As a teenage girl, I went through a phase of being a true fat-phobe. Fat in my food scared me. And I wasn't alone. It's a common fear among young girls discovering nutrition and dieters of all ages. After a few years of being afraid of all fat, something had to give. Starving my body of monounsaturated fats and oils left me feeling depressed, tired, cranky and moody. My hair, skin and nails were bone dry. And my cholesterol tests showed I was wrecking havoc on my body. Here is my story about how this fat-free teenager learned to love her California girl avocados, almonds and olive oil....

Fat. It's a fascinating topic in nutrition. And I'm not talking about body fat, but the kind you eat. Before I begin my story, lets go over a few nutrition basics of fat.

Three types of Fats.
Monounsaturated Fats. "Good Fat"
Saturated Fats. "Bad Fat."
Polyunsaturated fats. "Not as good as Mono fats"
Cholesterol: HDL=good cholesterol. LDL=bad cholesterol.
*I call HDL the "happy" cholesterol to help me remember.

What is recommended:
AHA Guidelines:
* Limit total fat intake to less than 25–35 percent of your total calories each day;
* Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
* Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories;
* The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils; and
* Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.

How Much for Me? Everyone is different, so the exact amount of fat that is perfect for your body will probably be different than your neighbors. The AHA gives this example: "A sedentary female who is 31–50 years old needs about 2,000 calories each day. Therefore, she should consume less than 16 g saturated fat, less than 2 g trans fat and between 50 and 70 grams of total fat each day (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils)."

How Much is 50-70 grams? Well, that is two avocados or one avocado (31 grams of fat) plus 1-3 tablespoon of olive oil (14 grams of fat per Tbsp). To put this in perspective of the typical 'unhealthy' American diet...One Mcdonald's Cheeseburger has 6 grams of saturated fat, 12 grams of total fat and 300 calories.

The above mentioned 2000 calorie diet, should then have a maximum intake of about 15.5 grams of saturated fat. However, the lower your diet is in saturated fat the better. So if you ate one avocado (4 grams saturated fat) and 2 Tbsp's Olive Oil (2 grams Saturated fat per Tbsp), you'd have 8 grams of saturated fat, way under that Max amount. (FYI, 15.5 grams of saturated fat is about two McDonald's cheeseburgers worth.) I'm glad I stopped eating those years ago.

Saturated Fat Sidenote: *see coconut oil note at end of this post.

Cholesterol and Fat.
The American Heart Association Says: "Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don't is the first step in lowering your risk of heart disease. In addition to the LDL produced naturally by your body, saturated fat, trans-fatty acids and dietary cholesterol can also raise blood cholesterol. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats appear to not raise LDL cholesterol; some studies suggest they might even help lower LDL cholesterol slightly when eaten as part of a low-saturated and trans-fat diet."

Now that we are on the same playing field of what the experts say, this is my story...

Avocados, Almonds and Olive Oil for this California Girl. I grew up eating avocados, almonds and olive oil. Easy to do when you are from California. One high-fat Avocado has 4 grams of protein, 15 grams carbohydrate and 31 grams of fat. However, avocados contain mostly good monounsaturated fat (19 grams in 1 avocado). Almonds are similar. They contain 163 calories per ounce, 14 grams of fat and around 9 grams of monounsaturated fats. Only 1 gram per ounce of saturated fat. Olive oil is similar as well. Per tablespoon it has 14 grams of fat total, 119 calories, about 2 grams of saturated fat and 10 grams of monounsaturated fats. All three of these foods are locally available in California. And all three are foods I ate a lot of as a child.

Society's Influence. Impressionable Minds. Somewhere along the road of youth I started obsessively reading nutrition labels, glancing at Cosmopolitan Magazine and Model-Splashed Clothing Catalogues, believing skinny celebrity propaganda and I also had one too many perfume ads plastered across my bedroom wall. The dieting propaganda and lack of positive female images in the media was enough to make anyone, including myself, a little confused about what 'healthy' meant. "Low-Fat" was in, according to the covers of magazines, and I took their advice a bit too far. I started to second-guess anything with the word 'fat' associated with it. 20 grams of fat in my large side of guacamole? Uh-oh.

Fat Phobia. In high school, like many girls, I wanted to 'lose a few pounds' and I was convinced that I was eating too much fat. Bad idea for someone with a perfectly healthy weight and happy disposition. Thus for a few years I turned into a true fat-phobic person. I'd beg my mom not to put ANY olive oil in my steamed Kale and Garlic. I'd ask for dressing on the side of all my salads. I banned cheese and only ate fat free frozen yogurt. High fat ice cream was out. I banned my favorite: guacamole and opted to only eat spoonfuls of fat free salsa when my friends and I dined out at Mexican Restaurants. I banned the tortilla chips as well. Maybe 2-3 per bowl of salsa. Never a fan of butter, I'd make sure my toast was dry with only a bit of sugar-free all fruit jam, and any foods that appeared greasy, cheesy or oily got a thorough wipe-down from my napkin to sop up all the excess grease before I dared eat it. Yup, I was a fat-phobe. A teenage girl phase indeed.

Fat-Phobia Pays its Price. It's true that while I was cutting back on calories and just about banning all fats from my diet I lost a few pre-college pounds. Whoopi. (Can you hint the sarcasm here, I hope?) But what I didn't realize was that this fat-free eating was wrecking serious havoc on my body, including my cholesterol levels, mood and even God forbid-my hair, nails and skin! Gasp.

Fat-Free Toll. So during those few years of fat-phobia some scary things started happening. Yes, I lost weight-at first, but I also lost my good mood. Eating a high protein/carb diet left me incredibly cranky. When I'd eat a big snack before tennis practice I'd realize that it would quickly get burned off (with no fats to slow down digestion) so I'd be very susceptible to mood swing highs and lows. I'd eat, get a huge spike of energy and quickly fall flat. Crankiness and lethargy ensued. And note that the only thing I was doing to my diet was cutting out large chunks of fat. I had dry sin, my childhood eczema resurfaced and my hair and nails were bone dry. This was not the beauty-forward diet I was seeking.

College Cholesterol Wake-Up Call. It wasn't until college that my fat-free phobia really hit me. It was the results from my routine first-year of-college student physical. You'd think a healthy weight, fat-free vegetarian would have fabulous levels of everything right? I expected everything to be perfect, but I was shocked when one of the blood tests showed that I had less than stellar cholesterol readings and pitiful HDL numbers-my good cholesterol was incredibly low. Not good. Especially for someone who has a genetic family trait of high cholesterol.

What to do When Faced with Poor Test Results? When you get a medical test result that is poor you have two options of action: One, nothing. Two, something. Being me, I chose to do something the best I could. I added a lot of avocados, almonds and olive oil back to my diet. I decided to give it a try. The first thing I noticed was that my mood improved. My hunger was less erratic and my dry skin eczema disappeared. Yay! But the biggest change was that I was happier. I wasn't depriving myself anymore and the increased fat in my diet really helped even out my energy levels - which is huge for a new college student. And guess what, the next semester, my blood test showed that my HDL levels skyrocketed. My doctor was very impressed, and so was I.

My Story. This is my story. I am a one-time fat-phobe who will never go back to that state of mind, or that fat-free diet. But for me, this now comes quite naturally. As a vegan, I find it very easy to avoid 'bad' saturated fats from animal products, and find it easy to include various healthy fats from nuts, avocados and olive oil to my diet. No, I don't go overboard. I still watch my calories and total fat on a daily basis. If you want to be healthy you really have to be aware of how much of what is entering your body. However, for me, fat deprivation is no way to live. If I want to eat an entire avocado in my salad, I will and then I will simply not crave any more high-fat foods that day. So all in all I've found that my body regulates itself quite nicely. You'll probably find that as well. If you eat a meal higher in olive oil and nuts and healthy fats in general, you'll feel full for a while and maybe only need a few more carbs and proteins to get you through the rest of the day.

Fat-Fear No More. Whenever I am around teenage girls or new dieters of any age, the first trend I notice in their meals is having a fear of fat. No matter what the food, if it has fat in it they will cringe and run. True they don't have any problem with drinking two gallons of artificially colored sports beverages or high sugar sweets like candy and fat free frozen yogurt, but a slice of avocado and they freak out. I know these girls well because I was one. But hopefully, they will learn that true healthy eating doesn't start by banning certain foods from your diet. Healthy eating really starts by adding healthy foods to your diet and eventually you'll lose interest in those unhealthy foods. Why? Simply because you'll feel better eating the good stuff.

Me vs. You. Everyone's story is different. Everyone's body and chemistry is different-especially when it comes to cholesterol. I know plenty of skinny folks with high cholesterol and even a few overweight folks with average or healthy levels of cholesterol. But this story is what worked for me. Getting rid of my fat-phobia improved my health greatly. And if you are a fat-phobic person or know any teenagers with that 'fat is bad' mentality, I encourage you to forward them this post. They may not change the way they eat, but at least they will hear my story. They will see that I successfully added healthy fats back into my diet and guess what, I didn't gain weight. In fact, when I first made the switch away from fat-free eating, I lost a lot of weight. And I lost that horrible feeling of deprivation. This is my story, and I'm glad to share it with you.

*note: I'm not even going to get into coconut oil right now. But you may notice that coconut oil is labeled as high in saturated fat. This type of oil is still controversial and so I will not bring it into this discussion.

When I dine out at a fancy-schmancy restaurant, I often find one of my favorite salads on the menu: Fennel, Arugula and Citrus. I love it. Thin citrus-marinated fennel slices, crisp spicy arugula, sweet slivers of oranges and sometimes accented with crisp onion or creamy avocado. No cheese please. But a restaurant fennel salad isn't cheap. Perusing NYC restaurant menus, I found this appetizer salad costing anywhere from $7.50-$29, the pricier salads included cheese garnishes. Wowsers, right? Well, I made a delicious variation of fennel salad for under $3 retail value per person. And that includes ingredient extras like avocado and onion. Very nice. Click ahead for my healthy twist on the classic recipe fennel salad recipe...

Fennel Bulb. I am in love with fennel. Eating raw fennel just makes my entire meal taste better because it cleans my palate and eases digestion. Read more about fennel, super food, here.

Citrus, Arugula, Avocado, Onion. OK, so the fennel is the headliner ingredient in this salad, but don't forget the delicious accent flavors that are included. Creamy avocado, spicy light arugula leaves, a thinly sliced red onion and a delicious layer of sweet oranges. A hint of lemon juice, olive oil and black pepper make this salad soar with summertime flavor.

Fennel Marinade. The only 'dressing' on this salad is really the marinade in the fennel. I also like to drizzle a bit or olive oil right over the arugula and avocados. My fennel marinade is not simply a lemon/olive oil blend. I also add in a drop of Vegenaise. The white vegan topping adds a subtle creaminess to the texture and it also enhances the natural white color of the fennel. It looks and tastes beautiful! Oh, and don't forget that fresh crushed pepper. If you are someone who loves spice, you can add in some cayenne or paprika. However, both of these spices will change the marinade color to a light orange-pink.

Gourmet Taste on a Budget. So I recently had a Fennel Salad at Jean-Georges' Mercer Kitchen in SoHo, NYC. It's one of my favorite things on the menu. It was $9 and had mushrooms (and cheese which I request to be not added). They shave the fennel super thin. So delicious! But I wanted a larger portion of the salad (with my veggie add-ins) at an at-home price. So here's how the cost breaks down: avocado: $1 per half, orange: 50 cents, arugula bulk: $1, red onion: 50 cents, 'dressing marinade' and fennel fronds garnish: around $50, lemon: 25 cents, half an extra large fennel bulb: $1.50. So basically, two servings of my salad costs around $5.50. That's only $2.25 per salad. No too shabby.

Here is my delicious, simple and at-home-gourmet recipe...

Gourmet Fennel Citrus Salad
vegan, serves 2 (easily doubled to serve more)

1 ½ cups fennel bulb, sliced thin
*about ½ an extra large fennel bulb
1 orange, peeled, de-seeded and sliced
1 small red onion, sliced thin
3 cups organic arugula
½ avocado, sliced
fennel marinade 'dressing':
2 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Vegenaise
garnish: fennel fronds, fresh ground black pepper

Directions:
Slice all your veggies.
Rub avocado with a bit of lemon juice to preserve color.
Optional: Chop arugula leaves into smaller bits for an easier eating experience.
Place the sliced fennel in a large bowl.
Add vinegar, lemon juice, Vegenaise, salt, pepper and agave syrup.
Toss well until each fennel slice is well coated.
Set aside.
Start plating.
Lay a layer of arugula on the plate.
Lay a circle of avocado spears in a circle around the edges of the plate-on top of the arugula.
Drape a handful of red onion slices over the avocado spears and arugula.
Drizzle a tablespoon or so of olive over top of the salad.
Next, Spoon a nice portion of the marinated fennel on top of the salad.
Place your orange slices on top of the fennel and around the edges of the plate.
Garnish with a few fennel fronds and a lemon slice.
Grind some fresh black pepper on top.
You can drizzle the leftover fennel marinade on top of the salad if you'd like.
Enjoy!
More yummy fennel salad images below...

It is frustrating when the only facts, findings and statistics about vegans and vegetarians are sketchy and uninteresting. So I decided to make my own Vegan and Vegetarian Trends Survey to discover a few of the lifestyle and dietary trends among Veg*n's. There are 25 questions in the survey.

What's a Veg*n? The term veg*n describes the group of people who are either vegan or vegetarian. Please take this survey, and pass it around to your family, friends, co-workers and online veg-friends. Check back in a few days for the results and highlights from the survey!

Thanks for your support! Please take the survey and pass it on!

Survey URL: http://www.quibblo.com/quiz/ajK4Xqa/-Vegn-Vegan-and-Vegetarian-Diet-Trends-Quiz-2009

A few of my favorite words (and foods) have been officially added to the 2009 Webster's Dictionary. Among the additions are Goji, Acai and Locavore. Click ahead to read the official definitions and more 2009 word additions...

Healthy New Words. I'm so glad that goji and acai have been added. However, my blogger.com spell check needs to catch up to these new word additions!...Also, I'm starting a trend to make Bee-gan (a vegan who eats honey) a 2010 Webster's addition word!

2009 Word Additions:

Acai-a small dark purple fleshy berrylike fruit of a tall slender palm (Euterpe oleracea) of tropical Central and South America that is often used in beverages ; also : the palm

Goji-the dark red mildly tart berry of a thorny chiefly Asian shrub (Lycium barbarum) that is typically dried and used in beverages

Locavore-one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible

Other 2009 Merriam-Webster's Dictionary word additions:

1. acai
2. carbon footprint
3. cardioprotective
4. earmark
5. fan fiction
6. flash mob
7. frenemy
8. goji
9. green-collar
10. haram
11. locavore
12. memory foam
13. missalette
14. naproxen
15. neuroprotective
16. pharmacogenetics
17. physiatry
18. reggaeton
19. shawarma
20. sock puppet
21. staycation
22. vlog
23. waterboarding
24. webisode
25. zip line

For more, visit the Websters Dictionary Website

I get a lot of questions about my use of Agave Syrup as a sweetener in my vegan recipes. So here is my Agave Syrup 101 post. It is a must read for anyone who is health-conscious or simply curious about what they put in their bodies. I encourage all professional or amateur chefs to read this post as well. There is a wide world beyond white sugar. Click ahead for Agave Syrup 101, it includes health benefits, directions of use, sweetener comparisons and the history of this healthy sugar substitute...

Sugar Confusion. I'm never surprised by the presence of confusion when it comes to sugar and sweeteners. With so many natural and artificial sweeteners on the market today, navigating the sweetener aisle can be a bit daunting. Options include: stevia, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, barley malt syrup, molasses, white sugar, sucanut, raw sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup and even those frightening little pink, blue and yellow packets marked ominously with zero calories. Sweet foods should have calories. Anything otherwise, goes against nature and will likely include chemicals. Stevia is the new natural zero-calorie sweetener, but quite frankly, the bitter metallic taste doesn't appeal to me. There are a number of sweeteners that I use on a regular basis, but if you are just starting to experiment, I highly suggest you try agave syrup. It's user friendly, minimally processed and has a lower Glycemic Index rating than most sweetener options.

Vegan, for sure. No Bone Char, guaranteed! All vegans have heard about the possible use of animal by-products, in this case animal bones, in the processing of many low quality white sugars. Some granulated and even brown sugar, mostly made from cane sugar, are filtered using animal-bone-based charcoal, also known as bone char. Yuck. Agave nectar is completely plant-derived, vegan and bone char free.

What is Agave? The agave plant, which resembles an aloe vera or cactus plant, grows in dry regions and specifically thrives in Southern Mexico. Most agave syrup is produced from the Blue Agave plant. In Mexico, the nectar from the plant has been known for years as 'honey water'. Agave has only gone mainstream in the United States over the past few years. Agave syrup can be found as a sugar option for tea and coffee at many mainstream health-valued restaurants and cafes such as Le Pain Quotidian an even smaller cafes like Teany in NYC. (Agave syrup lines the shelves of the 'sweetener section at Teany'. Yippee. Agave sweetened foods can be found all over the supermarket and store chains like Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's carry a wide variety of agave syrup brands and products.

Agave Syrup Taste. Agave Syrup is similar to honey or maple syrup, but the taste is lighter and pure-tasting in sweetness. Agave's texture and consistency is a bit thinner than honey, but thicker than maple syrup. While honey provides a strong floral 'honey' flavor, and maple a strong woody-sweet 'maple' flavor, agave's taste is a bit more pure and simply sweet. Thus, it makes the perfect sweetener to replace the simply sweet flavor of traditional sugar.

Agave vs. Maple Syrup. Maple syrup is indeed a fabulous natural sweetener. however it has a very distinctive flavor that may not be appropriate for all recipes. The main problem with maple syrup, however, is the price. Maple syrup is usually almost twice as much as agave syrup. This is a very appealing reason to get excited about using agave syrup: cheaper than maple syrup. I also find that maple syrup doesn't go well in my hot beverages, agave does.

How to Replace Sugars with Agave Syrup:

Honey: Replace every cup of honey with a cup of agave. 1 to 1 ration in sweetness.
Maple: same as honey, 1 to 1 ratio for use.
Corn Syrup: Replace each cup of corn syrup by using ½ to ⅓ as much agave and increase other liquids in the recipe by up to ⅓ of a cup.
White Sugar: For each cup of white sugar replaced, use ⅔ of a cup of agave and reduce other liquids by ¼ to ⅓ cup. This substitution will also work for Demerara Sugar, Turbinado Sugar, Evaporated Cane Juice, or Sucanat.
Brown Sugar: the same as white sugar, only you will not need to reduce the liquids because brown sugar has a higher moisture content than white sugar.

Other notes: Agave syrup may cause baked items to brown more quickly, so you may want to reduce the heat by 15-25 degrees.

Ancient healing properties of agave: The Aztecs used a blend of agave nectar and salt to dress wounds and heal skin disorders or infections. Modern medical study has confirmed agave's remedial properties. Agave nectar applied to the skin has been found effective against pyogenic (pus producing) bacteria. Adding salt to the nectar further boosts its anti-microbial property. Agave nectar has also been proven effective against enteric (intestinal) bacteria.

Fear Mongering and Agave Controversy. I receive a lot of emails regarding a Dr Mercola anti-agave article that was distributed online. I personally agree with nutrition experts like Andy at SmallBites (he also works at PFW in NYC) - in seeing Mercola's article as extremist and fear-instilling. In Andy's intelligent agave article he writes "sugar is sugar is sugar" - read Andy's response to Mercola's article: http://smallbites.andybellatti.com/?p=5459

Nutritional Considerations:

While I personally think that agave syrup (like most natural sweeteners) is fine in moderation, with consideration for sourcing and use - there are a few nutritional consideration in regards to agave that you may want to take into consideration.

Health Benefit: Low GI. Agave syrup has a lower glycemic index that granular sugars and even other natural sweeteners like dehydrated cane juice, date sugar or maple sugar crystals. A lower glycemic index means that agave syrup is less likely to cause a spike in your blood sugar. And many scientists have argued that spiked blood sugar can trigger the fat storing mechanism in the body. Thus making agave syrup a better option if you are trying to control or lose weight.

"Safe for Babies. Parents are vigorously warned not to give honey to children in their first year of life. This is because honey frequently contains a bacteria that can cause botulism. While this bacteria is harmless to anyone over the age of one year, it can produce toxins in an infant’s immature intestinal tract, causing sickness, hospitalization, and in rare cases, death. Agave syrup is not known to cause botulism in babies." -allaboutagave.com

Newman's Own Organic brand has a new line of chocolate. It's different than Newman's chocolate you may have tried in the past. It's called Newman's Own Organics Signature Series Chocolate, bars and chocolate cups. The chocolate is made from cocoa beans grown on Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms. But does this green, organic, environment-friendly chocolate stand up to my picky gourmet chocolate loving taste buds? Click ahead for my product review...

Green, Eco-Friendly Gourmet Chocolate. First off, Newman's new line of signature series chocolate is good for the planet. Organic and Rainforrest Alliance Certified. It bears the USDA organic seal. The USDA Organic Seal assures that at least 95% of the ingredients are organically certified. And that's not all, Newman's Own brand has given a lot of money to worth-while causes over the years.

Newman's Own Organics. Good People. "Newman’s Own Organics was established as a division of Newman’s Own in 1993, and became a separate company in late 2001. Paul Newman has given over $200 million to thousands of charities worldwide since 1982."

Great company, but how is the chocolate?...

Product Review: Newman's Own Organic Signature Series Chocolate bars
Flavors: Dark Chocolate, vegan, (made on shared equiptment)

Shelf Appeal: Nice. Sleep new packaging with an inner gold wrapper. I love the fact that the chocolate bars will be available in two sizes: 3.25-ounce and 2.25-ounce. Flavors include: Dark Chocolate, Super Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa, Mocha Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Espresso Dark Chocolate, Orange Dark Chocolate. The only vegan ingredients flavors are the dark chocolate varieties. And I love the large squares with big N's on each square.

Label Check: Organic certified. Rainforrest Alliance certified cocoa bean farms are used. For the most health benefits, go with the 70% Super Dark Chocolate flavor. Super Dark ingredients: Organic Dark Chocolate (organic chocolate liquor*, organic evaporated cane juice, organic cocoa butter*, soy lecithin [an emulsifier], organic vanilla). Bars are around 300 calories. When it comes to chocolate, this is some of the good stuff.

Taste Test: To quote my husband: "oh my God! This is so good!" He tried both the peanut butter cups and dark chocolate bars and loved them. And I have to agree. These are not ordinary chocolate bars. And they are better than the traditional Newman's chocolates. This new Signature Series is creamy, dense and has a pure intense chocolate flavor. Not too sweet and not too bitter. And the espresso flavor was bold like a bar of a mocha coffee drink. As store-bought chocolate goes, this is some of the best I've tasted.

Price Check: Around $2.50-$3 in price. Depending where and how many you buy. Competitive pricing with other organic chocolate bars.

Last Word: Tried Newman's Chocolate before? Try it again-the new signature series. It's different. Watch out chocolate snobs, this in-store brand is boutique store quality.

Learn more about the chocolate at: Newman's Own Signature Series Chocolate website.

And I even found this awesome-sounding book from Newman's Own. It is a Guide to a Good Life. Sounds like a good read:

More chocolate images below...

If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. Bright perfectly shiny apples are not naturally so appealing, but they are coated in spot-sealing wax. And now those bright perky never-seem-to-dull orange baby carrots are not what they seem. Click ahead to find out why this baby carrot addict just may be halting her baby carrot habit...

Baby Carrot White Blush. A fresh picked carrot will naturally whiten with air exposure and age. A picked apple will dull and spot and wilt. A picked banana will spot brown and turn soft. These are all natural aging processes of fruits and veggies. But it seems that the 'baby carrot people' who manufacture, grow and sell baby carrots have found a way to halt the aging process of carrots. They successfully stall the 'white blushing' of carrots by....rinsing them in chlorine. Yup. Cue the gasps and boos from the vegans, organics and veggie lovers everywhere.

Is it true? This was my first question. And yes it is. Organic carrot growers have the same problem with carrots, but they use a citrus based rinse called Citrox. However, the amount used for the carrots is very small. Here is a statement fro a industry insider:

"I work for a company that sells organic carrots, and while we do put all of the products through a chlorine-water wash, the amount of chlorine is under .04% and it is done as a food safety precaution and not a way to make the carrots last longer."-Liz

Chlorine everywhere. So yes baby carrot bleach scared me But then I started thinking about all the ways chlorine is used. In swimming pools, in our drinking water and to disinfect surfaces and supplies at restaurants. Sigh. What to do right? Since this chlorine carrots process has been approved to be 'safe' you really have to make the decision yourself. Quite frankly, I am more frustrated about the fact that this chlorine process is so hidden by the naturally branded carrot companies. I went to three baby carrot websites, an there was nothing on the chlorine process. If it is so safe, why don't they talk about it and practice full disclosure?

Carrots and other Produce. I've been reading up. And it seems that baby carrots are not the only produce items to be bleach dipped. Again, another reason to eat organic and think about growing your own produce if yard space allows.

Further Reading. So again, you have to decide for yourself. Here are a few more resources. As for me, a total baby carrot addict (I eat ½-1 bags every day with dinner or snacks), I will be holding back on the baby carrots. We'll see if this new knowledge brings leaves a bad taste in my mouth...

Resources:

The Origin and Evolution of Baby Carrots. Awesome page detailing anything you'd want to know about baby carrots.
Bad Bad Baby Carrots. Recent post on the topic.
Baby Carrots and Bleach. A good blog post on the topic.
Baby Carrots Soaked in Chlorine. A good forum discussing the topic.
Carrots and Bleach: Yum Yum. A great blog post in response to this news.

And here is the official statement of the process that baby carrots go through:

"To date, white blush has been controlled primarily by washing freshly processed carrots with chilled water, usually in a hydro cooler, followed by refrigeration and/or by packaging of the freshly processed carrots in specialized containers, including some that maintain modified atmospheres within the containers. Chlorine has also been added to the chilled water treatments for sanitation purposes, and primarily to control microbial bacteria growth on the processed carrots. However, depending upon the above variables, the onset of white blush may only be delayed for a few days. Therefore baby carrots tend to have a shorter shelf life."

source: The Origin and Evolution of Baby Carrots.

Big Island Flavor. Little Kid Delight. Wiki-Wiki is the Hawaiian word for quick. So I call this my Wiki-Wiki Volcano Couscous. It's quick to make, but explodes with fun tropical flavors. Kid-friendly. Vegan. A simple plating technique turns whole wheat couscous into a dish any kid or adult will love. Tangy sweet red chili sauce 'lava' flows from this yummy healthy couscous dish. Let paradise explode with this recipe....

Couscous, before it 'explodes' with lava sauce:

Whole Wheat Couscous. If you are still using white grain couscous, think again. As you may know, couscous is imply tiny beads of pasta. It cooks incredibly quickly and is easy to eat and customize with various flavors. But many stores are now selling whole wheat couscous. Just like regular whole wheat pasta, it is higher in fiber and nutrients. I actually think the nuttiness makes it taste better than traditional white grain couscous! So first and foremost, get the whole wheat version of couscous.

Volcano Sauce Lava. I used Traders Joe's Sweet Chili Sauce as my lava. But you can find many variations of red sweet or sour or spicy chili sauce. You could even use a plum or tomato sauce as the lava. Just as long as it is orange, red or yellow the theme will work! You can even let the kids pour their own lava sauce over the top of this exploding mountain.

Here's the recipe...

Wiki-Wiki Volcano Couscous
vegan, makes 4 volcano's

1 ¼ cups whole wheat couscous
2 ½ cups water or veggie broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
¼ cup salted cashews
¼ cup white onion, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoon agave syrup
1 bay leaf
1 orange, peeled and sliced
1 orange juiced
optional: ½ cup crumbled silken tofu
optional: Use pineapple instead of orange if you want an even more tropical flavor.
Lava Sauce: Sweet Mild Chili Sauce, Plum Sauce or Light Marinara Sauce
*I used a Trader Joe's brand. It had a very mild chili flavor with a lot of sweetness. A little goes a long way.

Directions:

In a sauce pan heat water/broth, oil, salt and pepper.
Bring to a boil.
Add in chickpeas, cashews, half of the onion, agave syrup, half of the parsley, garlic powder, bay leaf, orange juice and optional tofu.
Cover and let boil for 1 minute.
Uncover and add in couscous.
Stir and cover.
Reduce heat to low.
Allow to cook for 1-3 minutes.
Uncover, stir.
Re-cover and turn off heat.
Let sit for 5 minutes.
Uncover, liquid should be absorbed.
Fluff with fork.
Fold in raw orange slices and the remaining parsley and onion.

Spoon couscous into mountain/volcana shaped cups.
Pat well.
Cover with serving plate and allow to sit for a few minutes.
*I used a small sized coffee mug I bought at Le Pain Quotidien.
When you think couscous has molded-about 5-10 minutes sitting, flip over plate.
Gently remove cup and couscous mountain will be left.
Sprinkle a bit of fresh pepper, parsley or salt on top if you'd like.
You can pour the 'lava' sauce on top yourself, or plate it next to the plate for the diner to pour themselves.

Bowing to the Volcano Tiki Gods before eating is always a good idea. (Well, it's fun anyways.) You can even make up your own tiki song to sing before eating. Luau post or pre meal is also a fun idea.
Itunes has many Tiki Hawaiian music to play at your feast.

Aloha!

Here is the last post in my Healthy Makeover Summer Series: Readers Choice! You guys voted and the winner was: Sticky and Sweet BBQ Tempeh and Tofu!

BBQ Sauce from Scratch. Oh Yes. Before today I was officially a BBQ Sauce virgin. I gazed from a distance at those mysterious pots of thick, sticky and smoky burnt red colored BBQ sauce. BBQ sauce was a mystery to me. Until now. After a day in my Healthy. Happy. Life. vegan test kitchen I've come up with an awesome recipe that I hope you will give a try. Here is my 'way better than bottled' Smoky, Sticky, Sweet Vegan BBQ Sauce recipe (with sweet BBQ peaches on the side)...

Thick BBQ Sauce. My number one condition for BBQ sauce was that it had to be thick! None of that watery dribble. I wanted it to be heavy, rich and thick.

Dark Burnt Red Sauce. The next condition was that it had to be dark red-purplish sticky burnt brown. I do like the lighter orange colored transluscent BBQ sauce, but I was going for that molasses-inspired opaque BBQ sauce. And I got my wish.

Less Sugar. More Flavor. After perusing the aisles of Whole Foods to get some BBQ sauce inspiration I noticed that most bottled sauces contain a lot of sugar and not a lot of good stuff. So I decided I would make my sauce with a thick tomato paste base and use half black strapped molasses and half agave syrup as my sweeteners. Molasses is rich in iron, manganese, calcium and copper. And it's so fun working with that thick black goo known as molassas. It's like tar. Only good for you. And tasty. I also use a lot of spices to add a depth of flavor that simple sugar just can't match.

OK, enough stalling, here is my recipe...

Kathy's Smoky, Sticky, Sweet BBQ Sauce
vegan, makes about 1 ½ cups

4 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon Black strap Molasses
2 ½ tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice
2 teaspoon Liquid Smoke
*I like Colgin brand. It says it's vegan on the bottle
2 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon spicy mustard
2 teaspoon soy sauce
3 tablespoon organic tomato paste
1 ½ tablespoon Arrowroot Powder
*thickens the sauce like corn starch
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon cumin
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne (adjust for heat)

Optional Tweaks:
*For a sweeter sauce add more agave or 2 tablespoon brown sugar
*Taste test sauce and add more salt if you prefer
*For a zippy-er flavor replace the lime/lemon juice with 2 teaspoon orange juice

Directions:
Combine all liquid ingredients in a bowl. Stir in the remaining ingredients one at a time. Make sure to add the arrowroot powder slowly to avoid clumping.

Set aside until ready for use.
Store in fridge if you are not using immediately.

BBQ Sauce Uses:
Easy to use on an outdoor grill. Or you can use my indoor cooking preparation for tofu and tempeh below.

BBQ Tofu and Tempeh
vegan, makes 3-4 servings of BBQ tofu or tempeh

1 cup Kathy's Smoky Sweet and Sticky BBQ Sauce
2 Cups of tofu or tempeh, cup into ½ thick triangles
olive oil (for pan)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:
Heat a saute pan to med-high.
Add 3 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Add enough of the tofu or tempeh to fill the saute pan.
Coat both side of the protein with some of the pan oil.
Add 1 tablespoon water-for steam, and quickly cover with lid to braise.
Allow to cook for 2-4 minutes, depending on tofu or tempeh cuts.
Remove lid, and flip the triangles.
The flipped side should be well-browned and slightly crisp.
Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the cooked side up of the tofu/tempeh.
Cover with lid and allow to cook for another minute.

Next, reduce heat and brush each triangle with about 1 teaspoon BBQ sauce.
Flip triangles.
Coat top side with about 2 tablespoon of BBQ sauce.
Add 1 teaspoon water and cover with lid again.
Steam for about a minute.
At this point you can allow the sauce to simmer and marinate on the triangles covered or uncovered. Covered softens everything up, while uncovered leaves a hint of crispness to the proteins and sauce.
When the pan starts to really brown up, turn heat to super low and prepare to plate the dish.

For a stickier sauce you will want to let it burn a bit in the pan. Just a bit though!

Garnish: BBQ peaches. Peaches preparation follows photos.

Tofu:

Tempeh:

BBQ Peaches Recipe

1 cup sliced peaches
*I like white peaches best for this
BBQ sauce cooked pan.

Directions:
Simple drag the peaches across the bottom of your just-used BBQ sauced pan.
The cooked sauce remains will stick to the peaches perfectly and slightly warm the outer sides of the peach. Just be careful and use a fork. Don't burn your fingers on the still-hot pan.

Peaches:

More sticky, sweet, gooey good photos below:

If you're a reality TV fan like me, you've probably seen enough of BRAVO TV's Real Housewives of NYC to be familiar with the Hamptons. However, you may think that the only people who deserve a weekend at the Hamptons are the rich, famous or connected. Well think again. About 80 miles east of NYC lies a summertime playground that anyone with a little sense of adventure must explore. And FYI, the Hamptons are indeed an ideal destination to achieve wellness bliss. And thanks to Vital Juice, you can achieve your blissful itinerary in a stress-free way. How? Click ahead to find out, and see a few of my Hamptons photos...

Vital Juice's Guide. VJ has just published a 2009 Hamptons Survival Guide. Check it out here. It's awesome. Here are a few of my wellness-inspired highlights from their guide:

*Head to Physique 57 for a $37 class inspired by ballerina moves. Kelly Ripa supposedly loves it.

*For only $35 you can try Rebecca Kordecki’s boot camp at one of the hottest hotels in the Hampton's: The Surf Lodge.

*$125 buys you 90 minutes of surf lessons at the Flying Point Surf School.

*Need some yummy healthy farm-grown eats? Try Sag Harbor Farmers’ Market, Community Farmers Market at Hayground School or the East Hampton Farmers’ Market. See details in the VJ PDF guide.

* Yummy eats include: Annie’s Organic Café and Market or juicy Naam (Venus with Watermelon? Yes please.)

*And more healthy eats can be found at Joni's or Babette's. Yum and yum.

Check out VJ's 2009 Guide to the Hampton's for details on these summer fun ideas above.

How do I get there? The number one problem that travelers have when it comes to the Hampton's is getting there ! You can train it from Penn Station via the LIRR. Cost is around $29-$40 round trip. (Although tickets can sell out fast on a busy weekend.) You can take your own car (if you have one), you can private car it (LimoRes per say) or you can take the Hampton Jitney bus. All routes take you to the same place...the fabulous Hamptons!

Where to Stay? Honestly, I'm not an expert in this area. I have a few friends on Long Island so accommodations has never been a problem for me. However, there are a handful of overnight options in and around the Hamptons. And if you want to stay at the Surf Lodge, like Leo DiCaprio and Jerry Seinfeld, I highly recommend a well in advance reservation. Good Luck!

Vital Juice's 2009 Hampton's Survival Guide.

Here are a few of my Hamptons Photos...

Did you watch last night's episode of The Next Food Network Star? Here are my week five contestant rankings. And my "who I think crashed and burned" reactions to the Rachel Ray show demo. And I have to ask, are the judges seeing things that we aren't???....

Who crashed and burned: Jamika and Jeffrey. Both indeed "hard to watch". Jeffrey? You are so 'chivalrous, right? Why not throw Jamika a bone? Jamika, throwing a pity party is not going to get you the prize. The kitchen is hot, but you have gotta sweat it out and rise above the flames.

Week Five Reactions:
* Melissa did great in the brussel sprouts kids challenge. She has a lot of cool tips that I'd love to hear. And I like her over-powering energy. It's easier to tone it down than tone it up.
* Debbie. She always makes amazing food that I really want to eat-when it's vegan. Those sweet potato chips-yum! And she did great on the RR show demo. But I agree with Bobby that she needs to stop explaining her food choices with "I am Asian so I add ginger..." etc. She's so cool and calm, lets just hope she doesn't turn 'chef nerdy' and stays 'chef fun'.
* On to Michael. Still a very likable guy with some awesome recipes. His big problem: confidence! Get some Michael, or you might be saying bye bye to your stardom.
* Jamika. She showed a lot of weakness this week. And quite frankly I thought she was gone. But judge Bob T loves her! Are they seeing something I'm not, because i still just don't get his "raw talent" comment. Sorry Jamika, I do totally empathize with your stressed-out level though when you feel like you aren't producing your best work.
* Jeffrey was my BIG annoyance this week. I started out liking him. Then I was bored. Then confused. Now annoyed. His personality comes across as fake and he didn't even try to throw the demo to Jamika. Yes, she could've stuck her neck out, but Jeffrey and his "chivalrous" persona should have thrown her a bone. Quite frankly, I think Jeffrey should've been in the bottom two with Jamika.
* Katie got voted off. It's always the healthy girls that get kicked around! This decision made me mad. I think Katie's 'big' personality when talking to the kids was right on. Her chicken looked horrible, but all in all still better than Jamika and Jeffrey in my book.
* And PS, I was thrilled to see tofu in the kids challenge. But not-so-pleased that it was grouped with squid and brussel sprouts as a 'kids hate these foods' food. C'mon. Give kids my Coconut Rice with Tofu Pillows and they will beg for more!

So here are this week's rankings, by moi:

My The Next Food Network Star rankings (Week Five):
*+/- indicates how they moved on my rankings

1. Melissa n/c
2. Debbie +1
3. Michael -1
4. Jamika +1
5. Jeffrey +1 (still last)


On Who Went Home: Voted Off: Katie This shocked me a bit. I think Katie deserved to go to Miami. But in the end there will only be one winner. And I still think it will either be Melissa or Debbie. I like Melissa, but Debbie seems to be the front runner.

Be sure to check back each week when I'll update my rankings and let you know who I think should be winning. Hopefully, the judges will get it right!

Oh, and did you know that casting for the next show has begun?! Check it out on the foodnetwork.com

Watch it: Sunday nights on The Food Network.

Let's wrap up part eight of the Healthy Makeover Summer Eats Series: Fourth of July eats! Here's the duo of two healthier vegan versions of a few red, white and blue eats: (Flag Fruit Plate and Red, White and Blueberry smoothie)....

Red, White and Blue Eats: 4th of July.

1. Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie: Raspberries, fresh strawberries, acai juice, soy milk, fresh blueberries, coconut banana cream on top. Vegan.
*Healthier than a traditional frozen shake, or artificially colored frozen red, white and blue treat.

2. Fresh Fruit Flag Plate: Fresh cut white peaches, strawberries and blueberries. A simple fruit plate is always a winner!
*Healthier than most platter snack plates. 100% fruit means 100% healthy. And delicious. Use organic fruit or was very well.

One more to go in the Summer Eats, Healthy Makeover Series!
Next up, Readers Choice post! Voting closes on July 6th, 12 AM!

Sometimes a simple fresh fruit plate is all your need for some delicious summertime snacking. Here is my Fresh Flag Fruit Plate made with white peaches, strawberries and blueberries....
Red, White and Blue Fruit. There are quite a lot of fruits and veggies that are red. Tomatoes, raspberries, strawberries, red peppers, radishes, apples, cranberries, red pears and cherries. But the blue fruit gets narrowed down a bit to blueberries and a few purplish blue items like acai, purple onions and grape. Now what is white? White grapefruit. White inside of apples. White pears. White asparagus. But my favorite? Sweet white peaches. Peaches are low in calories-only about 37 per peach. And such a sweet hydrating snack. Pair them with creamy juicy blueberries and sweet succulent strawberries and you are in for a super healthy flag-colored treat. (USA flag that is... )

Fresh Fruit Flag Plate

1 cup organic blueberries
1 white peach
1 cup organic (or well-washed) strawberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice (for peaches)
Optional drizzle:
1 tablespoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt and pepper

Directions:
Slice the peaches thin and the strawberries into rounds or halves. Arrange the fruit on a white plate in rows.
Alternate red, white and blue.
Then squeeze a bit on lemon juice over the sliced peaches to maintain a nice white color.
Add the optional drizzle to the top of the fruit.
Or you can use it as a dipping sauce.
I place a bowl of toothpicks next to the plate for easy access. Toothpicks are more delicate for the fruit instead of a big fork.

Happy 4th of July! Enjoy!

The best way to kick off a hot and happy 4th of July weekend? A patriotic smoothie of course! This Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie brings together the flavors or ripe raspberry, acai, blueberry, fresh strawberry and coconut banana creamy fluff on top. Try out the recipe for this fun smoothie and cool off the healthy way...

Firecracker Smoothie. I used to adore those red, white and blue firecracker Popsicles. The tangy flavors all layered on top of each other tasted like a day at the beach. So I decided I had to try out my favorite food (smoothies) in a similar firecracker red, white and blue colored recipe.

Red, White and Blueberries. This smoothie combines ripe red frozen raspberries, fresh strawberries, fresh blueberries, acai juice, frozen blueberries, banana, coconut and sweet vanilla soy milk. The top white layer is a soft a fluffy coconut banana cream. Yum!

Red, White and Blueberry Smoothie
vegan, makes 2-4 smoothies, depending on size.

Red Layer:
¾ cup frozen raspberries
½ frozen banana
2 fresh strawberries
½ cup coconut water ice cubes
¾ cup vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon agave syrup
Blue Layer:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 cup acai juice
½ cup coconut water ice cubes
¼ cup fresh blueberries
White Layer:
1 frozen banana
1 fresh banana
1 cup vanilla soy milk
1 tablespoon agave syrup
3 tablespoon fine flaked coconut
¾ cup coconut water ice cubes
Garnish:
5 strawberries, sliced into rounds
½ cup fresh blueberries
pinches of coconut flakes

Directions:
First chill your serving glasses in the freezer.
Cold glasses will help the layers stay separated better.
First blend up the red layer.
Add all the ingredients, but blend the fresh strawberries in last.
Place the red smoothie into a container and place in freezer until needed.
Next, blend up all the blue ingredients.
Again, always blend the fresh fruit in last.
Pour it into a separate container and place in freezer.
Net, wash out your blender very well to create your white layer.
Add all the white layer ingredients and blend until frothy and smooth.
For a fluffier, icier white layer add more ice.

Assembly:
Now you can remove the red and blue layers from the freezer, as well as your frosted glasses and begin assembling the smoothies.
Place enough red smoothie in each glass to fill ⅓ of the glass.
On top of the red layer, place one thinly sliced strawberry round.
Next, pour another ⅓ full amount of blue smoothie mix in each glass.
Next, add 4-5 fresh blueberries on top of the blue layer.
Next, spoon the white layer smoothie into the glass until it is filled to the brim.
Garnish: Place a sprinkling of coconut, one blueberry and one strawberry slice in each glass.

Serve with clear straws and enjoy!

Tips:
*The raspberry smoothie should blend up the thickest, aka heaviest. That is why it goes on the bottom. The white layer is the fluffiest and the blue is in between.
*If you don't have coconut water ice cubes, use regular ice cubes, but you may want to add an additional drop of agave in each blend and even a very small pinch of sea salt.
*You can add some plain yogurt to either the raspberry or white layer-a nice healthy addition.
*To get a bolder ed or blue color, use more of the fresh strawberries and blueberries. The tiny specks of fresh fruit bring out tru red and blue colors!

What a yummy way to celebrate red, white and blue!

...and yes I know it's more like pink, purple and cream, but close enough! The taste makes up for the slightly off coloring. 🙂

Pets are a part of the family. Pet owners, (or pet parents) work very hard to keep their furry friends healthy and happy. It's important that your pet has a happy place to call their own. A cozy corner, a sunbeam snuggle bed or an indoor kitty garden. Here is my how-to video to build an indoor kitty garden. This is especially great for city-dwellers like me who do not allow their cat outside. Video Above. Or click ahead to see the steps in text...

Here are the steps to building an indoor kitty garden:

1. Find a low-traffic, sunny spot. A view of outside is nice.

2. Add a few floor scratching posts. Add dry catnip to them.

3. Add live kitty grass. Also known as wheat grass. Water it daily.

4. Add a live cat nip plant. Pick a few fresh leaves a day and let kitty smell them.

5. Add a few toys to the kitty corner. Rest time can turn into play time!

Other Tips:

Lots of scratches, rubs and rolls make kitty happy.
A hiding box or cubby hole nearby makes kitty feel safe.

Good luck!

The summer sun is staring to boil. Heat and humidity are creeping up into the air at each morning sunrise. Working (and playing) in the muggy summer heat can leave you feeling a bit worn out. So I suggest you revive yourself with a cold, creamy, frosty, fresh and fruity smoothie or juice. Here are my top ten summer smoothie and juice recipes....

Top Ten Summer Smoothie's and Juices
*Click link for complete recipe and images

1. Tropical Pink Cashew Smoothie
This bright pink power smoothie blends up tart and refreshing with a sweet tropical raspberry flavor. The cashew juice and coconut water ice cubes are hydrating and refreshing. The frozen raspberries add a nice boost of fiber, flavor and pink color!

2. Fresh Peach Hemp Protein Smoothie
This smoothie is divine for any peach lover. It blends up thick and creamy with a sweet summer flavor of fresh peaches. Hemp milk adds a excellent boost of veg*n protein and nutrition. It also adds a nice nutty flavor.

3. Fresh Ginger, Raw Banana Smoothie
This smoothie or frozen juice blends up thin, light and incredibly zesty. The ginger gives it a strong warm flavor. But the creamy raw banana calms the juice. Drink this beverage if your tummy is feeling a bit nauseas or if your body is feeling less-than-stellar.

4. Organic Raspberry Kiwi Acai Smoothie
What a looker this all-organic, bright purple smoothie is! It's dotted with tiny raspberry seeds and has a dark purple glow. The fresh kiwi is sweet and zing-y! The soy milk provides a protein-rich creaminess and the acai does the same. There is even antioxidant-rich blueberries and a dab of zesty ginger blended in. This smoothie is awesome!

5. Frozen Coconut Water
This is by far the easiest beverage to revive yourself during the hot summer months. Simply freeze, slush and enjoy! But believe me, coconut water is the ultimite replenishing beverage. One serving contains 16 times more potassium that your average sports beverage. And even more potassium than a banana. Potassium is an important electrolyte to keep you feeling hydrated and energized!

6. Wild Blueberry Kick-Start Smoothie
What do you get when you add a bit of spicy cayenne to a wild blueberry smoothie? This kick0start smoothie that will bring anyone to their feet on a groggy morning.

7. Banana Pineapple Super Enzyme Smoothie
I love this tropical pineapple flavored smoothie. It contains fresh fruit enzymes that will help your body restore itself. Allergies? Well plenty of studies have shown that fresh fruit enzymes like bromelain found in pineapples can actually help clear up mucas and congestion causing phlegm. Added cayenne also gives your nose a wake-up call! This bright yellow smoothie is super!

8. Chai-Berry Short-Cup. Dessert Smoothie.
This silky strawberry-chai flavored smoothie will remind you of a strawberry-short cake. It's light and fluffy and big on sweet strawberry flavor. And trust me, a sprinkling of flaked coconut on top is better than a big pile of whipped cream. I use Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai Protein Beverage. I'm addicted to that drink. And this dessert-any-time-of-the-day smoothie. Divine!

9. Yellow Fruity Frothy
Awesome beverage idea. First you freshly juice fruit ingredients, then you add them to a blender/Vitamix with a few more ingredients to blend up a light frothy juice blend. This juice is perfect for breakfast, and pairs well wth any healthy breakfast food. Frothy and Almond Butter Banana toast? Yes please!

10. Peach Papaya Smoothie
Light and Dreamy. Sweet and Creamy. That's my catch-phrase for this smoothie. It's one of my favorite smoothies on the list. I caould drink this everyday! (And sometimes it feels like I do!) The peach yogurt is awesome to boost probiotic health and makes the smoothie nice and creamy. You can even add in some coconut flakes for a bit of tropical texture.

20 Smoothie Tips: And here are 20 of my best smoothie tips to make sure your smoothies turn out perfect and PRO!

More Smoothies, Juices and Drink Recipes here.

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

Starbucks is following in the footsteps of big brand names like Snapple and Lays Potato Chips, as they go natural. Starbucks' new food campaign:

"Real food. Simply Delicious."

But to me, it's still simply not vegan. And is it really healthier? Frustration ensues, as I contemplate Starbucks' 'healthier food' branding twist. Starbucks: always dodging the vegan ball, but with so many Soy beverage fans, are they playing a smart game?....

Starbucks Has Real Food Now. So what does 'real food' mean to Starbucks?

* No artificial flavors
* No artificial trans fats
* No artificial dyes
* No high-fructose corn syrup

Starbucks' New Campaign. This new campaign even includes at-home, do-it-yourself recipes inspired the new Starbucks menu item creations. Huh? Weird. Starbucks now wants their customers to whip out an apron and bake their own banana bread? I don't think so. When I am running to catch an uptown subway on my lunch hour and I need to speed into Starbucks for a quick Starbucks soy chai, the last thing on my mind is picking up a recipe for baking my own oatmeal cookies. Starbucks oatmeal cookie recipe here. And the Banana bread recipe here. And while I personally am an avid chef, baker and foodie, most busy Starbucks lovers probably don't bake their own breakfast banana bread or oatmeal cookies. So yes, I find this new branding twist and turn a bit odd.

Is Natural Better in Fast Food? I love baking my own vegan recipes with all natural healthy ingredients, but that does not always match up with the needs of fast food. And yes, Starbucks is not baking their bread in-store each morning. It's still 'fast-food'. So I have to wonder: will these new food recipes hold up to travel, storage, re-heating and shelf-life-ing-it in a Starbucks store? I know my made-at-home banana bread would be inedible in a week and in a few days, not as good as day one. So if Starbucks is really going home-style. I just hope the food shelf-life doesn't suffer.

Still Not Vegan. But all in all, the news about new food makes me frustrated because none of the new items are vegan. none. So really, until a vegan banana bread hits the Starbucks baked goodies window, I'm just sitting in the corner twiddling my fingers drinking a soy chai and my pack of Starbucks almonds. Those are vegan.

Read all about the Starbucks "Real Food. Simply Delicious." campaign here.

This past weekend I trekked out to Birdbath-Build a Green Bakery, in the East Village. Isn't Birdbath a great name? They supposedly had the best vegan chocolate chip cookies -ever! Well here's my review of the cookies and of this tiny, but proud Eco-friendly green NYC bakery...

My Review of Birdbath: Build a Green Bakery:

Pretty delicious. But not as vegan-friendly as I thought. I went twice and both times they didn't have any signs of their 'famous' vegan cornbread. Darn. The only vegan options were the sesame seed muffin and the vegan chocolate chip cookies. The cookie was delicious, but not the best I've ever had. It actually tasted exactly like Mrs. Fields chocolate chip cookies-only Birdbath's are vegan.
My non-veg hubby loved the pretzel croissant. And yes, it looked tasty. Birdbath is a must try for Eco-green, non-vegan foodies. And vegan foodies- if you're into cookies.

Customer Service: The first time I went the counter girl was a bit stand-offish. But the second visit-an older woman was incredibly nice. I might be back, but I probably won't crave to be. A less-than-stellar customer service experience can dig deep.

Now here is my official Review...Breakdown Review: Birdbath

Shelf Appeal: Awesome little 'green store' everything is made from recycled, and truly re-used materials. The floor is cork and the table is bamboo with recycled fiber as the base. Learn more here: Birdbath Construction. The bakery goods are not enclosed in a case though-not so appealing. They give discounts to customers who arrive on bikes or skateboards. Cool.

Label Check: We're talking cookies and muffins here, so the nutrition level won't win any awards. But, like all vegan baked goods, lower in saturated fat and other animal product 'bad' stuff. Plus vegan means these are cruelty-free cookies. The sesame seed muffin-bread thingy (honestly, I forget the name) tasted pretty healthy. Lots of good-for-you sesame seeds and bananas I recall.

Taste Test: The 'famous' vegan chocolate chip cookie was excellent. Not the best ever, but very good. However, by the time I got home to do an official photo shoot, the cookies had all crumbled up and soaked the paper bag with oil. Not the best travel cookies. The hubby loved loved loved his pretzel croissant-not vegan. He keeps asking if we can stop by Birdbath after our yummy Liquiteria smoothie/juice outings. It's kinda in the same neighborhood!

Price Check: Moderate. I think our 3 cookies, 1 croissant order came out to around $12 or so. Good gourmet green prices for green gourmet taste. Worth it.

Last Word: Excellent 'earthy' treats at Birdbath. But it's the non-vegan Eco-foodies who are the true winners here.

Birdbath First Avenue NYC Website

I recently attended Vital Juice Daily's Wellness Fair, here in NYC. It was a rainy Saturday, and set up inside the old Virgin Megastore were a healthy array of brands giving away free samples and wellness-insider news. I visited KeriBar, by dietitian Keri Glassman, love her and those bars. Canyon Ranch: bliss. Blue Print Cleanse giving away sample sizes of their yummy Spicy Lemonade. Attune Bars and the GNC folks trying to get me to sign up for a Gold card. No thanks. I was also given a few free samples at SoyJoy. "Are these vegan?" I asked, expecting them to say yes. But the response was no! And the SoyJoy Rep's explanation was a little bit annoying. Healthy food: marketing facts or marketing fiction? I review a SoyJoy bar...

It's Not Just Me. Before writing this review, I decided to research and see what other bloggers are reporting on these bars. Here are a few of the quotes I found:

"I almost couldn't choke down the hard, dry first bite of the Strawberry bar, let alone finish the almost powdery and strangely chewy-hard textured brick." -Slashfood

"As exciting as it was to get free treats in the mail, I'm sorry to say these bars are pretty gross. They look homemade which is cool, but they tasted more like cookies gone bad." -FitSugar

Is SoyJoy vegan? Nope. Really, not vegan? A soy bar? Why not? Two slightly un-informed booth workers proceeded to check the label for me, almost as if they had never done so before. Soy joy is not vegan. They explained that this 'healthy' bar contained butter, eggs, whole milk and even cheese. Now is it just me or does that throw anyone else off? I read 'soy' and I sometimes assume that soy ingredients are used instead of dairy. Not so. These soy bars remind me a lot of the dairy-free veggie cheese that contains casein, aka milk-protein. Totally absurd.

Baked Goods Branding. SoyJoy uses branding that markets their soy bars to taste like baked goods, because they use the same ingredients in most traditional baked goods: eggs, butter, whole milk, milk chocolate, and even butter oil. Baked good, maybe, but isn't SoyJoy marketing their product as a healthy? I mean they were at a Wellness Fair. And they are constantly advertising in vegetarian markets. And their website reads like they are selling an ancient anti-aging secret. But really it is just soy stuffed into a baked good bar. Personally, if I ate baked goods I'd go for the good stuff like a home-baked cookie with a side of soy milk. Not this bar.

How Much Protein? So the theory is that you buy these bars for the soy goodness right? Well guess what, each bar only has 4 grams of soy protein! That's less than a cup of soy milk! Oddly, the SoyJoy FAQ's say that each bar contains 8 grams of whole soy. They must have included the fat, carbs and fiber in the 8 grams for that misleading answer.

Taste Test. Since the soy bars are not vegan. (That sounds weird) I won't eat them But my husband proceeded to taste test the sample we were given: Mango Coconut. Six grams of fat and 3.5 grams of saturated fat. That's 18% your RDA of saturated fat from one little soy bar. He couldn't finish it. He expected a 'baked goods' taste considering the eggs and butter. But no such luck. It was a hard bar. Not so tasty.

SoyJoy Ingredients: Take a look at the ingredients in these bars: butter, milk, milk chocolate, eggs, sugar, Parmesan Cheese (in the Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor I might add-weird), chocolate liquor, dextrose and brown sugar. Not my idea of healthy vegan ingredients. I just don't get how they reasoned Parmesan cheese into a 'healthy' bar. Now if the bars tasted fantastic, they would have more of a case from vegetarians. But hard-as-a-rock (the first reaction from my taste-tester) does not seem tasty to me.

Soy is Joy. I applaud SoyJoy's plight to bring high quality whole ground soy bean to the mass markets of people. But there is a lot of confusion and propaganda from their marketing. I will bet a lot of people eat these bars thinking, wow I'm being so healthy right now. But 3.5 grams of saturated fat from one tiny bar is not so healthy.

Craving non-vegan soy? Go eat a real cookie, with a glass of soy milk.

My Advice to SoyJoy: Re-brand. Cut out the butter, eggs and milk and go vegan. Keep the high quality whole bean soy and add in more of the healthy stuff. Bars aren't as trendy as they used to be, so you really gave to be on top of your flavor, texture and nutrition game to sell bars. I could tell you the perfect vegan bar, but that's a whole second post...Good luck!

EVENT NOTE: I want to add that the majority of the participants at Vital Juice Daily's Wellness Fair were awesome! They even had live exercise classes going on-for free. It was a fabulous rainy day treat. So big shout-out to VJD for putting on the event. But next time, maybe nix the SoyJoy people. And tell GNC to lay off the 'membership card' pushiness! 🙂

Did you watch last night's episode of The Next Food Network Star? Here are my week four contestant rankings. And my "Lobster Blueberry Pot Pie?!" reactions to the random-food-combo challenge recipes. And this week, I'm a little peeved about the contestants choices, as Bobby says, "No one is grabbing the title!"....

Week Four Reactions:
* I'm still loving Melissa. She's my fave to win thus far-still.
* Debbie always delivers, but her dish was a bit blah this week. I know, I know, she got whacked in the face by Michael. But even still, I whipped out a Thanksgiving dinner on crutches one year so beat that!
* On to Michael. Gosh, my blink about him was that I liked him. And I still do. A lot. In fact this week he has stolen my number two ranking, right behind Mel. He's got a spark and always delivers creative food.
* Now for my annoyances. Is it just me or do a few of the judges (Bob Tuschman) like Jamika too much? What has she really shown or proved in her skills? Yes she is super friendly, but I think a bit too friendly. Where's her edge? This is Food Network, but not PBS!
* Another blah for me is Jeffrey. He's fading fast and I've lost interest.
* Katie continues to disappoint. Enough said.
* Teddy is gone. A bit shocked by this. I thought, honestly, Jeffrey should go for his horrible Lobster Blueberry Pot Pie. Who does that?! Who pairs shellfish with berries. Even a vegan like me finds that incredibly odd.
* And, PS, the lack of veg-friendly food options and ingredients is continually bugging me. Where is the tofu, seitain or tempeh? Why do they always have to cook with meat??? Frustration ensues once again....

So here are this week's rankings, by moi:

My The Next Food Network Star rankings (Week Four):
*+/- indicates how they moved on my rankings

1. Melissa +1
2. Michael +2
3. Debbie -1
4. Katie +2
5. Jamika n/c
6. Jeffrey -3


On Who Went Home: Voted Off: Teddy So far, once again my last place ranked person from last week has gone home. Does that mean Jeffrey is next??? We'll see...

Be sure to check back each week when I'll update my rankings and let you know who I think should be winning. Hopefully, the judges will get it right!

Oh, and did you know that casting for the next show has begun?! Check it out on the foodnetwork.com

Watch it: Sunday nights on The Food Network.

Let's wrap up part seven of the Healthy Makeover Summer Eats Series: Healthy Sunny Sunday Brunch! Here is the full menu for a healthy Sunday Brunch! It's packed with vegan versions of your favorite summertime brunch menu items: (Tofu Quiche, Goji Lime Pancakes, Spicy Goji Chai, Kumquat Mandarin Juice, Tiki Squares, Melty Muffin Sandwich, Spring Green Fruit Salad and Tempeh Bacon)....

Sunny Sunday Brunch Menu

Select a few recipes below, mix and match to create your perfect healthy vegan Sunny Sunday Brunch!

*Click on the recipe name to link to the full recipe post.

1. Kumquat Mandarin Juice.

2. Banana Almond Butter Toast, a la Jean-Georges.

3. Goji Berry-Lime Pancakes.

4. Tempeh Bacon.

5. Spicy Goji Chai Tea Latte.

6. Vegan Tofu Quiche. With an Herbed Grain Crust.

7. Spring Green Fruit Salad.

8. Tiki Squares Oatmeal Bake.

9. Savory Brunch Melty Muffin. With Tempeh Bacon.

Next up, Fourth of July Celebration...

Sunday Brunch can flow over into Monday morning right?...

Vegetarian Quiche was one of may favorite recipes as a little girl back in California. I remember visiting the local French Bakery on Sunday mornings with my family. Sweet mood? Order a Sticky Bun. But if I was in a savory mood, I'd order the veggie quiche. It was soft and creamy with a buttery crust. The roasted bell peppers and zesty cheeses were an explosion of flavor in my mouth. But sadly, since going vegan, I hadn't yet found a good vegan quiche-anywhere! Until now. My Vegan Tofu Quiche with a bright blend of veggies, cheeses, spices, pine nuts and fresh herbs is filled with nutrients and flavor, and minus all the bad stuff we traditionally find in quiche, such as cream, butter, traditional cheese and egg yolks. This recipe is a must try for quiche lovers of all diets, veg or not...

Spicy Italian Summer Quiche. This quiche is perfect for a light summer brunch or a mid-week light lunch. Yet it has a robust amount of flavor. And even a bite of spiciness from the red pepper flakes. Add more or less to adjust your spiciness preference. The recipe may look daunting, but it is actually an easy process-with a lot of ingredients. But you won't believe the layers and depth of the flavor that comes out of each bite.

Silken vs. Firm Tofu? Every vegan tofu quiche recipe that I have looked at online shows that they use firm tofu in their quiche. I don't get that at all. When I think of quiche, I think smooth, creamy, not grainy. When I have tested puddings or tofu-based cream pies with firm tofu it always comes out grainy. Thus, I decided to go against the mainstream advice and try Silken tofu in my quiche. And oh boy am I glad I did! I used my blend-it creamy method when using the silken tofu and then folded the blend into the cooked veggie mixture. The texture turned out perfect! The tofu was apparent enough to make it firm, yet the soft texture made the quiche almost custard-like. Delicious!

Homemade Herbed Crust. It's easy to whip up your own healthy crust. Pre-bake it for a few minutes before filling and baking the quiche. I love using herbs, and a mixture of healthy grains like spelt, wheat, fava-garbanzo bean and flaxseed flour in my crust. I also love the chewy texture that a bit of cornmeal adds to the edges. There's nothing that pleases me more than kneading my own dough rather than using a store bought crust.

Here is my amazing recipe for vegan quiche...

Mushroom Scallion Tofu Quiche with Herbed Grain Crust
vegan, makes one 9" quiche
*If you have leftover filling, the mixture can be used to make mini-quiches or even a pan-fried fritter.

Crust:
½ cup water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon agave
⅓ cup flaxseed meal
*Ground up flax seeds
¾ cup flour (any variety)
¼ cup fava-garbanzo bean flour (or any variety you'd like)
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme, sage, basil)
cornmeal for dusting

Quiche Filling:
Part One Filling-blender:
1 block 15 ounces, silken tofu
¼ cup Arrowroot powder
*Arrowroot powder is like cornstarch, it thickens the texture.
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon vegan Parmesan cheese
¼ cup white vegan cheese (mozzarella or Jack)
¼ cup pine nuts
¼ cup agave syrup
2 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Part Two Filling-Saute:
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoon pine nuts
4 scallions, chopped (green and white parts)
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup parsley, chopped
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoon vegan buttery spread
Quiche Topping:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon agave syrup
¼ cup + 2 tablespoon vegan white cheese
garnish: lemon slices, chopped parsley

Directions:

Crust:
Grease a 8-9" cake pan with vegan buttery spread.
Flour dust the inside as well.
Combine all the crust ingredients in a large bowl.
Add a bit more or less flour as needed to get a soft, but kneadable dough.
Roll out dough on floured surface to about a 12" circle.
Drag bottom of crust through a few Tablespoons of corn meal.
Position dough in cake pan.
Try to get a nice even wrap-around crust with edges, but it's OK if it isn't perfect.
Brush crust with an olive oil/agave glaze.
Poke a few holes in bottom of dough.
Place a parchment paper circle on top of crust, fill with cooking weights or dry beans.
(This will prevent the crust from rising during baking.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to partially brown edges.
Set Pan aside to cool while you work on filling.

Filling:
Prep the veggies.
Saute all the saute filling ingredients over high heat for about five minutes-or until cooked down and slightly caramelized.
note: add the pine nuts last, as they can toast up quite quickly over high heat.
Pour into large mixing bowl.
In a blender, combine all the blender filling ingredients.
Blend until smooth.
Should be a thick milky white mixture with accents of green and red.
Pour white mixture into veggie mixture.
Lightly fold in ¼ cup of shredded white vegan cheese.
Pour the mixture into the crust.
Prep top glaze by combining vinegar, oil, agave syrup and black pepper.
Pour glaze over top of quiche.
Sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on top.
Sprinkle last 2 tablespoon of vegan white cheese over that.
Add a few lemon slices to the quiche before baking.

Bake at 375 for 45 minutes or until top is browned and edges are firm.
If the center is a bit soft, that is OK.
As the quiche cools, it will firm up.

Remove quiche from oven, allow to cool for an hour.
You may serve it warm or place in fridge to harden for a few hours or overnight.
Serve with a fresh grating of black pepper, fresh lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley.

Ingredients notes:
I use the Follow Your Heart brand of vegan cheese. I like a white cheese in this quiche (Mozz. or Jack).
Remember that you must adjust the salt for the ingredients. If your pine nuts are salted, use less salt in the recipe. If your tofu, pine nuts and butter have less or no salt, make sure you add enough. Tofu needs salt and seasonings to bring absorb flavors.

Breakfast for adults means a hot coffee, chai or cappuccino. A fruit salad, savory breakfast sandwich, homestyle potatoes, protein shake, or a blissful muffin. But kids (of all ages) like things a lot simpler than a big breakfast spread. Heck, even a bowl of oatmeal, nut butter and fresh fruit can seem to lack the simplicity that kids crave. Well how about the healthy-yummy taste of oatmeal, fruit and nuts baked into a fun square? Yes!

Tropical Tiki Oatmeal, Squares! These kid-approved Oatmeal Bake Tiki Squares turn oatmeal into a warm chewy muffin-like treat that any kid, and OK, any adult will love. Tiki Squares combine the tropical flavors of coconut, banana and cashew nuts. Bake them once, eat them all week. And let the kids help out in the kitchen-this is a super easy recipe. Warm Oatmeal Tiki Squares anyone?....

A Square Meal in a Square. These fluffy scrumptious squares have it all. (And guess what, they are a lot healthier than those pop-up toaster squares.) My Tiki Squares have oatmeal, soy, almond, coconut or hemp milk, fiber-rich cashews, potassium rch bananas and even some healthy flaxseed four mixed into these maple and agave-sweetened squares. Toasted-on-top coconut flakes give these squares a fun tropical tiki feel. Yummy, healthy and both kid and adult approved. You can bake them once and eat them all week. Easy as dropping something into the toaster!

Oatmeal Bake Tiki Squares
vegan, makes 12 large squares

2 cups non-dairy milk beverage (soy, coconut, hemp, almond)
*do not use a low-fat or lite milk option
4 cups toasted rolled oats
¼ cup maple syrup
½ cup agave syrup
3 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes (fine)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large organic bananas, sliced thin
½ cup cashew nuts, whole or crushed
2 tablespoon almond butter, salted
3 tablespoon coconut oil
(canola oil OK if you do not have coconut oil)
1 cup flaxseed meal
½ cup applesauce
Topping:
3 tablespoon coconut flakes, handful cashews, a few banana slices and 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

Directions:
Combine these ingredients in a large bowl: toasted rolled oats, flaxseed meal, baking powder, salt, cinnamon.
Stir in milk, maple syrup, agave syrup, vanilla, coconut oil, applesauce and almond butter.
Fold in cashews, bananas and coconut flakes.
Pour mixture into a greased casserole pan.
Top with coconut flakes, a few banana slices and dot with cashews.
Drizzle with maple syrup.
Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until the center of the bake is firm.
Top should be browned.
Allow to cool for a half hour.
Cut into large squares.
Serve with fresh fruit .

Get Creative with this Recipe:
You can even get creative with this recipe by using different versions of fresh fruit, nuts, and seasonings.
Try macadamia nuts and dried papaya.
Dried cherries and almonds.
Peanut butter and pears.
Apples and walnuts.
Raspberries and coconut.

More delicious Oatmeal Bake photos...

Let's wrap up part six of the Healthy Makeover Summer Eats Series: Ballpark and Sidewalk Snacks! Here's the duo of two healthier vegan versions of your favorite summertime ballpark and sidewalk snacks: (Party Nachos and Giant Soft Pretzels)....

Ballpark and Sidewalk Snacks

1. Vegan Party Nachos: Fresh spicy veggies, protein and fiber-rich refried black beans, fresh jalapenos, bubbly vegan cheese and a mix of perfectly crisped baked and traditional tortilla chips. Vegan.
*Healthier than traditional Ballpark or Party Nachos. Contains 5.5g less saturated fat per ounce of cheese. More beans means more fiber and protein. And fresh ingredients are healthier and more flavorful than canned.

2. Healthy Giant Soft Sidewalk Pretzels. Whole wheat flour, nothing artificial, olive oil, sea salt, herbs, side of spicy Dijon (not neon yellow) mustard.
*Healthier than traditional Giant Soft pretzels which have 300-500 calories, corn syrup (most of the time) fiber-less white flour, and glowing white salt cubes. Oh and they are really not that good either-hard and overly chewy most of the time!

Next up, Sunny Sunday Brunch...

I try to make a healthy, delicious and creative beverage every morning. Whether it's a Goji Soy Chai, or a Fresh Pineapple Enzyme Smoothie. I am always shopping for new ingredients to blend, juice or swirl into my morning beverage, juice or smoothie. Today I made an Organic Raspberry Kiwi Acai Smoothie. Beautiful fresh organic kiwis were my inspiration. I adore Kiwi's in the morning! They have a clean sweet zesty flavor and are high in Vitamin C. See what else I added in this yummy recipe, more photos and nutrition benefits ahead...

Organic Fruit Flavors. I added organic frozen raspberries, fresh acai juice, a bit of soy, banana, coconut water ice cubes and a hint of fresh grated ginger.

I Love Kiwis! It's the sweet, tart and tangy kiwi flavors that really give this smoothie its unique fruity flavor. For this smoothie you can either use a New Zealand green kiwi, and remember to peel the skin. Or you can use a New Zealand yellow kiwi. Zespri is the brand that I can always find in stores and love. And guess what, if you use the yellow kiwi with the fuzz-free skin, you don't really have to peel it! Just pop it in your blender whole! However, it may darken the color of the smoothie slightly. Yum!

Nutrient Dense Smoothie. This smoothie is incredibly nutrient packed! Talk about healthy. Kiwi's are one of the most nutrient dense fruits around. They are super high in vitamin C, K, E, potassium, fiber, calcium, copper and even folate. Add in antioxidant and fiber rich raspberries, potassium-rich bananas and the all-around super berry acai and you are in healthy smoothie bliss.

Raspberry Kiwi Acai Smoothie
vegan, serves 1-2

⅔ cup frozen organic raspberries
2-3 Zespri green or golden kiwis, peeled and chopped
*Golden kiwis do not have to be peeled! But the skin may alter the color a bit.
¾ cup organic acai juice
⅓ cup organic soy milk
6 coconut water ice cubes
dash sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
½ ripe organic banana
¼ cup organic wild blueberries

Directions:
Blend all ingredients except kiwi and banana and 2 ice cubes.
When smoothie is smooth, add in additional ice cubes and fresh fruit.
Blend lightly and serve.

Garnish with fresh kiwi fruit slices, and other fresh fruit leftovers.

Nutrition Benefits:
This smoothie is high in antioxidants-especially Vitamin C, fiber, and potassium. The ginger gives a nice kick and the soy milk adds a nice serving of soy protein. The acai juice adds omega fatty acids as well!

I still remember my first knock-out plate of nachos. Crisp, chewy and brown-burnt edged chips smothered in gobs of white and orange melted cheese. Beans, sour cream, diced veggies, jalapeno circles and salsa. Heavenly. But not healthy. Until now. Eat Nachos again! Learn how to cut out 5.5g of saturated fat per ounce of cheese and create a plate of party nachos you can feel good about...

Healthy Nacho Keys:
*load up on the beans! Choose fat-free refried black beans. Protein and fiber-rich
*Use fresh veggies and jalapenos. Can canned.
*Load up on the 'veggie mixture' topping.
*Spicy is good for you! Go spicy.
*Use spices and herbs like cilantro and cumin to add flavor (rather than added fat from sour cream, oil or more cheese.)
*Use a mix of baked/traditional chips. (The more baked the better)
*Use vegan cheese.
*Add healthy sides like fat-free salsa and healthy avocado slices (or guacamole)

Lift Your Nacho Ban. If you are a healthy eating devotee, you've probably pushed the party, ballpark, snack-worthy food Nachos out of your culinary spectrum. But hold your jalapenos! Nachos aren't all bad! The beans and spicy veggies give this dish good-for-you potential. Improve the chips, add a lot more of the healthy veggies and upgrade the cheese to a vegan version and you are in nacho business! FYI, vegan cheese has 5.5g less saturated fat per ounce than traditional cheese! Discover my recipe for fast, friendly, fun and furiously delicious Vegan Nachos.

Who invented nachos? It is said that in 1943, Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, invented nachos. He lived in Mexico, not far from the Texas border. He used a Tostada, cheese and a few jalapenos. But that was it! Then in 1977 Frank Liberto, A Texas resident, changed up the recipe to use chips. But wow, nachos sure have evolved since then. Why not continue the evolution....

Nachos. Circa 1980. In the past, nachos have consisted of fried chips, thin greasy neon-orange cheese and sliced jalapenos-sometimes canned. More gourmet versions have included blue corn or gourmet style tortilla chips, piles of an exotic variety of cheeses, beans, sour cream, rice, cilantro and a variety of veggie toppings including onions and tomatoes. Not a 'healthy' food, and definitely not vegan. Until now...

Healthy Nachos. My healthier nachos use a mix of traditional and low-fat chips. They use a large serving of protein and fiber-rich black beans (the vegan, fat-free kind), lots of fresh-chopped veggies, spicy fresh jalapenos and the big kicker is changing up the traditional cheese for some vegan cheese!

Cheese vs. Vegan Cheese Comparison
per one ounce
Vegan Cheese (Follow Your Heart Brand): 80 calories, 8g fat, 0.5g saturated fat
Traditional Cheddar Cheese: 113 calories, 9 g fat, 6g saturated fat.

Lets get to it, here is my recipe for Healthy Vegan Party Nachos:

Vegan Party Nachos
vegan, makes one big plate

1 cup restaurant style tortilla chips
1 cup baked tortilla chips or oven-baked tortilla strips
*low salt is preferred
¾ cup canned black refried beans, vegan/fat-free
2 tablespoon black olive slices
1 fresh jalapeno pepper, sliced into circles
cheese mixture:
⅓ cup vegan cheddar cheese
2 tablespoon Monterey Jack cheese
*I use the Follow Your Heart brand
½ sweet onion, diced
1 small tomato, diced
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cumin powder
1 lime, juiced
pinch of salt and black pepper
olive oil spray
garnish: cilantro or parsley, chopped
4 orange slices

optional: chopped spinach, sliced mushrooms, side of fresh chopped avocados soaked in citrus juice and black pepper.

Directions:

Veggie mix:
In a medium bowl, combine diced tomatoes, diced onions, cumin powder, olive oil, lime juice and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Toss gently to coat the veggies. Set aside.

Line a casserole dish with parchment paper or foil.
Spray with olive oil spray.
Lay a handful of chips on bottom of dish.
Next, empty beans into microwave-safe dish.
Heat refried beans in microwave for one minute-to warm them.
Now take your remaining chips and spread 1 teaspoon of beans on each chip, then layer them in the casserole dish.
Grate the cheese.
Sprinkle ¾ of your cheese mixture on top of the chips.
Next, spoon about ½ cup of the veggie mixture on top of the cheese and chips.
Then add your remaining cheese to the top of that.
Add your olives and jalapeno slices to the top layer of cheese.
Spray entire nacho dish with olive oil spray (this will assist in browning the cheese and chips)
Now place your nachos of the top rack of your oven.
Broil them on high for about ten minutes-or until the chip ends are toasty brown and some of the cheese has bubbled brown as well.
Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 2 minutes.
While the nachos cool, prep your serving plate.
Place 4 orange slice circles and 4 lime wedges on the dish.
(See image)
Finally, with a large spatula, transfer the nachos onto the serving plate.
Serve warm.
Serve any leftover beans or veggies in side dish bowls.
You can also serve with some spicy salsa or guacamole.

The Giant Sidewalk Pretzel has gone healthy. Living in New York City, you see a lot of Giant Pretzels. Pretzels the size of your head. They are stacked up in tall piles on street-side food cart's; sprinkled with blinding white salt cubes and doused in neon yellow mustard (if you'd like). Those darn pretzels always catch my eye, and that starchy smell catches my nose. Most tourists indulge freely; NYC's pretzels and hot dogs are like Paris's crepes and croissants. But I know better. Pretzels can range anywhere from 300-500 calories (all pretzel sizes are not created equal). Ingredients are processed white wheat flour and often times corn syrup. So if you are craving that salty street starch without all the calories and a bit more nutrients, check out my recipe for Whole Wheat Giant Soft Summer Pretzels....

Healthier Giant Pretzel. My research found that most NYC giant pretzels have about 483 calories and around 5 grams of fat. Nearly 100 grams of carbohydrates. And not the good complex, high fiber, nutrient-dense carbs. Carbs like corn syrup and white flour. Yuck. See the complete nutrition info at FitWatch here. So is it possible to make one of these devilish tourist treats healthy? You bet!

Better Ingredients. Better Pretzels. I use 100% Whole Wheat flour in my yeasted pretzels. I also use exotic sea salt from the dead sea. Rich in minerals. But any natural sea salt works fine. (Those bleached-looking white cubes I see on the street carts scare me). I use extra virgin olive oil and a very small amount of agave syrup to sweeten these golden twisted gems. And the mustard? Top notch spicy deli mustard. All natural. None of this glows-in-the-dark yellow mustard. I wish there was a sidewalk cart that sold these delicious snack treats! I'd buy them!

Whole Wheat Giant Soft Summer Pretzels
vegan, makes about 5-9 pretzels depending on size

4 cups whole wheat flour
*you may need more/less for dusting/achieving the right dough texture
1 envelope, about 2 teaspoon Active Dry Yeast
*I use FLEISCHMANN'S RapidRise Yeast
2-3 tablespoon agave syrup
1 ½ teaspoon sea salt, fine
½ teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 cup warm water, warmed
½ cup soy milk, unsweetened
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped fine
optional: 3 tablespoon Flax seed Powder
For Brushing:
Olive Oil
Lemon Juice
For topping:
coarse salt
sesame seeds
thyme
black pepper

Directions:
In large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, salt, pepper, thyme. Set Aside.
Combine warm water (about 120 degrees) and yeast to bowl. Stir for about a minute.
Add to the yeasted water: olive oil, lemon juice, agave syrup and warmed soy milk.
Mix all liquids together.
Slowly fold the liquid mixture into the flour mixture.
Add the remaining flour into the mixture, until a nice ball of dough is formed.
Knead on floured surface for 5 minutes.
Add a swipe of olive oil to the large mixing bowl and re-place the kneaded dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean dish towel and place in a warm (high)spot to rise.
Allow to rise according to time on yeast packet. Rapid Rise yeast only takes about a half hour!

Retrieve dough. Punch the dough once, then transfer it to a floured kneading surface.
Knead for about 2 minutes.
Split the dough into equal parts and roll each part into a long snake-like piece. Form a pretzel. It may take a few tries, but think about tying your shoe laces-sort've.

Place formed pretzels on a piece of parchment paper-on a baking sheet.
Brush each pretzel with a mixture of 2 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon lemon juice.
Sprinkle the brushed pretzels with a bit of course salt.

Cover pretzels, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Bake pretzels in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, brush again with olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, sesame seeds, herbs or vegan Parmesan cheese.
Return to oven and bake for 7-15 minutes or until browned and crisp on top.

Allow pretzels to cool before serving.

Serve with mustard, I like mine spicy.

Serving/Topping Idea: Cinnamon-Sugar Pretzels. You can easily make these cinnamon sugar pretzels by topping the pretzels with a cinna-sugar mixture in place of the seeds and herbs! Sweet treat.

Great news for fellow smoothie lovers out there! Jamba Juice is offering BOGO until July 12th, at participating locations. That means you can buy one smoothie and get one of equal or lesser value for free! Awesome. (Click ahead for the coupon link and full details) I'm hoping for warm weather this weekend! And if you are hesitant about ordering healthfully at Jamba Juice (not every smoothie is healthy and vegan), Here are a few awesome tips for ordering healthfully at JJ....

Yay for BOGO at Jamba Juice, offer ends on July 12th. FULL DETAILS AND COUPON HERE.

How to Order healthy at Jamba Juice:

* My very first high school job was at Jamba Juice. And working there gave me a few tips and tricks about how to order a healthy smoothie. And yes, almost any smoothie they make an be modified to be vegan or at least a bit healthier...

1. Go All Fruit. It's true that JJ has an All-Fruit section on their menu, but you can actually order any smoothie and make it all fruit. All fruit meaning NO sorbet/sherbet/fro-yo as a filler. Simply say "please no sorbet/sherbet/fro-yo, and substitute (insert fruit here)" I like adding more blueberries to my blue smoothies and more peaches or bananas to my orange/pink smoothies.

2. My favorite juices offered at JJ are acai and orange. The OJ is usually fresh squeezed (except that one winter when the orange crop was bad...) Hopefully the OJ is back to normal now...I'd ask though. And I love their Acai juice. I'm not a big fan of the other juices-made from concentrate. Like the apple or passion fruit. I also love the lemonade. It's not really healthy, but it's a nice treat if that's what flavor you are craving. (I get it in the strawberry Surfrider).

3. My favorite Smoothies are: Acai Supercharger with no filler frozen stuff-all fruit. I also love the Acai-Soymilk smoothie with lots of protein in it. And lastly, I love the Strawberry Surfrider. Though it's made with sweet lemonade as the liquid, on a really hot summer day it is what I crave. I also have to remove the frozen fillers on this one. Oh, and I love getting a side of wheat grass juice-when I'm feeling brave to chug it. Not really a fan of that taste.

4. Healthy Food at JJ. Well now that JJ has a huge selection of food items, I still have to try the vegan ones, but in the past, I know that the apple-cinnamon pretzel is one of the only vegan baked goods. I love the healthy selection of snacks JJ stores have: nuts, popcorn and protein bars.

5. Boosts: I like the vita boost the best. It doesn't change the flavor at all. Of the extra charge boosts, I like the 3g and antioxidant boosts.

The best part of the Jamba Juice website is that they have a section that shows you which menu items are vegan-as-made. Yay. But like I said, you can easily modify a few of the smoothies to be vegan-and a lot healthier.

My fennel discovery. I have to admit that it wasn't until last year that I started experimenting with fennel. I initially tasted it shaved super thin in a raw salad at Mercer Kitchen, a Jean Georges restaurant in NYC. But after a few rounds of fennel recipes and experimenting on my own, I was hooked. Not only do I love the zesty palate-cleansing taste of raw fennel bulb, but this celery-esque white bulb is tasty and healthy. It's low in calories (only 27 calories per cup) and high in fiber. It's also been called the ultimate digestive aid veggie. And my happy tummy has to agree...


I love Fennel. I do. It combines the satisfying crunchiness of celery or carrots with the robust flavor of a bold lovely spice. Fennel is tender yet crisp, and mellow yet robust in anise flavor. Aka, licorice flavor. My favorite way to eat fennel is to thinly slice it raw right into my salads. But there are more than a few ways to prepare it.

Fennel Recipes. Try it in place of cabbage in a Fennel cole slaw. You can also braise it with olive oil and garlic. Shave it super thin and marinate it in lemon juice and olive oil. Or try it sauteed with tofu and black pepper. They often say that fennel goes perfectly with fish like salmon. Well for veggies like me, I've found that fennel goes very well with mellow grains like quinoa and couscous, tofu, tempeh and even seitan.

But fennel isn't all about flavor. It is a nutrition superfood!

Fennel for digestion. Numerous doctors and health professionals often recommend trying fennel for moderate digestive ailments. You can chew fennel seeds, drink fennel seed tea or do what I do: simply eat some raw fennel. Fennel aides in digestion by using its stimulating properties. There's nothing worse than a sluggish, slow and unhappy digestive tract.

Fennel Nutrition Facts
from Nutritiondata.com
*per one cup of fennel

calories: 27
fat: 0
carbs: 6g
protein: 1g
fiber: 3g
Vitamin C: 17% RDA
Potassium: 10% RDA
Manganese: 8% RDA
Folate: 6% RDA

Nutrition Summary: Fennel is low in calories and high in fiber. It is also a good source of potassium and vitamin C.

To Fennel or Not to Fennel? Great nutrition profile. Super flavorful. Easy to find at the supermarket. Not too expensive. Add in the digestion-easing effects of fennel and you have a truly appealing ingredient to add to your culinary repertoire.

Veg*n foodies, lets chat. I was thrilled, excited and all around stoked when I found out that the new 'low-brow' Daniel Boulud restaurant, DBGB was opening up at Bowery and Houston streets in NYC-easy access for this downtown chica. And right across the street from vegan mecca, Whole Foods Market, I might add. But my excitement turned to disappointment as I perused the newly unveiled menu posted on the windows of the DBGB building. Vegetarian option: declined. And as one DBGB customer commented on Yelp.com:

"...the menu was a nightmare for vegetarians, which isn't good."

Sigh. Daniel B, I am such a big fan, I love your culinary creations and witty personality. I adored After Hours, your awesome 'foodie dream dinner party' series on TV. So I have to ask, why do you hate veg*ns like me? (And yes, the pic above is a cell phone photo of Daniel when I spotted him outside DBGB one afternoon.) So, fine dining, veggie-options and chefs that seem oblivious. Let's Chat...

DBGB Buzz. I'd stroll by the ever-evolving restaurant waiting and watching for any signs of life, or more importantly, any signs of a menu. And one day I even spotted Daniel B himself, getting into his Town car as he excited the side doorway of the restaurant. He was wearing his elegant eyeglasses, chef's coat and a big smile on his face. Love Daniel the chef, but wait does he hate me? If his not-vegan-friendly-at-all menu is any indication, it seems so.

Boulud's Wild Side. I get it. Chef Boulud wanted to take on the down turned economy by introducing a 'low-brow' burger-ized, 'casual fine dining' restaurant into his repertoire. On DB's website are images splashed across my screen of DB and his head chef wearing jeans, casual shirts and grubby shoes while strolling the Bowery. How chic. How so...Tony Bourdain of him. But I have to wonder why a lax attitude in fine dining doesn't mean a lax attitude in culinary offerings. Why not take chic a step further and offer, gasp, a hip Bowery Veggie Burger. What would Bourdain say?...

DBGB has opened, and the menu is in full view, posted outside and on the web. Let's see, sausages, hamburgers, meat, meat, more meat. Wait, where are the veggies? Where is the vegetarian option? Where is the side note about a vegetarian option available each night (even Michelin-Starred restaurant WD-50 has that. Ugh. Sigh. Sniff. Whimper. Nothing. Nada. I can usually swing something at a non-vegan place like this, but as one Yelper reviewed: "I also thought the menu was a nightmare for vegetarians, which isn't good."

Nightmare indeed. So what's up with these anti-veg*n chefs? And why do Ilove them, but they seem to hate me? Anthony Bourdain, Gordon Ramsey. Love them both. Talented authors, charismatic personalities and bold chefs. But they are never shy about voicing their hate for vegetarian food.

But JG Likes me! Thank you Jean-Georges. He is a big believer in eating healthy and accommodating all types of diets. I also dined at Le Bernardin, where they made a silly little vegan like me (at a notably seafood-heavy restaurant) feel incredibly comfortable and satisfied. My vegan meal was amazing at Le B. So, why do Eric Ripert and Jean-Georges find it appropriate to accommodate vegans, but Daniel B seems to have forgotten his veggie fans completely, via his menu. I'm not asking for a whole section on the menu for vegans, but one veg-friendly, vegan modifiable entree would be nice. If you haven't noticed, the veg-friendly establishments do quite well in this part of town. And DB, your new DBGB joint is right across the street from Whole Foods, vegan mecca.

Special Diets Everywhere. I would think that the first-or heck the last- thing that a chef thinks about when designing a menu is how to accommodate people with special diets or acknowledge the people with food allergies. Look at all the different diets out there: gluten-free, organic, low-fat, low-sodium, vegan, vegetarian, kosher, diabetic, non-dairy and more. I would think that restaurants would want to open their doors to all types of diets. A true chef can cook an amazing meal-for anyone. But really, why would a chef shy away from creating a meal out of seasonal, organic local produce and grains. A vegan entree would be an easy add-on and quite frankly, veggies are cheap! I'm not asking for truffles here. Just a simple micro-green salad and a creative pasta, grain or veggie burger dish.

If you are interested in this 'special diets' topic, you may be interested in signing my Food Network Show petition to increase programming involving special diets: Petition Here.

Did you watch the week three episode of The Next Food Network Star? Here are my week three contestant rankings. And my "you stole Paula Deen's recipe?!" reactions to the Teddy vs. Eddie drama. And as Bobby said "a little chivalry in the kitchen goes a long way"...

Week Three Reactions:
I'm still liking Melissa. I also love that Debbie stood up for herself against Teddy. I am sooo glad that Eddie went home. His eye-rolling and rude comments were making me steam with anger. Bobby Flay was right "a little chivalry in the kitchen goes a long way..." I'm still a bit bored with Jamika and Katie still isn't delivering for me. I actually started to like Michael a bit more this week. I am interested to see what he can do. Can I come to one of those $1,000 dinner parties? Jeffrey: I like his skills, but he isn't very good at opening up on camera-so far. But I think the Paula Deen cookbook comment sealed the deal on who needed to be kicked to the curb: Eddie.

My The Next Food Network Star rankings this week (Week Three):
*+/- indicates how they moved on my rankings

1. Melissa +1
2. Debbie -1
3. Jeffrey n/c
4. Michael +3
5. Jamika n/c
6. Katie n/c
7. Teddy -3

On Who Went Home: Voted Off: Eddie Glad he is gone. I really like his cool California attitude-at first. But he couldn't balance the attitude out with some, well...chivalry.

What are your contestant predictions and reviews?? Leave them in the comments!

And be sure to check back each week when I'll update my rankings and let you know who I think should be winning. Hopefully, the judges will get it right!

Love the show, can't wait for next week. Oh, and did you know that casting for the next show has begun?! Check it out on the foodnetwork.com

Watch it: Sunday nights on The Food Network.

We've come to the end of part five of the Healthy Makeover Summer Eats Series: Fresh Picked Desserts! Here's the duo of two healthier vegan versions of your favorite summertime desserts: (Fresh Fruit Tart and Fresh Fruit Pie)....

Fresh Picked Summer Desserts

1. Healthier Fruit Tart. Fresh summer fruit artfully laid upon a firm vanilla pudding. Light graham crust. Cinnamon accents. Vegan.
*healthier than traditional Fruit Tart desserts. Contains healthy protein-rich tofu. Fresh summer fruit. Agave and raw sugar sweetened. Healthy vegan crust.

2. Cherry Apricot Pie Bars. Fresh picked summer cherries and apricots sandwiched between a moist spelt flour crust.
*Healthier than traditional summer fruit pie. Fresh, ripe fruit. The crust is free of white flour, eggs, butter and shortening. Vegan. Organic ingredients preferred.

Next up, Ballpark and Sidewalk Snacks...

Strolling the NYC sidewalks, my pace slows at the site of a friendly bakery shop (there's a lot in this city). I gaze through the glossy glass window, and an array of sweet tempting treats stare back at me. Just browsing. But the one treat that always catches my eye is the colorful fruit tart. Brown crisp crust, creamy vanilla filling and a nice array of fresh fruit artfully laid on top. It's the fruit lover in me. As a kid I always chose the tart over the chocolate cake. And I know I'm not alone! So for all my fellow fruit tart devotees out there, this recipe is for you. It's an Even Healthier Fresh Summer Fruit Tart. It's cool creamy vegan banana-vanilla pudding, lemon-doused fruit and a cinnamon graham crust. This summer dessert will please your eyes and your taste buds...

Seasonal Fruit. The great part about this dessert is that you can make it year round using whatever fruit is in season. Berries in summer, mandarins in winter. I used figs, kiwis, blueberries, strawberries and a few fun kumquats.

Vegan Pudding. I adore making vegan pudding pies, parfaits or bars. I always add a giant 15 ounce block of silken tofu, and for the luscious vanilla pudding I add lemon juice, a pinch of cinnamon, sea salt, arrowroot powder (easier to digest than corn starch) and a bit of raw sugar. My favorite vegan pudding mix is by Dr. Oetker. Lastly, I blend in my secret flavor ingredient: one ripe organic banana. Just enough banana flavor to accent the vanilla. It tastes like a subtle banana cream pie. Here is the full recipe...

Healthier Summer Fresh Fruit Tart
vegan, makes one tart

2 boxes Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding
1 block silken tofu (15 ounces)
1 lemon, juiced
1 large organic banana
¼ cup arrowroot powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup dry sugar
3 tablespoon agave syrup

Crust: 1 ¼ cups crust mix
vegan cinnamon graham crackers and a handful dry roasted almonds
2 tablespoon vegan butter

Fruit:
½ lemon, juiced
3 tablespoon raw sugar
2 cups seasonal fruit
*I used strawberries, blueberries, kumquats, figs, and kiwis

To make:
Grind grahams and nuts in a food processor.
Spread the crumbs in the bottom of a greased 9" cake or pie pan.
The evenly pour melted vegan butter over the top.
Using a fork, smooth out the crust and saturated the crumbs with the butter a bit more evenly.
You can leave the crust raw graham, or you can bake it in the oven at 350 degrees for ten minutes.
*crisp crust will need to be baked. The raw crust is crumbly and light.

Pudding:
In a sauce pot, over high heat pour the cold soy milk, two packets of pudding, arrowroot powder, cinnamon, salt, vanilla extract and agave syrup.
Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
When the bubbles break the surface and the mixture starts to thicken, reduce the heat to low and fold in the tofu, dry sugar and lemon juice.
After about a minute, remove the pan from the heat and transfer entire mixture to blender.
(Yes the mixture will be lumpy and globby and not smooth at all. That's OK.
The blender will smooth it all out.
Blend the mixture on medium-high.
If you need to add more soy milk to thin it out-do so now.
Then add your banana to the blender.
Blend until smooth.
When the mixture is ready, pour over the crust.
Allow to chill in fridge for at least 3 hours. Best if chilled overnight.

Fruit:
I like to do the fruit last so that it is at its freshest when served.
So I chop was and thoroughly dry all my fruit.
I then gently toss it with 3 tablespoon raw sugar and a spoonful of lemon juice.
Then arrange the fruit on the chilled and hardened tart.
I will then brush a bit more lemon juice on top and sprinkle a bit more sugar.
*will help preserve the color and flavor of the fruit.

Serve right away or chill in fridge for no more than a day before serving.

Notes:
*I recommend, if you can, to cut and place the fruit right before serving.
Some varieties of fruit can easily mush up and lost their color.
*Also, looking for vegan graham crackers? Well Keebler Low-Fat Cinnamon Grahams are vegan. See my vegan smores post for a more thorough description.

Enjoy more yummy yum Fruit Tart Photos....

Fresh fruit pies are a dessert favorite in the summertime. But the fresh, healthy fruit is usually paired with a not-so-healthy butter, white-flour crust. So I've 'veganized it'. My Cherry-Apricot Pie Bars pair sweet fresh-picked cherries and apricots with a moist vegan spelt crust. Healthier ingredients, healthier dessert. Dessert dream: slice the 'pie' into square bars, warm it up and pair it with vanilla non-dairy ice cream. Here's the vegan recipe...

Summer Fruit Pie Stays Healthy. I always get frustrated when fresh fruit pies filled with healthy summer fruit end up in an all-butter, white flour crust. Pairing summer fruit with a bland white flour crust seems to make no sense. So this recipe takes that zing-y sweet summer fruit flavor and pairs it with a flaky, moist and flavorful spelt flour crust. There is even a bit of flax seed flour secretly mended in to up the nutrition benefits. All vegan. I am loving this crust!

Cherries and Apricots. When summer rolls around, two of my favorite fruits are cherries and apricots. These two flavors don't often get put together, but I found that the sour-sweet cherries paired with the smooth sweetness of apricots makes for a delicious summer dessert.

Cherry-Apricot Pie Bars
vegan, makes one 8" "pie"

3 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved
4 small apricots, sliced thin
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup agave syrup
⅓ cup water
¼ cup + 1 teaspoon coconut oil or canola oil
¼ cup + 2 tablespoon dry organic sugar
⅓ cup arrowroot powder
1 ¾ cups spelt flour
3 tablespoon Flax seed Flour
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoon salt
Topping:
1 teaspoon vegan butter
cinnamon/sugar mixture (¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon sugar)

To make:
Combine spelt flour, baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ cup dry sugar, cinnamon and flax seed flour in a bowl. Add water and oil. Mix into a dough. Add more liquid or flour if needed to attain a firm, yet moist dough.
Wrap dough ball in plastic wrap and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

Filling:
Add cherries, apricots, lemon juice, agave syrup, 2 tablespoon dry sugar, arrowroot powder, 1 tsp. salt and 1 teaspoon coconut or canola oil.
Mix well, without mushing fruit.
Arrowroot should turn into a nice jelly texture.
Set aside.

Remove chilled dough from fridge and split into two pieces.
Roll out both pieces into loose 8-9" circles.
Prepare an 8" cake pan by rubbing it with vegan butter and a pinch of flour.
Lay the first crust layer in the pan.
Create a loose crust border around the edge of pan.
Next, pour in the fruit mixture.
Then lay the second crust on top of the fruit mixture. Poke a few random holes in the top crust. If the crust breaks a bit-that is OK.
Topping: Drizzle melted vegan butter on top of crust.
Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar mixture.
Bake for 30 minutes at 325 degrees.
Serve warm or store in fridge for a few days.
Yummy cold or warm.

It's Monday morning, and I was craving a soy chai latte. Not in the mood for Starbucks, I trekked out to one of my favorite vegan spots on the lower east side of NYC: Teany. Moby's awesome tea cafe. But sadly, I was shocked to see this polite tiny sign announcing temporary closure due to a fire:

"Dear Teany Customers,
Sorry there has been a fire and we are closed for now. We will re-open once everything has been repaired and we are ready to serve tea and vegan/vegetarian goodies again. Hope to see you soon, Love Teany"

Poor Teany. Get well soon little happy cafe. We miss you. (FYI, while I strolled by, about 3 other folks walked by and frowned in sadness when they saw that Teany was closed.) I'll tweet you all when I have a Teany update! Want to read my Teany review...

Read my Teany Review here.

www.teany.com

appears only after hitting more

I finally taste-tested the much-hyped raw vegan Mallomar dessert at One Lucky Duck, here in NYC. Sarma, Pure Food/Lucky Duck owner, often brags that she likes to eat Mallomars for breakfast. So jealous. Was this $6 raw treat even better than I imagined it would be?? My review ahead...
Raw Rainy Day Treat. After a few Saturday errands with the hubs, we stumbled upon One Lucky Duck. OK, so we didn't really stumble, I may have directed us there. I was craving a Bunny Brew juice. (Carrot, apple and ginger). I decided I had to try the much-hyped Mallomar dessert. Every dessert I have tried ta OLD and PFW has been amazing. The Lemon Raspberry cheesecake, the cookies. All divine. So finally, it was Mallomar taste test time. Seated on a damp bench outside the juice bar, we drank out juice and ate out Mallomar. Bunny Brew and a shared Mallomar-nice rainy Saturday treat.

Mallomars at One Lucky Duck. So what is a mallomar? Well without 'googling' the term Mallomar, I remember them as being chocolate covered marshmallow candy bars. Right? Well this raw vegan version tastes like heaven. Details, because you must be drooling for them.

Review: Mallomar from One Lucky Duck,
aka Pure Food and Wine, NYC 'Juice Bar/Takeaway'

Shelf Appeal: Sitting in the cold dessert case these mallomars look tasty. Drizzled in dark chocolate and puffy white marshmallow-y fluff. Yum. I've heard the hype, now I must dig in.

Taste Test: O-M-G. Wow. Cold. Creamy. Sweet. Nutty. Luscious. Cookie perch is oaty and nutty with a tender texture. The chocolate is smooth and melts in your mouth. The marshmallow tastes like ice cream almost, but looks and smushes like a marshmallow. I split this with my husband, but I could eat three. So delicious. And post-eating I felt energized and revived-sometimes the way you feel after eating something can say it all.

Label Check: Vegan. Raw. Dark Chocolate. Raw crust cookie. The fluff is some sort of nut cream on top of the chocolate covered cookie. All good ingredients. I say, breakfast approved from time to time. Pair it with a live raw green juice and you are in nutrition and taste bliss.

Price Check: $6. Taste it, then judge. I say worth it.

Last Word: Sarma's "Mallomar Diet" makes complete sense to me now. More please?

Read my Celeb Tweets with Sarma here.

www.oneluckyduck.com

We've come to the end of part four of the Healthy Makeover Summer Eats Series: Beach Campfire Barbecue! Here's the duo of two healthier vegan versions of your favorite summertime beach barbecue eats (smores and hot dogs)....

Beach Campfire Barbecue

1. Healthier Vegan Hot Dog. Black-burnt bottom makes it campfire-licious!
*healthier than traditional meat hot dogs on a white flour bun. Better ingredients, healthier hot dog. Nitrate-free.

2. Vegan Campfire Smores. Ooey Gooey Good. Sweet and Sara's vegan marshmallows do the trick. These are strawberry flavored.
*healthier than traditional smores. Cruelty free. Free of gelatin, free of honey, free of dairy.

Next up, Fresh Picked Desserts...

Vegan Campfire Smores. Yes, vegan smores do exist. Insert heavenly sigh here. Grab a stick for marshmallow toasting, because it's vegan smores time. Does it get any better than that?!...

Vegan Smores Ingredients. Smores are pretty simple to make. Take three ingredients, stick them together and you are set. No wonder I have so many memories of being huddled around a beach bonfire, making smores with friends and family. Everyone loved smores-it's an easy and fun campfire activity-and even kids can get into the marshmallow toasting fun. So first things first, to make vegan smores we will need some vegan ingredients: grahams, chocolate and marshmallows. Hmmm...can we do it?

Graham Crackers. It's quite a chore to find vegan Graham crackers. If you eat honey, you will have no problems, but if you do not eat honey, you probably already know that vegan grahams are hard to find. But no fear. I have tow easy to find brands that are indeed vegan: Keebler low-fat Cinnamon Grahams and Health Valley Amaranth Graham Crackers. Both vegan. The Health Valley crackers have a better nutrition profile, but they are harder to find.

Vegan Marshmallows. There are a lot of vegan cooking blogs that have recipes for making your own vegan marshmallows. But if I'm doing a smores day, it is probably a weekend and I don't want to spend the whole day in the kitchen. So, I like to use an amazing (and NYC local) brand of vegan marshmallows called Sweet and Sara. These marshmallows are heavenly. Soft, fluffy and delicately sweet. And guess what, they hold up incredibly well for toasting over a hot flame. Today I tried the strawberry flavor. Yum! They even have a cinnamon pecan flavor. Double yum. They also have original and toasted coconut flavors. True, these marshmallows are more expensive than their non-vegan counterparts, but come on, these are vegan smores. Sooo worth it.

Chocolate. And last, but not least we'll select a vegan chocolate bar. I like dark chocolate with almonds. There are actually a lot of vegan chocolate bar options on the market today. Your best bet, head over to the Whole Foods Market chocolate bar section and start reading labels. Today I used the Endangered Species Chocolate brand of a Dark Chocolate bar. I love this brand. Their dark chocolate is vegan certified and uses exotic flavors like acai, blueberries, almonds, cranberries, yacon, goji berries and more.

So now lets get to the recipe!

Vegan Campfire Smores. (Insert heavenly sigh here.)
vegan, makes 4 smores

8 vegan marshmallows
*I like Sara and Sweet brand
8 square vegan Graham Crackers
8 2"x2" square dark chocolate pieces

To make:
Campfire Method: Toast your marshmallows over the fire. Get your crackers and chocolate ready. Place the hot, black-charred marshmallows on top of the chocolate and smush them between the crackers. The hot marshmallow will help melt the chocolate.

Stove-Top Method: This will work best with a gas stove, but an electric stove will toast a marshmallow well-it just takes a while longer.
Place the marshmallows on a long metal skewer.
(Or do them one at a tie with a fork)
Toast them over the flame/heat.
When they are toasted well, smush them between two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate.
For more melted chocolate, place the smore in the microwave for 8 seconds. This will make it nice and ooey gooey.

Now, enjoy more yummy smores photos....

Hot Dogs are a classic, social, American food. Hot dogs are eaten at sporting events, from sidewalk food vendor carts and my favorite, at summer beach BBQ's. But the traditional recipe, with a white flour bun, processed unhealthy dog and sugar-laden toppings (like electric-green relish and neon yellow mustard) leaves me feeling less than patriotic. But swap out those unhealthy ingredients for organic, vegan, premium ones and we are in beach barbecue business. Here's my healthier Beach Hot Dogs recipe. No beach? You can make them in your kitchen...

What Came First, the bun or the dog?

Vegan Hot Dogs. There are several brands on the market. Here are my personal favorites. (Out of what I have tried)
*Turtle Island: Tofurky Beer brats (what I used in my photos). Higher in calories, that my other picks, but very tasty and a nice plump size. Uses real microbrewed Full Sail Ale in the flavoring. Grill approved. 260 calories, 13 g fat, 27 g protein.
*Lightlife: Smart Dogs and Jumbo Smart Dogs. Fat free. High in protein. Very lean.
*Yves: Jumbo Hot Dogs. 110 calories, 3.5 g fat, 16 g protein. Made with vital wheat gluten. They also have a tofu dog option.

Now for the bun....

Bun Appeal. Do not go with a white flour bun. The whole wheat version hot dog buns are just as soft and tasty and higher in nutrients. If you are super healthy, go with a sprouted grain bun. I adore Alvarado Street Bakery sprouted buns. Those are delicious.

Pickles. Luckily, downtown NYC is home to three amazing pickle vendors: Guss' Pickles, Mr. Pickle and The Pickle Guys. Try to find a really good pickle vendor for your pickles, relish and sauerkraut. It makes a big, healthy difference, No one likes rubbery mushy pickles.

Healthier Beach Hot Dogs
vegan, makes 4 dogs

4 vegan hot dogs
4 whole or sprouted grain hot dog buns
1 medium organic tomato, diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 cup organic sauerkraut
4 whole pickles, 'new' is best
1 cup sauerkraut
½ cup pickle relish
1 bottle mustard, you select variety
*read the ingredients and choose a mustard free of preservatives or anything artificial. Read those labels.
¼ cup spicy peppercinis
black pepper grinder

optional sides: grilled corn on the cob, baked BBQ chips, watermelon, fresh fruit

To cook dogs:
Follow instructions on package. To get that nice black-charred look, heat dogs directly on gas stove for a few seconds. You can also broil them in your oven or use a grill.

Assembly:
Well this is too easy, set up the toppings and let everyone build their own hot dog. Everyone gets what they like. Just one rule: no ketchup! Use tomatoes. (OK, if you need it go ahead, but read that label first!)

Drink ideas: ice cold lemonade, iced tea, mint-lemon water or fruit juice spritzer.

Rice Pudding often gets brushed off as being a bland, raisin-specked 'healthier' dessert. Well when it comes to my vegan Coco-Cinna-Nilla Rice Pudding only one of those is true: it's healthy. But it's also delicious. And guess what, a few recipe tweaks, and it's a rice pudding dish that is breakfast approved. Check this out...

Vegan Dessert for Breakfast. A typical vegan breakfast can get a bad wrap. Fruit salad, tall glases of green juice, thick smoothies and vegan oatmeal may all sound a bit too healthy to the critics. I get it. Sometimes we crave something sweet, starchy and comforting in the morning. And since we all know that buttermilk pancakes and jelly-filled donuts are a healthy eating no no, we're left with few options to satisfy. Until now. Here is a yummy brown rice pudding recipe perfect (and healthy enough) for breakfast. It's high in protein (from the tofu), fiber (from the brown rice and cashews) and antioxidants (from the fresh fruit).
But before I get to the breakfast recipe, lets check out the sweet, simple and classic dessert recipe:

Version #1 Dessert:
Cinna-CoCo-Nilla Rice Pudding
vegan, simple'n sweet!

1 cup organic brown rice,
*short or long grain will work. I like short.
1 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*or other non-dairy creamy beverage
⅓ cup agave or maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 3 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes, fine

To make:
I make my rice pudding by cooking the rice first,
then slowly adding the additional liquid (non-dairy milk) and seasonings on medium heat.
First, add the rice, water, salt and butter to a pan.
Bring it to a bowl over high heat.
Cover with lid, reduce heat to low.
Simmer rice for an additional 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Next, turn heat to medium and stirring constantly, add all the coconut milk until it has been sufficiently absorbed. Be sure to uncover lid so that steam can cook off the rice.
Next fold in the vanilla extract, cinnamon and agave or maple syrup.
Cover with lid and allow to sit for ten minutes.
Serve warm or store in fridge to serve cold.
*Sprinkle a bit of cinnamon and a drizzle of agave syrup on top before serving.

And now for the modestly tweaked version that is perfect for a savory-sweet breakfast...

Version #2 Breakfast:
Sweet Tofu Rice Pudding
vegan, serves 2-3

1 cup organic brown rice,
*short or long grain will work. I like short.
1 ½ cups water
1 tablespoon vegan butter
1 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup Vanilla So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*or other non-dairy creamy beverage
¼ cup agave or maple syrup
1 cup tofu, firm, cut into cubes
3 tablespoon Cashews
1 cup chopped fresh fruit
*(banana, peaches, mangoes, berries all work well)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon cumin
*cumin adds a nice savory breakfast flavor
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
optional: 3 tablespoon unsweetened coconut flakes, fine

To make:
First, add the rice, water, salt and butter to a pan.
Bring it to a bowl.
Cover with lid, reduce heat to low.
Simmer rice for an additional 30 minutes, until liquid is absorbed.
Next fold in the tofu with ⅓ cup of coconut milk and cover lid. Allow to cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
The hot rice will help cook and flavor the tofu.
Next, while stirring constantly, add all the coconut milk until it has been sufficiently absorbed.
Next fold in the vanilla extract, cinnamon, cashews and agave or maple syrup.
Note, it's OK if the tofu crumbles a bit.
Cover with lid and allow to sit for ten minutes.
Fill a bowl half way, then top with fresh cut fruit.
Mangoes, berries, bananas and peaches work very well.
Serve warm.

Recipe Notes: If you do not have Coconut Milk beverage, you can easily substitute almond, soy, rice or hemp milk. However, try not to use a low-fat version because all the creaminess comes from the milk option you use. If using an alternative milk you can add in a tablespoon of canned coconut milk or oil if you crave a coconut flavor.

The days of only one non-dairy beverage option, aka soy milk, are long gone. The non-dairy beverage aisle hosts a wide variety of options: rice milk, hemp milk, almond milk, oat milk, raw nut milk and now amidst the 'coconut craze' a new option from the Turtle Mountain brand, So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage. And no, it's not the same thing as canned coconut milk, commonly used for cooking. This light, creamy beverage comes out of a carton and you use it like milk. Click ahead to learn more about the taste, uses and health benefits of this product.....

Coconut Milk Craze. You've seen it everywhere lately right? It's not just an ingredient used in curries, Thai cooking and coconut cream cakes. Now coconut milk, coconut oil and coconut water are all being touted for their health benefits and delicious taste. Coconut milk has tip-toed its way into the non-dairy ice cream scene and the Turtle Mountain brand has been leading the pack with its wide selection of Coconut Milk Purely Decadent non-dairy frozen dessert (aka vegan ice cream). The brand also offers new coconut milk So Delicious yogurt, with live and active cultures. But the main event in this post: the Coconut Milk beverage.

Why Coconut Milk? So you're happy with your soy milk, huh? Well ask any Registered Dietitian and they will tell you one thing: diversity is the key to a healthy diet. Eat a wide variety of different colored fruits and veggies. And also drink a wide variety of non-dairy beverages. Mix it up. Soy one week, hemp the next, rice the next and coconut milk beverage the next. So Delicious's Coconut Milk beverage is uniquely healthy because unlike the other non-dairy options, it is a rich source of MCFA's (medium chain fatty acids). Here's what So Delicious says about MDCFA's:
"MCFA's are recognized as "good fat". They are readily absorbed, digested and utilized as energy by the body, unlike long chain fatty acids which the body stores as fat. Two of the primary MCFA's found in coconut milk are lauric and capric acid, they are known for supporting the body's immune system."

Product Review: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage
*flavors: vanilla, original and unsweetened.

Shelf-Appeal: Great carton. Packaged in a sturdy carton with a top cap spout. Refrigerated. Easy to grab this once in a while instead of your traditional soy milk. I love the spout with the picture of the coconut.

Label Check: Wow, when I saw the 50% RDA of vitamin B12 in all three flavors, I got excited! Veg-eaters always need more sources of B12 available to them. The unsweetened flavor has only 50 calories per cup. Wow. All three flavors have 5 grams of fat per cup. And it may initially freak you out that all 5 grams are 'saturated' fat. But the word 'saturated' can be deceiving when it comes to coconut products. These saturated fats are actually MCFA's. Which as explained above, are claimed to not hurt your body, but help it greatly. This milk is vegan, gluten-free, low-carb, cholesterol free and trans fat free. And each cup contains 10% RDA magnesium, 10% RDA calcium, 30% RDA Vitamin D, and 8% RDA selenium. Though coconut milk beverage should not be used as a main source of protein in your day, unlike other non-dairy milks, it is low in protein (only 1 gram per cup). But those healthy fats make up for it.

Taste Test: Creamy, luscious and tasty. If you are sick of watery, bitter non-dairy milks you should give this a try. It has a subtle coconut flavor, but not enough to overwhelm your palate. I tried it in my usual soy chai latte and it was delicious. The vanilla flavor has a fluffy sweet flavor, while the original flavor is classicly plain and creamy. And wow, the rich and creamy unsweetened flavor has only 50 calories, just 1 gram of carbohydrates and no sugar added. Super diet friendly. Yum. For me, the creamy texture of this product is what stands out as amazing-something I would crave in certain recipes.

Price Check: Suggested Retail Price for So Delicious® Coconut Milk Beverage is $4.49 for a half gallon. So it is competitively priced to brands like Silk soy milk.

Last Word: So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage has been added to my non-dairy beverage rotation. Super easy (and yummy) way to get coconut milk MCFA's.

Uses of Product: In hot beverages (coffee, tea, chai), with cold or hot cereal, smoothies, rice pudding, rice or couscous entrees, in baked goods recipes and plain on its own (great for cookie dunking).

Read more about this and other Turtle Mountain products.

Extra Factoid: Coconut Craze Continues. And other healthy people in the media have raved about coconut milk and coconut oil. Babycakes NYC, a vegan "special diet" allergy-friendly bakery, uses coconut oil as the primary fat in all their baked goods.
More yummy photos....

Are you ready for Father's Day? Well, here it is, my Father's Day post. Here are some healthy gift ideas as well as a super yummy guy-approved breakfast menu for that very special guy we call dad...

First the Gifts, then the breakfast menu.

Father's Day Gifts: Healthy and Happy
Categories:
*Dad's Own Juicer
*Dad's Own Music World
*Gift of Hydration: Coconut Water in Bulk
*Beach, Barbecue and Backyard Reads
*Fit Dad 2.0
*Cozy Toes, Healthy Feet

1. Dad's Own Juicer

2. Dad's Own Music World

3. Gift of Hydration: Coconut Water in Bulk!

4. Beach, Barbecue and Backyard Reads

5. Fit Dad 2.0

6. Cozy Toes, Healthy Feet

Notes on Gift Recommendations: The juicers. I personally own the Super Angel Juicer. It's pricy, but well worth the investment if you are an avid juicer. Dad will love making his own OJ with the Might mini OJ juicer. Or the manual wheat grass juicer too. A more moderately priced juicer is the Jack Lalanne juicer-also awesome reviews.
The Books. I love all these books. And dad will too.
The Coconut Water. Bulk coconut water for dad? It doesn't get any healthier than that!
And all the other gifts I think are great Father's Day ideas. Or you can even get dad a fun Lunchbox Bunch tee. I got my dad the Tennis Pro Beet Burnout Tee from my zazzle store. Fun and comfy.

And now for the Father's Day Menu....

Father's Day Menu
Breakfast Menu Fit for Dad:
Main: Vegan McFaker Muffin/Giggling Morning Muffin (Dad-Approved recipe Below)
Side: Tempeh Bacon
Drink: Super Enzyme Smoothie
Side: Almond Butter Toast, a la Chef Jean-Georges
Dessert: Dark chocolaty Cocoa Cookies.

Vegan McFaker Muffin
vegan

1 whole grain English Muffin
1 onion slice, thick cut
1 Bocca Burger spicy Chick'n patty
1 slice cheddar cheese, vegan
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vegan butter
optional: 2 strips tempeh bacon
Garnich: pickle spears

To Make:
Toast english muffin.
Heat Bocca patty in microwave.
Add chese to top of Bocca and heat for an additional 10 seconds-to melt cheese.
Spread butter and drizzle maple syrup inside the english muffin.
Layer patty on muffin, followed by onion.
Slice in half-toothpicks to secure, if needed.