gingerbread is my life
Happy New Year! As we ring in 2011 I have mixed feelings...slightly let down from the excitement of the holidays but also looking forward to a clean slate in the new year. This is the first year that I haven't written down any resolutions...I guess I couldn't think of one specific area to focus on in the upcoming months. Last year my resolution was to shop less. That lasted about four months...so this year I've resolved not to make any promises that I can't keep. But, I can help all of you out there whose resolutions pertain to diet. Vegan recipes are very healthy and can make you feel better and drop a few lbs that you may have piled on during cookie season (even vegan cookie recipes can be healthy!) December is such a busy time with Christmas shopping, family gatherings, and for me at least-two shows a day of Nutcracker. Barely any time to blog! So I saved some holiday recipes that I wasn't able to share-just in case you didn't get enough of the special treats that are always readily available during Christmas time. I'll start with a simple gingerbread cookie recipe that I sent out in some of my Christmas packages. Its very classic and reminds me of my mom's molasses cookies. One batch I used a cute little gingerbread man cookie cutter and another I made cookie sandwiches with peppermint frosting.
Vegan Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar (white)
- 2 teaspoons ginger, ground
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg substitute (I used one tablespoon flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp warm water)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon vegan margarine, melted
- 2 cups flour
They are from vegalicious...the method can be found here (http://www.vegalicious.org/2010/12/10/vegan-gingerbread-cookies/)! I used a different frosting recipe for the cookie sandwiches though.
Peppermint Frosting
Melt one tbsp of vegan margarine in a small bowl. Add one cup of powdered sugar and a dash of non-dairy milk (I used low-fat vanilla almond milk). Add additional milk and powdered sugar until your desired consistency is reached. Add 1/2 tsp peppermint extract and all natural red food coloring if you desire.
One of my holiday traditions is making fudge for one of my besties Jennifer Ham. She has a thing for dark chocolate and reminds every year that she is expecting a tin full of my fudge for Christmas. This year she was particularly concerned about it since I am now vegan...would I still make her fudge? Duh. So I attempted to make vegan fudge in the hopes that it would live up to the fudge of Christmas' past. I think it did! I little harder to eat perhaps as it was not a firm but I plan on perfecting it for next year!!
Vegan Fudge Ingredients
4 cups powdered sugar ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup nondairy milk 2 tablespoons nonhydrogenated margarine 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
½ cup Ricemellow Creme
The method is from Cuisine Junction (http://www.cuisinejunction.com/vegan-fudge) I added extra dark chocolate and held out on a little of the powdered sugar! So Yummy!
Another dish that I have been making a lot lately is tofu scramble. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner-it works. Christmas morning my sister made a particularly exceptional batch. It was filled with onions, garlic, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, cumin, paprika, spike, heirloom tomatoes and perfectly crumbled extra firm tofu. But there was some other magical ingredient that separated this scramble from the ones I make at home...nutritional yeast flakes. These powdery yellow flakes give the tofu an almost cheesy texture and an extra punch of flavor. Scrumptous! I usually pair the scramble with tempeh bacon strips or whole wheat english muffins!
Now onto some good recipes for the new year! If you want to eat better its hard when you are at work or want to grab a quick bite. I try to make things in the morning and bring them with me to rehearsal or the theater. Usually some type of high protein grain topped with veggies, or a salad with tofu or tempeh. I recently made this tabouli salad:
Tabouli Veggie Pile
Ingredients
broccoli
onions
carrots
tomatoes
greens beans
spinach
pre-made tabouli
You can make your own tabouli but they sell vegan tabouli at most healthy markets and it's easy to throw in wraps or on a salad like this. I started by lightly steaming the green beans, carrots, and broccoli. Wash and dry the spinach and place in a bowl. Thinly slice the onions and add to the spinach. Throw the cooked veggies in. Slice grape or cherry tomatoes and add. Squeeze some lemon juice and olive oil over the top. Add plenty of tabouli and mix well! This salad is also good with quinoa if you want to add more protein.
And finally a starchy snack that is my most recent obsession. Purple mashed potatoes. I saw some purple potatoes at the farmers market recently and couldn't resist. A restaurant in Malibu called Coogies used to serve purple mashed potatoes with steak and I was always baffled by the color! My method is very simple...just cut the potatoes into large cubes and boil until tender. I leave the skin on because I like it but you can always peel it if you prefer. Drain the potatoes and mash adding dashes of non dairy milk (I used unsweetened almond milk) to soften the mixture. Add sea salt and garlic powder to taste. And that's it! A mouth watering pile of purple potatoes!
More to come soon! Next post: enchiladas and twitter! Stay tuned!
gravy is my life
I always love hearing dramatic Thanksgiving stories. In-laws criticizing their new daughter-in-law's cooking. Families fighting and screaming after two bottles of wine. Someone getting a turkey stuck on their head-wait that was in a Friends episode. Anyway, my family likes to keep it simple-most of the time. Aside from a few tense moments over god knows what, Thanksgiving was a success both in terms of food and family bonding. Even when my older sister shattered a glass jar of olives and yelled an odd saying I have never heard before (you know what I'm talking about sis) right at the height of the cooking, all was calm and forgotten a few minutes later. Although our dinner started 2 hours later than originally planned and our meal was slightly cold after going around the table and saying what everyone was thankful for, it was our best Thanksgiving yet! And with a new addition to the family, baby Aven, everyone was very happy and full. Aside from the turkey my mom made for the men in the family (which I tried not to look at) the spread was entirely vegan and organic. Here is the menu:
We started out with wine of course....lots and lots of wine!
mashed potatoes (made with Earth Balance and soy milk)
Real Food Daily gravy
greens peas
"creamed" kale and collard greens
Tuscan Tomato Bread stuffing
lemon sorbet (to cleanse the palette)
roasted carrots with onions and caraway seeds
sweet potato tempeh casserole
canned cranberry sauce (I'm obsessed with the canned stuff-I don't know why!)
apple crisp
pumpkin fudge brownies
Very hearty and very healthy! My contribution was the Tuscan Tomato Bread Stuffing, which I made in a previous entry as a soup (see Dates are my Life). Since it turned out more like a stuffing, I decided to make it for Thanksgiving.
This time we used 100 % whole wheat bread made fresh that morning by my wonderful sister that is a whiz with the bread machine. It turned out as delicious as ever even though by the time we ate it it was a bit cold (my dish was ready on schedule of course)! One of the other highlights of the meal was Smyth's "Creamed" kale. She got the recipe from Whole Food Kitchen. She used a mixture of kale and collard greens, which tasted amazing!
"Creamed" Kale
The roasted carrots were an invention of Whitney's and turned out so crazy good! I went back for seconds and thirds on these guys. She roasted several multi-colored whole carrots at 400 degrees until very tender. They were topped with olive oil, thinly sliced onions, sea salt, and caraway seeds. I would never have thought to put the seeds on, but the flavor complimented the carrots very well.
After the first meal, and seconds, and for a few of us thirds...we were stuffed. As is the point of Thanksgiving. But there's always room for dessert. A few hours later at least. This year we went for tradition and started with a simple apple crisp recipe. Smyth made this using a recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch. The Skinny Bitch series is actually what made me go vegan initially. A blunt approach to vegan-ism and plenty of tasty recipes. I highly recommend this recipe, especially around the holidays-its hard to believe that there isn't a trace of butter in it!
Skinny Bitch Apple Crisp
Topping:
1/2 cup refined coconut oil (and more for the pan)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup oats
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup sucanat (or other dry sweetener)
Filling:
1 tbsp sugar (brown or white)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
8 cups chopped and peeled apples
1/4 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon for the filling and mix. Add the apples, lemon, juice and vanilla and mix. Combine all the topping dry ingredients, then cut in the coconut oil and mix until it's all incorporated and the largest chunks are the size of peas. Oil an 8x8 baking dish. Put in filling and spread the topping evenly over the top. Bake for 40 minutes. Enjoy!
Smyth and I finished this off for breakfast in the morning as well!
The second dessert was equally as scrumptious, not as traditional. Whit made Pumpkin Fudge Brownies compliments of Post Punk Vegan Kitchen (http://www.theppk.com/2007/09/pumpkin-pie-brownie/). Amazing and super fudgey!
A success of a meal that took all day to prepare. Fun with the family and good food. It's all gravy!
carrot cake is my life
This beautiful spread of color and crunch is the vegetable crudite from True Food, one of my favorite restaurants in Phoenix. It offers many vegan and gluten-free options, but mostly promotes organic and fresh foods. Not to mention their bomb cocktails and tonics! I visited the restaurant when my sister was in town a week or so ago. Their unique dishes inspired me to be creative in the kitchen and utilize vegetables I don't use that often. As a result, many of the recipes I have tried have been very colorful. It has also helped to brighten my mood the past week. The cold weather and the exhaustion after the shows brought my mood down a bit, so I needed some color in my life!
Last week, the soup for Monday was a Thai Curry Squash soup my friend Jennifer kept telling me to make. The recipe was from Bon Appetit, her bible. She has never steered me wrong, so I thought I would give it a go. I usually stay away from squash because I had a bad experience about a year ago with a butternut squash. Not that they don't taste delicious-they are just messy and a huge hassle to cut. I had a battle with this butternut and almost ended up cutting my hand off. So, this time I used acorn squash because they seemed less daunting. However, they proved to be kind of b*tch to cut too. I even roasted in the oven first! But them I almost burnt me hand off trying to handle them straight out of the oven (patience is not my strong suit). After the annoying task of cutting...the rest was very simple and I would say worth the effort. Here is a link to the recipe: (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chilled-Thai-Squash-Soup-with-Yogurt-and-Cilantro-359252) The only change I made to vegan-ize the soup was to leave the yogurt off the top. 
Even better than eating the soup that night, was mixing it with vegetables and rice the rest of the week. It made an incredible and different dish. I started by sauteing onions in a bit of olive oil. I then added mushrooms, carrots, spinach, tomatoes, cilantro and a bit of the left over red curry paste. When that was all cooked up I added the curry soup and poured it over rice. Some variation of this was my lunch every day that week! The only problem was my house and probably my clothes smelled like curry for a while...the scent lingers.
Sticking with the soup theme, I'll move right onto this week's concoction: Beet Soup. I got a bunch of beets at the Farmer's Market and wanted to make a soup, hence beet soup. I looked up a few recipes and combined two that I thought sounded amazing. One recipe I found on a blog, but is originally from Yoga Journal. It is supposed to be a healing soup and boosts your immune system! ( http://www.wasabibratwurst.com/beet-soup-recipe/). I left out the yogurt garnish of course, and actually the dill as well. The other recipe I found was also not vegan (http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000701069) but had a few ingredients that I thought sounded amazing. So I added one potato, a bay leaf, and garlic to the Yoga Journal recipe. For such a simple process and such few ingredients this soup is amazing!! Not to mention the gorgeous fuchsia color it came out to be. Be careful not to stain your clothes though...the color is very vibrant and I'm sure not easy to remove.
I also served it with some "bruschetta". I basically toasted whole grain bread and topped it with three amazing spreads from Dr. Hummus. Named the best hummus by Pheonix New Times, you can find this brand at the store or farmer's market. I bought vegan spinach artichoke dip that was out of this world, a cilantro hummus and a vegan tamponade. All three were gone in about two days. Highly recommended!
And the grand finale...dessert. Not just any dessert. Vegan carrot cake. The best carrot cake I've ever eaten. The best dessert I have ever made. If you are a baker you need to try this. I wanted to make a carrot cake because my sister's birthday is coming up and she requested carrot cake. I wanted to try a recipe to see if it was birthday cake quality. This one sure is! Worth every minuted of shredding those carrots. (http://hellyeahitsvegan.com/?p=1739) Hell Yeah It's Vegan is a blog a just started following and its become one of my favorites...check it ! I left out the walnut because I don't like em but do what you want.
Vegan Carrot Cake
2 1/3 c all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking powder 1½ tsp baking soda 1 tsp cinnamon ½ tsp nutmeg ½ tsp salt
6 tbsp flax seed meal 3/4 c warm water 1½ c sugar 1 c oil 1 tsp vanilla 2 c shredded carrots 1 c walnuts, chopped
Cream Cheese Frosting 8 oz vegan cream cheese ¼ c margarine, softened 1 tsp vanilla 2 c powdered sugar
thrive is my life
According to the dictionary to thrive is to make steady progress, to grow vigorously, or to prosper. Who wouldn't want to do that? According to Brendan Brazier, thrive is a way of life and a way to improve the quality of life and performance for athletes. He is a triathlete who follows a plant-based vegan diet and claims it is the way to maximize energy and keep the body lean, strong and healthy. A friend of mine leant me his book Thrive and I wasn't able to put it down or stop trying the recipes.(Thanks Rusty!!!) I always get sh*t from people about being vegan and getting the proper amount of protein etc. Well, this book definitely proves that a plant-based diet, when prepared properly is actually better for muscle recovery, natural energy boosts, and overall health. The diet plan is a bit intense but most of us are not triathletes, so you can cater the information to your needs. Whole foods in their most natural state provide the most nutrients and many of the recipes incorporate raw veggies and nuts. Here are some of my favorites!
The first recipe that I tried was the buckwheat pancakes. Of course I went for the sweets first. The book had several pancake recipes but I wanted to try cooking with hemp protein powder. They turned out delicious and you could barely taste the hemp at all!
THRIVE Buckwheat Pancakes
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup hemp protein
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 banana
2 cups water
1/2 cup barely falkes
I actually left the barely flakes out because I didn't have any handy. I topped my pancakes with strawberries and organic maple syrup. Another morning or afternoon snack/meal are the many protein shakes and smoothies. My favorite shake (which I've been making almost every morning before ballet and feeling great) is the chocolate hemp shake. The chocolate hemp powder is wuite a bit more tasty than the regular hemp powder. I usually blend 1 cup almond mils, 1 banana, 1 date and 4 tbsp hemp powder. I made one for my sis this weekend before hitting Camelback Mountain-she highly approved!
I've also tried the Green Smoothie, which is not as tasty but very healthy- blend 3 kale leaves, 1 apple, 1 date, 2 cups water, 1 tbsp ground flaxseed, 1 tbsp hemp protein, and 1 tbsp tahini. I added a bit of almond milk and agave nectar to make it taste a little sweeter!
As far as dinner items go, there are lots of pizza and burger recipes. I tried the Almond Flaxseed Burger and was pretty blown away. I was surprised at how great it tasted considering the minimal ingredients.
In a food processor, blend the following ingredients. Mold into a burger shape and either serve raw or cook the patties stovetop with a bit of coconut oil.
2 cloves garlic
1 cup almonds
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp oil (cocnut, hemp, vegetable)
sea salt
I cooked my patties, out them on a sprouted wheat bun and top them with pickles, ketchup and mustard. And a little Spike-of course.
And finally, last but not least, dessert. Banana Coconut Pie. I struggled a bit with this recipe and was surprised at how long it took, but I was very proud at the end. My first completely raw cake/pie. My problem was the size of my food processor. It was a bit small and my kitchen seemed to be covered with nuts and seeds and green powder. I would tweek a few things in the recipe next time if I were serving this at a party or something. It is very dense! But it is very nutrient rich and guilt free!
Crust: 1 cup fresh or soaked dried dates, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup ground flaxseed, 1/2 cup hemp protein, 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp lemon juice
Filling: 2 bananas, 1 pear, 1/2 cup shredded coconut, 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup hemp protein, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger, 1/2 tsp salt
Topping: 1/2 cup macadamia nuts, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
I also topped the pie with some extra banana slices, cinnamon, and coconut to make it pretty ! I had a lot of extra crust as well, so I made some hemp protein bars. Yum Yum.
Enjoy!
tempura is my life
Happy Halloween! Anybody hung over? After a long weekend of costumes, Pauly D, breaking my phone, dancing to Daft Punk and way too much alcohol some good food is much needed! I suggest fried food and more alcohol. Yes, I said fried food...sometimes a little grease can go a long way to make you feel better. Last week I fried something for the first time in my life. I can't say it was a pleasant experience and I'm not sure I'll ever do it again...but if you are comfortable with hot oil coming at your face then you should try this recipe! I was inspired by a recent trip to Las Vegas where I dined at Shibuya in the MGM Grand Hotel. I was a bit self-conscious to mention that I was vegan but the waiter knew every vegan item on the menu and actually gave me the option of trying a vegan version of the vegetable tempura. I, of course, said yes, and it was every bit as delicious as any regular tempura I've ever had. I highly recommend this restaurant! The food and service were both top-notch. Anyway, I was cooking a friend his first full vegan dinner and I decided to give vegan tempura a go. I used a recipe for the batter from Vegan Yum Yum (http://veganyumyum.com/2009/02/vegetable-tempura/):
Tempura Batter
1 Cup Cold Water
1 Cup Flour
2 Pinches Salt
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbs Ener-g Egg Replacer Powder mixed with 3 Tbs Water
1/4 Cup Extra Water, if needed, for thinning
Instead of egg replacer I used ground flaxseed. I filled the pan with lots of vegetable oil and heated it to 350 F. Dropped the first piece of broccoli in the batter, then in the pan...popping and squirting and craziness occurred but with the help of my roommate we figured out a good system. She held the splatter guard, I dropped the broccoli in and she fished it out to cool. In the end it was delicious but to tell the truth I was a bit traumatized! I'll leave the frying to the pros. But try it for yourself. I served it with mushroom miso soup, a mixed greens salad and blackened teriyaki tempeh. 
If that's too intimidating for you, another good hangover cure is my recipe for Boozey Brussel Sprouts! Instead of a bloody mary, why not add some booze to your veggies! This is so quick and easy!
Boozey Brussel Sprouts
About 10 Brussel sprouts
white wine
oregano, salt, pepper
Fill a skillet with about an inch of white wine. I used a cheap Trader Joe's Pinot Grigio, but I've tried it with Chardonnay as well. Wash and cut the Brussel sprout into quarters and add to the wine. Cover and let them simmer until tender. Add the oregano, salt and pepper to taste. And that's it!
And last but not least, since I can't eat candy on Halloween, I have to make something sweet and yummy to satisfy the candy cravings that automatically come during Halloween. I chose to try red velvet cupcakes. The recipe I used is from the Babycakes cookbook. If you haven't been to the Babycakes in either New York or LA you are missing out! The pastries are all vegan and mostly gluten free! (http://www.babycakesnyc.com/) These are the ingredients:
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
dates are my life
This is Winston, sitting on my bed, ignoring my commands, and sleeping better than I have in weeks. He is punishing me for being out of town and busy. The only time he pays me any attention these days are when I am cooking-in hopes that some stray piece of food will slip out of my hand and onto the floor where he can snatch it up at lightening speed. Unfortunately, I have been using lots and lots of onions lately and last night a big chuck flew off my cutting board and was in his mouth in half a second. I found it later discarded under the dining room table. The next item he managed to steal was a garlic clove and then a slice of shallot...all discarded. Needless to say the soup I made was very flavorful and full of all these ingredients. The soup this Monday was vegan tortilla soup from the Real Food Daily Cookbook. One of the best vegan restaurants in LA in my opinion! I found a blog that had tested the recipe and tweaked it a bit and I tried the suggestions. (http://spiceislandvegan.blogspot.com/search?q=tortilla+soup) The soup was delicious but definitely a bit spicy! We ate it with organic whole grain tortilla chips from Traders Joe's and homemade guacamole. I tend to just throw a bunch of yummy ingredients in with the avocado when I make guacamole, but this one definitely stood out to me so I will try and remember what I threw in. I started with 3 avocados and added lime juice, one shallot, Spike seasoning, ground cumin and sea salt. The meal was amazing but left my mouth on fire!
And while we are on the subject of soups the previous Monday my roommates and I made a tomato bread soup from my Vegan Italiano cookbook. I am sad to say that it was my first time cooking from Vegan Italiano but happy to say how amazing this recipe was! Although I'm not sure I can really call it soup as the bread dominated the dish, which I'm not complaining about! Very filling though.
Tuscan-Style Baked Bread and Tomato Soup with Basil
1 loaf day-old peasant bread cubed
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes cut into chunks
1 cups fresh basil chopped
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
2 tbsp dry white wine
Preheat oven to 350 F. Arrange bread cubes in a single layer on a large ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes stirring after 10. Remove and toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, half the garlic, salt, and pepper. Bake for 2-3 more minutes and set aside. Meanwhile, in a large oven proof skillet, heat the remaining oil over medium heat. Add the rest of the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes, half the basil, half the broth, the wine, salt, and pepper-simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the bread cubes to the skillet along with the remaining basil and broth, stirring well to combine. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Serve !!!
(before adding the bread)
(after adding the bread)
I even enjoyed it the next day cold and pretty soggy :) Now onto desserts!!! Last week I came into work and there was a huge container of dates up for grabs on the table. People always bring in treats for the dancers, but as these were not cookies or cake no one was touching them. So I took it upon myself to use them to their full potential. Of course after trying a few and falling in love with the heavenly honey flavor, I baked with them. On my lunch break I went home and made oatmeal cookies with a date jam topping. (http://www.myvegancookies.com/vegan-cookie-recipes/vegan-date-filled-cookie-recipe) The cookies were very fluffy and not too sweet. With the date topping they reminded me of fig newtons cookies (minus the fig part ?).
The second half of the dates I stole went to another batch of energy balls. I tried a new recipe with lemon and coconut! Amazing!
Lemon Coconut Balls
7 large honey dates
2 tablespoons almond meal
handful of raw cashews
lemon juice
unsweetened shaved coconut
Combine all the ingredients in a small food processor until well blended. Add extra cashews if you want a firmer texture. Roll spoonfuls of the date mixture into small balls and roll in the coconut until covered. Refrigerate and enjoy!
I highly recommend all of these recipes! Just don't let your dog eat the scraps!
soup is my life
After a brief visit to the midwest last week, and basically living off of fruit and Nature Valley bars, I am starved for home cooked meals and tasty baked good. Not that the food was horrible in Missourri-I was just pressed for time and on the go. Luckily, thanks to my iphone and urbanspoon, I stumbled across an organic market/restaurant in St. Louis called Winslow's Home (http://www.winslowshome.com/Home.aspx). It was pretty much a midwestern version of La Grande Orange here in Phoenix. I knew I liked it even before I went inside, when I saw a huge patio with lunch-goers enjoying the weather and sipping lattes out of oversized mugs. The market had everything from local produce to baby toys and unthinkable kitchen gadgets. There were not too many vegan options but the atmosphere made up for that. I ended up ordering a basil hummus, cucumber, and tomato wrap with field greens on the side. Amazing. I went back the following day and wandered around the market for about an hour exploring the handmade notecards and shelves of cookbooks. As much as finding hidden gems is exciting I was very excited to cook on Sunday. First thing in the morning a made a trip to Whole Foods to stock up for the week. The first thing I was craving was cookies! I've been meaning to try the recipe that my roomie sent me (thanks Breanne!). The recipe is from 101 Cookbooks called Nikki's Healthy Cookies (http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/nikkis-healthy-cookies-recipe.html) They are basically oatmeal-coconut-banana-chocolate chip cookies. Everything I love rolled into a beautiful little bite sized snack. They are also guilt free because the recipe is flour-less, eggless, butter-less, and sugar free. YUM!
Another cookie recipe that I have been obsessed with recently is a brown sugar cookie recipe from Glue and Glitter blog (http://www.glueandglitter.com/main/2009/10/02/brown-sugar-cookies/). I found the recipe originally because I wanted to make my chiropractor a treat but I ran out of vegan sugar. So I needed a brown sugar recipe. My only complaint is that it only makes about a dozen cookies (which is not enough to last more than a day in my household), so I would double the recipe. To make the cookies a little more exciting I added a cinnamon nutmeg frosting. I usually wing frosting recipes so this is an estimation of what I did (it was bomb frosting so try it!!):
2 tablespoon of Earth Balance softened
1 cup of powdered sugar
2 tbsp vanilla almond milk
pinch of salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
I combined all the ingredients and then added extra powdered sugar and milk until I got the perfect texture. You can also add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. These cookies are sooo delicious and very easy to make.
And now onto some savory recipes. After a week off from ballet class, Monday seemed extra long. But I got through the day knowing I was going to make this Zucchini Basil Soup that my wonderful sister suggested to me (thanks Whit!). (http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Zucchini-Basil-Soup-242831). I looked at some of the reviews before I made it and one person suggested doubling the recipe because it really only served two. So, I doubled the recipe and now I have enough green soup to last a month. This yummy green super soup is definitely worth trying and comforting during all the stormy weather in Phoenix this week!
ballet is my life
Taking a break from the food posts and dedicating today to ballet. Since Wednesday evening Ballet Arizona has been presenting Ballet Under the Stars to ballet lovers around Phoenix. We bring excerpts from past and present seasons to parks in the greater Phoenix area for free. You can bring a blanket, food, wine, and watch some dancing with scenic backdrops from Sun City to Glendale. Tonight is the second to last show and we are headed to Steele Indian School Park on Indian School and 3rd St. The program includes sections from A Midsummer Night's Dream and Divertimento No. 15 and well as a full length performance of The Four Temperaments. You should come out and support the arts in Phoenix! Not to mention that it takes a lot of energy to perform in the heat while trying to not swat the bugs that the stage lights attract. Not the most comfortable setting for the dancers but as long as there are fans and no rain...the show must go on! So, here are some ballet photographs to inspire you to come see the show.
These are two shots from a Mixed Rep program that Ballet Arizona performed at the Orpheum Theatre. Former Ballet AZ dancers Heather Haar and Ross Clarke.
These are a few from a series I shot at the Ballet Arizona studios, inspired by Balanchine's La Valse. This is one of my favorite dancers in the company, Chelsea Early. She will be in the show tonight! You have two more chances to see the show so stop by!
Saturday, September 25th at Steele Indian School Park, Phoenix Sunday, September 26th at Sahuaro Ranch Park, Glendale
cake is my life
All weekend I'd been craving french toast, pancakes, crepes...any sweet breakfast treat that I could lather in maple syrup. So when Sunday morning rolled around, I thought it was finally time to give in to my desires and make a delicious carb feast. I decided on pancakes since I had all the ingredients handy and could finally use the buckwheat flour that's been sitting in my pantry unopened. A few months ago I went on a yoga/hike/vegan picnic organized by Dan Ward yoga extraordinaire. His wife brought a portable griddle and made the most amazing buckwheat pancakes atop a mountain a Malibu. They have since then been on my mind, hence the buckwheat flour I have been waiting to use. I found a recipe on a blog that's new to me called Clean Eating Mama. (http://www.thecleaneatingmama.com/2010/03/vegan-buckwheat-pancakes.html) The pictures looked amazing and very similar to the pancakes I fell in love with. I can't say that mine were as pretty but they sure tasted good. Even the one that looked like an ameba. I added some cinnamon and flooded my plate with maple syrup (I have a bit of a sweet tooth). With coffee on the side, The Morning Benders playing in the background and the pleasant company of my roomies and the dogs, Sunday morning was perfect. The whole week in fact has been very heavily revolved around sweets and baking. I experimented with two recipes from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen. The first was a Coconut Chai Cake (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2006/03/coconut-chai-breakfast-cake.html) I substituted the unbleached white flour with spelt flour and I think I made the cake a bit chewy but I didn't mind. It was delicious especially if you like spicy chai lattes!
The second recipe I tried was the Banana Maple Oatmeal Cookies recipe (http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2010/02/banana-maple-oatmeal-cookies.html) These were a huge hit in my household. I left out the raisins and added some maple frosting. To make the frosting: Start with two tablespoons of softened vegan margarine (I used Earth Balance). Add confectioners sugar and non-dairy milk (I used Pacific Almond Milk Light) alternating until you find your desired consistency. Then add some maple syrup to taste. I threw in a pinch of salt as well. It's simple, light and compliments the cookies very well!
These did not last long! And if you don't have the time or energy to bake there is always Sprinkles Cupcakes. I made my first trip in months on Saturday while waiting for Winston to get a haircut (which looks adorable by the way...Oh My Dog in Scottsdale gives the best cuts!!) Sprinkle has locations all over the States and now has vegan red velvet cupcakes. Ama-za-zing!!
And now I can safely say that I'm pretty set on sweets for awhile. Pancakes, tea-cakes, cupcakes...is there such a thing as too much cake?
peanut butter is my life
Today was definitely a Monday. And when it's a typical, slow-moving Monday I need to motivate myself with food. More specifically baked goods. A heavenly treat to start the week off right and distract myself as time seems to move twice as slow and my body hurts double even though I had two days off. The Monday munchies were cured by Chocolate Peanut Butter Pillows courtesy of The Post Punk Vegan Kitchen (http://theppk.com/blog/2009/03/30/peanut-butter-pillows/). One of my favorite vegan blogs and created by the same authors as Vegan with a Vengeance and Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. This cookie is literally a vegan version of a Reese's cup turned into a fluffy cookie. As someone who hates peanut butter, it was shocking that I chose to make these in the first place, but I also loved them. Definitely a keeper.
The only challenge was not eating them all before sharing them at work! And now onto some motivation for the rest of the week. Thinking about some of my favorite recipes to cook for the upcoming weekday nights! I think the time has finally come when I can comfortably make hot soup in Arizona. The weather is cooling down and I can actually fathom eating something piping hot. My sister and I got really into miso soup this summer after reading about the macrobiotic diet. It is a really interesting way of life revolved around yin and yang and all about the whole grains. We tried a layman's version of the diet in preparation for a cleanse (a whole other story resulting in one tragic day and the inability to look at green apples or olive oil for quite some time). We both really liked the concepts about food energy and eating according to the seasons and your surroundings. Definitely something I want to learn more about-Alicia Silverstone wrote a book called The Kind Diet that has a lot of good recipes and information on the subject. Anyway, miso soup. It's so easy to make and you can pretty much throw anything in there. The orignal soup has water, miso, wakame, tofu and green onions. But you can add mushrooms, spinach, cabbage, daikon radish, carrots-you name it. I even tried a colorful red miso soup with rainbow chard. You can't go wrong.
Soup is finally in season! And pizza. Well, pizza is always in season. And just because I'm vegan does not mean I can't eat pizza. Cheese is unnecessary. I don't even use fake cheese...mainly because I haven't found a brand that I'm crazy about. I recently made two delicious and very unique pizzas for a friend. Red wine, pizza, and Dexter. I used a gluten free pizza dough mix and substituted flax seed meal for eggs. I prepared the dough the night before, letting it rise and then refrigerating it. The first was topped with a pre-made olive and roasted red pepper tapenade from Trader Joe's and sliced yellow heirloom tomatoes. Yum. For the second pizza I slow roasted tomatoes with olive oil and garlic, on top of kale. The kale absorbed all of the excess tomato juice and tasted phenomenal. I put the kale and tomatoes on top of the crust and drizzled a balsamic glaze over everything. Amazing. Two delicious pizzas...no cheese.
Good dinners for dates, friends, or yourself. Don't forget the wine.
food is my life
Labor day weekend resulted in way too much food. Thank goodness it was all fresh, vegan, and delicious. I had a three day weekend, so I went to California to spend time with family and friends. Most of my activities included cooking, eating, or talking about eating. Food really is a bonding experience. I'll start at the end of my trip...this beautiful, mind blowing cupcake pictured above. I am going to go as far as to say that this was the best vegan cupcake I have ever tasted. Actually the best cupcake (vegan or non-vegan) ever. It was from the Golden Mean Vegan Cafe in Santa Monica (http://www.goldenmeancafe.com), which my sister took me to yesterday. It exceeded my expectations. We tried the pizza of the day and the temales. Both were amazing and light meals. The portions were perfectly sized to feel satisfied but allowed room for dessert. The strawberry, vanilla, almond cake came first and was gone in probably one minute. I had ordered the blackberry cupcake to take home but we couldn't resist eating it on the spot. I ordered another one-my lunch today! If you live in LA, you need to try this restaurant. The previous evening was also an adventure in food bonding. My friend, Kate invited me and a couple of friends over to cook and catch up at her parents house, which is fully equipped with a gorgeous kitchen and an extensive garden. Armed with flashlights and pruning shears, we explored the garden which has about a million avocado trees, onions, beets, tomatoes, squash, melon, corn, apples, blueberries, peppers, herbs, grapefruits, lemons, oranges- to name a few. In the darkness we gathered the goods to make a mystery vegetable concoction. Next-the wine. Tali brought two Yellowtail red blends that I had never tried before. I preferred the Cabernet-Shiraz to the Shiraz-Merlot, but both are vegan-friendly, tasty, and did the trick. To be honest, I pretty much stuck to the wine and watched as my sister caramelized onions, Tali cut a gigantic beet, and Kate sliced some heirloom tomatoes. I contributed to the conversation though!
The meal was finally finished around 10:30 pm after two bottles of wine and a frazzled Smyth running around the kitchen trying to make the plates look fancy. I'm not sure what you would call the dish but it was definitely worth the wait. My plate was stacked with caramelized onions, sauteed beet greens, thinly sliced roasted red beets, roasted tomatoes, marinated tempeh, fresh basil and various other spices. I scarfed it down and waited for dessert as my more patient friends ate at a normal pace. Dessert was a chocolate lava cake prepared in a rice cooker (secret recipe that my sister will not divulge). I might have to kill her for it though because it was out of this world. I went back for seconds even though I was a bit too full. I think I worked off the extra cake during our late night dance party to the good ole 90's hits. A great night followed by round two of garden exploration the next morning. We loaded our baskets with fresh fruit and veggies and headed to out to experiment with Smyth's new juicer. Breakfast-beet, carrot, organge juice on the rocks.
A refreshing drink before yoga and a 6 hour drive back to Phoenix. And many good meals to come this week compliments of the Pritchett garden! A festive weekend of family, friends, and food!
schmee is my life
First and foremost happy birthday to my dear little sister Smyth. You are no longer a teenager. You are now officially in your 20's! Too bad this birthday doesn't come with any new privileges. Only feeling older. In the spirit of your birthday I am dedicating this post to you and sharing some awesome portraits of the one and only Schmee. I wish I were in Cali to celebrate your special day-possibly with some cake, wine, a Beatles cover band, karaoke-whatever shenanigans I'm sure you'll get into! We did this photo shoot in Phoenix a couple of months ago and then I forgot all about it. So, here are some shots you have never seen before.
Legs for days! The prettiest little sis ever...take no prisoners! Have an extra drink for me tonight...a Beau sized drink :) Cheers and besos.
arizona is my life
Back to the Grand Canyon State. Funny enough I have never been to the Grand Canyon after 4 years of living in Phoenix. It's on my list. I made the drive yesterday and couldn't help snapping some pictures of the desert scenery out my car window. Not the smartest move while driving on the highway. Arizona can be such a stunning state. Then the heat hit me. Not the most pleasant welcome home. But I got to my beautiful new apartment, where my new roommate was waiting, cracked a bottle of wine and avoided unloading the pounds of clothes in my car. Also had the pleasure of meeting the roomie's dog. A new best friend for Winston! Alfred and Winston.
Started back at work today and really had to get my spirit and energy up. Always a bit nerve racking on the first day back. I whipped up some "energy balls" for the week. They taste a lot like Lara Bars. They are the perfect snack and simple simple simple to make. In a small food processor, combine dates (I used organic honey dates from the farmers' market) and raw cashews (or any other raw nut that tickles your fancy). In this batch I added dashes of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, vanilla extract, and cheyenne pepper (for a little kick). I just play around with flavors and texture until I like what I have. Another good option is adding cocoa powder, raisins, lemon juice-any flavor you are in the mood for! A particularly stellar batch my sister made used walnuts and chocolate...tasted like a brownie! Then roll the mixture into ball shapes and refrigerate.
I topped off the evening at Postino for some wine and bruschetta. By far one of the best spots in Phoenix. Although I cannot eat most of the flavors of bruschetta (lots o' cheese) I can still enjoy some sparkling wine and socialize with friends, both old and new. It's gonna be a good year.
cabernet is my life
My last night in California. No better way to spend it than drinking some vino and hanging with the family. A mellow way to end a very eventful couple of days. Reflecting on an amazing month and topping it off with a bottle of cabernet. Yellow Tail Reserve in fact. Rich, delicious, and cheap. This glass goes out to my new niece Aven Kennedy Powell-the most beautiful 7 pounds 9.8 oz I've ever seen. A full head of strawberry blonde hair and a pouty mouth to match my sister's-I was sold immediately. My sis called me a baby hog and demanded I let other members of the family hold her. She's just as "fair and radiant" as her name implies.
So cheers to my family and its newest member! And cheers to California- I love you and will miss you dearly as I melt in the Arizona summer heat. Thank god for air conditioning and refreshing beverages! Cabernet is my life.
biscotti is my life
The summer is coming to an end for me. Three more days in southern California before returning to Phoenix. My days for the last month have consisted of yoga, walking my dog, cooking vegan masterpieces with my sister, going to the beach, and drinking wine. No complaints except that it flew by too fast. Got to get back into work/dance mode. But not quite yet. Went to the Santa Monica farmers market yesterday and picked up some of the last crop of nectaplums (a white nectarine crossed with a plum). A serious summer obsession of mine. Sad to see them leave!
A beautiful way to start the day. Accompanied by my sister's vegan biscotti. She recently started selling her baked goods (which are out of this world)! The cinnamon toffee biscotti are her specialty. It is hard to find amazing vegan treats but she surely has the magic touch. All her creations are 100% whole wheat, organic, and delicious. I've been trying to cut back on the coffee but it has proved to be a much harder task than I thought. Especially when the biscotti clearly wants to be dipped in a steaming cup of joe. The Balthazar beans from the Funnel Mill are my favorite right now.
I would share the recipe but it's her secret! I'm not even allowed to stir the dough! Apparently I over-mix. And I also end up eating too much of it :) There are no eggs so I don't see what the big deal is! Until next time...biscotti is my life.