiri fizzy blended beverage. Frosty, fruity, smooth, cool, cravable and oh so effervescent. There are two ways to fall in love with this sip: 1. As a virgin (alcohol-free) healthy smoothie with enzyme-rich kombucha. OR 2. As an end-of-the-week champagne-infused treat to start off a fun Saturday night with friends. Make it once, and I bet you'll make it again...

Light n Frosty. I love this beverage because it is so light, crisp, clean and hydrating. It's a smoothie - but there's no heavy fruit juices or 'milks' involved. Just clean fruit flavors and crisp fizzy liquid. It's unique and transporting (as in, it transports you to a tropical island daydream). Love this bevie!

Virgin Peachy Lychee Daiquiri

1 ⅔ cups Guava Kombucha or your fave sparkling or flat tropical juice
5 whole lychees, canned
2 tablespoon canned lychee juice/liquid
1 cup frozen peaches
1 large frozen banana
½ lemon or lime, squeezed
1 cup ice cubes
*coconut water ice cubes pref'd
optional add-in: handful of fresh chopped papaya or fresh strawberries. Or a handful shredded raw coconut.
Note: for extra frosty-ness, freeze the lychees first. Highly recommended, but not necessary.

Adults-Only Version: Peachy Lychee Daiquiri

*use exact ingredients as above, only substitute the kombucha/juice with rose sparkling wine/champagne or prosecco.
*tipsy blended: add in 1 shot of vodka, if u r into that sort of thing.

Blend. Serve. Garnish with fresh lychee.

Straw optional.
No end-of-the-glass straw-slurping though.
It's not lady-like.
Oh, who cares. Slurp away.
Heck, have a loudest-slurp-contest.
Winner gets seconds.
Ok, losers get seconds too.
..it's that yummy.

My Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwiches on spelt bread, with a spicy-sweet wasabi spread are a dreamy addition to your next tea party, or springtime picnic when the sun melts away the winter frost.

Tea and Sandwiches. When I hear the phrase "tea and sandwiches" I picture a well-postured group of early-century women in wide pastel-laced hats, nibbling tiny white-bread sandwiches with the crusts sliced off, and shiny orange marmalade slathered inside. Tiny porcelain tea cups and saucers all around. Pinkies up! Or, I picture a little girl giggling in her bedroom, having a tea-free tea party. Perhaps she snatched her mums' silver tea set, sprawled it out on the floor and invited all her favorite stuffed animals for a few giggles, sips and plentiful pours of 'tea' - aka water from the bathroom sink.

But the timeless art of the Tea Party doesn't have to be stuffy or fit for a five year-old. It can be modern, delicious - and perhaps even a daily wellness ritual to embrace. Tea Party for one? Or two. Or many. Just gather the girls, (and boys), and feast on these delightful sandwiches - tea set optional, but it's a nice touch. Join the party...

FYI, Coffee Lover's can join-in: Not into tea? Cappuccino's will do...

Classic Inspiration. My vegan recipe was inspired by a recipe my mother prepared once when I was a teenager: Cucumber Mint Butter Sandwiches.

Memory. I remember I was being dragged kicking and screaming to another one of my older sister's vocal recitals. It was in a large concert hall downtown and my mother was signed up to contribute a plate of hors d'oeuvres for the guests. I wasn't too pleased about spending a precious Saturday confined to an auditorium while my sister was showered in attention, so I spent the day moping about with an adolescent pout on my face. Ah to be a grumpy teenage 'little sister' again. But I was interested in my moms hors d'oeuvres. And note, I adore my sisters singing nowadays. 🙂

I watched my mother all morning in the kitchen as she stuffed tiny slices of butter, fresh sprigs of mint and thick crisp slices of cucumber between small, de-crusted triangles of white bread. Each tiny sandwich was big enough for one bite, finger sandwiches. And today, with a bit of research, I found that this is a classic old English recipe - posted all over the web.

I was intrigued by these tiny white sandwiches. The mint smelled so fresh and the cucumber so perfectly cool and crisp. I thought, how odd to be slicing cold hard butter as a sandwich ingredient - especially since my mother rarely used butter on anything. But she called the finger sandwiches elegant. I tasted one and loved it. Cucumber, mint and soft white bread, with an odd creamy bite of butter. Those flavors stay on the tip of my taste buds even today.

Recipe Makeover! But nowadays, I don't consume dairy, and I wasn't too keen on placing a thick slice of vegan buttery spread in my light n petite tea sandwiches, so I made a few substantial modifications on the classic recipe. I even whipped up my own sweet 'n spicy wasabi pepper vegan spread in place of "butter". My makeover was quite a delicious success. Try this recipe on a Saturday afternoon or for a lazy Sunday brunch at home. It's perfect for an afternoon party or springtime picnic in in the park. Cool, crisp, refreshing and super easy to make - I will definitely be making these Cucumber Mint Sandwiches again and again.

Cucumber Mint Tea Sandwiches with Maple Wasabi Spread
vegan, makes 8 small sandwich bites

4 slices of bread
*or 2 long bakery slices, sliced in half
*I used Spelt Bread
½ organic cucumber, thinly sliced
3 tablespoon wasabi maple spread
black pepper grinder
fresh mint leaves
fresh dill

Wasabi Maple Spread

2 tablespoon Vegenaise
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1-2 teaspoon wasabi powder
dash of black pepper

Directions:

1. Whip together the spread, thinly slice the cucumbers. You can do thick crunchy slices, or thin silky slices - your choice. Gather your fresh herbs, rinse and pat dry.

2. Spread a very thin layer of spread on all inside surfaces of bread.

3. Layer cucumber on top of the spread. Next, add a layer of mint, dill. You can add both herbs to each sandwich or do half dill and half mint. Grind fresh black pepper inside sandwiches before slicing.


4. Close sandwich and slice into quarter cubes or triangles.

5. Plate and serve.

Optional: add a thin layer of spicy sun dried tomato spread or a dash of red pepper flakes for an extra spicy kick of flavor. Another pretty addition would be edible flowers - add inside the sandwiches or as an edible garnish to the serving patter.

Dear Critics, if you think you'll end up hungry eating vegan food, you're wrong. My noble Olive Tapenade Tempeh Veg Sandwich is exhibit A of that verdict. Let your watering mouth be the judge. This swanky sandwich, aka my humble lunch, is quite a vision of sandwich beauty if I do say so myself. Let my sandwich-boasting continue, and get the recipe...

Not All Looks. Yes she's a pretty sandwich, but what about the taste? Vegan sandwich ecstasy. Aka, yum. The flavors: salty smooth kalamata olive tapenade mingling with the zippy sweet flavor of maple-soaked tempeh, layered on a bed of fresh perky green baby spinach leaves, a few rounds of fresh tomato and sweet onion to top it off. And a skinny slathering of Vegenaise inside the top slice. Tons of fresh black pepper grated throughout. And the critics say vegans don't eat lavishly...

Tempeh Two Ways. There are two ways to prepare the tempeh, I actually used the fast way and it was delicious! Two Ways: 1. Traditional Method - saute it on your stove top as the recipe calls for. This process will take a good 5 minutes. OR 2. Fast Method - simply place the tempeh in a shallow glass container, soak in the tempeh marinade, cover, vent and microwave on high for 90 seconds. That yummy-bitter-hearty tempeh taste will still shine through and you'll be eating in a flash. *yes, the sauteed tempeh has a much better texture and a bit better taste, but if you are in a hurry, the microwaved version is tasty.*

Tapenade. You can make your own tapenade - which I prefer, or you can buy a good vegan olive tapenade at your fave gourmet store. Up to you! You can even substitute a different flavor of tapenade if you aren't into the olive thing. The green, sweet potato or mushroom dips featured here would work. Sunny Asparagus tapenade would be yummy too.

Olive Tapenade 'n Tempeh Vegan Sandwich.
vegan, serves one hungry or two timid sandwich eaters

2 long slices grain bread
*spelt, whole wheat, sprouted grain are my faves
2 tablespoon olive tapenade
1 tablespoon Vegenaise
2 slices EZ Maple Tempeh
3 tomato slices
3 sweet onion slices
big handful of baby spinach
fresh black pepper

EZ Maple Tempeh
2 slices of tempeh, thinly sliced, about 4 oz.
1 ½ tablespoon maple syrup
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
*grade B maple syrup pref'd
1 teaspoon olive oil for saute pan
pepper

Kalamata Olive Tapenade
*modified version of Pure Olive Tap recipe here

1 cup kalamata olives, pitted
¼ cup white beans
1 tablespoon EVOO
1 tablespoon water
handful fresh parsley
pepper
*Blend in a food processor. Makes about 1 cup of tapenade

Directions:

1. Prep your veggies: wash n slice tomato and onion. Set aside. Gather all ingredients.

3. Tempeh: Slice your tempeh into two thin blocks -each about the surface size of a deck of cards. (I used about ½ of an 8 oz. package of tempeh. Soak your tempeh in the maple syrup and vinegar. Dash some pepper on top. Next, either lightly saute your tempeh stove top, or use the super-fast method and simply microwave for 90 seconds in a covered, glass container. Drizzle the EVOO on top if microwaving. Stove top, should be about 2 minutes on each side over high heat.

4. Start building your sandwich: olive tapenade on both sides of the bread. A light smear of Vegenaise on one side. Then add the baby spinach, tomato, onion, tempeh and a good grinding of black pepper.

5. Slice. Eat. Smile. Bask in the glow of envy from sandwich-onlookers. *Pickle Optional. Wash it down with some lemon iced tea, perhaps.

Here's an easy and cheerful "Get Well Soon" Food Basket to make for an ill friend in need. It's fresh, healthy and made with love. It includes goodies like homemade Garden Dill White Bean Soup and Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato Biscuits. And no, you don't have to be under the weather to love these recipes.

Get Well Basket. Last week, two of my friends were sick at home, so I decided to spread some love. I took the morning off, threw my to-do list to the wind and stormed into my kitchen to prepare a get well feast. The cooking part was surprisingly easy and fast. I was out the door, basket in hand, in about an hour. Martha would be proud. Find out what I made and get my vegan recipes...

Love Heals All. When you are sick, nothing tastes better than light healthy food made with love. And you won't find "love" hiding in your pantry - it's buried right in your own two hands.

In today's world you can easily swing by Panera, Whole Foods, Le Pain or some other yummy/easy cafe to purchase a fresh bowl of soup, bread and juice - all in a matter of minutes for a good price. But trust me on this one, homemade tastes and feels better.

Made at Home. Martha Stewart has been preaching for years: homemade beats store-bought. I'll admit to thinking in the past that this theory was a bit outdated and silly in today's world of gourmet bakeries, prepared foods sections in grocery stores and cafes with to-go or delivery services everywhere...

But Martha stands firm. I recall seeing some sad NYC news anchor go on her show - he brought Martha some store bought cookies from his favorite bakery. Gasp! Martha was so spryly offended and called him out on his 'lack of homemade' right away. Hilarious. But after my "Get Well Basket" experience, I see that the homemade, "made with love" theory is indeed pure and true - especially when you are delivering homemade goodies to an ill friend.

Prepared and Delivered by Hand. When I handed over that basket of wellness goodies to my friends I felt a stream of energy between us. It was love, plain and simple. Sorry for the sappiness, but it's true.

And the funniest part was how resistant my friends were at first to allowing me to 'burden' myself by spending all morning preparing and delivering goodies. Has society sadly conditioned us to refuse a kind gesture? I hope not. The more we accept kindness, the more we will be inspired to spread it around. So I went with my gut and didn't take no for an answer. It felt like the right thing to do - and it was. I can't tell you how passionate the thanks were in return - they said I brought them a feeling of wellness - and isn't that the point of it all?

Get Well Soon Basket Contents. So here's what I put in the basket: homemade sweet potato biscuits, a big container of hearty bean/veggie/vegan sausage soup - all made from scratch, a few coconut waters for hydration and electrolytes, a big bottle of freshly squeezed citrus juice for vitamin c and hydration, and a few other pantry goodies like graham crackers, pomegranate juice and a gingersnap cookie. For the juice I simply squeezed a bunch of assorted citrus fruits, bottled it and sealed it with parchment paper. For the soup and biscuits, the recipes are below...

Fresh Squeezed Orange-Minola-Tangerine Juice:

Get Well Basket (soup, OJ, coconut water, biscuits):

Sweet Potato Biscuits:
Soup:
Garden Dill White Bean Soup
vegan, makes about 10 cups

1 large white onion
3 small carrots
*stem attached variety
½ cup white mushrooms, chopped
1 vegan sausage
*I used Field Roast brand - apple sage flavor
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoon olive oil
6 cups of water
*you can also use veggie broth - but then omit the salt
1 can cannellini beans, drained
1 cup fresh dill, chopped
1 cup spiral pasta
2 teaspoon black pepper
1-2 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon assorted dried spices/herbs
*I used rosemary, bay leaf, thyme and cayenne

Directions:

1. Prep your veggies: wash n chop.

2. Place a big soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, onion, mushroom, garlic, vegan sausage (chopped) and carrots. Allow to saute for a few minutes.

3. Add in your water, pepper, salt, spices (not fresh dill yet). Bring to a boil.

4. Add in the pasta and allow to cook for 5 minutes. Season to taste - add additional spices/herbs if you'd like.

5. After 5 minutes, add in the drained beans and most of the fresh dill. Turn heat down and allow to simmer for 15 minutes. *Adding the beans last allows them to stay a bit firm and not get mushy.

6. Garnish soup with remaining fresh dill on top.

7. Serve. Or, transfer to to-go containers, soup warmer or store in fridge until ready to eat.

Sweet Potato Biscuits with Maple Glaze
vegan, makes 12-16 biscuits
*variation from my Sweet Potato Spelt Biscuits recipe here.

3 cups flour, whole wheat
1 cup warm water or soy milk
*I use water, but soy milk works too
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 medium sweet potato
2 tablespoon canola oil or vegan butter
*If you use vegan buttery spread, omit the salt
2 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
a few dashes of cinnamon

Glaze:
3 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon buttery spread OR apple cider vinegar (your choice)
*there may be leftover glaze

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix well.

2. Bake sweet potato (micro is fine) peel and mash in a separate bowl with the oil or vegan butter. Set aside.

2. Add water (or soy milk) to the dry ingredients. Then spoon in the wet mashed sweet potato mixture. Fold by hand until a nice ball of dough is formed. Add more flour if dough is too sticky.

3. Knead by hand on floured surface. Press out with fingers:

Press out dough with fingers after kneading:

4. Use a biscuit cutter or a simple juice glass to cut out biscuits, transfer to parchment paper or greased cookie sheet:
Cut out biscuits:

5. Warm the maple/buttery spread glaze in the microwave. Brush a light glaze onto each biscuit:

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before eating or storing.

Before Baking: Biscuits, with glaze:


Baked Biscuits:

To close out my Juicing for Health series, it's Diet Juices day. But FYI, "diets" don't work. Lifelong wellness does. More on that below. And quite honestly, I believe that any fresh pressed juice is a worthy component to any wellness-focused diet (weight-reduction or not).

Anti-Juice? No Way. Juice gets a bad reputation for being nothing but a lot of empty calories, maybe some vitamin C at best. But juicing at home provides you the highest quality juice - rich in living enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Nothing preserved, nothing from concentrate. Yes, some fresh juices like grape juice are higher in calories than say, cucumber juice - but the simple answer is to drink the sweeter juices in smaller portions. And if you are looking for a tall frothy glass of lower calorie juice - look no further. Here are a few of my recipes for creative diet juices...

Diets Don't Work. Juicing is a healthy practice to add to your lifelong wellness regimen. Juices are not simply part of a "restrictive diet plan". When I say these recipes are "diet juices" what I really mean is that they are lower in calorie juices. My personal belief: diets don't work. But working juicing into your everyday diet does.

Juice vs. Fruit. Why juice? Why not just eat the fruits and veggies whole? You can! But one reason to juice is this: Digesting a lot of whole produce requires a lot of digestive energy - and when you are cutting back on calories you'll want to reserve all the energy you can. Juices offer a quick and easy boost of energy and nutrients with minimal stress on your digestive system.

Fiber. I like to juice early in the day, then get all that good fiber my body needs from a big salad, grains and beans in the afternoon and evening. I also change it up a bit. Juice at breakfast one day and then a whole sliced papaya the next day. Always listen to your body. Sometimes I'll drink a tall glass of nutrient/energy-dense juice - then a half hour later crunch on a handful of raw cashews for the fiber I crave. Juicing shouldn't be about shunning whole food. This isn't a fast. In my experience, fasts may shed pounds quickly, but you'll end up feeling crappy and gain back the weight in the long run.

Diet Juices 101. The ideal at-home juicing diet juices come from fruits and veggies that are high in water content and low in sugar. Think melons, crisp veggies, thick leafy greens and more. These are fruits and veggies that produce very little pulp because they contain so much liquid. More water, less calories. Thins out the sugar. The result is being able to drink more juice for less calories.

Total Pulp from cantaloupe/ginger juice:
Just compare 1 cup of grapes, juiced = about 90 calories,
compared to 1 cucumber juiced = 45 calories. Plus, you will get more juice out of the cucumber. Drink more.

Nutrients. Another key part of diet juices is the presence of healthy nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium or manganese. The more nutrients per sip, the better.

The Recipes. Here are a few creative diet juices I experimented with today. I must say, I loved the cantaloupe juice. I added a teaspoon of fresh ginger into this juice and it was delicious. I also loved the mint cucumber with lemon. This would taste delicious on a hot summer day - or even as the base for a mojito beverage. The jicama was incredibly....interesting. It juiced up frothy and white. The taste was ashy, sweet and dry. All the veggies I juiced had very low pulp - high water - which was what I was going for...

Diet Juice #1: Cantaloupe Ginger

1 cantaloupe
1-2 tablespoon of raw ginger

Wash cantaloupe well. Slice.
Slice of outer rind.
You can juice the cantaloupe with or without the seeds. I juiced it with the seeds and loved it. It is a tad sweeter without the seeds.
Juice in the ginger as well.
Serve or chill.

Calories: about 160-200 calories per cantaloupe
this recipe makes about 20 ounces total, serves 2-3 people
calories per 8 ounces: about 80 calories
Nutrients: high in vitamin A, C and potassium

Diet Juice #2 Cucumber Mint Lemon

1 large cucumber
organic, non-waxed pref'd
a handful of fresh mint leaves
½ lemon

Juice the cucumber with skin.
Juice the mint as well.
Squeeze in ½ lemon juice.
Stir. Serve as is, or over coconut water ice cubes or chill for later.
Garnish with fresh mint leaves and a stick of cucumber.
optional: a pinch of sea salt stirred in.

Calories: about 45-50 calories per recipe
this recipe makes about 14 ounces total, serves 1-2 people
calories per 7 ounces: about 25 calories
Nutrients: high in vitamin K, C and potassium

Diet Juice #3: Spicy Jicama Pear Carrot

¾ cup jicama juice
*about 1 cup chopped, peeled jicama
½ sweet ripe pear
*I used a bosc pear
2 medium carrots
*about 6" long and thin, the kind with the stems attached
1 teaspoon raw ginger
opt'l cayenne pepper on top

Peel the jicama, juice as much of it until you have about ¾ cup of it.
Juice in ½ pear, 2 medium carrots, and the ginger.
Stir and serve.
This juice has a very unique flavor - dry and rooty with a hint of sweetness from the pear and carrots.
I added a nice sprinkling of cayenne on top to increase the spiciness.

Calories: about 130 calories per recipe (jicama=45 calories, carrots=40 calories, pear=45 calories)
this recipe makes about 14 ounces total, serves 1-2 people
calories per 7 ounces: about 65 calories
Nutrients: rich in vitamin A, C and potassium

Straight-Up Jicama Juice (with a bit of leftover cucumber/mint):
Last Words About Diet Juices. Like I said, I believe you can drink any fresh-pressed juice as part of a healthy diet. But my favorite low-cal juices are spicy, hydrating, nutrient dense flavors that stomp on any food cravings and leave you feeling nourished, hydrated and well. Experiment with juicing different flavor combos of fruits and veggies and you may find that what you think is "dieting" is actually part of a wellness-based lifestyle. And soon "dieting" becomes more fun than dreadful...and not dieting at all.

I'm pretty gosh darn excited to launch a new site for my photography portfolio, photos.lunchboxbunch.com. It features a nice sampling of my recipe photos, and now you can see them super sized! Super yummy...

My photos are available for licensing, but hopefully you'll just like perusing the yummy recipes in super sized photos: just click the little arrows to see the thumbnails in big sizes. I hope you all like it as much as I do!

And yes, all the recipes from the photos were created, prepared and photographed by me - all are featured on this blog. All 100% vegan.

I will be adding a few more photos to this site in the future, but it will not be updated regularly - keep checking my blog for the latest recipes, tips and happy healthy stuff.

Let me know what you think and please re-post if you want to spread the happy yumminess!

~Kathy

http://photos.lunchboxbunch.com/

Juicing experimentation Friday! It's fun to creatively experiment with different fruit and veggie combos to discover new juice flavors - some that are surprisingly yummy! And one can only do so much with apples, pears, carrots, beets, oranges, spinach and ginger. So, as part of my Juicing for Health series, it's experimentation day. I'm juicing and taste-testing a few crazy flavors - so you don't have to! Curious about what broccoli juice tastes like? Just for fun, lets find out...

Broccoli juice? Yes, I am nuts. Sort've..

Sifting through my dwindling supply of fruits and veggies in my produce drawers (time to restock) my unstoppable curiosity has gotten the better of me! It leaves me asking questions like: what would broccoli taste like juiced? And, what about crisp bell peppers? So I grab a giant green bell pepper, the last bunch of those giant sweet black grapes and even the leftover stalk of organic green broccoli. I also grab a pear and some ginger - because every juicer knows that pear and ginger juice can fix almost any bad juice..

So what happens when I juice a few oddball flavors?

Green Bell Pepper Juice
Tasting Notes: Zesty, buttery, grassier than I had expected. Bright and light. Would go very well with citrus.
Juicing Note: Bell Pepper is an incredibly juicy veggie. It juices beautifully with very little pulp in the bin. A great add-in to any green juice. I'll bet yellow and red bell pepper would be delicious too.
Last Word: Yum! Zippy. Good add to a blended sweet green juice.

Broccoli Juice
Tasting Notes: Yikes. What is that smell? Reminds me of driving through Northern California's broccoli fields as a kid. Yikes. I take a sip: strong, foulish, grassy, not too good. However, the juice is a beautiful bright green color. Too bad the taste is blandly grassy and unappealing. I actually considered holding my nose tight as I sipped this juice.
Juicing Notes: Lots of pulp! Way too much pulp for this juice to be an efficient way of getting broccoli nutrients - I want all that fiber too! Perhaps a small handful of broccoli could be added to a large sweet green juice, but I'm really not a fan of broccoli juice.
Last Word: I'll eat my broccoli steamed with EVOO, garlic and Apple Cider Vinegar please. No broccoli juice for me thank you.

Black Grape Juice
Tasting Notes: Super tart and super sweet - in a pure-tastic way! Tastes like biting into a bunch of perfectly ripe black grapes. However, too sweet for me to be sipped on its own. This grape juice blends very well with the bell pepper juice - or perhaps another green veggie juice. Fresh grape juice sangria or spritzer over coconut water ice cubes anyone? Fresh grape juice lemonade would be tasty in the summertime.
Juicing Notes: Produces very little pulp, however the pulp that comes out is dark black! I just wonder if that means I am missing out on some of the grape skin nutrients. Hmm..
Last Word: Yum! I will definitely add a few grapes to my green juice now and then. Adds a fresh sweet-tart flavor that's bright and perky - and even a little complex. Thumbs up!
..fresh grape juice would also taste divine in a homemade pitcher of sangria!

Pulp:
End Result Juice: I managed to salvage my juice recipe (the one I ended up drinking) by combining: grape, bell pepper, pear and ginger - with a tiny bit of the broccoli juice. It was yummy and fresh, although quite different from my normal juice flavors. I don't think I'll go out of my way to make this combo, but it was a fun experiment. Hmm, what should I try juicing next experimentation Friday?? Mango juice? Heirloom tomato? Blueberry? Strawberry? Jicama? Asian Pear?

ps...all I can say is, I'm glad my husband wasn't home to smell (or taste) this broccoli juice - it's not a juice for those who are sensitive to green juice grassiness! But for those who like an adventure like me...try it once. ...but probably not twice 🙂

An intriguing brief interaction with Gael Greene on Twitter yesterday left me pondering, once again, the question: Can Vegan Food be Considered Gourmet? I am curious to see what you all think. Can tempeh, mushrooms and dairy-free risotto ever win the hearts of Gael and her utensil-wielding army of Gourmands?

Gourmand-A lover of good food. Someone who is extremely (and often excessively) fond of eating and drinking. A person with discriminating taste in food and wine. source: various online definitions.

You Say Gourmand, I Say Foodie. To me, gourmands, gourmets, foodies and epicures all love the same thing: Good Food. And they are all life-long students devoted to refining their palates and perfecting the art of eating.

Outside their own kitchen, foodies are raptured by the art of the dining experience: the reservation, the seating, the menu, the waiter, the pouring of the wine and water, the summoning of the dessert menu - or the refusing of it - as my foodie friend Jen likes to signal by waving her hand in refusal.

Foodies love to review the specials, refuse the pedestrian offerings, snicker at "Restaurant Week", chatter like they are Tom and Padma at Judges Table, order the Chef's tasting menu or off the menu completely, and give their waiter a thumbs up - or down. Foodies love food, and the rituals that come with it. And in all hopes, the food they eat will be something that inspires them, something they will come to crave and even recommend to fellow foodies.

Foodies are not Hermits. The most distinguishing trait that makes someone a foodie, rather than merely a passionate eater, is a sense of adventure. Foodies are driven by their craving from something new, experimental and even risky. Foodies go on dining adventures. Think Indiana Jones with a knife and fork. And yes, even those with restricted diets can be adventurous. Also true: foodies know what they like and dislike. For example, I know that if I dine on risotto, seitan skewers, salt and pepper oyster mushrooms and corn chowder from GoBo, my belly will be in heaven. But to eat this everyday would be a bore. So the hunt begins: what's new? What's trendy? What makes my eye pop open, my jaw drop and my mouth water? Foodies are defined by their sense of adventure.

Vegan Foodie. I call myself a vegan foodie. Obviously indicating that while I experience glee and bliss engaging in new food adventures (fine dining, grab-n-go and in my own kitchen), the vegan part of this title indicates that I care about plant-based ingredients, animals and a sense of kindness in the food I seek. I personally also care about the nutritional value of the food I eat - not all vegans are like this though. Vegan foodies have limits on their adventures. But on the same note, I will not curl up in a lettuce leaf and be timid in the face of mainstream dining.

Make Mine Vegan. Please. I love a good challenge when it comes to fine dining. I'm proud to have dined at some of the world's top rated restaurants - yes, I was that 'obnoxious vegan' in the dining room who requested her pasta dish, egg-free and without any cheese or cream. I have my limits, but I have gone to Le Bernardin, Butter, Felidia's, Morimoto, Craft and Jean Georges among others, and asked for my delicious gourmet meal to be prepared vegan. All obliged me, generously.

Even though ordering vegan at a non-vegan restaurant is stressful for me, it's worth it. In my own small way I feel as though I am reminding the kitchen staff that vegetarians and vegans eat too! More importantly, they are paying customers...

But Take Note: my favorite restaurants are the stress-free ones, aka veg or vegan: Candle 79, Dirt Candy, Counter, Blossom, Pure Food and Wine, Caravan of Dreams and GoBo - all in NYC. And in other states there is a wide pool of exquisite veg dining contenders. See my list in my FAQ's.

Others have their own opinions of vegan dining: SuperVegan is a great all around resource. And PETA ranks their top 8 Gourmet vegan restaurants here. Blackbook has their own veg and vegan LA dining list. And fellow vegan blogger QuarryGirl has a top 5 list of faves. Another Top 10 Veg NYC Restaurants list is here.

Is Vegan Food Gourmet? My short answer: yes. I came to this conclusion after a lot of foodie explorations. Don't agree? First, head to Blossom for a long romantic meal, GoBo for some butternut squash risotto, Candle 79 for seitan picatta, and Pure Food and Wine for raw lasagna and a mallomar. Then go to Dirt Candy and order any of Chef of the Year Amanda Cohen's vegan dishes - then I'll consider your appeal.

My personal collection of "gourmand-friendly" vegan recipes are proof enough for me. Here are a few recipes:

Soba Noodles with Beech Mushrooms
Triple S Risotto: Scallion, Sweet Potato, Sage
Fall Pasta: Butternut, Shiitake, Sage
Spicy Sweet Fiddleheads Pasta
Fennel Arugula Citrus Salad
Sunny Mushroom Tempeh AM Bagel
Golden Fried Fuyus
Triple Spicy Potatoes Au Gratin
Radishes with "Butter"
Chocolate Pom Parfait
Ginger Poppy Thyme Tea Cookies
Diva Tofu-ccino Parfait
Cheesecake Pumpkin Pie
Broccoli Jack Soup with Tempeh Croutons
Calm Chamomile Flower Smoothie
Butternut Squash Sage Dip
Summertime Lemon Focaccia Bread
Toasted Walnut Pesto
Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes
Tempeh Bacon, aka facon
Bullseye Spiral Wraps
Ginger Juice Shooters: Palate Cleanser

Respect. I respect Gael Green's opinion - whole-heartedly. However, I'm sure she will agree that one night at one restaurant shouldn't mark the end of her vegan food explorations. And sadly, Gael was being gentle in her remarks - though she represents a large number of foodies. There is a significant lack of respect for vegan food in the "foodie" "gourmand" community. How can I get Gael Greene and her utensil-wielding army of gourmands to take tofu, tempeh, seitan, vegan risotto, vegan pizza, vegan sausages, tempeh bacon, vegan cupcakes, dairy-free mac n cheese and sumptuous vegan desserts seriously? If someone like Gael can give vegan food a label of "gourmand-approved" perhaps more will agree.

Review the Tweets that inspired this post:

@GaelGreene: "Had hi hopes last night with vegetarian niece at Candle 79 Alas,there's no such thing as gourmet seitan & tempeh, not for me. #fb" -11:20 AM Feb 16th from web

@Lunchboxbunch: "Well if foie gras & caviar are "gourmet"..count me out. RT @GaelGreene ..there's no such thing as gourmet seitan & tempeh, not for me."

@Lunchboxbunch: "One of my fave dining experiences ever was @Candle79. @GaelGreene: If u r looking for snooty gourmet food/service, keep looking."

@GaelGreene: "@lunchboxbunch Apologies for using the word gourmet. I never do, Gourmands I know love caviar&foie gras.Tempeh is no subsitute 4 lamb chops" -about 3 hours ago from web in reply to lunchboxbunch

@Lunchboxbunch: "@GaelGreene I can agree with you on that on! And I'll take the tempeh... 🙂 RT "Tempeh is no subsitute 4 lamb chop"

How Do I Convince the Masses? Beg, plead and re-inspire non-veg foodies to try a week or weekend of vegan eating. Heck, start with one meal. Carnivore and vegan foodies are able to understand one thing: feeling fabulously! Vegan food is not only good for the planet, but good for the body, spirit and the heart. It makes you feel good. I have no doubts that eating a diet rich in plant-based foods for one week will leave you feeling healthy and full of energy. But you have to eat the right vegan food - a warning: yes, bad vegan food is alive and well. It must be carefully avoided. My advice:

Dine Out. Do your research and pick a good restaurant: Blossom, Dirt Candy, Pure Food and Wine, GoBo, Candle 79, Millennium, Madeleine Bistro, Sublime, Real Food Daily, M Cafe, Saf Restaurant and more... Do your foodie research and make a reservation. Reviews, yelpers and critics may be conflicting, but your own taste buds won't lie.

Dine In: Try a few of my favorite "gourmand-friendly" vegan recipes listed above. Give vegan food a whirl. A taste. A try. A nibble. Afterall, didn't I say that foodies are defined by their sense of adventure???...

March on foodies~

What do you think? Is vegan food gourmet? Why or why not? And really, what is a "gourmand" and "gourmet" anyways?

Green Juice gets a lot of buzz. But unlike more pedestrian juices like apple, orange and grape - "Green Juice" has an alluring level of mystery to it.

Green Potion. When I first heard the term green juice, I figured that it was some powerful health tonic or potion, the recipe a well-kept secret. But really, the term green juice, is meant to describe any juice - that is in fact some shade of the color green. Green juice may be a combination of fruit and veggies or it may be 100% veggies. Green Juice ingredients may be 100% crisp green, or a rainbow of colors.

Veggie Haters Drink Up. Many people might logically assume that if they hate veggies, they will hate green juice. Not so. Green juice, when properly prepared delivers delightful intermingling flavors: salty and sweet. Spicy and sour. Pungent and mild. Tart and warm. Each ingredient produces a unique flavor property - and with a little creative license, you can easily craft your perfect variation of "Green Juice". Here are my favorite recipes - and a few steps to creating your own...

See my Juicing Series for my series for Juicing for Health (and fun)!

My At-Home Juicing 101 is your complete guide from start to finish!

Vibrant Green Tonic:

Green Juice Ingredients. There is more than a handful of ingredients that you can add to your green juice recipe: beets, chard, arugula, spinach, lime, lemon, apple, pear, garlic, scallions, basil, cucumber, orange, kiwi, romaine, pineapple, mint and many many more. See towards the end of this post for my laundry list of Green Juice ingredients.

How Much Green Juice Do I Get? Leafy greens are a funny bunch, because unlike an orange or even an apple, it is tricky to predict how much juice will come from them. Here is one example to give you a feel for green juice amounts:

8 leaves of Rainbow Chard = 10 ounces green juice + foam.
Pulp = only about ⅓ cup:

Foamy Juice. Green Juice often foams up quite a lot. But not in the same debilitating way that pineapple juice does. In a good way. The end result is juice that is frothy and foamy, like a soy latte. Fresh, fluffy and delicious.

Green Juices 101. There are a few different flavors of juices: sweet, spicy, grassy, zesty, mild, juicy (hydrating), tart, bitter and sour. I like to keep about this ratio of juice in my green juices:

3 parts grassy greens juice
4 parts sweet juice
2 parts zesty/sour/tart juice
1 part spicy juice

Example:
3 parts romaine/spinach/cucumber juice
4 parts apple or pear juice
2 parts kiwi or lemon juice
1 part ginger

NOTE: Green Juice ingredients do not have to be all green! This may seem silly to say, but it is often a green juice myth among newbies.

Kitty Break! My view as I photographed the green juice:

The recipe I made for this post is one of my favorites. Here it is and a few other easy Green Juice recipes to try:

Sweet Garden Greens
vegan, serves two

3-4 ounces green chard juice
*About 3 medium leaves
1 extra large bosc pear
1 orange, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled
1 lime, peeled

Directions:

1. Wash your ingredients well.

2. Peel the rind off your lime and orange - discard. Slice your fruit.

3. Juice your chad greens, orange, lime, pear and ginger.

4. Serve immediately.

My Sweet Garden Greens Juice:

Straight-Up Rainbow Chard Juice, 100% Greens:

I also love this Vibrant Ginger Green Tonic Green Juice recipe.

Or this Apple Spinach Lemon Greenmarket Green Juice recipe.

Another Green Juice recipe I enjoy...

handful of spinach
a few pinches of parsley
2 celery stalks or cucumber
1 large organic green apple
1 tablespoon ginger
1 lemon
dash of cayenne

Green Juice Ingredients. Here are a few of my faves and my flavor analysis of them:

Greens Ingredients:
Arugula - spicy, grassy
Basil - sweet, spicy
Bell Pepper - hydrating, sweet, zesty
Cabbage - mildly grassy
Celery - zesty, hydrating
Chard - grassy, sweet
Cilantro - sweet, fragrant
Collard greens - grassy
Cucumbers - hydrating, sweet/sour
Endive - bitter
Fennel - anise, zesty
Green apples - very sweet, tart
Green grapes - very sweet, tart
Green onion - zesty, spicy
Green pears - very sweet
Honeydew - sweet, hydrating
Jalapeno - spicy, zesty
Kale - grassy, dark
Kiwifruit - tart, sweet, zesty
romaine - hydrating, mild, grassy
Limes - sour, zesty
Mache - grassy, dark
Parsley - grassy, zesty
Spinach - grassy, dark, pungent
Watercress - spicy, grassy, hydrating
Wheatgrass - very grassy
Zucchini - hydrating, mildly bitter
Mint - vibrant, minty, cooling
assorted green herbs

Non Green Ingredients
Pears - very sweet
Apples - sweet/tart
Ginger - very spicy
Orange - zesty, sweet
Lemon - tart, zesty (remove seeds)
Pineapple - zesty, very sweet
Carrots - sweet, thick
Grapefruit - sweet/tart, mildly bitter
Blueberries - sweet, thick
Jicama - thin, mild, cooling
Radish - zesty
Beet - sweet, dark
Garlic - zesty, spicy
Tomato - sweet, zesty

Other Add-in's:
Black Pepper - spicy
Spirulina - seaweed/nutrients
Cayenne - spicy

More Recipes and Green Juice combos to try...

*pineapple/mint/cucumber/arugula
*beet/leafy greens/carrot/lemon/ginger
*carrot/apple/spinach/ginger
*lemon/cucumber/apple
*scallion/kiwi/apple/celery
*celery/honeydew/parsley/lime
*beet/grapefruit/orange/spinach
*pear/ginger/celery/mint
*basil/tomato/celery/black pepper/cayenne
*bell pepper/apple/lemon
*orange/chard/apple/ginger
and on and on and on....

Get Creative and discover what Green Juice blend you fall in love with.

The Result: You'll be feeling vibrant and energized after a tall glass of green juice.

Who is Green Juicing?
*Sarma M, owner of Pure Food and Wine in NYC often tweets that she drinks about a quart of Green Juice a day! Her fave is "Swan Greens" available at One Lucky Duck in NYC. No wonder she glows so much.
*Celebs like Gwyneth Paltrow in her GOOP Newsletter, often remark of their love of Green Juice.
*Tons of Green Juice suppliers pop up all over the country. There's Blueprint Cleanse and Organic Avenue in NYC.

My AM Sunrise Juice is my morning glass of bliss. Fresh and fruity, sweet and zippy. Orange and pink swirls of citrus and carrot reflect the sunrise sky and inspire me to make my day beautiful, healthy and full of life. Nothing gets me 'glowing' in the morning like this juice! OK, OK enough of the sappiness, but it's true: fresh pressed juice awakens me in an invigorating way that not even the strongest espresso could rival. Get my recipe...

Juicing Series. I'm more than half-way through my Juicing for Health Series, and all the hesitations I had about doing a juicing series in the dead of winter, are gone.

I originally chose to do this series because one of my 2010 New Year's resolutions was to "juice everyday". Sadly, I had been miserably failing at that attempt. Does anyone ever keep their resolutions right off the bat?? So, I hoped that this series would re-inspire me to juice - and it did! I have been juicing every day through this series and loving every second of it. Juicing is addictive. And we all need a few healthy addictions in life. Juice every day for one week: and you'll be hooked.

The Reality of Juicing: Maybe you'll dread cleaning the juicer every day (even thoughclean-up only takes me about 2-4 minutes). And maybe you'll hate doing all that wash n chop food prep. And maybe you'll have to make a few extra shopping trips to have all those super fresh ingredients on hand. But, those extra tasks will seem trivial in the end. You'll crave the taste of fresh juice and you'll be addicted to the feeling you get after you drink it. Your coffee buzz will seem like a mild electric shock instead of a happy buzz. Your juice buzz will feel like a warm jacuzzi of energy, all-day-long.

Morning Juice. Every morning, I wake up thirsty for something that will make me glow as bright as the big ball of sun that beckoned me bedside, from my windowsill. Sometimes I reach for fresh fruit like a papaya, kiwi or citrus. Sometimes I crave something heartier like steel cut oats with a side of tempeh facon. And sometimes, I'll admit that I'm too busy to prepare something proper, and end up chugging a Venti soy Starbucks beverage half way through my morning. But I always pay for it in the end by crashing into a ball of steam by the end of the day. But when I find the time to juice a fresh tall glass of juice in the AM, I am always rewarded. That clean, revitalizing energy carries me though the day on a cloud. No crash and burn for me.

And this is the juice I crave most often...

Morning Flavors. Grapefruit. Not orange, grapefruit. On my first trip to Florida, a trip with my High School Jazz Choir to Disney's Magic Music Days in Orlando, I found myself in a large resort-style cafeteria watching tourists left and right gulp down stacks of white toast and pancakes, sugary cereals and not so fresh fruit. Junk food at each counter. Except for the grapefruit. There were beautiful grapefruit halves on display and I grabbed two each morning. Even back then, I wouldn't compromise wellness for a big bowl of sugary cereal. I ate two grapefruit halves, some bad coffee or tea and a bagel or whole wheat toast on the side-I forget. But those Florida grapefruits were unforgettable bliss.

My love of grapefruit leads me to crave it in the morning. It wakes me up. I like the slight bitterness combined with a tart sweetness. I love OJ, but grapefruit is my AM citrus of choice. So I combine a few more flavors like carrot, apple and ginger - and I'm set.

I like to peel my grapefruit like this before juicing (keep as much "good stuff" as you can):
Nutrients. This juice is a nutrition dream. It contains Vitamins A and C, and in plentiful amounts. There are about 225 calories in this recipe and it contains over 100% RDA of both vita A and C (from the carrots and grapefruit mostly).

Carrot Note: Do not use baby carrots. Use those nice bunches of carrots - organic is best. Read about the baby carrot chlorine and white blushing story here.

Greens: Optional. Yes, you can easily add a few giant leaves of chard, or some fresh spinach to this drink. It still tastes fabulous, even if the sunrise colors disappear into green.

Sunrise Juice
vegan, serves 1-2

1 small-medium pink grapefruit, peeled
1 small apple
*I used an organic Pink Lady apple
3-4 small organic carrots (length of a pencil, thickness of a dime)
*Fresh carrots, not baby carrots
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled
½ small lemon, peeled, de-seeded

Directions:

1. Juice all ingredients in your juicer. Drink. Smile.

Ready to Peruse Juicers on Amazon? My Juicer Picks:

There's one day of the year when the romantic combination of chocolate and red fruit tastes best: Valentine's Day.

We Heart Desserts. Chocolate covered strawberries, a choco-berry shake or even a chocolate-covered strawberry cake. Well now you have one more sweet silky dish to add to your chocolate meets red fruit repertoire: my Chocolate Pom-Rasp Pudding Parfait or Pie. Get creative: make a creamy no-bake pie, fill up parfait glasses complete with fluffy rice whip, or simply eat it by the spoonful with an avalanche of fresh raspberries on top.

Guilt-Free Dessert. And no post-VDay guilt here! This vegan dessert is healthy - it contains heart-healthy pomegranate juice, protein-rich silken tofu and fiber/antioxidant rich raspberries. Nothing says "I love you" more than feeding your hunny something healthy - and delicious. Whip out a blender and have this bake-free dessert on your candlelit table in about an hour (that includes fridge chill time) xxoo...

Happy Valentine's Day Dessert (any day of the year):

Pudding Pie or Parfait? When making this dish you have a few options in the outcome. You can pour the pudding into a graham cracker crust pie shell or you can scoop it layer by layer and build a parfait. You also have the option to adjust the thickness of your pudding. If you want a firmer pudding - keep the recipe as is. If you want a silkier yogurt-consistency pudding, add ¼-1/2 cup more soy milk to each recipe during the boiling stage of the directions.

Pie:

Parfait:

Pomegranate Juice. The recipe is heart-healthy due to the pomegranate juice, soy tofu, antioxidant-rich dark chocolate and even the fresh raspberries. Read all about pomegranate juice's superfruit and heart-health facts here.

Onto the Recipe...

Pom-Rasp Pudding
vegan

1 package vegan Vanilla Pudding Mix
*I use Dr. Oetker brand
1 lb silken tofu, drained
½ cup vanilla soy milk
¾ cup pomegranate juice
*I use POM brand 100% pomegranate juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
¼ cup sugar
1 cup raw brazil nuts
1 cup fresh raspberries, washed
optional: 2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
*use 1 tablespoon cornstarch as a sub

Directions:
1. Pour cold soy milk, opt'l arrowroot powder and pudding mix into a soup pot. Whisk to blend.

2. Turn on stove to high. Place pot over stove. Stir continuously, while liquid begins to boil and thicken.

3. Add in pomegranate juice, salt, tofu and sugar. Reduce heat a bit and continue gently stirring so sides do not burn.

4. Mash the tofu a good bit and when pudding mix has thickened, (this should take about 2-4 minutes) remove from heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool before blending.

5. Transfer vanilla pudding to blender (note: it will be considerably chunky before blending). Also add in the brazil nuts and raspberries.

6. Gently blend on low until all the ingredients have smoothed out. Always use extreme caution when blending heated ingredients.

7. Transfer to container to set aside - and continue onto the chocolate pudding.

Dark Chocolate Spice Pudding
vegan

1 package vegan Chocolate Pudding Mix
*I use Dr. Oetker brand
1 lb silken tofu, drained
½ cup vanilla soy milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon dark chocolate (about 3 big chunks or ¼ cup of chips)
½ teaspoon cinnamon
a few dashes of cayenne
optional: 2 tablespoon arrowroot powder
*use 1 tablespoon cornstarch as a sub

Directions:
1. Pour cold soy milk, opt'l arrowroot powder and pudding mix into a soup pot. Whisk to blend.

2. Turn on stove to high. Place pot over stove. Stir continuously, while liquid begins to boil and thicken.

3. Add in salt, tofu, spices and chocolate. Reduce heat a bit and continue gently stirring so sides do not burn.

4. Mash the tofu a good bit and when pudding mix has thickened, (this should take about 2-4 minutes) remove from heat and set aside for a few minutes to cool before blending.

5. Transfer chocolate pudding to blender (note: it will be considerably chunky before blending).

6. Gently blend on low until all the ingredients have smoothed out. Scrape sides well. Always use extreme caution when blending heated ingredients.

7. Begin building your parfaits or pie. Pour vanilla and chocolate puddings into dishes however you'd like. Smaller amounts of pudding (such as a tall glasses parfait) will chill more quickly than larger containers (such as a pie shell). Use fresh berries and rice whip to complete your presentation. A dash of cinnamon or cayenne on top is also nice

8. Allow to chill for at least 30 minute before serving. Overnight is best.

Enjoy! xxoo

Amount Note: This recipe contains two pudding recipes. One for the Pom-Rasp Pudding and one for the dark chocolate spice pudding. Each recipe makes about 4 cups of pudding - so you will have leftovers I'm sure. But that's OK! Just store in fridge and eat within a few days. You can also halve the recipes if you want a smaller portion prepared.

Ingredients Note: You will need, in addition to the recipe ingredients below, a graham cracker pie shell (if doing a pie), some fresh berries for garnishing, and also some optional rice whip.

Pink Heaven. Gulp down this silky fresh papaya juice for part two of Tropical Juices. In part one, we sipped on zippy golden pineapple juice. But what happens when we juice a precious pink papaya? Find out...

Papaya super fruit facts here.

Papaya Juice. I adore papayas. It's bordering on obsession. When they go on sale for at Whole Foods, I stock up and buy 2-3 at once. I have been eating papaya almost every morning for the past few months. Those cool, creamy, tummy-soothing spoonfuls of red papaya are addicting. Hydrating, nutrient-rich and easily digestible. Papaya is awesome. So what about papaya juice???

It's not juice, it's more of a papaya nectar. Since papaya breaks down so easily, some of the soft pulp slips through the gears of the machine and forms a thick silky nectar juice.

Taste? It's good, succulent actually. Chugged it. It would be yummy in a frozen papaya blended smoothie or margarita. But for now, I'll stick to eating my papayas whole.

Papaya Juice

1 whole papaya

Directions:

1. Slice papaya into chunks.

2. Remove skin and seeds.

3. Juice and enjoy!

4. Tip: Stick your papaya in the fridge before juicing so that your juice will come out cold.

Tropical juices are a magical breed. Island getaways, poolside sips, frothy topped glasses with pink umbrellas on top. Tropical beverages like fresh pineapple juice melt us into a sweet daydream, with just a simple sip from a glass.

Tropical fruits are mostly sweet, soft and incredibly hydrating. Pineapples, papaya, banana, coconut, guava and passion fruit are just a few of my fave fruits that come from warm sunny spots on the globe. Delicious to eat or to juice. So what happens when we juice a juicy golden pineapple? You might be surprised by the foamy results...

First up pineapple juice, then if part two of tropical juices - (later today) papaya juice.

Fruit Enzymes: Pineapple and Papaya. This duo of fruits are two of the most enzyme-famous fruits out there. Papaya is rich in papain and pineapple is rich in bromelin. Both these enzymes have been known to assist in digestion and aid a troubled tummy. It has also been said that fruit enzymes can help your body on other levels - like with allergies and detoxification of toxins. Chemistry 101 - an enzyme acts as a catalyst to speed up chemical reactions. Fruit enzymes are natures catalyst. Pineapple superfruit facts here.

Learn How to Chop a Pineapple here.

Pineapple Foam. It's a mysterious thing, the pineapple foam. But oh my gosh, "it's alive. It's alive." Anyone who has juiced a pineapple knows about "pineapple foam" When you crush and squeeze a pineapple, a peculiar white frothy foam boils up from the fruit chute. And I'm talking a lot of foam! It overflows my juicer and spills out all over my counter. But somehow I press on and finish juicing my pineapple - lots of white foam in the juice bin as well. I don't call it pineapple juice. It's really a pinapu-ccino.

Pineapple Foam reminds me of that scene in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, when the automobile thing starts spitting out foam from shiny silver pipes and trumpet-looking tubes - all over the kids and parents. Whap! A big swish of white foam right in Mike TV's mom's face. Maybe that was the excess from the pineapple candy.

Why do Pineapples Foam? My guess is it has something to do with the amount of air inside the pineapple flesh (all those grooves and such) - as well as the enzyme action as the juicer starts churning. Anyone have another explanation? I'd love to hear it.

Pineapple Juice

½ pineapple
*You can also juice the whole thing, but I like to keep some for eating.

Directions

1. Chop Pineapple - directions here.

2. Juice ½ of it and slice other half into chunks for eating.

3. Juice slowly. I had to use the 'reverse' button on my machine several times. If too much foam forms in your food chute, spoon it out and place directly in glasses - the foam will bubble away in a good few minutes.

Drink Up! Store juice in fridge for as long as it will last without someone chugging it. Up to a few days max. Fresh juice is always best.

Rich in raw ginger, antioxidants like vitamin C, my Super Sinus Juice will stimulate your taste buds and give your immune system a healthy boost. A bold dose of ginger is sure to give you that warm ginger buzz. This invigorating, fresh juice will make your eyes perk up, your head do a little shake and your mouth say "Wowsers!" You have been warned: this sweet-tart juice is spicy. But if you're tired of doing shots of hot sauce, hot mustard or wasabi to clear your sinuses - this recipe is worth a shot! Literally. Get my Super Sinus Juice recipe...

I Love Ginger Juice. Ginger is one ingredient that you can't squeeze in a citrus press, and you can't really blend it. (OK, it's possible to blend raw ginger, but it can get a bit mealy in texture). Raw ginger is best when juiced with a blend of fresh fruit/veggie juices. Thus, you will need some sort of juicing appliance to get this ginger juice kick.

No Juicer?? Ginger Craving Tip: If you are desperate and want some ginger without a juicer - try grating fresh ginger into a blender and blending it with fresh juice and coconut water ice or light smoothie ingredients. A good tsp-Tbsp of ginger will do it.

Another good option for your sinuses is inhaling hot ginger tea. Add a pouch of some fresh grated ginger to hot water and sweeten it to taste. Ginger tea bags are an even easier option (though I haven't tried this method).

Loving Your Ginger Buzz. That warming flavor wiggles on your tongue, then down your throat and up through your nose. It hums and sizzles for a few seconds before melting away into a warm soothing steam of spice. And then you want more, take another sip, and it starts again.

Real, Fresh Ginger is stimulating, invigorating, powerful and spicy. It is a warming ingredient that will perk up your senses and get your blood flowing. Ginger Ale from a can will not give you a true 'ginger buzz'. In fact, there are only a handful or truly respectful bottled 'ginger' beverages. Real fresh ginger is much more powerful than most products insinuate.

To get a bold ginger buzz, the ginger must be fresh, raw, and in this case - juiced. And if you really want an over-the-top "Oh my goodness, that's spicy!" moment, you will have to juice a brave amount of ginger. How's your ginger-drinking prowess?

Bonus Effects! Ginger is said to have anti-inflammatory properties and is well known for its tummy-soothing effects.

Spicy Red Cayenne: sideline spicy ingredient. You can add a tiny pinch or a few bold dashes. dash it on top, or swirl it in. Either way, you'll get an extra flame of heat for mouth - and out through your sinuses...breath out through your nose as you drink to speed things up.

Who Drinks Sinus Juice? I serve this juice to anyone with a cold, lazy immune system, stuffy nose or allergies. Congestion can sometimes be stimulated in such a way that your body naturally de-congests itself. No harsh pills needed. Super spicy soup, a spoonful of hot sauce, wasabi shots or my delicious choice for sinus clearing cravings: this juice. Give it a try and don't be afraid to add more ginger or cayenne if you're feeling brave!

Spiciness Troubleshooting: If the juice is too strong, juice another apple or two and add the juice into the mix.

If it is still too strong, try juicing in some celery or cucumber (if you have it on hand). This will cool down the ginger. But then again, this is super sinus juice, so hopefully you can brave the spicy sip.

Note: You can also substitute the orange for grapefruit - if you'd like.

Health Note: Always check with your doctor before overdoing it on any one ingredient. Ginger may even interact with certain medications. Just because it's natural, doesn't mean you shouldn't be careful!

Other Ginger Recipes I love:
Jazzy Apple Ginger Juice
Orange Glow Muffins
Ginger Juice Shooters
Yellow Fruity Frothy

I'm intrigued by the Vitamin D Discussion lately, especially when it comes to vitamin D2 vs. D3. And especially since at one point in my vegan diet life, I was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency. I was shocked. Embarrassed. And annoyed - at myself. Me? How?

Vitamin D Deficiency Diagnosis. The doctor wiggled my toes with various instruments and I was supposed to tell him which sensation was more intense or pointier. Apparently, I got "a few answers wrong." As he liked to put it, "I failed a few tests." He suspected, since I'm vegan, that I had a vitamin B12 deficiency. And possibly vitamin D deficiency. The test results returned and surprisingly, my B12 was perfect, but my vitamin D was super low. Here's what happened next, what I've learned since then, and what I'm still confused by. Vita D Discussion...

Diagnosis to Rx. The doctor immediately put me on a vitamin D prescription. It was a little green gelcap about the size of my pinkie nail. The dosage was intense, 50,000 units. But not per day. I took one pill a week for ten weeks. Then switched over to a daily vitamin D supplement to maintain my sufficient levels. Back then I wasn't too concerned about questioning my doctor. Nor am I today. But when I look back on this, I realized that the pill he prescribed me was vitamin D3 - it comes from animal sources. He knew I was vegan, but didn't seem to mention this. Looking back, I still would've taken the D3 pill no matter what. But I would've at least asked him if a vegan version, aka D2, was available via Rx. And what he thought on D2 vs D3. Ask questions.

*update 11/10: a lot of you have asked how my D levels are now. Well yes, my D levels did go up as a result of taking the prescription from my doctor. Since then I have been taking an over the counter supplement daily. I try to get my levels checked once a year now. Especially in the fall/winter when I'm indoors more often.*

D2 vs D3. If you don't already know, there are two (well actually 3) verisons of vitamin D. Vitamin D2 comes from plant sources and vitamin D3 comes from animal sources - sheep wool in fact. The third source of vitamin D is the sun. The Heart Scan Blog, a blog that has nothing but bad things to say about D2 says this:

"D2 comes from irradiated mushrooms and D3 comes from wool. In other words, D3 is the same kind of vitamin as humans get from the sun. Humans just don’t get enough and we can’t produce it on our own, like the sheep can. (D3 is natural for humans, D2 is not.)"

HSB goes on to describe how D2 is not natural for humans, and thus a poorer supplement. You can read the post "a case against D2" here. Although, many esteemed doctors and scientists still debate on whether or not D2 is as effective as D3. There are arguments on both sides.

In fact, in October 2009, Science Daily published a Boston University study that showed vitamin D2 to be just as effective as D3. Science Daily D2 Study Here.

The only reason I mention the Heart Scan Blog post is because it comes up very high in google searches, and apparently a lot of people are reading the case against D2 - D2, the vegan source of vitamin D supplementation. But is it true that D2 is the 'less effective' supplement? And what form do vita D fortified products use?

D Fortified Milk. Most people think that if they aren't getting their vita D from the sun, it is coming in supplementation form from their milk. Dairy or not. Soy milk, like dairy, is also fortified with vita D. (Check your nutrition labels). I checked all my soy milks, and not too surprisingly, they use D2. I also checked at Horizon Dairy online and they fortify their dairy milk with D3. The animal product form. Interestingly, not all dairy milks use D3. Some use D2 because it is cheaper than D3.

But what I am concerned with is the fact that all the vegan milk I drink, in my chai or espresso lattes, on my oatmeal, in my recipes and in my smoothies are fortified with D2. What does this mean if D2 truly is the less-effective supplement? Wouldn't all sunshine-lacking, vegans be deficient? And how would vegans survive in the dead of winter?

And how did I become vitamin D deficient when I consume at least 2-4 cups of D2 fortified soy milk a day?? Frustrating indeed. And the truth is, I don't have any answers right now to my questions. All I know is what I eat and how I feel.

Buying D2 Supplements: Part 1. A while back, after I finished my ten week Rx of vitamin D, I bought a few supplements at Whole Foods to maintain my D levels. One morning, I plopped my vitamin D supplement in my mouth and started to chew, yes chew. Yum. Vitamin D in gummie form. Sunny Gummies! I had taken these for about two weeks, when suddenly I glanced at the ingredients. Gelatin! D3! What? I purchased the product at Whole Foods and blindly assumed that the product was vegetarian and even vegan. Never assume! I remember spitting out that gummy mid chew and feeling really really dumb for not reading the label before buying. And it wasn't the D3 that bothered me. It was the gelatin. Aka ground up animal bones and such. Read Labels. Even at WF.

Supplements: Part 2. I went back to Whole Foods and scanned the vitamin D supplement section. I knew that a lot of vitamins contained gelatin in their capsules or gummy form, but for some reason I had gotten lax about checking lately. But I checked now. Wowsers. About half of the vitamin D supplements at Whole Foods used gelatin in their capsules. And about 99% of the brands used vitamin D3 instead of D2. Many of the multi vitamins also used D3. I really wanted to try a vegan D2, so I scanned the shelves. There was only one good brand that used 100% vegan ingredients: VegLife. It is lanolin free and 'high potency'. So I bought those, and have been taking them ever since.

But I really despise pills, even supplements. So what about natural food sources of vitamin D?...

Nutrition: Vitamin D in mushrooms. A while back, I tweeted that "Mushrooms are the only fruit or veggie (vegan food) that naturally contain vitamin D" It's true! And even more interestingly, there seems to be some discussion that when exposed to a ultraviolet light, the mushrooms vitamin D levels increased significantly. Vitamin D fortified mushrooms anyone? The mushroom Lady describes this finding: "It has been demonstrated that when white button mushrooms are exposed to Ultraviolet B radiation, for a short period of time, the level of Vitamin D increases to levels many times the minimum daily requirement, i.e. 10 mcg. Normally, a serving** of white button mushrooms contains 18 IU (0.45 mcg.). Treated mushrooms contain over 80 mcg.***"

Fortified Mushrooms: 100% Vita D. I thought this was pretty cool. A company called Monterey Mushrooms has started selling the 'light treated' shrooms, which they claim have 100% RDA of vitamin D. I haven't seen these in my grocery stores. But I would buy them! Vitamin D Mushrooms.

So for now, talk to your doctor first and foremost. I was glad my doctor tested me for vitamin D and B12 deficiency. But deficient or not, it's a good thing to know.

Also, eat your mushrooms, take a supplement, and get plenty of sunlight - if you can. Be a kitty in a sunbeam...

The Experts: Dr Weil. I was thrilled when recently Dr. Weil posted an article, "Why You Need More Vitamin D" on Huffington Post about vitamin D. In his article Dr Weil says, "I am raising my recommendation of 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day to 2,000 IU per day." Why? Here's his reasoning: "We have known for many years that we need vitamin D to facilitate calcium absorption and promote bone mineralization. But newer research has shown that we also need it for protection against a number of serious diseases. In recent years, scientists have discovered that it may help to prevent several cancers, cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disorders, psoriasis, diabetes, psychosis, and respiratory infections including colds and flu."

In the comments section of Dr Weil's post, I asked this question, "What are your thoughts on D2 vs. D3? I am vegan and would love to know that the vegan supplement (D2) is indeed as effective as the animal product supplement (D3)"
Here were the responses from random folks:
1. "I saw a very esteemed naturopath MD last week and he was very emphatic about me replacing my D2 with D3. " -Shutterbabe
2. "VD2 and Vd3 are not interchangeable. VD2 will not give you the remarkable benefits of VD3. See: www.vitamindcouncil.org" -Tritty

Hmm...There are a lot of interesting comments on this post, although not a whole lot of definite answers. And that seems to be where we are at right now. Everyone agrees that Vitamin D is important, but the D2 vs. D3 debate rages on.

I'll tell you first hand that a lot of discussion says that vegans - and everyone should be taking D3 for optimal supplementation. But the jury is still out. There are arguments on both sides of D2 vs D3, which "prove" that their supplement is effective.

Dr.Dowd: The Vitamin D Cure. Dr.Dowd wrote a book called The Vitamin D Cure. I haven't read it, but since he seems to be an authority on the subject, I wanted to see his POV of D2: What does he have to say on the D2 vs. D3 debate? Dowd answered this in a Vitamin Cure Blog post: "The short answer is Not D2."

Dr Dowd goes on to describe testing errors, vitamin forms and a lot of other stuff that only doctors would understand. In short, I'm still confused.

So I guess the answer for me is the same that it is for you: talk to your doctor, get your vitamin D levels checked and try to eat a healthy diet (rich in mushrooms and fortified non-dairy milk, if you're vegan).

And a few trips a year to a super sunny tropical island probably wouldn't hurt either. Take a vacay, get your vitamin D - sounds good to me. South Beach anyone?

It's a curious subject, juicing for health, so it's about time I did a new series on juicing! True, it's the middle of winter, but I can't stop dreaming about delicious, fresh-pressed, foam-capped juices.

Is Juicing for Me? Ever since my Fresh Apple Juice post, I have been receiving a slew of questions and comments about juicing. And most folks love the idea of juicing, but don't want to invest in a big counter-space taking machine if they aren't all that sure what they are getting themselves into. I understand completely! It took me about five years to decide that buying (and actually using) a high quality juicer was a good route for my kitchen life. I've been chugging fresh, real, cravable juice ever since...

Before you dive into this series. Check out my At-Home Juicing 101 - it's your complete guide to juicing from start to finish!

Kitchen Appliances: Valuable Counter Space. Someone asked me what my favorite kitchen appliances are. I said: My high-speed blender. My juicer. My food processor. And the devices that don't spend a lot of time on my counter, aka "cabinet-dwelling appliances" are: My bread maker. My Kitchen Aid. And my old coffee pot. We switched over to a N'espresso, although most days I stick with chai and tea. And my trinity of kitchen appliances has always been the same, juicer/blender/processor. Even when I had a rinky-dink $40 juicer, I still loved it. But as you'll learn in part one of this series, higher quality juices are gentler on your precious fresh juice.

Juicing for Health. Juicing is not only a delicious activity, but an incredibly healthy one. I call it an 'activity' because, yes, it does take some time. Juicing, in my opinion, is a bit more of a time commitment than smoothie-making. A smoothie can be blended and done with in about 3 minutes. Frozen fruit, juices and perhaps some fresh fruit are used. Less prep involved. Juicing takes a bit more work and time. Washing and chopping the produce, juicing, then proper clean up. But the rewards are plentiful....

Fresh juice is hard to find, unless you have a 24/7 juice bar in your very own kitchen!

Juicing for Fun. It's fun to juice! Juicing will be a new outlet for your foodie creativity. Yes, traditional apple-carrot or ginger-pear juices are delicious. But how about trying fuji apple/jicama/pineapple juice. Or ginger/tangerine/kumquat juice. What about apple/broccoli juice?? Intriguing right? Juicing is fun, and you can even get kids, husband, wife, friends and even pets involved. OK, not pets, but my kitty does like to watch me juice. I think she likes the whizzing whirling sound.

Here is the series schedule that will begin..tomorrow!

Juicing for Health Series

2/11/10 Meet My Juicer
Parts, tools, how-to, features and basics. Get a close-up look at my twin-gear, triturating juicer. I have a Super Angel, but there are plenty of slow-RPM juicers that are similar to mine.

2/12/10 Super Sinus Juice
This fruity juice is fabulous and stimulating! I make this juice for my friends and family when they are sick or having allergies. It helps stimulate your body and hopefully clear out those sinuses.

2/13/10 Tropical Juices: Papaya and Pineapple
Curious about what fresh papaya juice looks like? It's pink, sweet and succulent. But does it taste good? And what about fresh pressed pineapple juice? Find out...

2/15/10 Green Juice 101
Here it is, everything you wanted to know about the 'mysterious' 'hyped-up' Green Juice. I'll provide a few green juice recipes as well.

2/17/10 Morning Juice
This is my personal favorite recipe for juice in the AM.

2/19/10 Experimentation Day, aka Kooky Kombos
It's experimentation day! I'll show you just what happens when I juice some unlikely picks: broccoli, bell pepper, and a few other oddball juices may pop up here. Creativity brings juicing discoveries!

2/21/10 Diet Juices: Drink Up to Slim Down
Low calorie juices that will quench your thirst and provide you with enzyme-rich nutrients. Most all fresh-pressed juice is diet-friendly, but these are my faves for dieting success.

So tune in for lots of juicing fun over the next week...

Fresh Apple Juice from a foam topped glass.
Milky golden caramel color.
Drifting particles of green and yellow, like sand sifting through a sloshing sea.
Real Apple Juice.
It's not clear or shiny. It's matte.
It doesn't catch the sunlight like a clear glass of water.
It's opaque.
Like the deep sea or a river bed.
It's not perfectly bronze colored with a tinge of pretty red.
It's not even that pretty at all.
It's musty. It's soggy. It's hearty to swig.
I sip and it's like biting into a juicy apple.
The juice runs down my throat,
The dry sweetness gives me a burst of zestful energy.
Tart. Sweet. Nourishing.
Real Apple Juice is alive and well - if you know where to find it.

I Hate Apple Juice. All my life I've said that I hate apple juice. I hate the taste. I hate the color. I hate the silky clear texture and sting of the too-sweet aftertaste. But guess what. I wasn't drinking real apple juice. I was drinking processed apple flavored extract - or even apple water (my unofficial title for it.) Real apple juice is made from crushed, squished and squashed perfectly ripe apples. And the best juice comes from familiar hands. And I know where to find it...

Where Did Your Juice Come From? There are some things that, to me, are priceless. Like knowing where my food comes from, how fresh it is and whose hands picked it from its tree. Lately, the world of food has become downright scary, confusing and political. It's a spider web of words, labels and warnings, made to inform and ultimately concern you: GMO's. Pesticides. BPA. Factory Farms. FDA. Recall. Farmer's Market. Organic. Non-Organic. Free Range. Gluten. Soy. Local. Farmed. Dairy. Downed. Natural. Fresh. Vegan. PETA. Expiration Date. Processed. Trans Fat. Fast Food. Green. Healthy. Toxic.

One Word: Disconnected.

My Soap Box. I'm not alone in my belief that the tragedy of today's modern diet is the disconnect between ourselves and the food we eat. Knowledge is power. We all strive to live a healthy life, in a healthy environment. And eating well and being kind to our planet is essential to that. Ignoring the full life cycle of our food is irresponsible and foolish. Food brings us life, helps us grow, inspires us, comforts us, feeds our children and creates our landscapes. And food has an origin. That origin brings truth. No veils. No propaganda. No latched gates. No secrecy. But eating true is a constant challenge. Truth in food is, well, fuzzy. I wish I could grow my own apples and pluck them from the branches myself. But since I don't - at least I can know where my tall glass of fresh apple juice comes from - my kitchen.

So back to the apple juice...
Pop Quiz: How can you tell if it's fresh pressed juice?
Answer: the foam.

Apple Cider. The closest thing to real apple juice on the market today is apple cider. Real apple cider. The kind that come from a local apple orchard farm. They crush the apples whole and the end result is an opaque brown liquid that is pure apple flavor. Seeds. Stem. Core. Skin. Flesh. But even the local farms don't always have the best apple juice in town. Who does? You.

Making Fresh Apple Juice. If you don't own a juicer. Buy one. Really. It will change your life. You'll cringe at the sight of processed, shelf-stable, made-from-concentrate juices. And even the expensive from-fresh-fruit 'earthy-branded' juices that have been sitting in the store for only a day or two will seem pedestrian to you. There is nothing better than fresh juiced juice. Apple juice. Orange juice. Ginger Pear juice. Cucumber juice. Green juice. Pomegranate juice. Strawberry kiwi juice. Pineapple juice. Cantaloupe juice. Peach juice. Grape juice. Made at home. By you. In just a few minutes. Why not start by juicing some apples. Fresh Apple Juice will change your taste buds forever.

But you do need a juicer. Even an inexpensive one will do. Although the 'better' juicers are usually more expensive. Juicers 101 Guide here. Not convinced? Maybe your wallet will be...

Juicing Economics. Everyone's shopping situation is different. Maybe you live next door to an orchard and get fresh apple cider for $5 a gallon. Or maybe you have a swanky little juice bar at the corner of your street, and you gladly get a fresh pressed juice there every other day. Maybe it only costs you a few bucks. And that's a grand situation for you. But for most people, fresh juice. Real juice is hard to come by. And for me, it was really kinda expensive. After doing the cost breakdown: if I bought 50 ounces of juice every 2 weeks, I'd be spending about 1K a year. (This is for the highest quality juice at 75 cents/ounce or about $6 per serving of juice.) Making that same high quality juice at home would save me $500-$900 per year. My calculations are below.

How Much Juice Does ½ Peck of Apples Give You? I juiced a half a peck of Honeycrisp apples and about 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, plus one lemon. I got about 50 ounces of juice.

I also only got about 2 cups of dry pulp. Kudos to my Super Angel juicer:

Gourmet Juice=$$. Before I bought my juicer, I was obsessed with shopping at juice joints in NYC for their perfectly fresh juices, tonics and smoothies. But trust me, they are not cheap. $6 for 8 oz is the lower end of the price scale. But the juice was so amazingly delicious, I bought it. So don't get me wrong, fresh-pressed juices are totally worth the price - especially if you don't juice at home. But I knew for me, I could find a less expensive, equally healthy alternative. So I bought a juicer. At home juicing was my answer.

Though, I'll admit to still frequenting fancy juice bars for their snacks, juices and raw food. They serve delicious fresh juice - from a familiar hand. And there are amazing juice bars all over the globe. High quality ingredients, high quality staff and an overall enjoyable 'eat n drink' experience. But the downfall is that they charge a (well-deserved) pretty penny for their delicious, premium and irresistibly healthy offerings. So juicing at home gives my pocketbook a breather.

Saving Money. So how much juice can I get out of one half peck of Honeycrisp apples? 50 ounces. And how much would I have to pay for that juice in a store? Almost 40 bucks. And how much money would I save if I made my own juice? See below...

½ peck of apples = about 8 large Honeycrisp apples
Cost of ½ peck premium apples at local orchard = $8-$13
*mine cost $10, will use this figure
½ peck = about 5 pounds of apples
Juice produced from 1 peck = 50 ounces (Super Angel juicer)
Juice price per ounce at premium juice store= $.75

Price for 50 oz. at store = $37.50
Price for 50 oz. at home = $10*
*you should also factor in my previous investment in a high quality juicer...

Lets say you drink 25 oz. apple juice per week, 50 oz. per two weeks. You'd spend:

Per Year at Home = $260
Per Year at Store = $975

If you bought 50 oz every 2 weeks a year, you'd save: $715 per year.

The Clincher...I did this experiment using Honeycrisp apples, which are just about the most expensive apples you can buy. Just imagine if I had only spent, say, $5 on my ½ peck of apples, a common price. That would only cost me $130 a year. Plus I'd save $845 a year.

I can crunch numbers, facts, figures and discuss economics - that might get your attention - but the real lesson here is about the origin of the food we eat. Where did your apple juice come from? A factory? Or your kitchen?

I'll say it again. The tragedy of today's modern diet is the disconnect between ourselves and the food we eat. Connect. Step One: Fresh Apple Juice?

Super Bowl Sunday means super sized snacking! But even if you've blown your day on salty chips, chunky dips and other easy-to-overdo snacks - there's no reason why you can't turn your 'munchies' game plan around at halftime and be feeling healthy and happy by the 4th quarter. Whisper this new strategy to your QB, aka your tummy. And what do ya know -you've scored. Touchdown. Game: You. You've just won a big fat shiny trophy of health. Put down that potato chip and keep reading! Get back in the game...

Super Bowl Snacking: The After Effects. There are five big problems that come from the big game day: dehydration, indigestion/bloating, nausea, fatigue and feeling crappy due to a lack of nutrient-dense foods. Here are my tips and recipes on how to get off the bench and win the game, er win your health and happiness.

After Effect #1 Dehydration
Too much alcohol or soda, too much salt and too many 'dry' water-devoid snack foods can leave you feeling less than hydrated. Try these:
*Coconut Water. Drink it all through halftime, and you may be back in the game by the 4th.
*Fresh Water. Sounds simple, but a few extra glasses of fresh, pure water can help you hydrate through your couch game.
*Healthy 'SlurpE'. Try this: blend 2 cups of fruit juice with 2 cups of coconut water (or regular) ice cubes. You'll get a nice chilled frosty beverage that will hydrate you and also cool off your dry parched mouth. I like concord grape juice slushees, or cashew fruit juice slushees.

After Effect #2 Indigestion and Bloating
Eating too many processed enzyme-deficient foods can leave you feeling bloated and benched, er couched.. Indigestion is the pits and there's not a whole lot you can do, but wait for your tummy to take its course. But here are a few foods that might speed things up a bit due to their natural enzymes:
*Papaya. Papaya is rich in the enzyme papain, which is known for its digestion inducing effects. Try raw papaya chunks, or even papaya tablets that can be purchased at a natural foods store.
*Pineapple. Pineapple is another fruit that contains a strong digestive enzyme: bromelain. I personally like to juice whole pineapple fresh, instead of consuming too much fibrous pineapple. You can juice it or eat a few chunks whole. But always use fresh, not canned pineapple for ultimate enzyme effects.
Enzyme Smoothies and juices:
Double Fruit Enzyme Smoothie
Pineapple Enzyme Banana Smoothie

After Effect #3: Nausea
Too many crazy food combos, think olives, pickles, mustard, salsa, spicy chips, bean dip and creamy dip. And maybe too much alcohol and jumping around cheering for your team, can leave you a bit nauseous. Try these..
*Ginger. Ginger cookies, fresh ginger beverages, ginger juice, ginger muffins or even ginger infused food recipes can be a good way to calm your tummy. My favorite way to get a dose of ginger is my Ginger Juice Shooters.
*Bananas. Bananas are fabulous for unhappy tummies. A nice ripe banana may help soothe your stomach and make you feel a bit more balanced.
*Smoothies and Juices:
Yellow Fruity Frothy with Ginger
Calm Tummy Banana Smoothie
Ginger Snap Smoothie
Calm Chamomile Banana Smoothie

After Effect #4: Nutrition Booster Needed!
Processed foods with little nutrients like antioxidants, minerals and enzymes can leave you feeling - crappy. Here are a few easy ways to get a nutrition boost:
*Fresh Fruit or Veggies. Simple, eh. Try munching on a fresh-cut apple. Fresh squeezed OJ. A light leafy green salad or even some steamed greens with a dash of EVOO, ACV (apple cider vinegar) and garlic. Yum.
Recipes:
Green Juice
Triple Threat Acai
Wild Blueberry Kickstart Smoothie

After Effect #5: Fatigue
Snoozing by halftime is no fun. Your Super Bowl snacks may have knocked you into a processed foods coma. Get off the couch and into the kitchen to blend up these fast delicious easy energy smoothies:
Easy Energy Almond Butter Shake
Or try these easy recipes:
Bullseye Spirals with Roasted Red Peppers
Sweet Treats:
Chai Berry Short-Cup
Zesty Lemon Custard Bars
Plum (Fruit) Perfect Parfait

So don't beat yourself up if you over-indulged this Super Bowl Sunday. Remember that health doesn't start tomorrow or yesterday. Health starts now. Today. This meal. You make the choice to eat healthy - or not at every single bite. What will your next bite be?...

It's easy and fun to make healthy homemade dips. Five delicious and colorful flavors: Pure Olive, Roasted Red Pepper Salsa, Green Dream Dip, Maple Sweet Potato and Savory Sunny Mushroom Dip. These dips are also delicious spreads for sandwiches - and your grocery bill: $10. Your Super Bowl, Housewarming, Holiday and Birthday parties will never be the same... And that's a good thing. Get my recipes...

Ingredients List. Get the ingredients list in Part one of this post. Also check out the grocery list bill breakdown ($10 total for ingredients) in part one.

Beans! Beans are really the backbone of these recipes. They provide a hearty texture and a nice dose of nutrients like protein and fiber. The beans act as a delicious canvas for the fresh flavors. This is a great way to sneak beans into your diet - read more healthy bean facts here.

Taste Test. I had my husband taste test all these dips without telling him the ingredients (he hates beans). He loved them all. He had no idea that beans are in every recipe, except the salsa. FYI, his faves were the salsa, shroom (heated) and olive. My faves are the sweet potato and green dream dip. Onto my recipes...

Pure Olive Dip
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

Roasted Pepper Salsa
1 large red pepper, roasted over stove
1 cup organic salsa

Maple Sweet Potato Dip
1 cup cooked sweet potato,
*about 1 small potato
½ cup cannellini beans, drained
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 small orange, juiced
pinch of sea salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Green Dream Dip
½ cup cannellini beans, drained
½ small ripe avocado
1 ½-2 cups raw baby spinach
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ lemon, juiced
pinch of sea salt
a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Savory Sunny Mushroom Dip
1 cup baby bella or white mushrooms, sliced
1 cup garbanzo beans, drained
1 tablespoon EVOO
½ lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
pinch of sea salt (omit if using salted seeds)
a few grinds of fresh black pepper

Directions:

1. Gather all your ingredients. Set up your serving bowls - five in all. I used my serving bowls to separate the ingredients for each dip.

2. Open your bean cans, and divide the beans as needed for each recipe - into the bowls.

3. Set up your food processor - I use a Mini 2-Speed Food Chopper for these small portion recipes.

4. You can do the dips in any order, but this is how I did it. It allows for optimal speed with less rinsing out the food processor (fp). My Order:
1) Sweet potato Dip. Blend. No need to rinse.
2) Olive Dip. Blend. No Need to Rinse.
3) Mushroom Dip. Blend. Rinse container/blade.
4) Green Dream Dip. Blend. Rinse container/blade.
5) Roasted Red Pepper Salsa.

5. First up, Sweet Potato Dip: Heat a small sweet potato, remove skin, add to fp. Add beans, maple syrup, a pinch of salt and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Blend, until thick. Then add in the fresh OJ and blend again. Pour into serving bowl. And Yum:

6. Next blend the Pure Olive Dip. Add olives, EVOO, pepper (no salt because the olives are salty enough) and beans to the fp. Blend until chunky-smooth. Pour into serving dish.

7. Next is the Savory Sunny Mushroom dip. Since both the olive and shroom dips are dark colors, it's OK to blend back to back w/o rinsing. However, you certainly can rinse for the purest flavors or food allergy considerations. Mushroom dip add: mushrooms, sunflower seeds, lemon juice, beans and s&p. If you are using salted sunflower seeds - no added salt is needed - raw sees will require a pinch of salt. Note: You will have about ¾ cup garbanzo beans leftover from can - you can save in fridge, add extra beans to one of the dips, or make a double portion of the mushroom dip by doubling all the ingredients. Or get creative and make a bonus dip from pantry ingredients you have on hand.

8. Next is the Green Dream Dip. You will need to rinse your fp before blending this dip. You don't want black 'green' dip. Add: ½ ripe avocado, baby spinach, s&p, red pepper flakes (more flakes, more heat) and lemon juice. Blend until creamy-chunky. Pour into serving dish. *note: you will have an extra ½ avocado - either store it, or slice and serve as a garnish for your dip platter. Splash with lemon juice so it doesn't brown.

9. Last up is the Roasted Red Pepper Salsa - this is super easy. Stick your red pepper over a gas burner for about 1 minutes, turning every few seconds. Get it nice and roasted on all sides. Roasting a Pepper 101 here. After your pepper is roasted, chop it into rough big chunks (toss the seeds/stem) and place in fp. Add your salsa and blend. You won't believe how this process turns store bought salsa into something that tastes homemade and super yummy. Pour into serving dish.

10. Garnish your plates with chips, crackers, sticks, bread, pita, veggie sticks, whatever you'd like. Serve and enjoy!

Store dips in the fridge for up to one day. Be sure to cover tightly while in fridge so they don't oxidize too much.

NOTE: Both the sweet potato and mushroom dips can be served warm or cold. I actually prefer the sweet potato and mushroom dips warm. You can heat in oven for a few minutes, or microwave. Serve the olive, green and salsa's at room temp to chilled.

SIZE NOTE: Vegan Dip Tasting. Make all 5 at once using the ingredients I have given you - each recipe produces a tasting portion of each dip - about 1 ½+ cups. For a big party, you'll need to double the recipes below. Once you are familiar with the recipes, you can choose your faves and adjust the ingredient amounts for larger portions.

Every winter I like to step back and remind myself to eat the rainbow by perusing my colorful fruits and veggies list. Farmer's Market, or not, it is up to each of us to seek out a wide variety of healthy fruits and veggies every single day.

"Healthy" isn't Seasonal. Even though the sun may be hiding behind a soggy gray stack of snow-filled clouds or maybe there is just an extra bite of chill in the air - eating a colorful assortment of produce is a year-round commitment to make for your health. Lean away from consuming too much of your favorite beige foods. Fill in the gaps with colors. Lots of beautiful, juicy, sweet, ripe colors. But don't make yourself crazy trying to restrict your diet - focus on adding in the good stuff: living plant-based foods. Let the rainbow guide you. Pretend that every day you wake up, you are an artist painting a beautiful rainbow of health. You can't paint a rainbow with beige. So here is a handy list of produce to keep your artists "paint palate" full of colorful fruits and veggies...

Vegetarian Diet - Boring?! I love reading over this list to remind myself how many diverse fruits and vegetables there are to eat. I hate it when people ask me "So, what do you eat anyways?" or "Don't you get bored?" Anyone who says eating a vegetarian or vegan diet is boring - needs a bit of a wake-up call by reading this list. And just think, this is just some of the fruits and veggies (I'm sure I missed a few) - and I'm not even including all the various grains, beans, seeds and nuts out there as well.

The "Eating the Rainbow" idea has definitely caught on for kids and adults. Everyone from the CDC to Oprah has embraced the idea of eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies on a daily basis. What colors will you eat today?...

You know red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple - but don't forget white, black and even pink fruits and veggies...

Colorful Fruits and Veggies List

RED
Beets
Cherries
Chili peppers
Cranberries
Pomegranate
Radish
Raspberries
Red Apple
Rhubarb
Red bell pepper
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Watermelon

ORANGE
Apricot
Butternut squash
Carrots
Fuyu
Kumquats
Mango
Minola
Nectarine
Orange
Peach
Persimmon
Pumpkin
Satsuma
Sweet Potatoes
Tangerine

YELLOW
Corn
Canary melon
Crenshaw melon
Lemon
Passion fruit
Pears
Pineapple
Plantains
Quince
Starfruit
White grapefruit
Yellow apples
Yellow onion
Yellow squash

GREEN
Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocados
Basil
Bell Pepper
Bok choy
Broccoflower
Broccoli
Broccoli rabe
Brussel sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Chard
Chayote squash
Cilantro
Collard greens
Cucumbers
Edamame
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Green apples
Green beans
Green cabbage
Green grapes
Green olives
Green onion
Green pears
Green peppers
Honeydew
Jalapeno
Kale
Kiwifruit
Leafy greens
Leeks
Lettuce
Limes
Mache
Okra
Parsley
Peas
Poblano Pepper
Snap Peas
Sno Peas
Spinach
Sprouts
Sugar snap peas
Tomatillo
Watercress
Zucchini
other leafy greens
assorted green herbs

BLUE*
Blueberries
*Blue and Purple represent a similar color category

PURPLE
Acai
Boysenberries
Eggplant
Fig
Purple grapes
Purple plums
Radicchio
Shallots
Turnip

WHITE
Asian pear
Banana
Cauliflower
Coconut
Garlic
Ginger
Jicama
Lychee
Mushrooms
Onion
Parsnips
Potato
Soy beans, mature
White asparagus
White corn
White peaches

BLACK
Blackberries
Dates
Mushrooms
Truffles
Black currents
Black grapes
Black olives
Black plums

PINK
Grapefruit
Guava
Papaya

Read last year's winter reminder.

My Creamy Herbed Cauliflower Soup is a warming way to get your cruciferous veggie intake. All you need is a big head of organic cauliflower, one big potato, a sweet onion, a few pantry items and a creative does of herbs and spices like saffron, chives, garlic and thyme. This soup can be in your bowl in under 30 minutes. Sluuurp!...

Organic Cauliflower. I'll admit that I often avoid buying cauliflower simply because it looks a tad intimidating. Giant. White. Lumpy. Hard. And sometimes I talk myself out of buying it by saying: "well if I'm buying a cruciferous floret-containing veggie - I'll just buy broccoli. It's healthy green and easy." But when I saw this fresh, beautiful organic cauliflower on sale at Whole Foods, I decided to give in and make a creamy cauliflower soup - a perfect dinner on a chilly night.

Cauliflower and Health. Cauliflower is high in vitamin C, K, folate and fiber. WHFoods says about cauliflower:
"Cauliflower and other cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage, and kale, contain compounds that may help prevent cancer. These compounds appear to stop enzymes from activating cancer-causing agents in the body, and they increase the activity of enzymes that disable and eliminate carcinogens." They also comment that cauliflower may assist in the detoxification process. Read more about cauliflower's health benefits on WHFoods.

Easy, Creamy Cauliflower Soup. This luscious and decadent soup is naturally creamy using soy milk, organic cauliflower and white potatoes. Low in fat and high in flavor - I have spiced it with a combo of fresh and dried herbs: saffron, garlic, pepper, thyme, rosemary, parsley and chives. You can choose whatever herbs you'd like. Onto the recipe...

Organic Creamy Herbed Cauliflower Soup
vegan, makes about 10 cups

1 teaspoon EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
1 cup sweet onion, chopped
¼ cup ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar)
2 cups chopped white potato (about 1 large potato, skin on)
1 ½ cups veggie broth OR water+veggie bouillon cube
2 ½ cups plain soy milk
1 large head organic cauliflower
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon maple syrup, Grade B pref'd
1 ½ cups loose parsley
2 tablespoon dried herbs/spices (any combo)
*I used (garlic powder, oregano, thyme, rosemary and chives)
2 tablespoon cashews or sunflower seeds (optional)

Saffron Roux
1 cup plain soy milk
1 cup veggie broth or water + veggie bouillon cube
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon saffron strands

Topping:
crumbled cauliflower florets, fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Place large soup pot on stove over med-high heat. Add EVOO.

2. Add chopped onion and saute for a minute.

3. Add in chopped potato.

4. Turn up heat and add in ACV, veggie broth, soy milk and chopped cauliflower. Add cauliflower in broken crumbled pieces. Cover with lid or foil and allow soup to 'steam cook' cauliflower for about 4 minutes.

5. When cauliflower and potatoes are tender, add in your dried herbs, pepper, mustard and maple syrup. Fold these items into the soup - let cook for another minute.

6. Turn off heat and remove pot from stove. Transfer soup to a large mixing bowl to cool for a few minutes.

7. While soup mixture is cooling, turn stove back on. Place your soup pot back on medium heat. Add your roux liquids and whisk in the liquid bit by bit. Try not to create clumps. When all the flour has dissolved into liquid to form a thick liquid, add in the saffron strands. Turn off heat, and set aside.

8. Carefully transfer soup mixture to a high speed blender - blend in batches - not all at once. I blended the soup in three separate batches. NOTE: You will add the parsley and optional nuts/seeds directly to the blender to blend with the soup.

9. In the last batch of soup you blend, add the roux. Then combine all the blended soup and fold gently. Eat at once, store in the fridge or pour soup back into soup pot to simmer until ready to serve.

Garnish with fresh raw cauliflower crumbles

Note: When re-heating, you may want to add a bit more soy milk or veggie broth to thin out the soup.

Other Optional Ingredients:
*2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
*1 tablespoon Vegenaise
*1 cup tempeh cubes
*2 cups leafy greens, chopped
*fresh ginger

Newsflash, Super Bowl snacks can be healthy and delicious! So even if you've decided to plop down on the couch and happily claim the title couch potato for a day - at least you can munch on some healthy snacks that won't bore you (ie, the bean dip, salsa, bean dip, cheese dip, ranch, salsa, bean dip, snoozer...) or knock you into a football snack coma by halftime.

Super Bowl Dips: Not Very Athletic. Most of the 'dip' you find at the supermarket is loaded with fat, sodium, preservatives and sometimes even worse - like trans fat, artificial colorings or chemicals. And be honest - they aren't really all that yummy anyways. In fact, some of them are quite nasty tasting. So why do people buy them? Because they are easy and cheap. So what if you could make a whole Super Bowl worth of delicious, healthy, easy dips and spreads - five different flavors - for only ten bucks? Get ready to be wowed by your culinary skills...

Don't Fear the Couch. When I think about what some folks do on Super Bowl Sunday, I cringe. It's the ultimate in health disasters. Turn on a 6+ hour television event - stick some fried salty chips in a giant bowl, a plethora of unhealthy 'dips' and other cheesy, gooey, high calorie, low-nutrient processed foods - a few bottles of beer and soda - and call the day a cultural tradition. Well I'd looove to change that tradition. Yes, you can still plop on the couch and declare Super Bowl Sunday a 'lazy day' but why not munch on healthy snacks?

The Test. And if you think your boyfriend, husband or other sports fan guests won't eat 'healthy snacks' - do this: place both the healthy dips and the unhealthy dips on your appetizer platter. You might be surprised which dip disappears first.

Super Bowl Dips Part One: Shopping list

Before I share my recipes in PART TWO with you, I want to give you the shopping list. And show you how easy it is to save money by making your own spreads, dips, tapenades and salsas at home. By using fresh, healthy, you-pick-them-out ingredients, you guarantee optimal flavor and nutrition. None of this "sitting on a shelf for a month or more" stuff. Just think about when that dip was actually made? It sat in a warehouse, a box, a delivery truck, a back warehouse, a box, a shelf, a shelf, a shelf - and finally your cart, then your kitchen cabinet and finally your mouth. Hmm, not too appetizing is it?

Save Money. Check out your shopping list and how you will be able to do this for around $10. Five premium dips at Whole Foods would cost me around $25. The 'best' brand I can find is $5 each. And mine are better - and fresher.

What you'll need and estimated cost:
*prices are based on an estimated cost - prices vary by location/store
1 can cannellini beans $1
½ can garbanzo beans $.40
1 can of black olives $1.20
1 cup sliced mushrooms $1
handful spinach $.40
1 red pepper $1.80
1 cup store-bought salsa $.50
1 small sweet potato $1
a bit of EVOO $.50
some maple syrup $.50
some sunflower seeds $.20
1 lemon $.50
1 juicy orange $.50
½ avocado $.50
a black pepper grinder - pennies
sea salt - pennies
COST: $10 (give or take a bit depending where you shop, not bad)

How Much Dip? *note that each recipe will be making about 1 ½-2 cups of dip. That is about 8+ cups of dip total. Plenty for your Super Bowl party.

How Long? I made all these dips in about 25 minutes. All you need is a food processor. I used a mini sized food processor.

So now that you have your ingredients list, check out the recipes I'll be posting in the next blog post...later today:

The Recipes

1 - Pure Olive Dip
2 - Roasted Red Pepper Salsa
3 - Green Dream Dip
4 - Sweet Maple Sweet Potato Dip
5 - Savory Sunny Mushroom Dip

Recipes later today...

I'm actually kinda excited for the season premiere of LOST on ABC tonight. Even though I just started watching last season. Thus I put together a top ten list of recipes suitable for even the most devoted of LOST fans.

These recipes are sure to put you in a tropical breeze, aqua blue water, salty-sea-air, stranded, foraging for coconuts, plowing through palm trees, birds squawking, sandy sea shore kinda mood. My top ten list...

First pour yourself some premium red sangria, and browse these island eats...

You might want to check out the very cool LOST grid on TwitGrids.com too. It helps me be a litle less confused - listening to all the LOST Twitter chatter..
Top Ten LOST Premiere Party Munchies

10. Island Papaya Bowl with Lime
9. Totally Tropical Summer Smoothie
8. Oatmeal Bake Tiki Squares
7. Meyer Lemon Custard Island Parfait
6. Surfer's Sunrise Golden Fruit Salad
5. ONE Coconut Water with a Splash, Pink Guava flavor
4. Fresh Strawberry Papaya Coconut Smoothie
3. Tropical Pink Cashew Juice Smoothie
2. Wiki-Wiki Volcano Couscous
1. Coconut Water! Seasonal Hydration Beverage... or just grab some coconut water ice cubes for whatever bevie you choose...

Happy Lost Watching!
http://abc.go.com/shows/lost

My Lemon Pepper Two Bean Salad is a super easy vegan recipe that packs plenty of protein, fiber and flavor in each bean-filled bite. The flavors: zesty lemon, fresh energizing parsley, a splash of sweet vinegar, warm black pepper and an optional hint of sweet maple syrup.

Crave the Bean. It's easy to crave beans. Maybe because beans are rich in nutrients like folate, protein, iron, fiber, manganese and more. Plus at under $1 a can, beans are an economical way to get vegan protein. This recipe is easy, zesty, healthy and full of flavor. Get it...

The Perfect Food. My favorite nutrition 101 professor in college always used to say "beans are the perfect food for women." Mostly because they are a low-fat, high protein, vegetarian way to get nutrients like iron and fiber. Plus, they are satisfying and full of flavor. And with so many bean varieties to choose from, you will never get bored by beans. And yes, beans are a 'perfect food' for men too.

Two Beans. I chose chickpeas, aka garbanzo beans and kidney beans for my salad. But you can use any two you'd like: chickpeas, kidney, cannellini, pinto, black, lima, navy or fava. Just be sure to choose unsalted beans, and organic beans are always preferred. One can of beans can cost anywhere from 75 cents to $3 a can.

Nutrition Facts. This recipe makes about 5 cups of bean salad. Each 1 cup serving contains about 200 calories, 9 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein. There is about 4 grams of healthy fat per serving. This salad is rich in antioxidants like vitamin C from the healthy ingredients lemon and parsley. Plus you are getting plenty of living enzymes from the parsley and lemon.

Lemon Pepper Two Bean Salad
vegan, makes about 5 cups

15 ounces garbanzo beans (1 can)
15 ounces kidney beans (1 can)
1 ½ cups parsley, finely chopped
1 large lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
*apple cider vinegar can also be used
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
*I used a combo of fresh ground black pepper and fine black pepper
dash of salt (opt'l)
drizzle of grade B maple syrup (opt'l)

Directions:

1. Drain and rinse your canned beans. Rinse in ice cold water. Pat dry with a paper towel and pour into a large mixing bowl.

2. Juice your lemon and add juice to mixing bowl.

3. Chop your parsley and add to mixing bowl. Also add in vinegar, pepper and optional maple syrup and salt.

4. Toss salad well - with a folding motion. Try not to mash beans. Transfer to serving dish.

5. Cover, and place salad in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Longer is fine too.

6. Serve chilled on its own, or as a side dish.

NOTE: For a lower sodium version, remove the vinegar and salt and simply add in another ½ lemon, juiced. Also add in the optional maple syrup - you can also use agave syrup or a teaspoon of brown sugar. (The sweeteners bring out the natural bean flavor and also compliment the tart lemon juice quite well.)

UPDATE: I wrote something about "rice and beans" making a complete protein. After a bit of research, I removed this text. Even though I was taught this lesson in college, it appears that new research claims it to be a myth. Read DrWeil's commentary on the complete protein myth here.

Nutrition Facts
per serving, about 5 servings per recipe
1 serving= about 1 cup

209 calories
Saturated fatty acids: 0.62g
Monounsaturated fatty acids: 2.57g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 0.97g
Total fat: 4.17g
Calories from fat: 37
Cholesterol: --
Carbohydrate: 34.20g
Total dietary fiber: 9.01g
Protein: 9.28g

vitamins/minerals:
Calcium: 85mg
Iron: 3.50mg
Magnesium: 58mg
Phosphorus: 165mg
Potassium: 462mg
Sodium: 633mg
Zinc: 1.50mg
Copper: 0.30mg
Manganese: 0.73mg
Selenium: 3.18μg
Vitamin C: 40.32mg
Thiamin: 0.14mg
Pantothenic acid: 0.44mg
Vitamin B6: 0.48mg

*calculated with MacGourmet Deluxe

My 29th birthday this past Saturday was full of snow, smiles and Sandy Vanilla Bean Cupcakes. Check out my scrumptious birthday cupcakes, and why I think blueberries should be named purpleberries!...

Birthday Snow! This year, I experienced my very first ever birthday snowstorm. Fun! I spent the day snow-strolling, bday brunching, baking cupcakes, then going out for a bday Fiesta dinner. (I always boast about my long line of fabulous bday dinners with my husband: Candle 79, Blossom NYC, Dos Caminos Park Ave, Le Bernadin and Nora's in DC. This bday was also awesome.

Sandy Shore Cupcakes. It's funny when my birthday rolls around because all I want to do is help out with the bday treats. Plus my husband's homemade treat specialty is brownies...and that's about it. So we were excited to craft my bday cupcakes together.

Ocean Cupcakes. It's the middle of winter, and I wanted beach cupcakes! Blue and aqua frosting with a side of sandy shore sugar on top. I wanted vanilla bean cupcakes with a vanilla cashew cream frosting - dyed blue to match the ocean. Lets just say my plan didn't work out. I had been inspired by the beautiful color of Martha Stewart's blue-frosted beach cupcakes here. However, my tidepool dreams dried up and I was left with nothing but a sandy, yet delicious, shore...


Fruity Food Coloring. My big plan was to use fresh pulverized blueberries as the 'natural blue food coloring'. Lesson learned: blueberries do not make a blue color...they make icing a light pastel purple! Hmm...maybe they should've named them purpleberries. So when my ocean color didn't work out, I decided to nix the ocean and simply do seaside sandy shore cupcakes. The 'sandy shore' was a combo of orange sugar sprinkles and crushed graham cracker crumbs. I did do a nice "whole blueberry" ocean on a few of the cupcakes. It was fun, the cupcakes were delicious and that's really all that matters.

Here is the recipe my husband used for the cupcake batter, and my frosting:

Sandy Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
vegan

1 box Dr.Oetker organic Vanilla Cake Mix
¼ cup organic canola oil
1 large ripe organic banana, mashed
*my egg replacer
1 cup soy milk, vanilla
1 whole vanilla bean, seeds scraped
dash of cinnamon
dash of baking powder

Cashew Cream Frosting
vegan
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread, softened
1 cup raw cashews, unsalted
3 tablespoon soy or hemp milk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean seeds
*I adjusted the ingredients until my desired thickness was reached.

Topping
Orange colored natural sugar sprinkles
8 graham crackers + 2 dashes cinnamon
optional: blueberries on top

Directions:

1. Combine cake batter ingredients, stir well.

2. Pour cupcake batter into paper muffin cups.

3. Place muffins into preheated 350 degree oven.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

5. While cupcakes are cooking, prepare frosting. Add all ingredients to a food processor. Add cashews last. You will need to process long enough to break cashews into tiny bits. Chunky is OK too.

6. You may want to adjust ingredients for frosting to meet your needs. Add more buttery spread for a creamier, richer frosting. Add more cashews for a milder in sweetness and 'chunkier' frosting. Add more sugar for a super thick sweeter frosting. Place frosting in fridge to harden. Note: You will need to store frosted cupcakes in the fridge when using a "buttery spread" based frosting.

7. Crush your graham crackers/cinnamon in a food processor. Pour into a shallow bowl and set aside.

9. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool completely - about 45 minutes. The frosting should be firm by now as well.

10. Frost cupcakes.

11. Dip into orange sugar topping, followed by graham cracker crumbs. Add blueberries (opt'l).

Place cupcakes in fridge until ready to be served.
Store in fridge.

My previous vegan Mac n Cheese recipe posts have been 100% nutritional yeast free. But now that I have embraced my new-found love of nutritional yeast flakes, I've also fallen in love with my two new pasta recipes.

Mac n Cheese recipe #1 is for a simple Nutritional Yeast Easy Mac n Cheese. Basic, from scratch. Creamy. Healthy. And full of nutty sweet flavor. Recipe #2 is for my Baked Dill Mac n Cheese. It is a bit more complex, rich and dense. Less creaminess, more bite. It combines the flavors of fresh dill, sweet potato and sweet onion with a hint of spicy vegan sausages folded in. Bubbly vegan cheese on top. Whichever recipe you choose, you'll be making a warm, cozy and healthy dish for you and your family. Get "cheesy"...

Mac n Cheese Basics. There are two basic ways to prepare mac n cheese: straight-up pasta folded into sauce, or you can take a second step and bake the mac n cheese. Baking mac n cheese marinates the cheesy flavors into the pasta. The pasta becomes super tender, and the sauce reduces a bit to make a thick and hearty bite, rather than a 'wet' bite. Baked mac n cheese can be topped with vegan cheese, breadcrumbs or even fresh veggies and/or herbs.

My Two Recipes. My first recipe, is a "from scratch" recipe using nutritional yeast as the flavor base of the sauce. Sweet potato also adds flavor, sweetness and texture to the sauce. The second recipe easily uses Edward and Son's boxed mac n cheese, with a few added flavor ingredients. However, you can easily make the mac in recipe one and substitute it for the boxed mac in recipe 2. So it's your choice - make the sauce from scratch - or use a boxed powder.

Mac Virgins. If you've never tasted nutritional yeast based vegan mac n cheese before and don't want to invest in a giant canister of nutritional yeast - the boxed product from Edward and Son's is a good test-run route to taste.

Pasta. I like to use whole wheat pasta or gluten free rice pasta for my mac. Sometimes I will use a traditional shell or macaroni shape and then I will also add in some leftover long pasta like angel hair. I find that using a mix of pasta varieties in one dish gives the mac a unique complexity - plus it is a great way to use up leftover boxes and bags of various pasta! You can use whatever pasta you like best. Now check out these two dishes...

Baked Dill Mac n Cheese, with spicy "sausage":

Nutritional Yeast Quick Mac n Cheese:


Mac Recipe #1 of 2..

Nutritional Yeast Quick Mac n Cheese
vegan

6-7 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 ½ cups plain soy milk
1 cup sweet potato, mashed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (opt'l)
½ cup onion
8 oz pasta
*I used whole wheat shells

Directions:

1. First check out these optional ingredients:
* For a ultra-rich n creamy sauce, use half soy milk/half soy creamer as liquid.
* You can bake this pasta and add a thin layer of vegan cheese on top to get that bubbly baked look and taste.
* 1 tablespoon of Vegenaise - adds a sweet creamy accent.

2. Heat your sweet potato - about small to medium sized - in the microwave or oven. Heat until cooked through.

3. Boil some salted water on the stove and drop your pasta for cooking as directed on box/bag.

4. While your pasta is cooking, add your nutritional yeast flakes, garlic powder, pepper, vinegar and soy milk to a large mixing bowl. Stir well.

4. Finely chop your onion and add it to the mixing bowl. Mix.

5. When your sweet potato is ready, peel off the skin and mash it well. Scoop about 1 cup of the mashed sweet potato into your mixing bowl. Mash it well into the liquid. You should get a nice thick creamy orange sauce. You can always add more liquid if you'd like a thinner sauce. And you can add more sweet potato if you'd like it super thick and a tad sweeter. You can even add in more nutri-yeast flakes for an extra strong nutty 'cheese' flavor.

6. Drain your cooked pasta and drop it right into you mixing bowl and fold in the sauce. You won't need to heat the pasta 'cheese' sauce separately because the warm pasta will provide heat. However, you can keep the pasta warm in a 180 degree oven, or re-heat in oven or microwave as needed.

Serve and enjoy some easy vegan comfort pasta!

Mac Recipe #2

Baked Dill Mac n Chreese
vegan

1 box mac n chreese, cheddar
*Edward and Son's brand
1 cup sweet potato, mashed
1 ¼ cups soy milk, plain
big handful of fresh dill, chopped
1 tablespoon Vegenaise (optional)
1 spicy vegan sausage
*Field Roast brand, Mexican Chipotle flavored
½ cup onion
topping: ¼ cup shredded or sliced vegan white cheese
NOTE: If you don't have an Edward and Son's boxed mac n chreese, you can use the above 'nutritional yeast mac' recipe and make your own pasta and cheese sauce from scratch, - boxed or from scratch - either way will be delicious.
*If you use the nutritional yeast recipe, omit the sweet potato and onion from this baked dill recipe.

Directions:

1. Bake your sweet potato.

2. Thinly chop your onion.

3. Boil some salted water and drop your pasta (boxed or your own variety).

4. In a large mixing bowl, add you own from scratch nutritional yeast sauce (recipe above) or add the boxed mac powder pack the the bowl and add in the remaining ingredients - soy milk, onion and mashed sweet potato. Mix well until a nice creamy sauce forms.

5. Add your cooked pasta to your sauce, and fold well.

6. Chop your vegan sausage into thin rounds and fold into pasta.

7. Lastly, fold in your chopped dill.

8. Pour your pasta into a medium sized bread pan or a small casserole dish. Cover with a thin layer of vegan cheese. I use Follow Your Heart brand Monterey Jack cheese. You can drizzle with some optional EVOO if you'd like as well. Tomato-y Idea: You can even add a can of whole San Marzano tomatoes to the bottom layer of this dish if you'd like. Use a larger dish if you add the tomatoes.

9. Place uncovered, in hot oven on broil for 4 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees, cover pasta with foil, and bake for additional 10-15 minutes. Keep in warm oven until ready to serve.

I often confess to you that I hate nutritional yeast flakes. Well not anymore! I've rediscovered them and realized why I hated them in the first place. My story, and why you should consider embracing nutritional yeast flakes too. For health and flavor!...

Where to Find Nutritional Yeast. It's 8pm on a tired Thursday. I am wandering the aisles of Whole Foods Market with my poor husband in tow, an over-filled, incredibly heavy hand cart strapped to his wrists. "It has to be here!" I mumbled to myself as I wandered down every aisle - on a mission. A mission to find nutritional yeast.

I looked in the spices and baking section - scouring each jar-filled rack from almond extract to za'atar. No such luck. I looked in the yeast section - nothing. Hmm, of course! Look in the nutrition section! OK, OK, I didn't figure that one out myself. I had to ask a WF employee - he graciously ushered me over to the nutritional yeast section - right below the smoothie mixes and protein powder. Aha!

There were about five or so brands - large canister containers. I settled on the Kal Nutrition brand of Nutritional Yeast Flakes. I chose that brand because it had a few added in vitamins like B12 and folic acid. Yay! I was so excited to find it because I had been looking for it (although not so-proactively until now) for a few months. I smiled widely at my hubby, "Isn't this exciting?!" He wasn't as excited as me, but that's OK. So off to the checkout stand we went.

Nutritional Yeast Flakes Taste Test: Take Two! Now you see, I've bought, tasted and tried nutritional yeast flakes in the past. About 5 years ago I bought a small curious bottle of nutritional yeast flakes at some grocery store. I forget the brand. I tried making vegan mac n cheese. It was horrible! I then tasted the flakes in another recipe and still - horrible. The flakes smelly fishy and rancid and almost sour. I decided I did not like nutritional yeast and would never try it again!

Cut to five years later, when I tried THIS nutritional yeast in a pasta recipe and love, love, loved it! One sniff from the canister and I knew these flakes were yummy. Nutty, salty aroma. Yum! (FYI - nutri-yeast is very low in sodium) My final stance is that I either bought a very poor brand of nutri-yeast or it simply really was a rancid, gone bad bottle. Odd. Anyways, I'm so thrilled to have resolved my "issues" with nutritional yeast. I was really starting to wonder about my vegan taste buds - since every vegan I know raves about vegan nutri-yeast mac n cheese...FYI I will be posting TWO NEW nutri-yeast mac-n-cheese recipes later tonight - or this weekend! yes! Here is a sneak peek of one of my recipes:

Side Note: The one thing that really spurred me to try nutri-yeast again was the fact that I love Edward and Son's vegan boxed mac n chreese. It is flavored by nutritional yeast...this was my first inclination to do a do-over taste test.

Now let me convince you why nutritional yeast flakes are so gosh darn healthy!...

Nutritional Yeast Flakes and Health. Healthy as can be! Here are just a few reasons why nutri-yeast flakes are healthy (I am taking nutrition info from my Kal Nutrition Nutritional Yeast Flakes canister):

*no added wheat, corn, milk, egg, soy, glutens, sucrose, animal products, artificial colors, starch or preservatives.

*gluten free

3 tablespoon contains:
*only 80 calories
*9 grams of protein, only 1 gram of fat (not saturated) and 14 grams of carbs.
*5 grams of fiber
*11% RDA of potassium
*only 5mg of sodium, that's

If you're a vegetarian who can't cook tofu, you're probably feeling a bit frustrated, so here are a few of my cooking tofu tips and advice.

Tofu Overload. Just a few years ago, it seemed tofu was "the protein" for vegans and vegetarians. But as nutrition facts spread, more people learned that tofu definitely wasn't the only way to get animal-free protein. And with so many vegan protein foods, from exotic vegan products featuring seitan and tempeh to whole grains, lentils, nuts, beans and good ol' veggies, tofu is really just a sometimes food, instead of an every meal food.

I still love tofu. And it is quite helpful if you know how to turn that lifeless white block of sludge into something mouthwatering and delicious. It can be done. I was inspired to write down these tips when I received an email from a very frustrated vegan who says she "can't cook tofu worth a lick!" Check out her email and my response. Get some tofu help!...

Enia's email:
Hi Kathy, My name is Enia and I'm a recent vegan (1 year). I found your blog when I was trying to prepare my first vegan Thanksgiving. I love your recipes but I have a problem. A giant problem for a vegan to have: I can't cook tofu worth a lick. I like it when I eat it in restaurants so I know it's me and not the tofu. It either comes out dry and spongy or falls apart. I don't know what I'm doing wrong: I'm a pretty good cook otherwise. Do you have any tips you can share? Basically, I want to pan fry it or bake it and make it have flavor. I see that you make delicious-looking tofu all the time. So can you help with some very rudimentary directions? I would appreciate it forever.
Thanks in advance, Enia

My "Tofu Help" Response. Such a great email, and such a common question. I will admit that I am not a 'tofu expert' by any means, but I have figured out how to turn it into something I love and even something I crave. So here are my tofu tips:

*Quality Matters. There are a lot of various tofu brands out there. And yes, some brands are better than others. There are even a few artisanal tofu brands you can find at farmer's markets and local stores. One example is Hodo Soy in San Fran, CA. My advice is to try at least three different brands and decide which suites you best. Not all tofu is created equal. I have always been impressed with Vermont Soy tofu, but there are many high quality brands on your grocery store shelf.

*Silken or Firm? Silken tofu is generally used for recipes other than a straight-up saute. Choose firm or extra firm tofu for a saute or baking recipe. I prefer extra firm since it pretty much guarantees that my tofu won't fall apart. However, if you are seeking a pillowy tofu, firm may be for you.

*Low Moisture. Always squeeze as much moisture out of your tofu before placing it on the pan. Use a few paper towels and wrap it tightly - let it sit for a while and soak up the excess moisture. Some chefs even let tofu soak in towels overnights. More moisture out, the more flavor can get in.

*High Heat. Make sure your pan and braising/oil liquid is HOT. This is important for that beautiful brown sear color and texture you want on your pan sauteed tofu.

*Keep it Moist in the Pan. You can pan-saute tofu in either oil or a combination of liquids - I use and combine everything from fruit juice, vinegar, agave syrup, maple syrup, orange or lemon juice, water, wine, oils, marinades, soy sauce, miso soup, liquid smoke and of course veggie broth. I use a combo of different liquids for each recipe. You can't just wipe a teaspoon of oil in your pan and expect to get a flavorful saute. Tofu is not a seasoned food, and thus needs a a lot of flavor added to make it tasty. The good thing is that tofu is like a sponge and will easily soak up all the flavorful liquids and even dried herbs and spices that you add to it. Also read my Braising 101 Post here for tofu braising info.

*Spices. I always add flavor in the form of liquids and dry spices/herbs to my tofu. My favorites are garlic powder, cayenne, black pepper, turmeric, paprika, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, onion powder and my favorite for a savory Mexican flavor: cumin powder. I will either add these spices to my marinade, or sprinkle them directly on the tofu before and while sauteing.

*Salting. Tofu needs salt. It just does. Even a tiny pinch will do a world of good. I like to add a pinch of coarse sea salt at the end of my saute or bake. You can also add salt in the form of vinegars and soy sauce during the cooking process. Pepper too. A pinch of fresh pepper makes your tofu extra happy.

*Tofu Needs You! I never just let my tofu sit on the pan - for too long. I like to get a super high heat and do a tossing style saute until the edges are browned and the center seems fluffy and moist. Also, moving the tofu around creates steam, which further pulls the moisture out. Notes: to create a nice seared color on your tofu, you will want to let it sit in the hot pan for a few seconds, followed by a brisk shake of the pan and flip of the tofu. A larger cut of tofu will need to sit longer to create a sear. Bottom Line: Don't walk away from the tofu, it needs your eyes.

*Baking Tofu. If you are baking tofu, bake covered for a moist spongy texture and uncovered for a dry firm texture. Baked tofu should be marinaded first. But if you bake tofu in a sauce or liquid, you will likely get super mushy tofu- yet still flavorful. Sometimes 'mushy' tofu is yummy, but it's not always what you want. Baking tofu if helpful if you want a no oil added tofu dish. While a high heat saute, does usually require oil.

*Freezing Tofu. You may have heard that if you freeze tofu before cooking with it, you will get an extra fluffy, luscious tofu texture. I have personally never tried freezing tofu for texture, but it never hurts to experiment. I have been fine using tofu straight from the container.

*Marinate Tofu! If you have time, after you have squeezed your tofu "dry" with a paper towel, set it in a marinade liquid for a few minutes - a few hours or overnight is even better. When I marinate my tofu, I like to use enough liquid to cover my tofu and let it soak for half a day. Flavor galore!

*Cube it! When I don't have time to marinade and want my tofu in under 20 minutes, I like to cube it. Then saute. Cubing it makes tofu cook faster and creates more surface area, for those nice brown crispy edges I love so much.

*Troubleshooting. If your tofu starts to burn on the pan before it is fully cooked, keep adding in a tiny bit of liquid like water, broth or an acid like vinegar/citrus juice. This will deglaze the pan (get the flavors moving around off the pan) and it will also create steam to keep the cooking going. You don't want your high heat pan to burn up. A burnt pan is a good path to a tofu disaster. Towards the end of the cooking process, make sure there is no liquid in the pan - this will get the edges crispy and brown! But don't overcook and dry out your tofu. Be sure to move the tofu around in the pan a lot (a nice shaking and tossing motion with the pan will work).

*Tools: Don't use a fork or tongs with tofu. Use a soft wooden spoon or a high heat spatula or long spoon. You don't want to harm the tofu. Use a wide saute pan. If you must use a soup pot, you will have to use a lower heat to avoid burning the sides of the pan.

I know that was a lot of information thrown at you in odd snippets, but I hope you can reference a few of my anecdotes and be on your way to delicious tasting and looking tofu. ~Kathy

A few of my fave tofu recipes:
Ginger Mandarin Rice with Cashew Tofu
Cranberry-Soy Sauce Tofu
BBQ Sauced Tofu
Sesame Peanut Crusted Tofu
Fluffy Coconut Rice with Tofu Pillows
Zen Green Tofu Salad
Tofu Scramble

What is kombucha? What is this mysterious, fizzy, fermented, fabulous, fun and buzz-worthy bottled drink? Find out...

I love kombucha! But what is it anyways? Kombucha (pronounced com-boo-ka) is a fizzy fermented tea beverage that is a health-seeker's delight. So in short, it's fermented tea. "Fermented foods are foods produced or preserved by the action of microorganisms." -Wikipedia Fermentation is the healthy transformation in which "good" or healthy bacteria begin to form in foods. Other fermented foods include pickles, yogurt, sauerkraut, kimchee, tempeh, miso and more.

Fun Fact: The science of fermentation is known as zymology.

Kombucha can be found in health food stores and grocery stores such as Whole Foods Market. My favorite flavor/brand is Synergy's guava flavored kombucha. However, I haven't tried a few of the newer brands on the market, so I won't say yet that Synergy is 'the best'. But I'm guessing it has the widest distribution in the US. I see it everywhere.

Health claims. Cure-All? There are many health claims surrounding kombucha such as increased energy, weight loss, better skin, better digestion, detoxification of toxins and many more. Hmm, I certainly do not think kombucha is a "cure-all" as some sites and company's claim.

I personally drink it because it just makes me feel good and hydrated! I crave those fizzy fermented bubbles. Kombucha's health claims cannot be truly verified, as is the case for many food items claiming increased health with consumption. Also, kombucha products are sold as "a dietary supplement" in the United States - not a drug, which would require the companies selling kombucha to formally verify to the FDA its safety and effectiveness against its health claims.

"Although there is limited specific scientific information supporting any purported benefits and a lack of studies being conducted, much anecdotal information purporting its historical medicinal value has been reported.[1] Kombucha is available commercially, but can be made at home by fermenting tea using a visible solid mass of microorganisms called a kombucha culture or mushroom."-wikipedia, kombucha

I just chugged a bottle of the guava flavor by Synergy, in a frosted wine glass. It helps get me through an afternoon. Better than coffee for sure....I don't drink it daily though, maybe just 1-3 times a week. And sometimes I just don't crave it for weeks and weeks.

And yes, I tried making it myself once...failed miserably. I'll leave the kombucha crafting to the experts.

For more fun facts, info and consumption recommendations about kombucha you can check out these websites:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/eto/content/eto_5_3x_kombucha_tea.asp?si
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kombucha
http://www.sulis-health.co.uk/kombucha/facts.shtml
http://www.kombucha-research.com/
http://www.synergydrinks.com/kombucha.html
http://organiclivingcorner.com/organickombuchateafacts.aspx

My Sunny Asparagus Tapenade is the perfect recipe to perk up any dish - sandwiches, salads, pasta or appetizer platters. Plus, you'll be adding a delicious dose of super fresh, healthy veggies to your meal or snack. Gourmet. Simple. Yummy. Versatile.

Homemade Tapenade. I must say, I've been quite obsessed with veggie tapenades lately. You know, the kind that come in those cute little jars and have simple ingredients like olive oil, salt, garlic, capers, pepper, spices and some sort of main veggie ingredient. Olives, artichoke, red pepper etc. Such simple, timeless flavors - blissfully delicious. Light bulb! Hmm, why spend $3-8 per tiny jar when I could easily make these myself - with handpicked, super fresh, creative ingredients? Thus I set off to create my very first homemade tapenade. Did it work? Well lets put it this way, I could barely stop licking the spoon as I tried to carry on with my tapenade photo shoot. Delicious. Easy. A real recipe winner. Get it...

Thick or Thin? The one thing I noticed about making tapenade is that I had a lot of extra water in my mix. My tapenade blended up kinda slushy at first, but I added another scoop of sunflower seeds and even a palmful of croutons, and it firmed right up. Plus, blending for a long time helps too. And you will want to drain your asparagus (or any veggie ingredient) well before placing it in my Vitamix.

My final result was a tapenade that was a bit thinner in consistency than the jarred store-bought brands - but that extra water is healthy! A higher water content makes your tapenade much more hydrating than the bottled tapenades. That means less calories per bite. And don't worry, there's no sacrifice in flavor. The freshness of the flavors send you into loud moans of "mmmmm!" Asparagus never tasted so elegantly delish!

Sunny Asparagus Tapenade
vegan,
makes about 10 servings, one serving = 3.2 tablespoon - recipe makes just over 2 cups of tapenade

¼ cup lemon juice
¾ cup parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons agave syrup
⅓ cup sunflower seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, optional
12 ounces asparagus

Directions:

1. Chop your raw asparagus. Add it to a soup pot of salted boiling water. Boil for 4-5 minutes. Strain, and rinse well with ice cold water, or submerge into ice bath. Set aside. Leave out 1-2 asparagus tips for garnish.

2. To a high speed blender or food processor, add your lemon and orange juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, agave syrup, parsley, spicy red pepper flakes and sunflower seeds. Lightly blend.

3. Add in the chopped and blanched asparagus. Blend until smooth.

4. Do a taste test. If you'd like a thicker tapenade, add 2 tablespoon of plain vegan croutons. Or bread sticks. Or day old bread.

5. Pour tapenade into a serving dish and garnish with asparagus spear and whole sunflower seeds. Chill or serve at once. Serve with crackers, veggie sticks or spread on toasts and sandwiches.

Nutritional Info per serving
1 serving = 3.2 Tbsp
about 10 servings per recipe

*I used my new Vitamix to pulse this dip into creamy, yet chunky perfection.

Food energy: 58 calories
Saturated fatty acids: 0.48g
Monounsaturated fatty acids: 1.50g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 1.86g
Total fat: 3.85g
Calories from fat: 34
Cholesterol: --
Carbohydrate, by difference: 5.16g
Total dietary fiber: 1.52g
Protein: 1.81g
Total lipid (fat): 4.03g

*calculated with MacGourmet

This dark, damp, oddly humid, and blustery morning I had a thirst to check out Starbucks new teas and vegan cookies. I had been hearing speckled rumors about new vegan cookies, full-leaf teas in tin containers and a few other healthy on-the-go snacks - I had to investigate this. The pale sunrise ushered me to the store where other groggy eyed, open-coated, thirsty early-morningers stood in a willowy long line. Orders were being shouted out left and right "Skinny Latte!" "Half-Caf Coffee." "Triple Venti Soy Latte!" "Double Tall No Foam Latte" "Grande Mocha, No Whip!" Etc. Etc. Etc.

Taste test! New treats indeed - Starbucks has set up a huge "snack station" - a bunch of straw bins filled with dried fruit, exotic gourmet nuts, crackers and cookies - all in snack-sized pouches. I spotted the Lucy's brand vegan cookies and snatched a chocolate chip flavor. There were about 3 flavors to choose from. I then snatched a Sahale Snacks Cashews sack, two canisters of tea and headed for the register. I politely asked the cashier if they still carried almond butter for the bagels. She giggled and said "Huh? No." Hmm. Have they really ditched the healthy Justin's brand almond butter? Sad. I love that stuff. So anyways, I rushed home to taste test the snacks and teas, but did they past my health-minded taste test? Find out...

$20 for some tea and snacks? I was a bit shocked when my two tiny sacks of snacks and two canisters of Starbucks new tea came out to around twenty bucks. The new TAZO tea is $6.95 a tin and my snacks around $2.50 each. "This stuff better be good!" I thought, as I shoved my tea and snacks into my reusable bag and headed home to try the new eats n sips.

So lets get snacking!

The Cookies.

Lucy's brand vegan cookies were the lucky company to get Starbucks to sell their snacks. Vegans all over Twitter and Facebook have been buzzing about the new vegan cookies. But is there really cause for buzz? I was hoping for a super healthy, fresh, warm, chewy vegan cookie. But no such luck. Just a bag of store-bought looking crisp cookies. The taste: like Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies - only vegan and gluten free. Nut free too. Very tasty, but not "homemade" tasting. Not chewy or warm or soft or delectable. Just a nice sweet tasty dessert snack. The nutrition: 173 calories per bag. 4 mini cookies per bag. I was a bit annoyed when I saw that 3.6 out of the 6.6 total grams of fat per bag were saturated. 3.6 grams of saturated fat per bag is not my idea of healthy. The oil used is a mix of organic soybean, olive, palm fruit and canola oil. And the vegan chocolate chips in the ingredients just said "vegan chocolate chips" so I don't know what went into the chips. There is 3.6 grams of protein and 3.6 grams of fiber per bag. Not bad. I like the almost 4 grams of fiber, but that still didn't win me over. Sodium is about 9% RDA per bag. Not great at all. That's more sodium than in the bag of nuts I bought!

Overall, not impressed with the new vegan cookies at Starbucks. Yes, they are much healthier than many treats that crowd the baked goods window, but they just aren't my thing. I won't be buying them. Although, I'm guessing my cookie-obsessed husband who loves vegan treats, will love them. And yes, the cookies are great for allergy sensitive folks. But vegan baked-goods snobs like me will not be too pleased. These cookies are no Babycakes cookies. Side Note: I know a lot of you have started to ban Starbucks altogether, but I still love it. So I hope they will continue to evolve with their vegan snacks. Maybe a Babycakes brand fresh cinnamon toastie??? Please?

The nuts were Sahale brand Cashews with essences of pomegranate and vanilla. "Glazed Nuts". Yummy. I've had them before. But honestly, not so different than the nuts Starbucks already carries. Good snack add, but nothing mind-blowing.

Starbucks New Full leaf Tea. Price: $6.95 per tin. 15 sachets per tin.

I was really excited about this TAZO tea. At around 47 cents a bag, I was hoping for some yummy teas, and the second I opened the tin and smelled sweet fragrant tea aroma, I had a good feeling. I bought two teas: Chai and Zen. I had purchased these bags often in the past, so I knew the flavors well and could compare old vs. new tea flavor. Both had lovely sachet bags and fresh smelling full leaf teas. High quality. Similar to many brands I can find at Whole Foods and even the tea bags at Le Pain Quotidien. Taste Test: I loved the new Zen. Green tea is always best in full leaf form. The Chai, however wasn't as good as I had hoped. It was full of fresh flavor, but the taste was still a bit too bittersweet for my taste. I like a chai that is a bit more peppery and briskly spicy rather than bitter. So overall, I am thrilled with the new tea upgrade. It was about time that Starbucks stepped up their teas.

Overall, I'm glad that there is another vegan, allergy-sensitive snack in the store, but Starbucks definitely has a long way to go if they really want to impress their vegan health-minded customers. The new teas are fabulous. Well done.

1/26 UPDATE: I just had an amazing at-home soy green tea chai latte. Ingredients: 1 zen TAZO tea bag, 1 chai TAZO tea bag, 1 cup soy milk, 1 cup chai tea concentrate OR water + 1 tablespoon agave syrup, dash of cinnamon, dash of cayenne. Spoonful of soy foam on top. Soooo delicious! Adding plenty of milk and side flavors removes the bitterness from the Starbucks chai tea bag. Delicious! Energizing and zen-filled.

Lastly, a few ideas for Starbucks, from me to you. Dear Starbucks, here are a few of my ideas:

*A fresh vegan pastry or treat made with whole grains, organic natural sweeteners like maple or agave syrup and nut or fruit flavors. A walnut-goji berry spelt scone perhaps?

*Experiment with other non-dairy milk options like hemp, almond, rice or grain milks.

*Next summer, launch a soy-blended frappuccio that's 100% vegan. Made in a separate dairy-free blender too.

*Launch a vegan breakfast sandwich with Daiya cheese and vegan Field Roast sausage. Crisp arugula or spinach and a spicy Veganaise morning mayo. On a quinoa grain english muffin. 100% vegan.

*Try again with the fruit smoothies...and actually, I don't know, include more real fruit than a simple banana. Make them dairy-free this time.

*Have an organic fruit bowl with whole, grab-n-go, yummy-looking fruit rather than not-so-yummy looking bananas.

Just a few ideas Starbucks, from this health-minded vegan, to you.

Have you tried any of the new treats or teas?? I'd love to hear what you think!

It's hard to miss the famous baking and pastry schools in New York City. About once a week I'd be strolling down Broadway, through SoHo, and I'd walk right past The French Culinary Institute.

A Taste of Culinary Education. I'd stop at the window of FCI and peer inside. You can see the dining room very clearly from the street. Each perfectly presented table sitting in its own window perch. The tabletops were speckled with grandly folded white napkins and tall sleek water and wine glasses. Around the corner of the school, off the main strip of Broadway, sometimes I'd spot a gaggle of chefs outside the back door, their white chef uniforms on, puffing away on cigarettes or just getting a breath of the sticky sweet New York City air. I'd get chills, it was a foodie sight to behold. And the coolest part was that anyone could get a taste of 'culinary education' by dining in the school's restaurant, L'Ecole. I'd always check out the menu...

image: Babycakes NYC vegan doughnuts, by K. Patalsky

L'Ecole. Brilliantly Traditional. L'Ecole, the FCI in-school restaurant offered full coursed meals made by the students and staff, the website states: "Behind every meal at L’Ecole is the passion and dedication of over 60 Chef-Instructors and students from every corner of the school."

Such fun! But as my eyes glazed across the eloquently described menu, it was always meat, cheese, cream, pastries, fish, butter and a whole slew of foods I wouldn't eat. No tasting menu for me. As I'd leave the doorstep of the school, and walk past the windows, and past the giggling culinary students, I'd feel a bit saddened. Such an esteemed school in the culinary world, and not an animal-product-free dish in sight.

It feels so strange to have such respect for something that undoubtedly rejects your culinary point of view. I remember Sarma of Pure Food and Wine wrote a similar statement in a blog post - when Gourmet magazine closed:

"Going almost all raw vegan six years ago did nothing to lessen my appreciation for the pages of this magazine. It’s very much a celebration of the art and elegance of food, restaurants, and cooking." - Sarma

Love/Hate. I'm sure there are many people who can relate to the feeling of respecting something they don't necessarily embrace. It's almost like a dieter staring longingly into the window of a pastry shop. The oozing eclairs, sinful chocolate croissants and decedent creamy mousse cake pastries all starring back at them in spite. Love/Hate at its best.

In her blog post, Sarma goes on to describe her love of Gourmet, meat and all, you'll have to read her post for yourself. Love her blog.

My Point is...

I whole-heartedly wish the esteemed institutions of food would give-in a little to the changing times, diets and social implications about the food we eat. I don't care if foie gras is supposedly 'one of the most delicious foods ever' it is not humane - even though some like Tony Bourdain have argued otherwise.

Foodie Progressive? I certainly don't discuss governmental politics on this blog - but the politics of food - absolutely. And perhaps, as I ponder, I could call myself a foodie progressive.

I agree with traditions, and I don't want to change traditional, classical French or Italian cooking, two main staples of the culinary world. But I don't see why you can't gracefully and unobtrusively blend in progressive diets (vegan, low-sodium, kosher, gluten sensitive, vegetarian, low fat, organic, raw) with the traditions of the past.

I don't see any reason why the traditional baking and pastry schools can't experiment and teach with alternative ingredients - in a more premeditated way than they currently might.

Yes, teach the classic stuff, but it's very likely that one of those French Chefs in a French restaurant who graduated from say a Le Cordon Bleu School or the French Culinary Institute will get an order from a vegan customer who wants a dessert - no dairy - no eggs - no animal anything. Don't you think it would be a good idea if the chef had some idea how to make an egg-free custard tart? Or a dairy-free chocolate flourless cake? I do.

Pastry and Baking Schools. One of the main ways veg*n foods have bled their way into mainstream society if through the dessert and treat market. Shops like Babycakes NYC and Sticky Fingers in DC are highly desired among veggies and non-veggies. So I always wonder why traditional pastry and baking schools do not embrace the trend by offering a few alternative classes. NOTE: All my photos in this post are of Babycakes treats, cupcakes and doughnuts.

Here's the traditional class schedule Module 1-4 for The Institute of Culinary Education, Pastry and Baking program:

MODULE 1
Course 1: Introduction to Baking Techniques and Ingredients
Course 2: Introduction to Baking Techniques
and Ingredients
MODULE 2
Course 1: Breads and Other Yeast-Raised Doughs
Course 2: Pastry Doughs
MODULE 3
Course 1: Cakes, Fillings and Icings
Course 2: Advanced Cakes, Cookies and Plated Desserts
MODULE 4
Course 1: Chocolate Confections
Course 2: Cake Decorating

Each course deals with classic ingredients and preparations. But why not squeeze in a class that deals with progressive food ingredients like:
agave syrup, soy milk, agar agar, arrowroot powder, brown rice syrup, coconut water, vegan chocolate, silken tofu, hemp milk, raw nut meal, coconut flesh, fruit syrups and sweeteners, whole grain flours and on and on and on...

When I watched Top Chef Masters on Bravo and found that some of the greatest chefs in the world didn't know how to prepare a vegan meal - I was shocked. But on the other hand, I wasn't.

I wish all chef's could learn the basics of special diet cooking. Not just learning the definitions of them, but actually learning how to prepare a delicious meal for anyone - with any special diet. And maybe those chefs will learn to love their veggie food creations even more than traditional. And learning starts in the schools...

Get the Word Out. Baking and pastry schools should take a hint from the Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC, whose vegan pastry/baking classes are almost always packed with eager students. Dear FCI, why not throw in an alternative baking class for your chefs? Drop an email or forward this post to any of these schools and let them know you want your chef to be able to cook for you. Or perhaps you'd like to dive into the culinary world without feeling like alternative diets will be ignored in your training...

Le Cordon Bleu Schools
The Art Institutes
The Culinary Institute of America
The French Culinary Institute
Italian Culinary Academy

images: my photos of Babycakes NYC veg*n treats

My Green Pesto Pasta Spirals are the cure for your 'red sauce' pasta boredom. There is only so much pasta marinara that one can take. Go green with your pasta! Try these spunky spirals on for size.

The flavors: garlic, basil pesto, EVOO, sweet onions, marinated artichokes, a few sliced shiitake mushrooms and a huge armful of fresh cut leafy greens. The greens are wilted into silky layers and blended into the tender spirals of whole wheat pasta. A pinch of vegan cheese on top. No basil? No problem! You'll be intrigued to see that this pesto pasta was made without fresh basil - since it can be tricky to always have fresh basil on hand. This is your shortcut recipe answer. Get some green (pasta)...

Greens and Pasta. Fast! I wanted pasta for dinner. But I also wanted a big serving of healthy leafy greens. Not the wimpy iceberg lettuce kind. The hardcore kind: collard, chard, mustard, beet, turnip and kale greens. Just to name a few. I found this awesome bag of Cut 'n Clean Organic Greens at Whole Foods, so my "washing and chopping" greens prep time was eliminated.

Pasta Wilted Greens. I decided to add three giant handfuls of the greens to my freshly cooked whole wheat pasta. The warm pasta wilted the greens beautifully, making a super flavorful and super healthy dish. Also, eliminating another step in my process: no-cooking the greens separately, fabulous!

Note: You can use any "greens" you'd like. If you can find bagged/washed/chopped greens, you'll save yourself some time. But any bunch of greens at your store will work great. And sometimes the whole bunches of greens are fresher than a bagged green. Organic preferred. A more tender green like baby spinach will work, but I prefer a heartier texture for this dish.

Pesto! Without fresh basil. I was craving pesto, but there was no fresh basil in sight. So I decided to try Amore brand Pesto Paste. I was surprised to see that this pesto paste was dairy-free, vegan. Usually, pre-made pesto blends contain milk. The Amore pesto Paste ingredients: basil, sunflower oil, olive oil, salt, pine nuts, garlic, citric acid. Available in the pasta sauce aisle.

Now that I had organic greens and some serious pesto flavor, I began my green goodness pasta recipe...

Green Pesto Pasta Spirals
vegan, serves 4 with leftovers

1 bag (16 oz.) whole wheat spiral pasta
Veggie Saute:
2 tablespoon EVOO
3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup shiitake mushrooms, sliced thin
2 garlic cloves or 1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 cup sweet onions, ring sliced
pinch of black pepper
Fold in:
1 tube Amore Pesto Paste
1 tablespoon EVOO
6 oz. raw assorted leafy greens, chopped
*About 2-3 big handfuls of raw greens
6-8 marinated artichoke hearts
¼ cup Vegan White Cheese
*Mozzarella or Monterey Jack
garnish: dash of vegan parm cheese
Tomato Add-in's, Optional: ½ cup of EVOO marinated sun-dried tomatoes
OR
1 small can of whole San Marzano Tomatoes
*About 6-8 whole SM tomatoes in juice

Directions:

1. Prep your veggies.

2. Boil your pasta water with a pinch of salt. Add pasta to water.

3. While pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoon olive oil to a saute pan. When oil is hot, add in your onions and mushrooms. After a minute or so, add in the vinegar and garlic (chopped clove or powder). Saute until tender and mushrooms begin to brown on edges. Turn off heat, toss in a pinch of black pepper, and set aside.

4. Drain pasta. Transfer to large mixing bowl. Toss warm pasta with your pesto paste and 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

5. Once the pesto paste is well coated on pasta, drop in your fresh raw greens. Fold them into pasta well. The still-warm pasta will begin to wilt the greens until they are delicately blended into your pasta dish. I used about 3 large handfuls of greens. 2-3 bold handfuls is a good amount.

6. Next, fold in your sauteed veggies and artichoke hearts. Also fold in a pinch of your cheese and if adding in sun-dried tomatoes, add them in here.

7. The last step is a bake pasta in your oven. Transfer the pasta to a large casserole dish. If you are adding San Marzano tomatoes, add them to the pasta here - a quick fold-in will do. Top your pasta with your remaining vegan cheese (add more for a super cheesy topped pasta) and a few pinches of red pepper flakes if you'd like.

8. Broil the pasta for 3 minutes - to bubble to cheese. Then cover dish with lid and bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. This will soften the pasta and marinate all the flavors into the greens.

9. Serve with a pinch of vegan parm cheese. Store in the fridge.

Leftovers! Tastes great served cold or warm the next day.

@Lunchboxbunch, my blog twitter account, has a brand spanking new twitter background...

Have you noticed? I finally updated my twitter background! It includes a bunch of my recipe photos - And my face, since so many people DM me if I am a real person or a company! I'm one real person, my own healthy happy company. 🙂

My new background appears differently, depending on the size of your screen, but you can see it in full here. Hope you all like it! If you have any questions about how to update your own twitter background, let me know, I'm happy to help. It's a relatively simple process.

Follow Me! If you're already following me, thanks! But if not, I'd love to tweet with you!

What do I tweet? I tweet all my blog posts as well as tips, healthy links, news, photos and extra snippets of info from my day. I also love reading @replies (I read every single one) and also chatting with other healthy tweeters. Hope to see you on twitter!

Follow Me -> @Lunchboxbunch

For some serious energy, super fast, blend up my Easy Energy Almond Butter Banana Smoothie. Though I hesitate to call this a smoothie because it tastes like a creamy, rich milkshake! Soyshake? Hempshake? Whatever you call it, the delicious taste and texture is undeniable.

Fresh Almond Butter. I made my smoothie with freshly ground Almond Butter from Whole Foods. Nothing beats fresh. And this recipe will give you something to do with those black-spotted ripe bananas on your counter - banana bread isn't your only option. This cravable vegan smoothie recipe is super easy with only seven simple ingredients. Get it!....

Almond Butter Inspired. I was inspired to make this smoothie after I purchased fresh ground almond butter at Whole Foods Market. It was my first time using WF's fresh almond butter grinder - grind it yourself in the store. Delicious! If you can find fresh almond butter you'll be in for a real treat. But even a high quality bottled butter will be fine for this simple, delicious recipe.

Frozen Bananas. You will need two frozen bananas for this recipe. Be sure to freeze your bananas when they are very ripe - a few black spots. And be sure to slice your ripe bananas into quarters before freezing them, so that they will blend easily once used. A clunky, hard, whole frozen banana does not blend easily. Obviously, you will need to prepare for this recipe in advance - start freezing those bananas! Note: two ripe fresh bananas will not work in this recipe. The smoothie would be too mushy and gooey. You need frozen fruit.

Healthy Smoothie. This smoothie is a good source of vitamin E, fiber, protein and potassium. Plus it is packed with energy from healthy fats (from the almonds) and high quality carbohydrates (from the bananas, natural sweetener and non-dairy milk). Choose a well fortified non-dairy milk and you should be getting some healthy, essential vitamins like vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Plus those bananas are easy on your tummy, for some quickly digested energy. I tried this smoothie with both soy and hemp milk and was very impressed with the flavor and nutrient profile.

Easy Energy Almond Butter Banana Smoothie
vegan, serves 2

2 cups non-dairy milk, vanilla flavor
*soy or hemp pref'd
2 frozen bananas, ripe
2 tablespoon raw almond butter, not salted is pref'd
*fresh ground almond butter is best
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup
1 cup ice
½ teaspoon cinnamon
optional: a few dashes of cayenne
garnish: roasted almonds

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a high power blender like a Vitamix. Blend on high until smooth and thick.

2. Pour into glasses and garnish with roasted almonds.

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

Sounds like a dream, to "ski green". After all, one of the main perks of winter sports like skiing and snowboarding is that you are immersed in nature, swooshing down white snowy hills, clean fresh mountain air in your lungs. The great outdoors is not only your backdrop, but also your winter playground. Without a pristine alpine backdrop, (or a few white-blanketed hills) skiing wouldn't be possible. So it is natural that environmental preservation and skiing go hand in hand. Keep the slopes white, by keeping the slopes green. But are "green slopes" just a mythical pop culture idea, or an ever-evolving reality? Clif Bar Awards and a "Save Our Snow" iPhone App makes it easier to ski green. But is it enough?...

My Winter Ski Bliss. I have adored skiing ever since I was a little girl-too small to carry my own skis and poles. My all time favorite ski resorts are Heavenly in Lake Tahoe and Deer Valley in Utah. My favorite east coast ski resort is Killington in Vermont. But this past weekend I went skiing at a very modest resort on the east coast. It wasn't Tahoe, but still a nice day trip of skiing fun. It always feels amazing to get out on the slopes and swoosh down a few white snowy hills, the crisp wind in my face and smell of pine trees in the air. But actually, there wasn't a lot of pine tree smells wafting my way...

It was the smell of BBQ. Yup. Slope side BBQ, right at the foot of the hill. The musty thick black smoke floating up the hill and into my nose. I even overheard one ski lift conversation between a dad and his son:
"Dad, do you smell BBQ?"
"No son."
"I do. Smells like burgers." the father laughed.

But the son was right! Right at the foot of the mountain, near the dining area, there was a giant BBQ tent set up. The 'slopeside BBQ' served angus burgers, fries and more. Complimentary side of black BBQ smoke, included. Even for those who didn't care for it. Not exactly green.

But inside the ski resort dining hall, the food options didn't get much better. There was a greasy pizza alcove cafe, a giant doughnut counter, fries, soda, giant high-oil muffins coated in frosting, cookies, pastries (eclairs and scones), sugary 'hydration' beverages, candy, chips and a few dumpy looking iceberg lettuce salads and a few bowls filled with waxy, black spotted fruit. Nothing I would touch or eat. So what did I eat?...

I found a whole wheat bagel, a pouch of concord grape and blackberry jam and a glorious big bottle of local, 100% natural apple cider. Chugged the cider, spit out the dry stale bagel and literally licked some salt from a salt packet right out of my palm, needed some salt. My version of 'hydration beverage' if there is no coconut water in sight. Luckily, I brought along a nice bag of almonds, which tasted like little rocks of gold, as I munched them on the chair lift. Oh, and thank goodness there was a coffee stand that served Starbucks beverages with soy milk. I was pleasantly shocked by the availability of soy.

What is Green Skiing? The 'green' trend in society has indeed, melted over into the ski resort community. If you aren't trying to 'green' your ski resort, you are leaving yourself out in the cold. The "green" ski resort trend represents the future of resort culture. CLIF Bar has even launched an awards program which recognizes the green efforts in the ski community. CLIF Bar Golden Eagle Awards:

"Established in 1993, the Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence recognize the environmental achievements of ski areas. The awards honor members of the NSAA, which represents the majority of ski area owners and operators in North America. Clif Bar & Company, which employs wind energy, biodiesel, waste reduction and other initiatives to reduce its own footprint on the planet, is the administrator of the awards program. "

The Golden Eagle Award Categories:
Golden Eagle: Overall Environmental Excellence
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Water Conservation/Water Quality
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Energy Conservation/Clean Energy
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Fish & Wildlife Habitat Protection
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Environmental Education
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Visual Impact
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Stakeholder Relations
Silver Eagle: Excellence in Waste Reduction and Recycling

Recognizing Green Food? This is my plight, when it comes to the "Green Skiing" trend: the food. It seems that while the ski resorts are watching their energy usage, recycling, wildlife preservation and water conservation practices, (and bravo to all those movements), they have forgotten that "staying green" means serving green food. Here are my green food on the slopes, ideas. How about...

*A free filtered water station for skiers who want to bring their own reusable water bottles.

*Green, vegan, vegetarian, organic, local and all-around higher quality food options.

*Healthy veggie soups! Made by local chefs and cafes, from locally grown produce.

*A juice bar, trail mix (fresh nut bar and dried fruit bar) - (all high quality) for those who want to stay healthy and fueled up while on the slopes. Whole Foods sponsored perhaps...?

*If you must serve burgers, have a veggie burger option - prepared on a veg-only grill. But really, please ditch the BBQ at the foot of the mountain thing. I don't want to smell smoke, I want to smell trees!!

*Less packaging on food items, more recycling bins. Ditch the Styrofoam cups.

*Less high-fat, high sugar, white flour pastry confections and more high calorie healthy treats and snacks (we all know skiing and snowboarding burns a lot of calories, but high calorie foods can be healthy and vegan too!)

*Coconut water stations at the dining area. Please?

*Serving hot chocolate? Why not use fair-trade cocoa and serve plentiful dairy-free options for milk. Agave syrup and vegan sugar sweeteners all around.

*Fresh baked sandwich bread, rolls and bagels made from high quality grains, seeds and flours. No more stale whole wheat bagels. Yuck!

So bravo to CLIF bar for rewarding the "Green Slopes" out there, I can only hope that they add a category to their Green Eagle Awards that recognizes "Green Food" options on the slopes. After all, everyone loves a good mid-mountain hot cocoa break.

Make ski food green!

iPhone Users! It' Easy Skiing Green!
Clif Bar even has a very cool (literally) iPhone App for the Ski Green community: Save our Snow.

I love blueberries. And before I post my Blueberry Muffin recipe (recipe up now!), I want to give you a fun taste of blueberry inspiration. Get inspired to bake with blueberries, blueberries with pics and a fun kids poem...

Blueberries! Blueberries!
A poem for kids, big and small.

Blueberries! Blueberries!
They bounce in my bowl,
Blue little blueberries,
I love each jolly blue soul.
Blueberries! Blueberries!
Once I see them, I can't stop.
Into my mouth, they go plop, plop, plop.
Blueberries! Blueberries!
I could eat them all day.
So sweet and so juicy, in a lip-smacking way.
Blueberries! Blueberries!
Glowing in a beautiful bright hue.
I wish I could color all my pictures in blueberry blue.
Blueberries! Blueberries!
My mom has such a great fright,
when she peeks in the kitchen to see such a sight...
Blueberries! Blueberries!
On my fingertips and nose,
I'm covered in blueberries, from my head to my toes.
But mom doesn't mind, she just giggles from the door,
As one more blueberry blueberry bounces down along the floor.

-Kathy Patalsky

Blueberries (and all fruits and veggies) inspire me.
Get a taste (of these photos)...