I've Got that Tropical Feeling. (Now.) I awoke feeling not so spry. Morning smoothie to the rescue!

Cashew Juice Smoothie. Yesterday I did a taste test of O.N.E. beverages. My favorite of the flavor (besides my fave, coconut water) was the Cashew Juice. It tastes like a cross between peach nectar, canned mellow mandarin and sweet tart apple cider, with a dry tangy sweet finish. Perfect for a smoothie, and high in Vitamin C.

Pink Power. Cashew Juice is golden. And I didn't want another yellow smoothie since I had a frothy yellow Ginger Banana Smoothie yesterday. I get smoothie color fatigue easily! So to bring on the color: I add some raspberries! They always add a brilliant pink color and a boost of tart berry nutrition. See what else I added to make this morning-boosting Tropical Pink Cashew Smoothie...

Cashews aren't pink. But neither are "Cashew Apples," which is where Cashew Juice actually comes from. (Although if you have a nut allergy I'd skip this one.) What is Cashew Juice? It is actually quite fascinating. From the O.N.E. website:
"We are all familiar with the Cashew Nut. However, what is not really known is that the nut actually grows from the bottom of the “Cashew Apple.” The Cashew Apple is an oval or pear-shaped fruit that develops from the receptacle of the cashew flower. Called the Cashew Apple, it ripens into a yellow and/or red fruit about 5–11 cm long."

What is that Flavor?! It took me all day to figure out what Cashew Juice tastes like. And though it is definitely unique. It echoes the flavors of peach nectar, mellow sweet canned mandarins and sweet tart apple cider. Try it and let me know if you get those same complex flavors!

So now for my smoothie:

Tropical Pink Cashew, Coconut Ice Smoothie
vegan, serves two

1 container O.N.E Cashew Juice
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 large ripe banana, mine was raw not frozen
⅓ cup frozen mango cubes
1 kiwi, raw, peeled
1 cup O.N.E. coconut water ice cubes
Fresh OJ, from 1 sweet orange*
*I added a few dashes of fresh OJ to get to perfectly frosty smoothie consistency.

To make:
Add all the cashew juice, raspberries, mango and a few ice cubes in the blender.
Blend on high for a few minutes. Add in half the raw banana.
Blend a bit more.
When smoothie becomes smooth enough to blend through, add in the raw kiwi, remaining ice cubes and last half of the banana.
Blend.
I needed to add in a few dashes of a freshly squeezed orange to thin it out a bit and get the bright brilliant pink color!
Serve in frosted glasses.

Notes:
*You may also use a frozen banana, but you may need to use less frozen raspberries or mangoes then.
*You can substitute the raspberries for strawberries and achieve the same taste. But raspberries are a bit higher in nutrients than strawberries. And have a bolder flavor.
*You can find Cashew Juice at your grocery store (Whole Foods carries it) or at several vendors online. I found it on Amazon.com an a few others.
*Using regular ice cubes will work too, but I'd add more frozen fruit and less cubes since tap water ice cubes can 'water' down the smoothie flavor. I find that using O.N.E. coconut water ice cubes adds a nice synchronization in brand flavors.
*Want even more pink power to this smoothie? Add in a dash of spicy cayenne or ginger. Give it a real kick! I actually sprinkled in some cayenne to my smoothie and it was very refreshing. Spiciness compliments the Cashew Juice flavor.
*Extra Tropical?! Add in shredded coconut and oh-my-gosh will this smoothie taste tropical and amazing! Close your eyes and it's an instant passport to Brazil. Yum.

.....Cashew Juice. Wow, aren't we tropical today!

Image of Cashew Apple from: http://slog.thestranger.com/2008/04/new_fruit
O.N.E. website: http://www.onenaturalexperience.com/

One Natural Experience brand, O.N.E. is one of my favorite go-to brands for delicious Tetra Pak coconut water. They are the brand with the shiny blue CW packaging. But they package a lot more that coconut water! They came out with three more exotic beverage options: Cashew Juice, Amazon Acai, Coffee Berry and the new O.N.E. Water (which I previously gave a rave review.). So all you Whole Foods/Exotic/Healthy Foodies out there, if you've seen these exotic offerings, you've probably wondered, what do those taste like??? Cashew Juice? Coffee Berry? My review and taste test ahead...

My Review: O.N.E. Beverages

Shelf Appeal: Shiny packaging. Beautiful branding. Fabulous labels. These products stand out on the shelf and have a cool appealing sensation.

Label Check:
All hydrating, all have health-benefits. Here is the label low-down:
Cashew Juice: It's health benefits include being high in Vitamins B1 B2 B3 and C and calcium. It is said to calm a upset stomach, sore throat, fortify the immune system and even protect the skin from acne and eczema. 140 calories per 11 ounces.
Amazon Acai: High in omega fatty acids, fiber and Vitamins B, E and C. 157 calories per 11 ounces.
Coconut Water: High in potassium and manganese. Low in calories, only 60 per 11 ounces. Hydrating and light.
Coffee Berry: Super high in Vitamin C. 950% RDA per 11 ounces. WOW! It is naturally caffinated-having about the same amount of caffeine as a cup of green tea.Also rich in phenolic acids. Only 107 calories per 11 ounces.

Taste Test:
Cashew Juice: Love this flavor. It tastes like a combination of mandarin juice, peach juice and apple juice all rolled into one. Tart with a dry bite to it. I tried this half frozen as a slushee and it was delicious and very refreshing.
Amazon Acai: If you've tried acai and love it you should give this acai drink a try. It has a slightly sweet, dry and almost smokier flavor than other acai blends I have tried. And the acerola juice gives it a nice tartness. Blended in a classic acai-soy smoothie it is divine.
Coconut Water: Not all coconut water is created equal! O.N.E is in the top two coconut water brands, in my opinion-and I've tried them ALL. O.N.E. Coconut Water has a very clean and refreshing taste. Pure, crisp and clean. I love coconut water and O.N.E. always impresses me. I end up chugging the entire container when I only intended to take a sip.
Coffee Berry: Unique flavor alert! It actually tastes like its name. It is a combo of tart sweet berries and mellow coffee essence. If you are a coffee lover, try this! That 950% RDA of Vitamin C will make your body very happy and you'll be getting that coffee-flavor kick as well. It's pretty tart, so I like it best served over ice. I can't believe all that juice flavor has only 107 calories.

Price: Varies. But Whole Foods stores in NYC sell it for $1.99. I've found a pack of 12 containers on amazon.com for around $21. Soda is about the same price as O.N.E. beverages, Hmm...not a tough decision how to spend your grocery money.

Last Word: I'm so impressed with O.N.E.'s ability to bring new, exotic and healthy beverages to consumers. I think I am only beginning to discover the taste combos I can get from these unique juice flavors. My smoothie recipes have a new line-up of liquid options! My cashew smoothie this afternoon was awesome!

Taste Tip: Serve it cold! I like to even stick them in the freezer for a bit to get an iced half-frozen flavor. So good!

O.N.E. Water
O.N.E. Website

Today on The View, in her ongoing plight to voice her opinion about vegetables, Whoopi Goldberg shouted: "I hate them! I hate them! I hate all vegetables."

Whoopi is great, love her. But I have a few things to say:

Dear Whoopi,
Today on The View, which I watch frequently, you said, "I hate them! I hate them! I hate all vegetables." I appreciate that you have issues with veggies. Many people do. I don't eat eggplant. But you really hate all vegetables?
My letter continues...

I believe there must be a huge menu of veggies that you have not even tasted prepared deliciously. But many veggies you probably have tasted: A warm mushroom salad, sweet roasted golden beets, a spicy Asian stir-fry, fresh veggies on a bubbling pizza, mashed sweet potatoes, spicy salsa and corn chips (I know you love corn and potato chips), tender kale sauteed in olive oil and sweet garlic, a creamy crispy fennel or jicama slaw, miso-maple glazed baby carrots, deviled avocados, guacamole, corn chowder, spicy arugula greens, and thick sweet onions on a sandwich. These are all veggies. Do you really hate all these things??? Because if not, I beg of you to retract your statement that you hate all vegetables. "Vegetables" does not just mean steamed cabbage with a dash of lemon juice. Yeah, that would be pretty bland.

My Challenge to you: Head to Dirt Candy, here in NYC, where chef Amanda Cohen is the queen of veggie cooking. (Yes, I'll come too to lead you in a culinary journey like no other! You'll leave dreaming about green spinach soup that tastes like lemony bliss, jalapeno hush puppies, candied grapefruit slices, carrot risotto so good you'll want to be Bugs Bunny, corn grits that will make you swoon and a sweet potato sorbet paired with chocolate cake that will send you to "these are veggies?" heaven. I'm a big fan of Chef Cohen and I know she could make you love veggies.

Part two of my frustration is when you post-quote, proceeded to recommend that people who hate veggies do as you and drink a can of V8 juice. Side note to viewers, V8 juice is a sponsor of The View. A V8 commercial ran in the next commercial break. V8 is not the same as eating fresh nutrient and enzyme-dense vegetables.

But if at the very least, please further explain to The View viewers why you hate veggies so much. I'm incredibly curious about where this hate began and whether or not you can be converted to being a veggie lover! You said you could never fly (due to your intense deeply rooted fear) ....and you did. Why not give veggies the same shot.

Sincerely,

Kathy P
www.healthy-happy-life.com
[email protected]

Veggies are our friends! ....

Let's love vegies!

Fresh Ginger. Raw Banana. A bunch of black-spotted organic bananas were screaming to me on my counter top, "eat me!". Craving a smoothie, I pondered my attack on these beautiful bananas. Darn, I usually like frozen banana smoothies, but I knew I could make it work. I also wanted ginger, but didn't want to juice a few small bits. So I peeled, chopped and dropped a few chunks of ginger right into my blender. Yes, it blended smooth! The result was a delicious Fresh Ginger, Raw Banana Smoothie. Check out how I pulled off a frothy, frosty (not watery or mushy) smoothie...

There is a myth that when using ginger in a juice or smoothie you must first juice (extract juice from) the ginger chunk and then add it to your juice or smoothie. Not true. You can actually peel and roughly chop fresh ginger and add it whole to a smoothie blend. The blender will do the work for you. It's fast and easy and adds that zing-licious ginger flavor to your smoothie.

Here is my recipe...the drink of the day!

Fresh Ginger Raw Banana Smoothie
vegan, serves 1-2

1 extra large organic banana, ripe with a few black spots
2 cups coconut water ice cubes
1 cup mango/OJ/apple juice blend (bottled brands OK)*
*you can choose any yellow/orange colored juice
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
* Juicy ginger pieces work better than dry grainy ones.

Blend all ingredients, but only half the portion of ice cubes, on high.
As smoothie becomes blendable and thin, ad in the remaining ice cubes.

Notes:
You must use coconut water or juice ice cubes. Otherwise the high amount of ice will water down the flavor.
When using a raw, unfrozen banana in a smoothie you must use a lot of ice. Otherwise your smoothie will become mushy.
My favorite juice in this smoothie would be a fresh juiced OJ/Mango blend. Super fresh flavors.

Enjoy!

Speadable Fruit Gets an Upgrade. And the result is Crofter's new Superfruit Spreads that come in four worldly thick, gooey, superfruit flavors: Asia, North America, South America and Europe. Crofter's gives old-school jellies and jams some serious competition.

What is Superfruit? Think yumberries, morello cherries, maqui, passionfruit, acai, pomegranate, blueberries and tart black currents. Superfruits contain super nutrients. Ahead, discover the future of jam, look back on its history and my review of new Crofter's Superfruit spread...

Wellness Consumers Want the Best. Consumers are discerning enough to know the nutritional and taste difference between an organic mixed greens salad and a non-organic iceberg lettuce salad. We want taste and nutrition all rolled into one. But we also don't want to drastically change the way we eat. And that includes being able to slather our whole grain bagels, muffins and toast with a bit of spreadable fruit. But conventional flavors and non-organic ingredients will not suffice in this 'make it healthier' world. So what do health guru's, nutrition label readers and superfruit lovers do? Turn to the new Crofter's Superfruit Spreads. Worldly concoctions of spreadable organic superfruit. Did I enjoy my taste-test? Let's just say that I won't be buying generic grape jelly for a long long time once this product hits my local store shelves!

History of Jam. The history of jam can be traced back to the 16th century. And here in America, Jerome M. Smucker (of Smuckers jams and jellies) prepared apple butter back in 1897. He signed each crock of butter by hand to validate its high quality. A grape jam patent was first issued to Paul Welch in 1917 for the puréeing of grapes. He called the product “Grapelade.” The entire production was purchased by the U.S. Army and shipped to France for consumption by the troops during World War I. When the troops returned to the States after the war, they demanded more of this “Grapelade,” and it was produced in quantity.

My Review: Crofter's Superfruit Spread
four new flavors, Asia, North America, South America, Europe

Shelf Appeal: Cute brown bear grasping a big piece of gooey superfruit on the brightly colored labels. Cute. The flavors are labeled by continent. There is one for Asia, North America, Europe and South America. I wish the Superfruit text was a bit darker, it's written in white. And oh, I wish the bottles were bigger! I went through mine incredibly quickly.

Label Check: Wow! The ingredients in these superfruit spreads are my wish list of jam ingredients! Pomegranete, acai, yumberries, blueberries, raspberries, morello cherries, red and black grapes and more! What incredible and exotic combinations of superfruits. The color of the jams are so dark and chunky. I can taste the superfruit antioxidants in each bite. All organic. About 30 calories per tablespoon serving. Fat free and about 50% RDA of Vitamin C per Tbsp. They are sweetened with organic fair trade cane sugar and traditional fruit pectin is used as a thickener. Label check approved.

Taste Test: Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from another fruit spread. So when I bit into my toast spread with a thick layer of the North American blueberry-heavy spread, I was blown away! This stuff is amazing! It tastes like the $12 bottles of 'really high quality jam' I will buy in specialty stores here in NYC, only it's healthier! It's packed with delicious tart, sweet and gooey superfruits that not only make your taste buds come alive, but make you feel really good about eating it. I cannot wait until this comes out in stores, because I will be enjoying it on my toast, oatmeal, soy yogurt, soy cream, bagels, sandwiches and desserts!

Price Check: $4.99. Great value for the superfruit nutrition and taste packed in these spreads!

Last Word: I could eat this sweet tart superfruit spread with a big spoon. In fact, I did! Yum. The future of jam, in my superfruit world.

Crofter's Superfruit Spread Website

History of jam & Jelly: http://www.jelly.org/lore.html

*note final bottles may differ in appearance.

Stuff it (with gourmet vegan flavor). Stuffed bell peppers, stuffed mushrooms, stuffed avocados, I love the technique of hollowing out a beautiful piece of produce and then re-using it as the 'serving dish' for a spectacular recipe. It makes for an impressive, gourmet presentation. Cut to my craving for stuffed tomatoes.

Rule #1, it all starts with a beautiful tomato.

Spicy pesto & Maple Crusted Tempeh. No cottage cheese here! I decided to stuff my tomatoes with my spicy vegan basil pesto and some quick sauteed maple tempeh. The juicy tomato compliments the thick rich pesto and nutty sweet tempeh perfectly. Light lunch or light bite approved. The recipe and more photos ahead...

Prized Tomatoes. The key to a successful raw tomato recipe is good tomatoes. Select ripe, red (or orange, green or heirloom), high quality, (organic hopefully), juicy, fresh tomatoes. The flavor difference between 'good' versus 'not-so-good' tomatoes is huge! So be sure to start this recipe with some good tomatoes.

My Stuffed Tomato Memories. Stuffed tomatoes remind me of California moms who liked to read diet trend magazines back in the late 1970's. Why? Cottage cheese stuffed tomatoes were all the rage. They are classic vintage diet food. I recall my mother stuffing giant red tomatoes with heaping spoonfuls of low-fat cottage cheese, drizzling a bit of olive oil, black pepper and parsley. It always looked delicious, but I wasn't a big tomato fan (or anything mushy fan) back then so I never indulged in her stuffed tomatoes. But nowadays, I love tomatoes. And so I decided to veganize the classic stuffed tomato...

Tempeh Pesto Stuffed Tomatoes
vegan, serves two

2 beefsteak tomato tomatoes
1 cup Kathy's vegan pesto
1 cup tempeh, sliced into thin strips
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 lemon, juiced
garnish: salt pepper, fresh basil

Tomato Prep:
Slice out the stem of the tomato.
Slice into tomato at a deep angle on all sides until you are able pull the top off.
Hollow out the tomato. Keep ¼ inch thick tomato rind still in tact.
Use removed tomato flesh when making the pesto.
Repeat for each tomato you are stuffing.

Pesto:
Make 1 cup of Kathy's vegan Pest.
Recipe here.
*Add the tomato flesh to the pesto puree.
*You can use walnuts of pine nuts in the pesto recipe.

Tempeh:
Turn heat on high.
Place 1 tablespoon olive oil in a saute pan.
Add tempeh. Lay the tempeh strips in one layer in bottom of pan.
Add in 3 tablespoon of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of maple syrup and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
Let saute for 2 minutes.
Flip tempeh. Bottom side should have browned up nicely. If not, cook this side a bit longer than the first.
Add a bit more lemon juice and another dash of the remaining salt and pepper.
When tempeh is done, set aside.

Tomato Assembly:
Spoon 1 heaping spoonful of pesto on the bottom of the tomatoes.
Place one of the limper tempeh strips over the pesto in the bottom of the tomato.
Add in a few more spoonfuls of pesto and arrange 4-5 tempeh strips sticking out of the tomato. Spoon another final bit of pesto. Garnish with fresh basil and leftover candied walnuts and/or pine nuts (whatever you used in the pesto.)
Grind fresh black pepper on top.

Place tops back on tomato if you wish, or leave them open.

To eat: Slice tomato into wedges and eat in bites, or eat tempeh first and spoon out pesto.

Plating tomato with crisp bread slices is a perfect way to eat this dish. Crusty bread-make your own tomato pesto tempeh finger sandwiches!

Gourmet vegan dish. Love it and serve with confidence. It's delicious.

Super simple salad recipe. Sensational flavors! This salad combines sweet baby beets, ripe tender avocados, zesty lemon juice and the trendy spring ingredient green pea shoots (Jean Georges uses pea shoots at his NYC restaurant Jean Georges - see chef trends). Click ahead to find out what a pea shoot is, and get my simple recipe...

What are Pea Shoots? Pea Shoots are the leaves of the garden pea plant. They are high in Vitamin C, A and folic acid. They are light, crispy and slightly zesty. Similar to sprouts and as versitile as parsley. Pea shoots have a firm crispy stalk that crunches into a sweet hydrating bite.

Beets are fabulous root veggies. They are incredibly sweet yet low in calories. Read more about beet health facts here.

Beet red love. I fell in love with this simple recipe. I use those cute packaged, pre-cooked baby beets. Super simple. But you can also use two large beets and cook or roast them yourself. But I find that for a raw salad the baby beets are perfect. You can buy baby beets at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's and many specialty food stores. In the refrigerated section.

Simple Avocado Beet Salad
vegan, serves two

1 avocado, sliced long.
6 baby roasted beets or 2 large beets
1 lemon juiced
1 cup fresh pea shoots, roughly chopped
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
*You may substitute lemon juice with balsamic or red wine vinegar.

To make:
Slice baby beets about ¼ inch thick.
Slice avocados to about the same thickness.
Slice a few in half-keep a few long.
Drizzle 1 tablespoon lemon juice on avocado.
Set beets and avocado aside.
Rough chop pea shoots. Set the sprouted (leafed) ends aside.
Place the hard stalk ends in a small bowl.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper to the stalk pea shoots bowl. Mix well.
Place a few of the marinated stalks on serving plates.
Arrange avocado and beet slices on top of stalks on plates.
Rotate beet, avocado, beet, avocado.
Add all the remaining pea shoots-stuff them into crevices on the plate to keep it tight and pretty.
Drizzle the leftover oil-acid mixture over the salads.
Optional: drizzle a bit more olive oil or lemon juice or vinegar over beets.
Fresh grind black pepper is a nice salad topper.

Such a refreshing salad appetizer. Looks very bright and pretty. And as I always say, salad first!

Come spring, I see beets on many restaurant menus here in NYC. One fave: The Beet and Tofu Salad at Blossom NYC: Roasted red and golden beets, shaved tofu, green and yellow string beans in a shallot vinaigrette. Dirt Candy even has a Golden Beet Papardelle. Yum. Nothing beats a succulent sweet beet salad, But have you ever wondered just how healthy beets are? They are super sweet and you never really hear about the health benefits of beets. What nutrients are they high in? Well, beets have a few nutrition surprises buried beneath that bright purple flesh...

Nutrition Surprise: Beets have Betalains. There is a long list of phytochemicals that certain fruits and veggies contain. But beets contain a rare phytochemical called Betalains. They are directly related to the dark purple pigment in beets. Betalains are antioxidants. One study found:
"They believe that red beet products used
regularly in the diet may provide benefits against certain
oxidative stress-related disorders. " And of course we know that antioxidants helps protect your body from a wide variety of health ailments.

Sweet Beets. Beets are incredibly tender and sweet when cooked, yet still low in calories. ½ cup of sliced boiled beets contains only 37 calories yet a nice sweet flavor boost to a dish!

Beets
from nutritiondata.com
½ cup cooked beet slices
calories: 37
fat: 0g
carbs: 8g
protein: 1g
fiber: 2g
folate: 17% RDA
Vitamin C: 5% RDA
Manganese: 14% RDA
Iron: 4% RDA

Beets are high in fiber, folate and Manganese. They also contain the pigment antioxident phytochemical Betalains. For such a sweet flavor, beets are low in calories and high in water content.

Complete nutrition data for beets: http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2349/2

Sun rises. I'm thirsty.Today I was craving some fresh pressed, Jazzy Apple Ginger Juice. With a dash of cayenne and extra ginger,. This juice never fails to impress me. The classic combo of apple and ginger is always a fresh-pressed juice favorite in my house. And the coolest part is that by using different varieties of apples, you will get a different flavor every time. No boredom here. Click ahead for my recipe and see what apple variety I used today...

Jazzy Apple Ginger Juice is made with none other than Jazz variety apples! You may not be familiar with jazz apples, but they are small, crisp, tangy and sweet. Not organic, unfortunately, but I had a huge bag of them in my fridge from Trader Joe's, so I decided to use them in my "Jazzy" juice. At least I got a cool name out of them and they do make a very clean 'apple cider' apple juice.

Jazzy Apple Ginger Juice
vegan, serves 2

5 jazz apples, sliced to fit in juicer
*I used the cores when I juice because there are vitamins and nutrients in the core and seeds.
½-1 lemon, rind removed, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh ginger, skin removed
dash of cayenne (optional)

To Make:
You will need a juicer. I use a Super Angel juicer, with twin macerating blades. It is gentle on the fruit so that more nutrients are kept in tact (less oxidation occurs to fruit)
Juice apple, ginger and lemon.
Pour.
Dash of cayenne swirled in gives this juice an extra kick!

Notes: I love ginger so I actually add about 3 tablespoon of fresh ginger. It is strong, but I love it! You can use ½ to a whole lemon. You can either add peeled chunks of lemon to your juicer or squeeze the lemon and stir it in separately.
Cayenne is strong. Add with care! Substitute cinnamon for cayenne for a mild spiced cider flavor.

Immunity Apple Juice! I love to make this juice in the morning to give my body a kick and also when I feel a cold coming on. Something about the cayenne and ginger revs up your immune system. At my favorite juice bar in NYC, Liquiteria, they actually do a similar juice (with green apples I think) and they call it "The Killer XX" It is meant to fight off any illness and "kill" anything effecting your immune system.

And when you can chug 3-5 apples as your breakfast, you are definitely keeping the doctor away.

I'm vegan, my husband isn't. People always ask me, "How does that work? Doesn't your family get sick of all your vegan food? How do you balance cooking meals for two different diets?"

Nothing Beats Homemade. I wanted at-home meals to be soul-warming and tummy-pleasing for both my husband and I, and easy for me. And not even my favorite take-out meal can compete with a home cooked meal. So for a cozy mealtime for everyone made by you, here are my four go-to ideas for cooking for your non-vegan family members...

Fish is Healthy. The truth is, my husband luckily loves many vegan foods like tempeh, seitan and even soy instead of regular milk. And lucky for me, he isn't much of a meat or poultry fan, but he does love fish: mostly salmon, oysters, shrimp and sushi.

You're Not Alone! There are a lot of families out there with similar situations as you and me. I often get emails from moms whose teenager decided to 'go vegan' and now they have no idea what to cook for them! For that problem, I say "peruse my recipe index." But my situation is the complete opposite. I needed a few stand-by recipes that I could make to appease my husband's non-vegan food cravings.

One Serving Wonders. Easy Clean-up. I stick with meals that I can make in one serving size and require minimal clean up. It's easy to buy one serving of fish or make one bowl of non-vegan soup.

Here are my four go-to meals to make my non-vegan family members:

1) Smoked Salmon Platter.
OK, so I live in the same city as Russ and Daughters, foodie mecca for smoked salmon at its best. So I can easily stop in, pick up a quarter pound of smoked salmon, a few bialy's, some spicy mustard, tofu cream cheese (for me) and a few bagels and I'm set!
Here's what I do:

Smoked Salmon Platter
¼ pound sliced smoked salmon
2 bialy's
1 avocado
¼ cup sauteed mushrooms
1 cup fresh green
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 slice vegan or regular cheese
1 tablespoon spicy mustard
2 tomato slices
2 onion circle slices
1 lemon, sliced and juiced
sea salt
black pepper

Using the above ingredients, make a nice platter spread. Sometimes I'll put together a salmon sandwich, or make it a DIY platter.

2) Baked Salmon Pockets
The great thing about fresh wild fish is that it really needs very little seasoning-if it is indeed fresh wild fish. And I make clean up a snap by preparing the fish in a single serve foil pocket. No mess, super easy.

Baked Salmon Pockets

1 de-skinned, bone-free cut of salmon, not farmed (other fish works too)
½ red bell pepper, sliced
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion circle slice, loosened
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1-2 teaspoon sea salt, rough
1 teaspoon black pepper
optional herbs/spices on hand
1 large sheet of foil, about a 12 inch square

Marinate all the veggies in a mixture of lemon juice, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Rub some of the same liquid mixture/salt/pepper directly on the fish. Place the fish on a greased piece of foil. Arrange the veggies around the fish. Fold up the foil into a secure pocket.
Place the pocket in a 400 degree oven and bake for 20-30 minutes. (Depending on size of fish.) I like to crack open the foil and broil it for an additional few minutes for a nice crisp top crust to the fish.

Serve over pasta or rice. Throw away foil. Easy.

3) Soup is On!
In the winter months I made my husband non-vegan soup probably every night! It's easy. Lots of spicy cayenne and he is happy. I'll buy a good brand of canned, bottled or to-go store soup (chicken noodle, clam chowder, spicy noodle or any favorite) then I will do a one bowl wonder. I'll use the pre-made soup and spruce it up to homemade perfection!

"Spruced Up" Soup

1 can soup, any flavor
add-in ingredients:
fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, oregano)
chopped garlic
mushrooms
onion
parsley
bell pepper
cayenne
black pepper
olive oil
harissa
tomatoes
scallions
carrots
spinach
and more!

I simply heat the soup and ingredient add-ins, (sometimes together, sometimes I'll saute the veggies separately.)
Then add them all together, cover with a plate and let sit for a few minutes to 'marinate the flavors' and spruce up the soup!

I'll serve it steaming hot with a side of crusty bread or crackers. Chowder can even go in a bread bowl, if you are that handy with bread!

4) Deli Counter Sandwiches and Melty's
You can easily get really high quality slices of turkey and cheese from your deli. And in as small of portions as you wish! I'll get a few slices of turkey and non-vegan cheese and make my husband an easy sandwich. Sometimes I'll even melt the cheese and make it a melty. Since sandwiches are made to-order, this is a fun and easy answer to a 'different diets' family lunch or dinner.

Made-to-Order Sandwiches
Ingredients:
Good bread, your choice
1 few slices meat or cheese or both
Toppings:
avocado, sprouts, onion, tomatoes, you know the sandwich toppings list right?...

Those are my four ideas. It's so satisfying to cook your family a meal, whatever their diet may be. I know some vegans have a problem cooking with animal products like meat and fish, and like I always say, if they can eat it, I can at least cook with it (out of love). And of course I wish EVERYONE was vegan, but I am not one to push my diet belief's on others.

I always hope that non-vegans will respect vegans and that vegans will respect them.

Here are a few Health news headlines and links worth checking out:
MSNBC:
* NY Preps for Battle on Salt
WebMd:
* 9 Surprising Facts About Your Stomach
NYTimes:
* (Sugar) Showdown at the Coffee Shop
* More Wii Warriors are Playing Hurt
LATimes:
* Sleeping Pill Use Grows as Economy Keeps People Up at Night
* Tackling the Ethics of Eating
HealthNews:
* 12 Foods Containing the Most Pesticides
...more headlines ahead...

Testing May Help Verify Foods Labeled Organic, nytimes
Blueberries May Banish Belly Fat, webmd
The Black Hole of TV Health News Ethics, HealthNewsReview
5 Things You Didn't Know About Your Teeth, webmd
L.A.'s New Macrobiotic Scene, latimes
Want Salad with That? Make it Fries., nytimes
Cosmo's Food Co. Fermenting Revolution with its Kimchi, latimes
Stevia, New Sweetener Not So Sweet for Your Diet, msnbc
How Bad is Bacon? (Pass along info to non-veggie friends), webmd
10 Ways to Eat "Green", webmd
What are Friends for? A longer Life., nytimes
Get in Shape with a Fit Trip, msnbc
Proximity to Fast Food a Factor in Student Obesity, nytimes
It's Organic, but does that Mean it's Safer?, nytimes

Sources:
NYtimes
LATimes
MSNBC
HealthNews
HealthNewsReview.org
WebMD

Tofu is the perfect ingredient for making amazing vegan pudding that can have the thickness of a mousse. When I am craving a rich and elegant dessert, I whip up a few of my Diva Tofu-Chino Parfaits. This rich parfait combines cinnamon vanilla and spicy chocolate pudding with a thin spike of creamy espresso (or substitute chai tea if you have nixed coffee). A crushed almond and crumbly 'cookie' crust layer complete the dessert. Click ahead for the decadent recipe...

Diva Tofu-Chino Parfaits
vegan, makes 4-8 servings, depending on cup serving size.

Cinnamon Vanilla Mousse
1 box vegan vanilla pudding mix
¼ cup organic evaporated cane juice sugar
1 ¾ cups soy milk
8 oz. firm tofu (½ pack of tofu)
2 tablespoon Veganaise
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Arrowroot Powder (my substitute for cornstarch)

Spicy Chocolate Mousse
1 box chocolate pudding mix
1 ½ cups soy milk
8 oz. firm tofu (½ pack of tofu)
2 tablespoon tofu
1 tablespoon Veganaise
4 tablespoon sweetened high quality cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Arrowroot Powder (my substitute for cornstarch)
*for a richer chocolate flavor melt ½ cup of vegan chocolate chips into the pan when heating pudding mixture.

Other:
2 shots espresso
½ cup crushed almonds
1 cup crushed organic graham crackers or vanilla cookies

Equipment: blender, lidded pan, cappuccino or parfait serving cups.

To make: Add add vanilla ingredients, except tofu to a blender.
Blend until smooth.
Add in tofu and blend again until smooth.
Add blender contents to pan.
Turn stove on med-high.
Stir constantly until mixture begins to bubble.
Continue heating on medium and stirring until mixture thickens a bit and large bubbles break through.
Heat can be turned to medium-low if you are worried about burning the pudding.
When pudding has thickened, remove from heat and pour back into blender.
Re-blend until smooth.
**Be careful, make sure to vent blender and a heated blender can easily build up pressure to explode. Be careful. Never point blender towards face.

Repeat entire process with chocolate pudding.

Set puddings aside, but no need to refrigerate yet. A thin, still-warm pour will be better for presentation anyways.

Prepare 2 shots of espresso.

Crush the almonds and crust crackers.

Assembly of cups:
Fill serving cups with a ½ inch layer of 'crust'. (crushed cookie or cracker.)
Pour in a nice layer of chocolate pudding.
Add a thin layer of almonds.
Add 1 tablespoon of espresso to each cup. Use more or less depending on your tastes.
You can even substitute de-caf, coffee or chai tea instead of espresso.
Add a layer of vanilla pudding.

*You can add more chocolate than vanilla or more vanilla than chocolate. Or equal amounts of both. It looks more like a cappuccino if you use more vanilla as top layer.

*pouring the pudding while it is still warm will allow for a more even line-pretty presentation. Cooled pudding can clump more.

The top garnish layer is a sprinkle of cinnamon and a teaspoon of espresso.
A few almonds also looks nice. You can garnish with whatever filling you decide to use.

Filling subs: If you don't eat nuts, or would like a different center layer, try these: peanut butter, dried blueberries, fresh fruit, goji berries, more crushed crackers/cookies, soy cream, sponge cake, pan fried bananas, another type of crushed nut.

**Chill cups until firm before serving.
**Adding more tofu will make a thicker, milder pudding. I actually like this with a bit more tofu-the thicker the better to my taste.
**if you do not have Veganaise, you can sub with a tablespoon of white or apple cider vinegar.

These are no ordinary ice cubes. Everyone's favorite best smoothie tip seems to be coconut water ice cubes! Coconut water cubes are the best ice cubes to use when making a healthy smoothie because...they not only add tons of electrolytes and nutrients, but they don't 'water down' the flavor like traditional ice cubes do.

Coconut Water Facts. Coconut water has 15 times more potassium than in traditional 'sports drinks'. And it is high in manganese and magnesium as well. It doesn't add a lot of calories since there are only 60 calories per 11 ounces of water. And coconut water is neutral enough in flavor to be able to blend with almost any smoothie flavor!

To make:
Simple pour coconut water into an ice cube tray and freeze! I like to fill a few plastic containers with coconut water cubes and stick them in the freezer - so I always have some on hand!

Coconut water 101

I just got back from the Martha Stewart Show taping. It was a special Earth Day episode and the entire audience was filled with people professionally devoted to green living. I was thrilled to be invited-and I scored a front row center seat. More on what Martha is really like, my many photos of Martha and the set ahead...

Front Row Center Seat! Nice.
I was seated in probably the best seat in the house. I was next to a few of the green living audience guests who were interviewed on-air by Martha. Next to me was a woman from The Rainforest Alliance. As well as an amazing nun who represented a sustainable CSA in New York called Sisters Hill Farms. Very kind, passionate and do-good people.

What is Martha Really Like?? The show was fun and the audience was not forced to do over-the-top cheesy applause, it was all natural, which is very unusual. Joey, the stage manager is such a genuine guy. And the entire staff seems incredibly detail-oriented, on-the-ball and friendly. and yes, seeing Martha in person reconfirmed my analysis that Martha Stewart is indeed the Queen of ...all things. She is so poised and polished, firm and calm, yet incredibly kind and thoughtful. Love her.

PHOTOS from the Earth Day Martha Stewart Show:

MARTHA:
*the Queen.

MOI, FRONT ROW:

STUDIO SHOTS:
*Martha's studio is beautiful! I've seen a few others and hers takes the cake by far! Fresh fruit (oranges, apples, mangoes, artichokes, limes), flowers, awesome props!

GOODY BAGS FOR THE AUDIENCE:
* tasters choice? hmm...sponsored goody bag I'm guessing!

Check Martha's website for some great green Earth Day tips and green living links: http://www.marthastewart.com/

The Martha Stewart Show is having a special Earth Day Show today, Wednesday. And I'll be in the audience. Yay! The audience will be filled with people who work or volunteer for a green or environmental job. And as creator of The Lunchbox Bunch, a healthy kids brand with green values, I was invited to attend. Guests on the show, will be the director's from the new Disney movie Earth, and so here is the amazing Earth trailer:

Let me know if you see me clapping away!

He's doing it again! Another hardcore foodie Takedown event! Matt Timms, of bacon and chili takedown fame, has decided to rally his veg fans with: TOFU TAKEDOWN in NYC on May 10th. And yes, you might see me there...
...the event poster art is pretty awesome too. Tofu Gladiator by artist Matthew Langland. Click ahead for the full details on this awesome takedown event...

TOFU TAKEDOWN
Event Description:

"You begged for it!!! For too long, vegetarians have been unhappily doggy paddling in a sea of comfort food. NO MORE.The most audacious takedown to date features TOFU, meat of the soy gods. Some may interpret this as a smack in the porky face of the previous bacon takedown!!! All it is, is another takedown!!! We expect to see brilliant and innovative renditions of this malleable fruit! Tofu chili! Tofu brownies! Tofu ice cream! Email Matt Timms to enter!!!! We need cooks to sign up now!!!!

May 10th at Highline Ballroom!!! 4PM!!!"

*sponsored by The Brooklyn Kitchen too!

TOFU TAKEDOWN WEBSITE

My Crunchy Cool Jicama Slaw is the perfect warm weather side dish. It combines flavors of tart lime, thinly sliced jicama, bosc pear, red onion, citrus, maple syrup, creamy Veganaise and lots of fine black pepper. And the best part about this recipe... is that it takes about ten minutes to make. You can eat it immediately or chill in the fridge. ...Oh and it's healthy too. Lots of fiber and vitamin C. The tart flavors will refresh your palate. Jicama facts.

...I taste tested it on a foggy cool day, and it was amazing! But on a hot spring or summer day this salad will knock the sweaty heat right off your brow. It's such a clean crunchy acidic-creamy salad. It won't wilt up like a traditional Cole Slaw recipe can. The jicama has a much heartier crunch than cabbage- yet still tastes lighter than cabbage!

Crunchy Cool Jicama Slaw
makes 4 cups

1 lime, juiced
1 jicama, peeled and shaved super thin
1 orange, sliced into thin rounds
1 small red onion, sliced into thin rounds
1 firm ripe Bosc pear, sliced thin
3 tablespoon Veganaise
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
generous amounts of fine black pepper (at least 1 Tbsp)
garnish: pepper, paprika and lime slices

Whole Wheat bread cubes on the side
(leftover liquid is soppable!...is that a word?)

Directions:
Prep all the veggies as described in ingredients list.
Jicama Virgins: peel like a potato and slice thinly as you would a hard root veggie.

In a large bowl: Toss all ingredients: jicama, orange, pear, onion, vinegar, oil, veganaise, lime juice, pepper, salt and maple syrup.
Plate with fresh lime slices and a sprinkle of spicy paprika. More black pepper too.

Add-ins: sliced almonds, vegan cheese shavings(white cheese), cayenne for heat, fresh herbs and/or parsley, shaved fennel.

Many people do not know what jicama is! Jicama, (Pronounced: Hi-Ku-Muh) came in fourth place in the "Most Feared Veggie" poll. Well there is nothing to fear about this crunchy crisp root veggie. It's as easy to peel as a potato and there is no cooking involved-eat it raw! There is no veggie with such a moist crisp crunch! Jicama has a very mild sweet taste that absorbs flavors very well. But how does it rank in the nutrition department? Well...

Jicama Nutrition: Let's be honest, there's not a whole lot of nutrients in jicama. But it is high in Vitamin C and low in calories. One cup has around 40 calories! It's also very high in fiber. That same 49 calorie cup has 6 grams of fiber. Diet food: yes.

Jicama: Cure for Celery Fatigue? Sometimes life calls for a super crunchy hydrating veggie. For many people that veggie is celery. Well jicama is another super crunchy veggie than you should add to your vegetable repertoire. It's sweeter than celery and much less grainy to chew. It's almost like biting into and sucking on sugarcane...if you have ever done that before.

Jicama Nutrition Facts
from NutritionData.com
per 1 cup
calories: 49
fat: 0
carbs: 11 g
protein: 1 g
fiber: 6 g
Vitamin C: 44% RDA
Potassium: 6% RDA
Folate: 4% RDA
Iron: 4% RDA
Manganese: 4% RDA
Magnesium: 4% RDA

Cool crunchy veggie that's high in fiber, Vitamin C and hydrating water! Give it a try and fear it no more...

When Purchasing...
Choose jicama that is firm and has few spots. A nice smooth tan color is desirable. As a jicama ages it will wrinkle, dry out and the spots will darken. Jicama can sit in our fruit bowl for a few weeks if needed. No refridgeration is required, but also optional.

Serving: Slice, grate, chop, dice or simply peel and much! Jicam is a versatile veggie that can be eaten raw or cooked.

Other names: Mexican potato, Mexican yam bean, ahipa, saa got, Chinese turnip, lo bok, and the Chinese potato. Member of the legume family. Root veggie.

references: nutritiondata.com, foodreference.com and personal usage.

It may be the only issue that divides vegans, the debate over whether or not honey is vegan. What do you think? Vegans and non-vegans are asked to participate-and pass along to friends! Click ahead to VOTE and see how people are voting...

Honey: Is it Vegan....?

The simplified arguments:

NO HONEY IS NOT VEGAN:
Honey is an animal product. Bees are kept in human-made chambers and forced to live without freedom.

YES HONEY IS VEGAN:
Bees make honey and they are living creatures, but they cannot be compared to animals like cows, fish and birds. The line of 'vegan' must be drawn somewhere. What about silk worms and other insects? Should vegans begin fighting for insect rights in all situations? Insects die in the production/farming of fruits and veggies as well.

Please add your comments and arguments in the comments section so we can start a real in depth conversation about this topic.

A few HONEY VEGAN? links:

Dr. Greger, Compassionate Spirit
excerpt:
"The vegan abstention from honey because of concern for insects isn’t consistent; other activities almost universally practiced by vegans kill more insects than bee-keeping. The general public understands this lack of consistency at an intuitive level, and this explains their negative reaction towards our abstention from honey."

Vegetus.com:
Environmental impact of beekeeping, excerpt:
"Beekeepers claim that more insects die in raising sweetener crops. This is hard to quantify but keep in mind that honeybees live only 15-38 days in the summer, 30-60 days in the fall and 140 days over winter (Winston 55). Bees work themselves to death producing honey. Organic farmers use biological pest control to selectively hold down the populations of pests. Beekeepers also kill off mites that infect their colonies. "

Vegan Society on Bees:
"Queen for a Year or Two
Queen bees are artificially inseminated with sperm obtained from decapitated bees. Queens are systematically slaughtered every two years because over time their egg producing abilities decline so their whole hive becomes unproductive and uneconomic. In Israel they are killed and re-queened every year.
Bees Crushed
When beekeepers manipulate combs many bees are crushed and killed. Hives have smoke puffed into them to calm bees down and make them easier to handle. Special excluders or devices that violate the bees' space are attached to hives to collect bee products from bees as they enter hives. Bees are separated from their hives by being shaken vigorously or jetted out with powerful streams of air. They may have their legs and wings clipped off. Clipping the wings of queen bees prevents them from swarming (flying off!).
Swarming is the natural way for reproduction, increase and survival of the species, at least in the wild. However, beekeepers are constantly trying to prevent this natural phenomenon and will use artificial pheromones, wing clipping and cage queens to keep their colony under control.
Artificial Feed
Beekeepers feed artificial pollen substitutes and white sugar syrup to colonies, often to replace the honey that has been removed. If these practices are carried out over long periods of time they lower hive productivity and lifespan. Colonies fed on their natural food - honey and pollen - result in larger emerging bees and more vigorous bees.
Pesticides
Beekeepers have become dependent on the use of synthetic pesticides and antibiotics to combat pests, and this has led to problems of toxicological hazards to beekeepers and bees, and risks of honey contamination."

Leave your comments and I'll re-post the best ones with the POLL results!

O.N.E. (One Natural Experience) a company famous for it's coconut water in the cool shiny blue Tetra Pak packaging, has recently launched a new product: O.N.E. Water!

O.N.E. Water is G.O.O.D. Good for the planet and good for society. O.N.E. is donating 100% of the profits (after operating expenses) to non-profit organizations. How amazing is that?! You can even VOTE for your favorite charity online.

Spring Water. Fresh spring water from Canada. NOT in plastic. Nice. The water is drawn from the plateau on the Blue Mountains and is sustained by rain and snowfall. My Review ahead...

My Review: O.N.E Water

Shelf Appeal: Well, as always, O.N.E. has the coolest packaging on the shelf. I could very easily see this cool white Tetra Pak in the fridge at the Delano in South Beach....Oh and the twist off cap is very user friendly.

Taste Test: Yum. Tastes like very pure spring water! ...which it is. Pure spring water from the Blue Mountains tastes amazing! Better than your average spring water for sure.

Label Check: Well it has zero calories, so that's nice. And the mineral analysis is right on the box, so that's also nice to know. But the best part: "There are also no pesticides, herbicides or chemical fertilizers used, resulting in 100% natural spring water."

Price Check: All the profits go to charity, so that should make you feel great about your purchase of this water.

Last Word: Finally, a natural spring water minus the plastic and plus the profits-to-charity! This water is number O.N.E.

Read more and take the poll on the O.N.E. Water website!

Brown Fat is creating quite a brown fat buzz. Sounds kinda gross, right? Well, it's a fat you may want to have! The ladies on The View were chatting with Dr. Steven Lamm about how brown fat, commonly found in infants, has now been found in adults. He explained how brown fat actually burns more calories that normal fat, around 400-500 calories a day in one study. And studies have shown that thin people may have more brown fat than obese individuals. Another interesting fact is that... brown fat is activated by cold temperatures. So shivering in cold temperatures may have always burned more calories than being warm, but now it may also activate the calorie burning effects of any brown fat you may have.

New Report. A new study report titled, "Brown fat" may help adults lose weight" by Gene Emory, was released on April 8th, 2009 saying:

"A sparse form of fat that helps keep newborns warm is more common in adults than previously thought and that discovery that could lead to a new way to lose weight, researchers said on Wednesday.

Once activated by cold temperatures, so-called brown fat burns calories faster than regular fat. It is normally so dormant in adults that there has been debate over how much adults have or whether they have it at all.

In three studies in Thursday's New England Journal of Medicine, researchers report finding brown fat in most adults and discovering they can detect it by exposing people to cold. In some cases, adults who had more active areas of brown fat were thinner.

The hope is that if a way can be found to activate this brown fat and get the body to make more of it, people could burn off extra calories without additional exercise.

"Fifty grams of maximally activated brown fat accounts for 20 percent of your resting energy expenditure," Dr. Aaron Cypress of the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, who led one of the studies, said in an interview. "If you add that up, that's 400 or 500 calories per day.

"Practically speaking, we have a great potential to have a new treatment in our armamentarium against diabetes and obesity."

Cold temperatures may activate brown fat, and hyperthyroidism may activate more brown fat growth, according to Dr. Lamm on the View. But is this really a life-changing discovery, that adults have 'brown fat'?

Weight Loss Miracle! Maybe Not. One of my favorite health new reporting websites, HealthNewsReview.org, describes:

7 Words (and More) You Shouldn't Use in Medical News
The words were:
• Cure
• Miracle
• Breakthrough
• Promising
• Dramatic
• Hope
• Victim

I have googled a few reports and blogs touting brown fat as the new miracle cure for obese individuals. Medline says, "Using brown fat to treat obesity has been talked about for 30 or 40 years," he said. "But people essentially gave up on it. Many said it didn't exist in adult human beings and many said it didn't have any connection to obesity and weight at all. What these studies show is that virtually every adult human being has functional brown fat in them."

So while it is good to know about brown fat, we're still waiting on the doctors to tell us how we can use this information. Don't go standing outside in a blizzard just to lose weight. ...I'm guessing you'd just be extra hungry from exposing yourself to the 'extra cold'.

medline report: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_82710.html
The View, April 20th: http://www.abc.go.com/daytime/theview/recaps

A weekend of spring breezes, cherry blossoms and air-born allergens left me feeling a little congested this Monday morning. So I blended up an amazingly effective Enzyme smoothie containing banana, papaya, fresh pineapple and some sprinkled in cayenne. My recipe is ahead...

Enzymes: Not Just for Digestion. The National Institute of Health sites that fruit enzymes like bromelain are proven to be an effective way to assist in treating Sinusitis (sinus inflammation) and inflammation pain. Papain and Bromelain are proteolytic enzymes because they break up biological products like thick mucus. Fruit enzymes that are... usually suggested to aid in digestion (like papain in papaya and bromelain in pineapple) are actually a great allergy/congestion/mucus-clearing aid. It makes sense. And there is a long list of medical references which back the effectiveness of fruit enzymes for Sinusitis.

Here is a few of the references:

*Felton G.E. Does kinin released by pineapple stem of bromelain stimulate production of prostagalandin like compounds? Hawaii Journal of Medicine 36(2):39 1977 Bromelain use reduces coughs and bronchitis and relieves sinus symptoms.
*Gaby AR. The story of bromelain. Nutr Healing May 1995:3,4,11. Use for sinus pain, blocked bronchial passages, asthma and allergy.
*Grossan M. Enhancing the Mucociliary System. Advance for Respiratory Care Practitioners. April 17, 1995. 8:12-13 For chest congestion due to thick mucus, the proteolytic enzyme can aid significantly.

...and those are just a few of the sited studies. NIH has a full rundown on the effectiveness of bromelain.

I loved this smoothie. Really kick started my congestion-clear-out by getting some enzymes back in my system. Pineapple and bananais a classic and delicious combination. If you don't have the add-in papaya, kiwi is another high-enzyme fruit that works well in this smoothie.

And if you missed it, here are my 20 BEST Smoothie Tips, so you can blend like a PRO.

Here is my recipe:

Super Enzyme Banana Pineapple Smoothie
two servings

1 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1 cup fresh chopped pineapple
1 frozen banana (if raw, use more ice)
½ cup fresh papaya or kiwi
1.5 cups coconut water ice (tap can be used too)
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon agave syrup
1 teaspoon cayenne
optional: fresh grated ginger

To Make:
Pour OJ and lemon juice into blender. Add in frozen banana chunks. Add in ¾ of total ice. Add in half the total amount of fresh fruit you will be adding.
Blend on high until blender begins to run smoothly.
Add in the agave, remaining fruit, remaining ice and cayenne. (and ginger if using it)
Blend on low until smoothie is done.

Garnish with fresh fruit and a sprinkle of cayenne.

YUM!

...If using ALL fresh fruit simply use more ice.
...fresh fruit is recommended for this smoothie. Frozen pineapple will not have the same super enzyme action as fresh.

NIH sites that: "Allergies
There are multiple reports of allergic and asthmatic reactions to bromelain products, including throat swelling and difficulty breathing. Allergic reactions to bromelain may occur in individuals allergic to pineapples or other members of the Bromeliaceae family, and in people who are sensitive/allergic to honeybee venom, latex, birch pollen, carrot, celery, fennel, cypress pollen, grass pollen, papain, rye flour, or wheat flour.

Side Effects and Warnings of bromelain
Few serious side effects have been reported with the use of bromelain. The most common side effects reported are stomach upset and diarrhea."

This sunny spring weekend I attended my nephew's third birthday party. "I'm three!" He shouted. So cute.

Black & White Cookies: NYC Treat. As an auxiliary cupcake option for the kids and adults at the party, I made "Black & White Cookie" Vegan Cupcakes. These cupcakes taste like a slice of NYC foodie style! NYC is famous for B&W cookies. My recipe combines a rich double chocolate cupcake with a 'graham cracker cookie crust' cupcake bottom. Then a black and white sprinkled white glaze frosting. I packed up the cupcakes and trekked them to the party, where not to my surprise... the vegan cupcakes were a big hit! And since there is no dairy in the cupcakes, I don't have to worry as much about the non-refrigeration transport time. Just one benefit of non-butter cream/vegan frosting.

"VEGAN" Cupcakes. I love how everyone calls them the 'vegan' cupcakes, while all the traditional cupcakes are just 'cupcakes'. Both the adults and a few kids were shocked to taste 'vegan' cupcakes that tasted so decadent and yummy. My sister's fresh strawberry frosted cupcakes were quite a hit too, but not vegan, so that kills it for me.
Here is the recipe:

Black & White Cookie Cupcakes
vegan, makes 12 cupcakes

Cupcakes
1 package Cherrybrook Kitchen Chocolate Cake mix or another brand or from scratch
1 vegan graham cracker crust pie crust or crushed graham crackers
1 cup chocolate chips, vegan
¼ cup canola oil
1 cup soy milk
3 tablespoon Vital Wheat Gluten or another 'egg replacer'
¼ cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 dash cayenne

White Glaze Frosting
⅓ cup vegan cream cheese, softened*
*optional, makes for a creamier, whiter frosting.
1 ⅓ cups white powdered sugar, vegan
½ cup softened vegan buttery spread
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon canola oil
½-3/4 cups soy milk, until desired consistency is attained
2 teaspoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder

Toppings: Vanilla Flavored Sugar, thick cut (or raw sugar) and Vegan Chocolate Sprinkles.

Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, vital wheat gluten, whole wheat flour, cinnamon and cayenne.
Add in liquids: soy milk, vinegar, and canola oil.
Stir well until batter is smooth.
Fold in ¼ cup of chocolate chips.

Prep your muffin baking pan. Gather your unbleached baking cups and line pan. I actually like to use a round cake pan, so that I get odd-ball shaped cupcakes. They come in trapezoid and cube-ish shapes instead of traditional round. But you can do either way!

Spray muffin liners with high-heat canola oil.

Drop in about 5 chocolate chips into the bottom of each muffin cup. Then crumble in about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crust or crushed graham crackers into the bottom of the cups. This will be the 'cookie' part of the muffins!

Then spoon about 2 tablespoon of muffin batter into each muffin cup. Use all the batter.

BAKE muffins at 350 degrees for 16-18 minutes. Until tops are firm and nicely crusted.

While the muffins are baking, lets do the frosting:
In a food mixer or processor, or with a beater, add all the frosting ingredients-except only half the amount of sugar. Once the frosting puree is mixed, add in the rest of the sugar slowly until a desired consistency is achieved. Remember, the frosting will harden slightly when cooled in fridge. Spoon the frosting into a container and stick it in the fridge until it is needed.

Remove muffins from the oven and allow to cool. This should be about 20-30 minutes. In a huge rush? Place them in the fridge.

Frosting and decorating the cupcakes:
Make a sprinkle dipping plate by adding about ¼ cup thick cut sugar and 2 tablespoon chocolate sprinkle to a plate. Try to keep the toppings separated ½ and ½ - it depends how perfectly you want to ½ and ½ top your black and white cupcakes.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of frosting onto each cupcake.

Dip the top of the cupcake into the sprinkle plate, in a rolling motion. Coat the frosting in black and white sprinkles. and sugar. Place the cupcake on a serving tray or in a Tupperware container to be transported.

Refill the sprinkle plate when it gets low and continue frosting and dipping the cupcakes.

Place the cupcakes in the fridge until they are ready to be served! Or eat immediately. Allow the cupcakes to 'warm up' for at least ten minutes before serving.

SERVE! Proudly, tell your cupcake customers that these Black & White Cookie Cupcakes are vegan cupcakes, a slice of NYC foodies style and delicious!!

The Bureau of Labor Statistic's Consumer Price Index shows that the number one cost-inflated food item is a bakers best friend...flour!

Flour is #1 at 37% price inflation. (Remember when a 5 lb bag of flour was around a buck? I do!)

Other most inflated food items include the following...

Most Inflated Foods Items, Consumer Price Index:

* Flour, up 37%.

* Eggs, up 34.8%.

* Sweet peppers, up 29.2%.

* Milk, up 23.1%.

* Dried beans, up 21.6%.

Tex-Mex Breakfast? That could make for a quite inflated price on a Mexican Style breakfast with beans, bell pepper diced in some eggs and spicy milk latte.

What is a Sweet Pepper? I wasn't quite sure what sweet pepper refereed to. I thought it was a jarred sweet roasted pepper, but I looked it up on Recipe Zaar and: "The best known sweet peppers are bell peppers"

I often gawk shockingly when orange and yellow bell peppers at my NYC Whole Foods are $4.99 a pound. That's pretty outrageous.

To read the entire report on these inflated food items and a few recommendations on how to beat the inflated prices, click here: MSN Article: High Food Prices. How to Save.

Did you spend the weekend outside, enjoying the dry spring sunshine? I did. And the minute I stepped inside I was craving only one thing...

...Frozen Coconut Water!

How do I make fresh coconut into a frozen slushy?

FROZEN COCONUT SLUSHY
VERSION ONE

1. Chop open a fresh young coconut.
Or use a coconut water brand like ZICO, O.N.E or Vita CoCo.

2. (congratulate yourself for opening a coconut without a machete - like they use beach side in Brazil!) If you used pre-packaged...you can still pat yourself on the back just for fun, and for being smart enough to re-hydrate with coconut water.

3. Pour the contents of the coconut (or coconut water container) into a sturdy glass that won't break if left in the freezer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Stick the glass in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Hopefully by then the edges of the liquid will have iced over with cool white coconut ice crystals. Leave in longer for a thicker slushy.

FROZEN COCONUT SLUSHY
VERSION TWO

...Instead of the quick freeze option, have a few pre-frozen coconut water ice cubes in your freezer. Then simply blend cold coconut water with the ice cubes to get an amazing coconut water frosty slushy! So good! If you are desperate, you can use normal water ice cubes, but I don't recommend it. 100% coconut water is sooo much tastier and better for hydration!

...DRINK. REFRESH. REHYDRATE.

...have another one? I always do!

Coconut Water is the perfect re-hydration beverage. It contains 16 times more potassium (an important electrolyte) than the 'average' sports drink , aka Gatorade. Plus it is high in manganese and low in calories. Only 60 calories per 11 ounces. My favorite coconut water fact is that it is so close to the same chemical analysis and PH level as human blood that they used to use it in war times as intravenous fluid when they were in need of an alternate to blood plasma.

A few other coconut water posts:
Fresh Young Coconut Water

Coconut Water 101

Sunny days are on the horizon and that means it's smoothie season! My very first high school job was at Jamba Juice back in Santa Cruz California, and I adore making smoothies as an adult, so I've got a few great tips to share to help you blend like a pro. Here are my twenty best smoothie tips...

Best Smoothie Tips, Blend Like a Pro:

1. ICE WHEN? Always add the ice last. Otherwise you may over blend the ice and it will make your smoothie watery rather than frosty and icy like we all love. And FYI, most people underestimate the amount of ice to use. Crushed ice is what the Jamba Juice Pro smoothie-blenders use.

2. FRESH IS BEST. When you can, use fresh-pressed or squeezed juice. The flavor and nutrient boost will be outstanding.

3. FREEZE YOUR OWN FRUIT. When adding bananas to your smoothie, it is best that they are frozen bananas. Make a habit out of storing overripe bananas in the freezer for future smoothie use. Just remember to peel and chop the banana first.

4. PROCEDURE. When adding ingredients this is the best procedure: liquid, frozen fruit, powders/add-ins, ice, and add fresh fruit LAST- even after pre-blending your frozen ingredients first.

5. FRESH ADD-INS LAST. Adding fresh berries to a frozen-fruit smoothie really enhances the flavor, and as mentioned, add fresh fruit last and blend minimally.

6. SOY-CITRUS, NOT A FAN. When making a soymilk smoothie it is best to stick with non-citrus juices and fruits to accompany it. Orange and soymilk may curdle or taste a bit 'off'. I like to blend soymilk with all different types of berries, bananas and sweet fruits like mangoes.

7. SOY-ACAI, I'M A FAN. My favorite soymilk survey is ½ soy ½ acai juice, fresh blackberries, frozen blueberries and a frozen banana. Add a lot of coconut water ice cubes, and I'm in smoothie bliss.

8. COCONUT CUBES. Make coconut water ice cubes instead of tap water ice cubes. This will add nutrients including potassium, magnesium and other electrolytes, and the smoothie flavors will not be greatly changed.

9. ADD AN ACID OR TARTNESS. Frozen blueberries are incredibly healthy, but do not have much acid in their flavor, therefore try pairing blueberries with another acid-y or tart flavor like fresh orange juice, tart pomegranate juice or lemon juice.

10. SIMPLE SLUSHY. Cranberry, pomegranate and grape juices add a lot of flavor with minimal amounts. You can even blend up a slushy smoothie by using simple ingredients: juice and LOTS of ice (coconut water ice cubes pref'd)

11. FIZZ IS FUN. Fizzy drinks like Kombucha actually make great slushy smoothie drinks. Blend fizzy kombucha with bananas and ice and the result is outstanding and different. Fizzy smoothies will separate quickly, so drink fast for best taste. Guava-Kiwi Synergy Kombucha Smoothie Recipe here.

12. NATURE'S SUGAR. You don't need to add sugar to smoothies! Just know what fruits and juices have the most sugar bang for their usage. High sugar add-ins: pear juice, bananas, grape juice, apple juice, pomegranate juice and yes a few dabs of agave syrup or maple syrup are OK too.

13. BEAT SMOOTHIE BOREDOM. Some less common smoothie add-ins and fruits to freeze or add fresh: papaya, kiwi, fresh mango, fresh blackberries, fresh young coconut meat, lychees, frozen seedless watermelon, tangerine juice, aloe vera juice or chunks, spirulina, kombucha tea, goji berries juice or whole berries, pineapple juice, fresh avocado, cayenne, sea salt, carrot juice, fresh ginger, Meyer lemon juice, grapefruit juice, fresh herbs and savory greens!

14. LESS LIQUID FIRST. It's better to add too little liquid than too much. You can always add more liquid, but overblending too much fruit can get messy.

15. THROW OUT CRUSTY FRUIT. If you wouldn't eat the frozen fruit on its own, it's not going to taste good in a smoothie. Only use FRESH frozen fruit. The old-white crusted-over stuff is flavorless.

16. YUMMY IDEAS. A few great blends: lemonade-strawberry, mango-banana, kiwi-berry-citrus, soy-acai-berry, banana-aloe-pineapple, ginger-lemon-citrus, blackberry-soy, pomegranate-slushy, cranberry-lime, grape-Cherry-strawberry, fresh blueberry-tangerine-banana, banana-apple-raspberry, coconut-spirulina-blueberry, papaya-soy-aloe-banana, strawberry-banana-meyer-lemon-orange, lychee-coconut-banana, pineapple-banana-guava, orange-banana-grapefruit, frozen-watermelon-lime.

17. ICQ FRUIT. Jamba Juice and most big smoothie chains use ICQ, Individual Quick Frozen fruit. It is the best process for sealing in fruit flavor and nutrients. There is a vast quality gradient among frozen fruit brands-find a good brand and enjoy ICQ at Jamba Juice.

18. PROBIOTIC BOOST. Add in your favorite soy yogurt for a nice smooth flavor and added nutrition boost. Use plain yogurt for a nice tangy flavor. Lemon yogurt is also nice in smoothies. Sometimes I find the sweet berry yogurts can add a fake fruit flavor. Keep it real and fresh for your flavors!

19. A BLENDER IS A BLENDER? It's not a popular idea, but quite frankly I love getting a brand new $30 blender every other smoothie season. I once bought a fancy-smancy $100 blender and found that the quality was not much higher than my nice $30 Hamilton Beach blender. So it's not really about the tools, but about the ingredients and skill. However, those $200+ blenders that a lot of raw foodies use for smoothies, soups, etc, DO have amazing quality and lasting quality. But in the $20-$100 blender range...just go for the one button simpleton.

20. ORGANIC GOODNESS. Most of the time, organic fruit has more flavor and nutrients than conventionally farmed fruit. Therefore, when you can, always use organic fruit and juices. That's one area that Jamba Juice doesn't have 'up' on at-home blending. You make it yourself, and you usually get just what you want-organic,healthy,fresh and the entire blender all to yourself!

If you have any questions about smoothie making, leave them in the comments and I will be sure to answer them all!

Find my smoothie, juice and drink recipes here:
DRINK RECIPES

Is this Italian Kiwi organic? How about genetically modified? It's easy to find out - simply read the sticker!

Produce stickers and labels hold a lot more information than simply the cute name or slogan of a fruit of veggie. By reading the sticker number, you can actually confirm if the piece of produce you hold in your hand is organic, not organic and/or genetically modified. How? First, stop smiling at the cute Garfield face on the banana sticker and find the code. Next...notice that the bar code on that sticker is for price information.

Next, notice that the labels on fruits and veggies will have a 4 or 5 digit code.

If your produce has 4 digits, it means that it was "conventionally grown, but not organic".

If it has 5 digits, and begins with a 9, it means that the produce was organically grown.

A 5 digit code that begins with an 8 indicates that the produce was genetically modified.

For example, the kiwi in the photo above has a code "4030"
So, this kiwi is not organic, but conventionally grown. It is NOT genetically modified.

The same is true for the melon with the number: "4317"

If an apple sticker said "96584" it would have been grown organically. An apple with "86584" would be genetically altered.

It's allergy season-even for kids. Nothing is sadder than watching a butterfly-net toting four year-old sneeze and sniffle on their way to the butterfly meadow. Want to test-drive the all natural kids allergy remedy Sinupret and get an adorable kids fun pack-for free?

The FDA recommends that parents not give over the counter medicines to children younger than 4, so finding a safe remedy for those 2-4 kids is a must. Try Sinupret for free. The first 15 readers to email me at [email protected] (subject: giveaway) will get this awesome Sinupret kids pack mailed to them for free.
Giveaway Pack Includes: Dr. Bob Sears bestselling book The Healthiest Kids in the Neighborhood, A sample of Sinupret, Yellow children's binoculars, Sinupret for Kids Activity Books, Sinupret for Kids Stickers, Mini Plush Bear, (aka, butterfly explorer buddy)
Sinupret is made and Germany and backed by science. One study showed that 88% of physicians found Sinupret effective.

MY REVIEW:
This product can be given to kids as young as age two! And with spring sneezing effecting even the smallest of citizens, it's great that parents have a chemical Free option. The science is convincing, but the biggest test is to try it yourself. Every one's body is different and this product may or may not work wonders to improve your child's immune and respiratory system. But if it means using an all natural product versus an over-the-counter medicine- I think it's at least worth a shot to try!

Plus, the kids pack is adorable. Cute binoculars for those springtime outdoor adventures. And even a cute teddy bear to bring along on your adventures....your kids will love it.

Email me soon! Only the first 15 will get a giveaway pack.

Here is more info about this product:

Is Sinupret proven to be effective?
Sinupret has been the subject of a number of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trials for efficacy and safety. In one of the largest clinical trials in children testing sinus remedies, Sinupret was evaluated retrospectively in more than 3,000 children by approximately 1,000 physicians. 88% of the physicians found Sinupret effective. A majority of the children who used Sinupret experienced healthy sinus functions.

What is Sinupret?
Sinupret for Kids is a safe, natural remedy that supports healthy sinus, respiratory and immune function. No other clinically tested natural remedies are available today in the US that support all three functions.

Sinupret for Kids syrup promotes healthy drainage in the upper respiratory tract, improves airflow in the nose and supports healthy mucous clearance from the nose and sinuses. In addition to supporting sinus and respiratory functions, it also supports the immune system.

Sinupret and Sinupret for Kids are one of the world’s leading herbal remedies for upper respiratory health for children and adults ages 2 and up. Sinupret for Kids is available in a cherry-flavored syrup.

What is a plant-based remedy or herbal supplement?
A plant-based remedy or herbal supplement is a product whose active constituents are exclusively plant-based (containing extracts from plant parts and plant juices).

Is Sinupret used frequently in Germany where it was developed?
The Sinupret product line, developed by Bionorica, is now the #1 most widely recommended, scientifically tested nasal and sinus support formula in Germany for children and adults for more than 30 years. From April 2007 – April 2008, over 7.5 million units of Sinupret were purchased in Germany alone, with over a half a million units purchased for kids under 12.

Sinupret is cited as safe and effective in numerous peer reviews, scientific and medical journals, including American Botanical Council Clinical Guide to Herbs, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, Phytopharmaka, Planta Medica, Natural Standards-Herbs, Pharmacist’s Letter for efficacy and safety and Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database.

How does Sinupret work and what are the ingredients?
Sinupret provides sinus, respiratory and immune support, a combination that doesn’t exist in any other product in the US that has been clinically tested. Sinupret for Kids is a natural plant-based remedy, developed through a proprietary blend of five-herbal blend combination of European Elder, Sorrel, Cowslip, European Vervain and Gentian.

Sinupret is Gluten Free!

SINUPRET: www.bionoricausa.com

Disclaimer: This giveaway is sponsored by SINUPRET and is for your convenience only. You are totally responsible for any use of this product or effect therefrom. Please verify all information and check product safety for your own personal circumstances.

I've made a great update to the RECIPES section of the blog. It's now much easier to view and find my healthy vegan recipes. Yummy desserts, smoothies, veggies, fruit salads and more! Simply click on RECIPES in the categories section and let the browsing begin! You can also click here. The new categories are...

ENTREES
main dishes, rice, pasta, pizza, burgers....
SOUPS
hot, cold, both and creamy...
DESSERTS & SWEETS
cookies, cakes, pastries, parfaits....
BREAKFAST
cereal, hot sandwiches, pancakes....
DRINKS, JUICES & SMOOTHIES
fruit juices, cold smoothies, spritzers, hot beverages
BREADS
yeasted, loafed, tarts, rolls...
FRUIT SIDES & SALADS
fruit salads, snacks, ideas, seasonings...
VEGGIES SIDES & SALADS
hot, cold, traditional, modern, slaws, salads...
SAUCES, SNACKS & MORE
salsas, dips, sauces, nuts, bar snacks, after-work snacks, kids snacks, healthy snacks, spicy, sweet...
ENTERTAINING APPETIZERS
platter-worthy snacks and small plates...
SANDWICHES
sandwiches, baguettes, paninis, open-faced, sweet, savory, light, rich...

...more exciting site improvements to come in the next few weeks!

Taking my recipe for Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto one step further, here is a delicious idea for a "one-dish dinner" done Italian style. Three easy steps go into this dish... 1) make the pesto 2) cook the pasta and 3) blanch and saute the veggies. Then you're ready to assemble the ingredients into your serving dish.

Simple and satisfying flavors are represented: pesto, garlic, fresh oregano, broccoli rabe, brussel sprouts, shiitake mushrooms, sweet onions and spelt pasta. Ideal for an 'I don't know what time we are eating' dinner, this dish can sit happily in a warm oven for a few hours - marinating the flavors together until you are ready to dig in.

What you'll need:
*A casserole dish or pan
*A saute pan for the veggies
*A large pot of boiling water
*A large bowl of ice/water (ice bath)
*Kathy's Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto
*Your favorite pasta, I love spelt or whole wheat angel hair with my pesto sauce.
*One bunch of broccoli rabe
*Misc. Veggies: I used brussel sprouts, shiitake mushrooms and sliced onions. (Any combo of pasta-friendly veggies you have on hand will work.)
Garnish/Seasoning extras:
*Olive Oil, sea salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes
*An acid: Lemon juice or red wine vinegar
*Vegan Parmesan cheese for sprinkling
*Fresh oregano leaves (and/or other fresh green herbs)
*Tomatoes, grape tomatoes or sun dried tomatoes are my preferences.

Let's make dinner!

STEP ONE: PESTO
Make the pesto. Instructions here: Kathy's Pesto Recipe.
Stick the pesto in the fridge until you are ready for it. Save a few of the fresh basil leaves for garnish.

STEP TWO: VEGGIES

Wash the broccoli rabe and remove any dead leaves.
Chop the broccoli rabe into the desired size. I like it simply cup into one or tow pieces.) It will shrink quite a bit when blanched.
Wash and dry any other veggies you are using.
(I used shiitake mushrooms, onion rings and quartered and halved brussel sprouts.)

Bring you pot of water to a boil. Make sure the water is salted.
Blanch you excess veggies-brussel sprouts etc.
Blanching instructions here: Blanching 101.
Remove from water when ready and submerge into ice bath for a few seconds.
Set aside.
Repeat this process with the broccoli rabe.

Start a saute pan on med-high heat with some olive oil. I also added some lemon juice to the pan.
Add some garlic and add the toughest veggies first. For me, this is the brussel sprouts. Then I added the shrooms and onions. In a few minutes, the veggies are perfectly tender. I seasoned the lightly sauteed veggies with some black pepper, lemon juice and salt. I then plated the veggies right into my serving dish. You can arrange them to one side, or in a circle around the edges.

STEP THREE: PASTA

Remove the pesto from the fridge to let it soften. Bring the water back to a boil-the veggie water can be reused-it does have a few nutrients that leaked out from the blanched veggies. Cook your pasta. Drain. Add to a bowl. Add pesto and toss well. Add a few spoonfuls of pasta water to loosen the pesto.

ASSEMBLY:

Lay the pasta in the pan and begin to garnish with Parmesan cheese sprinkles, fresh oregano leaves, sliced grape tomatoes, fresh basil, and red pepper flakes.
Cover dish and either serve while everything is still warm, or stick in an oven to re-heat to hot, or stick in a warm oven until you (and your other diners) are ready to eat.

Serve with some garlic-EVOO crusty bread. This dish even goes well with tempeh cubes if you are seeking a protein boost. Edamame is even a nice green addition to the pasta.

Enjoy!

Every time I make fresh pesto I am reminded of how easy the process is and how delicious the results are. Plus, super-nut walnuts, antioxidant rich basil, and vegan cheese make this pesto quite healthy. Pair this Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto with angel hair pasta, garlic crusty bread, seasonal greens and dry red wine and dinnertime turns from stressful to stress-relieving.
'Pesto Night' is... a comforting way to end a long day. This vegan pesto recipe is called Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto, but it could be called my Vegan-Spicy-Maple-Toasted-Walnut-Garlic-Lemon-Basil-Cheesy-Pesto. But that's just a tad too long, don't ya think? My point is that pesto is easy to customize once you know the basics. Make up your own name for your favorite pesto flavor combos. I've chosen this pesto recipe to share with you because it combines all of my favorite flavors: spiciness, lemon juice, sweet maple syrup, savory vegan Parmesan cheese, olive oil, lots of garlic, parsley, sea salt and obviously lots of fresh aromatic basil leaves.

Here are a few ingredients that you can customize your vegan pesto (and this recipe) with:
garlic (roasted or raw)
walnuts (toasted, roasted or raw)
pine nuts (toasted or raw)
almonds (toasted, roasted or raw)
vegan Parmesan cheese (I like the one in the purple shaker bottle)
olive oil (high quality, the fruitier, the better)
dab of truffle oil
black pepper
salt
jalapeno pepper
red bell pepper
chives
scallions
onions
shallots
agave, maple syrup
cayenne
oregano
basil basil basil (blanched or raw)
lemon juice
orange juice
vinegar
red pepper
parsley
thyme
cilantro

Pesto allows you to get creative!

But here is my favorite pesto recipe....

Toasted Walnut Cheesy Pesto
vegan, makes about 1 ⅓ cups

1 large lemon, juiced
1 cup maple-toasted walnuts
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 large bunch of basil, leaves
½ cup flat parsley, chopped
2-3 tablespoon vegan Parmesan cheese (I like the one in the purple shaker bottle)
5-7 cloves of garlic
2-3 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 tablespoon fresh oregano
1 jalapeno, de-stemmed (de-seeding optional)
optional: cayenne or red pepper flakes for more spice.
optional: Lower fat version, add more lemon juice, less oil. More parsley and less walnuts.

To make:
Maple-toasted Walnuts:
Saute walnuts on high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup for 2 minutes.
Add walnuts to food processor.
Add basil (blanching optional), salt, lemon juice, cheese, pepper, parsley, garlic, olive oil, oregano and jalapeno to food processor. Blend on high until thick and fully processed. Pesto should be nutty and smooth, but not over-blended.

Store pesto in fridge until ready to be served.
If eating immediately, toss pesto with freshly cooked warm pasta. The pasta heat will warm the pesto-no re-heating needed!

* This is a pretty thick pesto recipe, so to loosen pasta/pesto toss, add 2-4 tablespoon leftover pasta boiling water-or another liquid like lemon juice.

*I love this pesto with spelt angel hair pasta. I add some red pepper flakes and a few sprinkles of vegan parm cheese. Mu-AH! (Kisses fingers.)

After my amazing meal at Dirt Candy last weekend, I was still dreaming about those beautiful electric green brussel sprouts. "She must have blanched them", I said. I don't know exactly how Chef Amanda Cohen makes her yummy veggies scream technicolor, but I do have a few tricks of my own to make my veggies POP with color...

Blanching 101. The word 'blanch' reminds me of that sultry southerner on the TV show The Golden Girls. 'Thank you for being a friend...' (Sorry, bad 80's flashback.) Blanching (not Blanche) is actually a very cool, literally, cooking technique that helps keep your non-raw veggies happy and healthy. Blanched veggies retain more nutrients, absorb less oil in a saute and have a bright healthy color. The technique is super simple. After blanching, you can saute, season or store your veggies. Blanching allows you to cook your veggies until they are tender, but not overcooked. A simple ice bath "shocks" you veggies and halts the cooking process, 'freezing' the veggies at that perfectly tender stage.

The photo below shows a group of brussel sprouts that have been blanched, and one sad brussel sprout that has been overcooked. The overcooked sprout is a a dull mossy green and its leaves have lost any tenderness or bite:

Why Blanch?

*Blanching seals in the color, flavor and nutrients of the veggies.
*Blanching is great for loosening the fibers and flesh of veggies. Shortens cooking time in a saute or stir-fry.
*Green veggies turn bright green! (It's pretty)
*Blanching loosens the skins of veggies like tomatoes-for easy peeling.
*Blanching releases a bit of water from the veggies, so more flavor in the finished product.
*If sauteing in oil later, the blanched veggies will require less cook time and absorb less oil. Healthier end result!

The photo below shows a brussel sprout that has been blanched (left), and one that is still raw (right). As you can see, the blanching process brings out an intense green color in the sprout. Blanched veggies can have a vibrancy that raw or overcooked veggies lack.

What Can I blanch?

You can blanch just about anything. But typical blanched veggies include brussel sprouts, asparagus, stir-fry veggies, mini onions, broccoli, green beans, carrots, kale, broccoli rabe, cabbage...and the list goes on.

BLANCHING 101:

1.Get your tools out: large bowl of ice and water (ice bath), tongs or slotted spoon, pot of boiling salted water, your veggies.

Step One:
Salt the water, bring to a boil.

Step Two:
Clean/chip/prep veggies to be blanched.

Step Three:
Submerge veggies in boiling water. Allow to boil until tender-just about done, but do not overcook or it will defeat the whole purpose of blanching. The amount of time you boil the veggies for is the KEY. It may take some practice until you know how long each different veggie needs to be cooked for.

Step Four:
Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer veggies directly from pot to ice bath. Remove from ice bath after a few seconds. The veggies will cool off- stop cooking- quickly.

Step Five:
You may season and plate your veggies or season them and add them to a medium heat pan for a quick light saute. A saute will help brown up the edges and give the blanched veggies a savory flavor. Plus-it will re-heat the veggies since they have been cooled off by the ice bath!

BONUS: Another reason people blanch veggies is to freeze them for storage properly. Blanching stops the 'ripening' process and therefore assures that the veggies will not over ripen or 'go bad'- even when frozen.

That's it! Pretty easy right?

Blanched blackberry...just for fun...

More cooking techniques:
BRAISING for vegans 101.

The classic zesty flavor of lemon pepper compliments Lightlife's 'Zesty Lemon' Tempeh-tations marinated cubes perfectly. The tempeh-tations cubes are already marinated with Zesty Lemon flavor, so it's incredibly simple to add a little black pepper ZING! to them. Here's my protein-packed recipe for Lemon Pepper Tempeh. Serve it over rice, pasta, salad or eat it alone! It takes care of the protein part of your meal-more nutrition info on tempeh here. Because even vegans get sick of tofu! I'm in love with this recipe and the bright flavors of summer that spring from it.

The easy saute recipe ahead...

Zesty "Lemon Pepper" Tempeh-tations Cubes
makes 2 servings

1 box Lightlife Zesty Lemon Tempeh-tations*
*click link for full product review
2 tablespoon black pepper
1 lemon, juiced
1 small onion, chopped
1 small tomato, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-5 cloves garlic, chopped
4 mushrooms, sliced
1 tablespoon maple or agave syrup
1 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoon veggie broth, orange juice or water
optional: 1 teaspoon cayenne or red pepper flakes

Directions:
Turn stove on high.

Add oil and lemon juice to lidded pan.

When liquid starts to sizzle, add tempeh cubes.

Saute tempeh on high for a few minutes.
Loosen cubes to separate, as needed.
Try to get all sides slightly browned (braising technique).

Add in onion, mushrooms, tomato, garlic and maple syrup.

Toss ingredients in pan and allow to cook on high for another minute.

Reduce heat to med-high and add 2 tablespoon liquid.

Sprinkle ingredients with 1 tablespoon black pepper.

Cover pan with lid and let cook for a few minutes. Shake pan every few minutes to prevent burning and stimulate steam.

Remove lid to check on saute.
If the pan looks dry, add another tablespoon of liquid.
If the pan looks too 'wet' remove lid and let steam escape.

About 1 minute before the dish is fully sauteed, remove lid and turn heat back up to high.

Sprinkle with remaining black pepper and toss .

High heat and black pepper crusting should toast and brown up the tempeh edges.

Plate tempeh steaming hot. Garnish with fresh lemon juice and or more fresh black pepper.

Yum!

Braising technique for cooking vegan proteins

As many of you know, tempeh, a soy product made by fermenting whole soybeans, is incredibly healthy and an great source of vegan protein. Many people ask me where I get my tempeh. Well...

Tempeh-tations: Must try! For the past week, almost every night I've added Zesty Lemon Tempeh-tations organic marinated tempeh cubes to my dinner menu. I even served them at Easter dinner. I have not found a vegan protein product that I love this much since my Trader Joe's Soy Nuggets obsession back in college. And that was intense!

Tempting Tempeh.
Product Highlights:
*made by Lightlife Foods
*24 grams of protein per box.
*Marinated and recipe ready.
*Vacuum-sealed bag. Fresh.
*6 grams of fiber per serving.
*ORGANIC. VEGAN.
*8% RDA of potassium & iron per serving.

Zesty Lemon Addict. Really, I love these little cubes. I have prepared them a few different ways, but my favorite is steam-sauteing them with my lemon-pepper recipe (pictured at right). I'll post the recipe later today...

Click ahead for my official product review...

Product Review: Lightlife Zesty Lemon Tempehtations

Shelf Appeal: Nice packaging. I love the vacuum sealed plastic bag that the cubes come in. Super fresh. And the pic on the box is actually what they look like when sauteed.

Label Check: Healthy. Protein packed. 24 grams of protein per box. Two servings per box. 160 calories. 8 g fat. 1 g saturated fat. 6 g fiber. 95 mg sodium (4% RDA). That's quite low sodium for a pre-packages and seasoned food product. Most frozen protein products have around 20% RDA sodium. Calcium is 6% RDA and 8% iron. Again, these are per serving and there are two servings per box. The only small quip I'd note is that I see corn syrup on the label. However, it is the LAST ingredient and since there is only 1 g of sugar, I guess the amount used is VERY tiny. Oh, and these yummy bits are organic. Yes!

Taste Test: Well, I don't want to annoy you with my raving review, but I can't help it. I love these little cubes! So easy and fast to make and they taste much better than any tempeh marinade I could whip up in 5 minutes. I like to saute them with a few veggies, onion, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and pepper. So awesome. I've even added a few spoonfuls of chili peppers and they get spicy! Served over pasta, salad or rice these cubes are delish. Not too hard, not too mushy, they saute up just right. I don't eat these, I Mmmmmm them.

Price Check: $3.99 at my Whole Foods Market. Considering my husband's fillet of fish is $5-$8 and that's just one serving of protein, I'd say my two serving protein ingredient in my vegan meal is a heck of a deal. Prices may vary where you are.

Last Word: Am I out?! Darn, gotta run to Whole Foods again.

*reminder: I only review products that I personally have used. These are not 'paid reviews' like some blogger use, but true 100% honest opinions! I always tell it like it is and like it tastes!*

www.lightlife.com for product info.

Quote of the day:
"One of the epiphanies that led Mr. Masson to veganism came in 2004 when his family took in a puppy, a kitten, two chickens and two rats. “The chickens were very sociable,” he said. “They would come inside the house and watch me writing at the computer. And I would be picking up after them with a box of Kleenex. My wife made me put them outside. And do you know what they did? They banged on the window: ‘Let us in. Let us in.’ They have such strong personalities.”"

-Jeffrey Mason, Author of When Elephants Wheep and his new book The Face on Your Plate, The Truth About Food. Article by Eric Konigsberg, NYTIMES..

This adorable photo is by Jennifer May, NYTimes:
full article by Eric Konigsberg here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/15/dining/15mass.html?pagewanted=1&ref=dining

I'll admit that one of my votes for my "most feared veggie" had to go to okra. But silly me, I had never even cooked or eaten it!

Okraphobia. Maybe it's the word okra, maybe it's the absence of an okra aroma, maybe it's the pointed reptilian-like shape, or maybe it's those scary round slimy seeds that ooze out of the okra flesh. Okra made me cringe. But I successfully dreamed up three yummy recipes that will turn the haters into lovers. Including me....And it doesn't hurt that okra is so healthy.

My Okra Recipes (all vegan):
I Love Okra! Folded Corn Cakes
Sweet Okra Corn Bread
Okra Burger Crunchy Slaw Salad

Click ahead for the recipes...

I Love Okra. Here are three delicious recipes using okra. I'm an okra convert!

The Peanut (Okra-lovers) Gallery. Luckily, I received a lot of great ideas from my blog-readers about their favorite ways to prepare okra: okra gumbo, deep fried okra, boiled okra, stewed okra and tomatoes and even okra casserole. But fried okra was the most popular method. Go figure. Not exactly a healthy cooking method, but I kept an open mind. I decided to listen to the okra-experts and do a skillet recipe, as well as a salad with some SoyBoy brand Okra Burgers I found at Whole Foods Market. And even a cornbread recipe for a sweet side. My feat proved successful, and I'm happy with the results. And FYI, please feel free to modify the ingredients to suite your dietary needs.

RECIPE #1

I Love Okra! Fold over Corn Cakes
vegan, serves 2-3
7 medium sized Okra, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, Vidalia
1 scallion
6 cloves of garlic
1 lemon, juiced
6 tablespoon vegan butter
¾ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 cup stone ground corn flour
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1-2 vegan cheese singles, jalapeno jack flavor
salt
pepper

Maple Mayo
4 tablespoon Veganaise
2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Prep: thinly slice okra, discard stems.
thinly slice scallions. Slice onions into thin rounds.
Thinly slice garlic cloves.

Veggies: Combine okra, scallions, garlic, 4 tablespoon lemon juice. red pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Mix well. Allow a few minutes to marinate.

Mayo: Mix ingredients for maple mayo together. Store in fridge until ready for use.

Batter: Corn Flour, canola oil, soy milk, 1 tablespoon maple syrup.

In a hot frying pan, add butter- about 2 teaspoon per cake. You can also use more or less according to your taste and frying skills.
When surface is hot, add veggies for one cake serving. About 3-4 tablespoon uncooked.
Saute on high until edges begin to brown.
Push veggies to center of pan to form a loose circle.
Add batter to pan for one cake. Pour evenly over veggies.
Turn pan to spread batter evenly over veggies.
Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes, until edges brown, bubble and crisp.
Add cheese and sliced Vidalia onions - and any additional filling.
Fold over cake and flip as needed to cook to your desired crispness.
Cake will be delicate so flip with care.

Repeat for each additional corn cake.

Garnish plate with parsley, fresh herbs, paprika and mayo drizzle.

RECIPE #2

Sweet Okra Corn Bread (two versions)
vegan, 1 loaf

Version#1: Prepare the cornbread with no okra in the batter. Then add a garnish of Okra Syrup: recipe below.
Version #2: Below, prepare the cornbread with okra in the batter.

2 cups whole grain corn flour
4 tablespoon softened vegan buttery spread
¼ cup agave or maple syrup
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 cup Okra: pan-toasted okra (sauteed in olive oil, salt and black pepper).*
*You can also add garlic, onion, shallots, bell pepper or corn to this veggie saute.

In large mixing bowl:
Add flour, baking powder, salt and cayenne.
Stir in remaining liquid ingredients until batter is smooth and creamy.
Fold in okra.

Pour into 8 inch circle baking pan. Top with a drizzle on agave syrup and swirl into batter. Add a few okra slices to top of bread for garnish.

Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes or until the edges crisp up.

Serve with honey butter or a nice spicy sweet jam.

Version #1: If doing the first version, garnish with this recipe for Okra Syrup. Okra is great for jams and syrups because its natural stickiness makes a crazy sticky drizzle reminiscent of honey.

Okra Syrup:
small amount for drizzling
2 Okra spears, sliced thin
3 tablespoon vegan butter
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon Agave or Maple syrup
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Heat all ingredients on high for 4 minutes. Allow to slightly cool before drizzle-ready.

RECIPE #3

Okra Burger Crunchy Slaw Salad
vegan, serves 1

1 Soy Boy Okra burger, vegan
1 cup of Kathy's Vegan Cole Slaw
¼ cup of Okra Saute

Okra Saute:
½ cup chopped okra
1 teaspoon vegan buttery spread
1 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoon lemon juice
sprinkle red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
saute on high for 2-3 minutes.

Okra burger: heat in microwave for 45 seconds, or saute in skillet.
Slice into small triangle pieces.

Assemble salad:
Pour slaw into bowl. Top with hot okra saute. Top with triangles of Okra burger.

Drizzle a light dressing or enjoy as is! Goes great with the maple mayo dipping sauce from recipe #1

Wow! That's a lot of okra! I hope one of these recipes makes you learn to love okra just as much as i do not.

...now eventually I have to work on some I love eggplant recipes. That's going to be tough!

Before I post my super duper okra recipes, I want to get you excited about okra. Though okra was voted most hated veggie, it can actually be quite tasty and nutritious! So I'm here to convert the haters to lovers!

oKra. Okra is actually incredibly healthy despite it's unappealing reputation. Okra is low in calories. One cup of raw okra only has around 30 calories. And in that low-calorie cup in a whopping 66% RDA of Vitamin K! Okra is also high is calcium, fiber, vitamin C, protein, folate, manganese and magnesium. Why munch not-nutrient-dense celery or iceberg lettuce for a low-calorie veggie when you can munch the much-more-nutrient-dense super food veggie okra!

Click ahead for the complete nutrition data on OKRA...

OKRA
serving size: 1 cup raw, chopped
(about 6 spears)
calories: 31
fat: 0 g
carbs: 7 g
protein: 2 g
fiber: 3 g
Vitamin K: 66% RDA
Vitamin C: 35% RDA
folate: 22% RDA
thiamin: 13% RDA
manganese: 50% RDA
magnesium: 14% RDA

Phytochemicals:
Okra - beta carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin

Low in calories and an amazing source per calorie of Vitamin K, fiber and Manganese. Okra is a stellar veggie that you have got to learn to love.

Even variety-hungry foodies have a few standby favorite recipes that get used almost everyday. Here is one of mine.

Morning Brew. Coffee-free. On a groggy morning (actually, any morning) I have a few favorite wake-up recipes. My favorite hot beverage is my Goji Berry Chai Tea. It's a delicious combination of soy milk, chai tea, goji berries, agave syrup and spices. It wakes me up and keeps me feeling energized through the morning. Pair it with a ginger green tea muffin and I am set!

Click ahead as I share my morning brew recipe (and morning routine) with you...

My Morning Routine

After rising I always head straight to the kitchen (just a few steps away - this is a NYC apartment remember) and I pour myself a sip of what I like to refer to as morning energy juice. Or just energy juice. If I have a lot of energy already, I will juice something myself in my Super Angel juicer. But usually, I grab a swig of fresh Acai juice. Or similar juice. Pomegranate, apple-ginger, grapefruit, lemon-green-apple, green-ginger, orange, kumquat-mandarin or pear lemonade juices are a few other favorites I drink in the morning. I love strong flavors like lemon, ginger, cayenne and citrus in the morning when I am feeling a bit groggy.

If I am super dehydrated I will chug some coconut water first. But I usually only drink straight-from-the-coconut coconut water first thing in the morning. The boxed stuff I drink later in the day.

*I always like to fill my body with fresh live enzymes first thing in the morning. It wakes up my digestive system up, and makes me feel alive all day.*

Then a bit later in my routine I will make a warm mug of my Goji Berry Chai tea. I pair it with something yummy. A muffin, vegan-morning-muffin, nuts, more fruit or cereal.

Here is the simple recipe for my tea:

Goji Berry Chai Tea
vegan, serves one

1 large mug
½ mug chai concentrate, pre-sweetened
½ mug soy milk
3 tablespoon water
cayenne
cinnamon
1 tablespoon dried Goji berries
optional 1 chai tea bag (black or green tea)
optional agave syrup

Procedure:
takes about 5 minutes total
Fill mug with about 3 tablespoon water.
Fill mug (almost to the top) with equal parts soy milk and chai concentrate.
Stick in microwave for 2 minutes.
Add 1 sprinkle cayenne.
Add 1-3 sprinkles cinnamon.
Add goji berries.
Stick back in the microwave for thirty seconds.
Add additional tea bag (for more chai kick) and additional sweeteners if needed.
Allow berries and bag to soak for a few minutes. Berries will be soft and inflated when fully soaked.

Drink and enjoy! Add more berries if you'd like, I always add a few more half way through my beverage.

Goji Berry Facts: Super Berry!

My review of Oregon Chai Beverage Concentrate

Here's the official results for my ongoing Most Feared, Hated and Loved Veggie Survey:

Most FEARED: Okra
Runners Up: Fennel, Artichoke

Most LOVED: Mushrooms
Runners Up: Asparagus, Spinach

Click ahead for MOST HATED VEGGIE...

And the most hated veggies, according to the 200+ survey participants are.....

Most HATED: Iceberg Lettuce
Runners Up: Brussel Sprouts, Kale

But what about those cool crunchy iceberg lettuce salads?
And a nice firm bitter tender brussel sprouts?
And a tender garlic or citrus flavored bowl of kale?

...well I do have my eggplant issues. We all have veggie issues.

As promised, more recipes featuring these veggies to come.

...what to do with OKRA???

Any ideas?

We are living in an age of connectivity thanks to technology. You can order a pizza on Facebook, tweet your latest great idea to all ten thousand of your followers, direct message the CEO of Starbucks, live chat with your mom in Hawaii, make a dinner reservation for six with a click of your mouse, text message your vote for American Idol and even read and reply to an email from your boss via your cell phone. But with so much advancement in food delivery, reality TV and tweeting, is it possible that our nation's health care system could be seriously lagging on the technology front? Do doctors need to play techno-catch up in order to please consumers? A new survey says yes.

A new 2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers from Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, unveiled some interesting new findings about how consumers view health care.

Twitter your BP to Dr. Tweet? One finding showed that 65 percent of consumers are interested in home monitoring devices that enable them to check their condition and send the results to their doctor. 42 percent want access to an online personal health record connected to their doctor’s office. Key Conclusion: Consumers embrace innovations that enhance self-care, convenience, personalization and control of their personal health information.

Sugar Dr. 7 in 10 consumers say they would participate in a wellness program if they were given financial incentives. Overall, consumers are not too happy. 40 percent of consumers have expressed discontent with the status quo, rating the U.S. health care system a D or an F.

Click ahead for more survey findings...

Reported Findings:

"The 2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers, conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, is Deloitte’s second annual study of health care consumers’ attitudes, behaviors and unmet needs. It offers health care industry leaders and policymakers a comprehensive and timely perspective about how Americans approach their health, health care and health insurance.

The study’s framework reflects a broad-based view of consumerism in six zones: (1) wellness and healthy living, including self-care and health management; (2) information sources helpful in consumer decision making; (3) traditional health services provided by medical professionals, hospitals and retail clinics, as well as prescription medications and medical devices; (4) alternative health services sometimes described as complementary medicine; (5) insurance coverage and other financial considerations; and (6) opinions about health care reform.

The transformation of the U.S. health care system requires a deep understanding of the role that consumers play – how they think and behave relative to the lifestyles they choose, the purchases they make and the assumptions they follow in preparing for future health problems and possible costs.

The survey’s key conclusions are the following:

* Health care is a consumer market: consumers find ways to navigate the complexities of the U.S. system by comparing service, quality and costs
* The health care market is not homogenous: it is comprised of six unique segments
* Health cost concerns are changing behaviors
* Consumers want holistic care and resources to pursue wellness and healthy living
* Consumers embrace innovations that enhance self-care, convenience, personalization and control of their personal health information

A sample of interesting findings include:

* Nearly 40 percent of consumers have expressed discontent with the status quo, rating the U.S. health care system a D or an F
* A quarter of consumers have skipped care when they were sick or injured; two in five of those consumers have done so because they simply could not afford it, were not covered by insurance or thought the costs were too high
* Three in 10 switched medications in the past year; 38 percent switched to save money
* 53 percent of consumers would like employers to be required to provide health insurance for employees
* 37 percent favor a mandate requiring every American to obtain health insurance either through direct purchase or through an employer or government program
* 7 in 10 say they would participate in a wellness program if they were given financial incentives, such as a reduced insurance premium or monetary reward
* 13 percent of consumers have visited a retail clinic this year and 30 percent said they would do so if it cost 50 percent or less than seeing a doctor in a doctor’s office
* 42 percent want access to an online personal health record connected to their doctor’s office
* 65 percent of consumers are interested in home monitoring devices that enable them to check their condition and send the results to their doctor"

For a full summary of the "2009 Survey of Health Care Consumers: Key Findings, Strategic Implications" please download the attachment at this link: http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0%2C1002%2Csid%25253d80772%252526cid%25253d252396%2C00.html?wt.mc_id=pr

Contributors to the Survey:

Paul H. Keckley, Ph.D
Executive Director
Deloitte Center for Health Solutions

Laura Eselius, Ph.D, MPH
Senior Fellow
Deloitte Center for Health Solutions

Dirt Candy is the new East Village, NYC vegetarian (vegan-friendly) restaurant from Chef Amanda Cohen. At Dirt Candy, it's all about the veggies. From a bright green spinach soup with smoked tofu dumplings and zing-worthy lemon confit - to a cheerful orange plate of really carrot-y risotto. Chef Cohen pays homage to the delicious things that come out of the ground- the "Dirt candy".

Veggie Guru. Amanda does with veggies what Morton's does with steak, what Morimoto does with sushi and what Batali and Lidia do with pasta. And Chef Cohen is in the Dirt Candy kitchen every service night. She even personally presents most of the entrees to her guests. Multitasker Award! The tiny humming kitchen is just a few feet away from the customers, so you can watch Amanda in action. Dinner and a show. Foodie style.

My Turn for Some Candy. So I wanted to see and taste for myself. Click ahead for more & my complete review of my Dirt Candy experience....

Dirty Business. I've heard a lot of buzz about Dirt Candy in the past few months, and to be honest a lot of it was not so kind. I read one headline on a vegan blog that hinted that Cohen really caters to the lacto-ovo vegetarians. There was even an incident where Dirt Candy's menu box was vandalized a while after opening. Rumors of the East Village Vegetarian Mafia were quickly whispered around the blogosphere. NYC can be a dirty city for a new restaurant on the block. Rest assured, my experience shunned all these silly myths. Chef Cohen was incredibly warm and gracious to each and every customer. And the vegan fare was just as flavorful and delicious as the non-vegan fare (according to my husband-who is very honest!)

My Review: Dirt Candy, NYC

Shelf Appeal: They say great things come in small packages, right! Well in this case, yes. Dirt Candy is smaller than my apartment, and that says a lot! It's quite a squeeze into the small space, I'd guess about 25 diners were on hand when I was there. But the seating is simple, elegant and modern. Cool modern mood-lit ceiling lights create a warm glow and the bustling kitchen-open to the dining room-creates an energy that not even the dining room at Le Bernadin can match. I was a bit scared to enter the tiny shoe-box dining room. But the staff magically makes you feel at ease. I'm still shocked how pleasant a dining experience it was for me, someone who hates feeling cramped. And the close-knit bunch of diners allowed visual sharing of the served plates. A new dish from the kitchen made every one's heads turn.

Label Check: 100% vegetarian. Most everything on the menu can be made vegan. TONS of the highest quality veggies around. There's no way that Amanda could get the spinach soup that green, the grapefruit that pink and the risotto that orange without using high quality, nutrient-dense, fresh produce. And high quality produce means delicious food (if you cook it right, which she does.) I'll admit I was a bit hesitant to crunch down on three giant fried jalapeno hush puppies, but I had to give them a whirl. Something about this place makes it OK to indulge in a bit of fried gourmet puffs. Yum. But everything else is incredibly light and healthy. Even the sweet potato sorbet at dessert was bright orange and rich in nutrients.

Taste Test: See below for specific reviews. But the flavors were pure, bold and memorable. I was sopping up sauce, soup and dressing with my bread side - it was that delicious.

Price Check: Two glasses of wine, a glass of champagne, two entrees, two starters, one appetizer, one dessert and a coffee for around $100. It was our Easter outings and well worth the price. I could easily go back and get an entree and starter and a half glass of wine for under $40. For the food quality, the prices are reasonable.

Last Word: Get this foodie experience while it lasts! ...I don't think Chef Cohen will be in this tiny shoebox forever. Dirt Candy could easily move up and outward. Be one of the first to experience Dirt Candy. It's fun, different, delicious and buzz-worthy. Finally, a place to chat-up brussel sprouts and sweet potatoes not chick'n and fake meat. My kind of vegan bliss!

Menu review breakdown.

I ordered:
Glass of Rose Champagne: Light. Crisp. Yum. Bright rose colored pink!

Jalapeno Hush Puppies: Light fluffy cake-like fried nuggets. Not as spicy as I would have liked, but and excellent 'snack' to go with my rose champagne. (Made vegan)

Spinach Soup with Smoked tofu-dumplings and lemon confit: OMG. This was probably my favorite part of my meal. I am a sucker for amazing soup. Bright green nutrient-dense soup that was full of flavor and warmth. My husband who doesn't like 'green juice' tried it and was in heaven. The lemon confit is already famous among bloggers. It sings and zings. I would LOVE this recipe. It is divine.

Crispy Tofu with Green Ragout,kaffir lime beurre blanc: Very fresh, light and flavorful. The tofu appeared to by crisped by a layer of wonton wrappers. My guess. I was expecting more of a fried tofu, but this was very lightly handled. It was on a bed of chopped snow peas and the brightest green brussel sprouts I have ever seen. Very lightly cooked. Almost firm, but in a good way! Less cooking-more nutrients in tact. And that lime beurre blanc was curry-esque and wonderful. I wish the tofu had been soaked in that sauce but I did a good job of soaking it around myself.

Chocolate Cake with sweet potato sorbet: Heaven, I was in heaven.Most of you know my obsession with sweet potatoes. Thus, this sweet potato sorbet really made me swoon. Bright salmon colored and sweet potato deliciousness abounding. I think I ate more than my 'half' of the sorbet part of the dessert-since my husband and I were sharing- but that's OK he ate most of the moist warm chocolate brownie-cake.

My husband (he is not vegan) got the Portobello Mousse and the Stone Ground Grits with tempera poached egg. He was oo-ing and ahh-ing the whole meal through. He loves mushrooms, and so that rich and savory mousse with little crispy bread crackers was perfect for him o munch. And I was shocked to see a man who hates corn rolling his eyes in delight after each bite of grits. He loved it! I suspect anyone would love that dish-even hardcore veggie-phobes. There was just a few sprinklings of greens-it was all about the stone ground corn and that amazing-tasting egg. And his coffee, french-press, was very good.

So, yes I will be back. I need to try that candied grapefruit as well as the carrot risotto. I am a risotto fiend, but was craving some tofu that evening. If it had been sweet potato risotto, I would have given in though. I also need to try another dessert. That popcorn pudding with the caramel corn on the side. So yum. And so healthy. And such a foodie experience. I really want to bring my non-vegan foodie friends and non-vegan chef friends to this place. Too bad it is a tough reservation! Snag one on OPENTABLE if you can.

Dirt Candy. I'm a fan.

images from Dirt Candy's website.

WWW.DIRTCANDYNYC.COM