March 10, 2010
Raw Ice Cream Trio Sundae
I love Banana Ice Cream! It is always so deelish and you can have so much fun playing around and making so many yummy flavors. Michael and I were Loving this one! Sundaes are so comforting and fun to eat. They are even more fun when they are healthy and delicious!
Pre-Topping Yummyness
Complete Sundae Love!
Raw Ice Cream Trio Sundae
2 big servings
3 frozen bananas
2-3 tablespoons nut butter (I used almond)
2 tablespoon agave nectar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
dash sea salt
2 1/2 cup frozen strawberries
1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
toppings of your choice
- Start off my combining the frozen bananas, nut butter, agave nectar, vanilla and dash of sea salt in a Vita-mix, blender or food processor until well combined and smooth.
- Have 2 serving bowls ready and using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, scoop out 1 scoop for each bowl and set in the freezer.
- Next, add the frozen strawberries to the frozen banana mixture in your blender and process until well combined.
- Take the bowls out of the freezer and add 1 scoop of the gorgeous strawberry “ice cream” to both bowls and put back into the freezer.
- Add the cocoa powder to the strawberry “ice cream” and process until well combined.
- Take the bowls out of the freezer and add 1 scoop of the chocolate “ice cream” to both bowls and put back into the freezer to set.
- Feel free to eat as is or add toppings. I made a strawberry sauce out of agave and strawberries in the blender. I also used chocagave on top, yum! Use nuts, cocoa nibs, etc.
- DEVOUR and ENJOY
Banana and avocado sweet snack
This is a super fast and easy recipe to whip up. I ate it plain for breakfast and snacks. I also made delicious sandwiches with it for lunch. I loved this so much! Raw Rob said you can also use it for a cake filling but I have not tried to yet. This may not be the prettiest of foods, but it sure was really yummy!
I told you it is not the prettiest, but it sure is tasty!!
Banana and avocado sweet snack
Recipe from Raw Rob
- 1/2 avocado
- 1 banana
- 2 teaspoons mesquite meal
- 2 teaspoons lucuma powder
Simply mash the avocado and banana with a fork, then mix in the powders.
March 8, 2010
Vegan Waffles OH MY! YUM!
My fabulous friend Rae hosts super fun brunches in her gorgeous sunlight filled apartment! So fun! Great group of people and amazing food. Love it!
They had all the usual suspects from waffles, eggs, bacon, fruit & mimosas. Rae was so thoughtful and even made me vegan waffles so I have fun food too! They were deelish!
Check out the pics Waffles, fruit and boysenberry syrup. YUM!
Rae’s Vegan Waffles
2cups All Purpose flour
1cups Whole Wheat Flour
1/4cup brown sugar (Rae used sucanat)
2tbsp canola oil
1/4tsp salt
1tsp baking powder
2 1/2c soy milk (Rae used rice milk & some water)
Mix the dry together, add the wet. Don’t overmix. Make sure the waffle iron is hot and cook 4-6 minutes each! ENJOY!
March 7, 2010
Natural Gourmet Institute Friday Night Dinner
YUM!!
Over the years I have taken several fabulous classes at Natural Gourmet Institute. They also offer a Friday Night Dinner at which the “Chef Instructors and students
of our Chef’s Training Program pour their expertise and enthusiasm into a three-course vegetarian dinner”. We wanted to check this out and this last Friday we got to go! It was great! They transformed the classrooms into communal tables with candles and flowers but the highlight of the evening was the meal! It was so deelish. Sorry, I did not take any pictures, but at least you will be able to drool over the menu It is a great deal and was super fun. At the end of the meal the chefs come out to explain the meal and answer questions. It was great to meet them and to applaud the people who created such an amazing feast!
They change the menu every week so I know we will be going back soon enough. Our entire meal was vegan (yeah!) but even if there is a vegetarian part of the meal, there will always be a vegan alternative.
Check out the menu!
Roasted Butternut Squash Soup (this was so good! they had roasted the butternut before pureeing, so it gave it this great carmelized flavor)
Bitter Greens Salad with Pecans, Shallots, Spicy, Smoky Dressing (of course I have had my fair share of salads, but this one was amazing! The smoky flavor was so different and deelish!)
Tempeh Scallopini with Portobello Risotto, Roasted Asparagus, Pepper Coulis (YUM!! The Risotto was made with a brown basmatti and was sooo creamy. The tempeh was insane and the asparagus were perfect!)
Maple Pecan Cookie, Vanilla Bean Sorbet, Caramel Crème, Strawberry Coulis (we loved the whole meal, but for me, dessert is typically the highlight and this one was amazing! the cookie was so sweet and mapley! ahhh! the vanilla bean sorbet was made out of young coconut and the caramel creme was divine!)
Can you tell that I enjoyed our meal?? I want to plan another night out there, who’s in??
Prix Fixe: $40.00 (includes tax)
6:30 p.m. seating
BYOB
Reservations required: 212-645-5170 (ext. 0)
March 3, 2010
Cheesy Butternut Bake
I love Hungry Girl! Most of her recipes are not vegan and many contain sugar-free ingredients but she never claims you should live solely on her food. I have only made a handful of her recipes and I always adapt them a little to fit the needs of my family, but I am always impressed. I know many other family members or friends that love her stuff too
This was a great one that Michael loved! It can be a fabulous side dish or a snack. This was super fast as well. Of course if you didn’t want to use the microwave, you could boil, steam or bake the squash till soft and saute the onions. Either way I would highly recommend this!
Cheesy Butternut Bake
recipe adapted from Hungry Girl (love her!)
4 cups cubed butternut squash
2 wedges The Laughing Cow cheese, Light Original Swiss, room temperature
1 onion, diced
2 eggs, whites only
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Place squash in large microwave-safe bowl with 1/4 cup of water. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, uncover and drain water. Set aside.
- Place onions in a small microwave-safe dish with 2 tbsp. water. Cover and microwave for 3 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, uncover and drain any excess water. Set aside.
- Place squash and all other ingredients except for the onions in a blender. (Make sure squash cubes are not still piping hot.) Pulse until thoroughly mixed (but not liquefied). Remove blender from the base, and then stir in the onions.
- Transfer squash mixture to a small casserole dish sprayed with nonstick spray. Place in the oven, and bake for 35 – 40 minutes (until edges begin to brown). Then serve with a spoon as you would mashed potatoes! Enjoy!
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Per Serving (1/4th of casserole): 101 calories, 1g fat, 457mg sodium, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugars, 4g protein
March 1, 2010
Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Sauce
YUM!!! I love peanut sauce, tofu and spinach so what can be bad here?!?! You can serve this over rice or noodles as there is more than enough sauce to go around. What a deelish dinner!
Spinach and Tofu with Peanut Sauce
adapted from Vegan Feast Kitchen
Quick peanut sauce:
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup plain soymilk or nut milk
2 Tbs coconut powder
2 Tbs sweet Thai chile sauce
1 Tbs lemon or 2 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs tamari
Whisk all ingredients in a small saucepan and heat gently.
The rest:
Cube 1 block of firm tofu and brown it quickly in a nonstick skillet in 1 Tbs. peanut oil
Add the peanut sauce mixed with:
1 tsp. roasted (Asian) sesame oil
a few shakes of Thai or Vietnamese hot sauce
Stir this around the pan until the tofu almost absorbs it.
Add 12 oz. of fresh, cleaned baby spinach.
Stir around over high heat JUST until the spinach wilts. Serve immediately and ENJOY
February 28, 2010
Leek and Feta Frittata, Hashbrowns & Tangerine Juice
Frittatas are always a hit in my house. I love leeks so I figured this would be deelish. Michael really liked it, so I guess it was I served this for breakfast so it paired perfectly with hashbrowns (with onions and peppers) and deelish tangerine juice! We love juice in my house, but tangerine juice is just so sweet and deelish, a wonderful treat! We use our Breville Juice Fountain Elite and the juice comes out so creamy it is amazing!
Leek and Feta Frittata
- 2-3 leeks, washed and chopped
- 2 onions, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 8-12 eggs
- 1/2 cup low-fat milk
- 1/2-1 cup crumbled feta cheese
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Heat olive oil over medium heat and sauté leeks and onions until soft; season to tates with salt and pepper
- Whisk eggs, milk and feta together, till combined
- Pour into pan over leeks and onions and cook on stove for 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes till set.
- Enjoy
YUM!!!
February 23, 2010
Zucchini and Spinach Tofu Scram
YUM! I have never met a tofu scram I didn’t like This is one of those stir-fry kind of recipes that you can substitute and play with, with whatever you have handy or is fresh in season. I have eaten tofu scram for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it is always a hearty, healthy and delicious meal. If you want to add something more to the plate, serve this with an english muffin or roll.
Before adding the spinach
Zucchini and Spinach Tofu Scram
6 servings
2 tablespoons olive oil
1-2 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium zucchini, finely diced
12-16 ounces firm tofu, diced
2 teaspoon chili powder
1 – 2 tablespoon tamari
5 ounces baby spinach
1/2 cup salsa
- Heat oil over high-heat in a large non-stick skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook about 5 minutes.
- Add zucchini, tofu, tamari and chili powder. Reduce heat and cook, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
- Add salsa and spinach and stir until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
February 21, 2010
Butternut squash, Apricots and Apples with Quinoa
This is a great meal or side dish. The apricot and apples add such a nice sweetness and the spices were amazing! I left mine in the slow-cooker on warm for 2 hours after it was done cooking, it was still really good, but I would recommend not over-cooking this dish. I have said many time before how much I love slow-cooking. It is a tremendous time-saver and such a pleasure to come home to a house smelling so delicious and a meal ready to eat. YUM!
Butternut squash, Apricots and Apples with Quinoa
1 tbsp. cumin powder
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
2 tsp. orange zest
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. crushed black pepper
1 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 medium, peeled butternut squash
2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 1/2 cups quinoa
- In a skillet or heatproof slow-cooker liner, heat oil over medium heat and cook onions about 3 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, zest, cinnamon stick, turmeric, salt and pepper, stirring for 1 minute. Add veggie broth and orange juice and bring to a boil. If using a skillet transfer to a slow cooker stoneware.
- Add squash, apples, and apricots to stoneware and stir well. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 hours, until vegetables are tender.
- In a pot, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add quinoa stirring to prevent lumps and return to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until tender and liquid is absorbed. Add to slow cooker and stir well. Serve immediately.
February 18, 2010
Simple Roasted Veggies
This is one of those recipes where you can interchange almost any veggie or root vegetable and keep it delicious! When I am cooking a lot of other dishes, it is nice to make a simple veggie side that does not need a lot of attention or prep. It is not the most exciting recipe, but its simple and healthy.
Simple Roasted Veggies
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 bunch of broccoli, cut in to florets and stem peeled and chopped
1 cup baby carrots
10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 whole sprigs rosemary
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine the cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, garlic, and onion in a roasting pan. Drizzle olive oil over the veggies and season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Place the rosemary around the veggies and sprinkle with the pine nuts.
- Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. Using tongs toss the veggies and add more oil if they are too dry. Roast for another 15 or so minutes.
- Take out the rosemary and chop up the softened leaves to sprinkle to veggie with.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and enjoy! So simple!
