Guilin, China Vacation, September, 2015
Guilin, China was such an amazing decision for our Mid-Autumn Festival holiday this past September. The weather was warm, it was easy with our little man who was just 10 1/2 months, and there was loads to both do and see. We decided before we left to hire a private tour guide for two days (was fairly inexpensive). This was necessary for us because we needed a good driver with an excellent reputation with foreigners, as there was no way in hell I was putting lil’ G in a car otherwise. If you’ve been pretty much anywhere in China you will understand this. Let’s just say I can’t even take him in a taxi in Beijing because 98% of them don’t have seat belts and I can’t put his baby seat in. Crazy! I digress, this trip was awesome! We went on a beautiful night river cruise, a long day Li River cruise to Yangshuo (big boat), toured the walking street and the area around our hotel (Lijiang Waterfall Hotel-great) daily, went to these amazing caves, and so much more. As a vegetarian, there was an incredible restaurant that surprisingly was part of a hostel, it took me 3 visits to figure this out! Haha. If you’re looking for an area of China that is not a huge & major city this should definitely be on your list! Leave me a comment if you want to know more about what to do, where to stay, or where the pictures are from. Please enjoy!
Amazing Classic Guacamole
Why is Guacamole not everyone’s staple appetizer? It is healthy, incredibly easy, and delicious. I use it on sandwiches, pastas, and as a dip. This Amazing Classic Guacamole recipe, though simple, took me months of trial & error (if that sounds long just remember, I didn’t make it everyday!) to find the absolute perfect balance of ingredients for the best tasting (as far as my palate is concerned) Guacamole one can eat. I pretty much top any Mexican inspired dish with this and serve it frequently at my parties. It’s almost as much of a staple as my Classic Hummus, and that is saying something! Bust out your best margaritas and party down, by yourself or with others, I’m always quite happy to party by myself if need be, and dip into your best avocado dish. Party on!
Amazing Classic Guacamole
Amazing Classic Guacamole
- 4 avocados
- 1/2 C cilantro - loosely chopped
- 1/2 tsp (or more if needed) salt
- 3/4 red onion - diced
- 3 limes wedges - squeezed
- 3/4 C ripe tomato - diced
- Optional: If you want a spicy Guacamole, dice up some jalapenos in there!
- In a medium sized bowl, smash the avocados will all of the other ingredients together
- Mix well (multiple times)
- Done!
- As a dip with tortilla chips
- As a spread on sandwiches
- On top of pasta
- Or with nothing but a spoon to your mouth!
- *A nice lime margarita on the rocks goes quite nicely at all times.
Braided Hair (especially for you fine hair folks like me)
I am all over Pinterest in the hair department. However, every time I try and recreate some amazing braid or up-do it is somewhat of an epic failure. I look at the picture, follow the step-by-step process, and can only come to the following as the reason for failure: thin, fine, hair. Blah! Why?! My mother and most of my siblings have these gorgeous and thick manes. What happened in the gene pool with me? Must be because I’m the first born. I’ve decided this is a great excuse for virtually everything in my life. This will not be the last time you hear me say this. So, clearly the pictures on Pinterest that I adore are of women with amazingly thick & luscious locks. Jealous. Very jealous. The two different hair styles below I have now perfected & are my two go-to styles for easiness, cuteness, and quickness. That’s the trifecta I am looking for, especially in the wee hours of the morning before I’ve had my coffee.
PS- 4 of those pictures are quite old. Still from crappy iPhone, remember, once I finally use all of these up it’s only quality shots to come.
The first pic is a split pic of the same hairstyle. The first 1/2 is a cleaner version- hair sprayed and bangs pinned to the side and under the braid. I wear it to work this way. The second 1/2 is my messy version. I keep my bangs out, don’t spray, and throw in a cute hair pin.
To accomplish this: Divide hair at part into 2 sections, brush, and braid each side. Next cross each braid over to the opposite ear and bobby pin the end pieces (securely). I usually throw a pin or two nearer the top as well, especially if you have thicker hair.
The other pics are of half a crown using a messy fishtail. Mostly because that’s the only kind of fishtail I can produce. Still, so cute! I spray this style.
To accomplish this: Gather all of your hair near the nape of your neck. Start the fishtail in the middle of your neck and braid. When done, pull over to the other ear and pin securely. For me, there are always some puffy spots, fly aways etc so I twist and pin them towards the direction of the fishtail and pin. Spray when done. Don’t make the fishtail too tight! Looser will give a thicker look.
Creamy Tomato & Cauliflower Soup
Dear April & Fraya,
I will never forget the first time we hung out together, came back from the cold arboretum, and headed to April’s kitchen for the making of this amazing vegan, healthy, and delicious Creamy Tomato & Cauliflower Soup. What a freakin’ day we’d had thus far! Let’s just say I most certainly cannot and will not share the contents of our hilarious day. I’ll let your mind try and concoct crazy ideas of its own. It was a very, crazy, fun day, for sure! Oh to be 25 again. I don’t know that I could survive it twice though! Thanks for the recipe, April! Miss you girls daily! Xo
To everyone else reading this post: This recipe is so ridiculously easy and delicious. It is loaded with flavor, requires very few and super cheap ingredients. I love creamy soups that are actually healthy. Who doesn’t?! Winter blizzards need winter warmth. Wrap yourself up in this soup with some awesome hearty bread, and a nice glass of wine. Enjoy and stay warm!
Creamy Tomato & Cauliflower Soup
- 1 lg head of cauliflower cut into florets
- 4 cans of good diced tomatoes
- 2 cans of white beans (save liquid from cans)
- 1 lg onion - diced
- 3 cloves of garlic - diced
- 2 C vegetable broth
- 1/4-1/2 C dried oregano (I like a lot)!
- 3 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste
- In large pot, heat oil. Add onions & salt - cook for approximately 3-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds to a minutes more-stir constantly
- Add white beans with liquid from cans. Add more salt and add pepper. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes and turn up heat a bit
- Add tomatoes & half of the oregano. Cook & stir for about 10 minutes
- Take off heat and blend with immersion blender
- Put back on heat and add the broth, cauliflower, and the rest of the oregano
- Cook for about 10-15 minutes
- Serve with a hearty & healthy bread
- *If you want it thicker, use more beans or less broth. Thinner, add more broth.
- Serving sizes varying depending on if this is a meal or a side
- White- Pinot Grigio
- Red- Rioja
Bagel, Hummus, Avocado & Some, Spread
This is an incredibly easy, healthy, and delicious breakfast spread that can be accomplished in just 5 minutes! I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty amazing to me! Especially, on a busy weekend. Sometimes, a good-for-you & easy recipe can be more involved. Not the case here, which is why this is my go-to weekend recipe when I am movin’ & groovin’ with little time in between. This spread is inspired by one of my favorite vegetarian breakfast restaurants in Portland, OR- Muddy’s Cafe. This was a weekend fave for my veggie friend and I when I lived there. I loved sitting outside of the old Victorian, on the patio, and in one of my favorite Portland neighborhoods, or even inside the rustic and cozy warmth of the country-esk kitchen vibe that Muddy’s provided. No, this is not a paid advertisement, and sadly, it has closed after 9 years of business. Moment of silence for my PDX vegetarian foodies please… Sigh. Here is my version of a regularly ordered breakfast: A bagel (always an everything bagel in my case), slathered and oozing with cream cheese, hummus, and avocado (often all mashed together), sometimes with an egg on top (over medium), and always with a side of ripe fruit. Yes please! Save yourself some time and scarf it up this weekend!
Bagel, Hummus, Avocado & Some, Spread
- 1 bagel (I use whole wheat everything bagels)
- 4-6 Tbl cream cheese (I use veggie or chive cream cheese)
- 6 Tbl hummus (see my hummus recipe)
- 1/2 or 1 ripe avocado
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 egg (optional)
- Fresh & ripe fruit of your picking
- Toast your bagel
- On each bagel half, slather on the cream cheese, then hummus, and lastly the avocado & salt/pepper (you can smash together if you want)
- If using egg, top on one of the bagel sides now
- Add your fresh fruit to the plate and voila! Done!
Holy Enchiladas!
This awesome vegetarian enchilada dish was inspired by Martha Stewart’s recipe. My husband never knows what to cook for me. He wants to do it all of the time but I am a stickler for flavor (usually I want loads of flavor or no thank you!), and I don’t want to have to recite an entire recipe with specific instructions. That would ruin the idea of someone cooking for me, hubby agrees. He desperately wanted to make something for my bday two years ago. I figured, Mexican is almost fool proof and I freakin’ love it any time of day. It’s one of the few foods that I simply can’t get sick of. So, Scotland (my hubby is Scottish), let’s call him, in his fear and trepidation took to the internet to find me some vegetarian Mexican good eats. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about what the after math would bring. Would I be swallowing ‘said dish’ with a smile on the outside and wanting to spew on the inside? I knew however it turned out I’d have to “like” it… a lot. Really, I was just so pleased that he wanted to do this for me. This said, it was awesome! I was beyond super impressed and giving silent praise to Martha for all of her wisdom passed on via internet to hubby. Phew… the smile and enthusiasm for the enchiladas were very real and I’ve requested them many times since. Today, he has really become quite a good cook and is always looking for new recipes to add to his repertoire. Get yourself ready for a taste explosion in the form of “Holy Enchiladas!” You will NOT be disappointed!
- 8 tortillas (I use 8" corn tortillas)
- 1 small onion - diced
- 10 oz corn kernals
- 5 oz black olives
- 10 oz frozen spinach (thawed & strained)
- 1 can black beans
- 1 C shredded pepper jack cheese
- 2 C shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp of taco seasoning (optional)
- 2-3 tsp cumin
- 3 Tbl olive oil
- 1/4 C flour
- 1/4 C tomato paste
- 3/4 C water
- 1 can veggie broth (use a good broth)
- 4 scallions - diced
- Heat 2 Tbl olive oil in pan. Add 1 teaspoon of the cumin, flour, and tomato paste - mix well for about 1 minute
- Add vegetable broth, 3/4 cup water, and boil
- Reduce to a simmer and then cook until the sauce is slightly thickened (about 5-10 minutes)
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- First, start preheating the oven at 400 degrees
- In a pan, quickly cook the onion for about 3-5 minutes
- In a bowl add: 1 cup of each cheese (2 cups total), black beans, olives, spinach, corn, cooked onion, 1/4 of the scallions, taco seasoning if using, and the remaining 1 teaspoon cumin
- Add salt & pepper to taste
- With the remaining 1 Tbl of olive oil, brush oil onto two 8-inch baking pans
- Evenly divide the ingredients from the bowl into each tortilla. Roll up and face the overlapping part of the tortillas on the bottom of the pan
- Sprinkle the last cup of cheese and smother in your delicious mole sauce
- Bake for about 15-20 minutes]
- When serving, garnish with scallions
- Serve with a cold Mexican beer or a delicious margarita!
Makeup, Makeup, Make Me Up!
Hey ladies & gents!
Okay, first post in this portion of the blog. What shall we discuss?! Well, I’ve been thinking we should chat about my favorite makeup products as well as skincare products. This is a topic I take pretty seriously! I want nice skin on a daily basis and when I fast forward and envision myself in the future, I still want that nice skin! Okay, enough exclamation points, I think we all get the gist.
When thinking of this post, there is one line from a Beyonce song that keeps popping into my head – “…dip it, pop it, twerk it, stop it, check on me tonight…” This is how I feel about the millions of ways one can now “do” their face – “…contour, highlight, blur it, smudge it, check me out tonight…” Honestly, it’s too much! I just want to look good and not spend a heck of a lot of time doing it. This being said, let’s start with makeup. Below are the many products I use. However, I use the same few every day. I just happen to have a ton more for the rare occasions that I actually go out on a weekend night and want to glam it up for the hubby and the more vain side of my self-esteem. I have SO much more of this ‘weekend’ makeup and it is loads more expensive than my day-to-day stuff so you’re probably thinking that I’m a bit deluded about the actuality of my weekend social life. If this is indeed what you’re thinking, you’d be correct. I consider it all “for the one day,” which really translates to, “when my baby (lil’ G) is more of a toddler, I have a weekend sitter, and I live back in the US.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not complaining, just sharing with you the realities of my life. All of which I freakin’ love. So, without further adieu (have I already passed that point?) I shall begin with MAKEUP & BODY STUFF. PS- If you want to know more about the specific products, ask me! Let’s start a conversation!
The pictures are as follows:
Body/Hand/Feet lotions that I use daily. I love Palmers! And the smell, c’mon now!
Face Wash & Exfoliators that I use daily. Yes to Tomatoes OR Yes to Cucumbers (I prefer the Tomato), St. Ives Oatmeal Scrub & Mask (I use as a scrub, however, I use a different and random facial mask every Wednesday), Keyano Aromatics Lavender Scrub (purchased at a spa on Long Island).
Lipsticks that I use daily or weekly. From left to right: Banila, Rimmel, L’Oreal (I often combine the last two)
Perfumes & Lip Stuff I use daily/weekly. Fendi (L’acquarossa), Michael Kors (Eau de Parfum), Prada (Candy), Lip Smackers Celestial Strawberry (because I still wanna be a kid), Rosebud lips in Strawberry (best strawberry scented lip stuff ever), EOS in mint, IT lipgloss
Facial Products that I use daily. Retin-A (tretinoin) -in my opinion, there is NOTHING better to bust wrinkles than this. You need a prescription though. I use it every night after my lotion (about 30 minutes to an hour later) which is Alba Botanica Hawaiian Jasmine & Vitamin E. I use the Alba after I use my HA- hyarulonic acid serum. Neutrogena Healthy Skin Anti Wrinkle Cream w/ SPF & Retinol (for day) OR Oil of Olay 7. During the day for under my eyes I use Clarins Extra-Firming Eye Lift. Clearly, I’m trying to stave off Botox etc for as long as possible!
Makeup I use in the rare event that I am actually going out. Urban Decay Naked Palette 2, Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue (or everyday), L’Oreal Magic BB cream (or everyday-I rotate these every few months), Cover Girl loose powder, CG Tru Magic the Sun Kisser bronzer, Benefit (highbeam – amazing!), Benefit Bene-tint (lips & cheeks), Benefit Hervana Blush.
Makeup I wear everyday. The highlighter was mistakenly photographed in this photo. I don’t wear it everyday. It should be in the section above but I for some reason shot it in this group (IT highlighter). The rest I DO use everyday: Garnier BB Cream (I rotate with the ones above) – I use this with my amazing Bare Minerals makeup brush, Maybelline Great Lash in very black with a curved wand (wand is essential for me), Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush, lastly, an eyebrow filler. I bought this in China.
Breakfast Tofu Taco Tuesdays!
Taco Tuesdays have been all the rage for as long as I can remember. I used to look forward to them all day long at work when I lived in California. I’m pretty sure that’s how I got through the beginning-of-the-work-week blues. It was something to look forward to and a way to end my night right. Well, why not start your day that way, too? Something to look forward to upon waking, and a way to start the day right! SOLD! I took this philosophy and rolled with it. When I made this taco, I, as usual, used what I had in my fridge. That being said, I didn’t have any taco shells at the time. Therefore, I made my own. I had these small homemade tortillas (love them) that I turned into taco shells. You can do this by simply bending it over two of the bars in your oven or convention oven and heating them up. However, due to the awesome texture of my tortillas I simply have to put it in the pan and cook on both sides. Feel free to do either! This taco recipe is super simple, quick, and delicious. Of course, I am pushing you on the taco-ness of Tuesdays but naturally, you could have this any morning, or even any day or night. The only downside about the Taco Tuesday morning is sadly, you cannot accompany it with a tasty beer. However, that just means you’ll have to celebrate Taco Tuesday evenings as well. Did I twist your arm yet? Sorry! You’ll thank me later.
- 2 taco shells or small tortillas
- 1/2 a brick firm or extra firm tofu
- Handful of baby spinach
- 4-5 Tbl small white beans
- 3 Tbl diced ripe tomatoes (optional)
- 2 Tbl cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- Approximately 4-5 Tbl crumbled feta (optional)
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Dash of cumin
- Dash tumeric (optional)
- Sea salt & fresh ground pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- Heat the oil in pan and add garlic - cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute
- Add tofu, white beans, tomato, seasoning, salt & pepper - cook for about 4-5 minutes
- Add spinach & cilantro - cook for about 1-2 minutes more
- Add half of the feta to the bottom of each taco shell and divide the tofu etc from pan into both shells
- Sprinkle the remainder of the feta on the top of both taco shells
- I HIGHLY suggest making your taco shells the way I mention in my post. Use a tortilla, heat it whilst bended, and turn it into a shell. You can do this while your tofu is cooking. With some tortillas, you can even place the tofu etc (once cooked) inside the tortilla and then put the tortilla back in the pan, fold it, and heat both sides. The latter is the best way in my humble opinion. Want to make it vegan? Remove the feta!
If I could I would style me pretty like this… ideas anyone?
If I could, I most definitely would, style myself pretty like the following outfits below. One, I’d be beyond pleased with myself if I looked that incredible. I’m pretty sure there are not enough Jillian Michael exercises per week to make me that svelte. I suppose if I was willing to move past her 30 Day Shred Level One and do it more than 4 days/week I’d at least have a bit of chance to perhaps, or just maybe, get my rear in gear to start the road to looking that fit, but alas, this is all the time and willingness I have in these bones, and I’m currently thrilled with myself for losing 2 lbs a month. How’s that for a sentence?! Onto point two, if I did have the moola, I would most definitely be purchasing my most favorite designers incredible pieces of art. I am pretty sure I would feel like a million, bazillion dollars, and could quite possibly become the most confident woman on earth. So you’re thinking “dang, she’s vain!” right? Well, not entirely, people. I mean who wouldn’t feel incredible in such expensive works of glory that fit you like they were made for you whilst embodying the coolest of the fashion world that one could offer? Who could resist feeling so fabulous?! If you can, well, I’m impressed, and I guess, that would make me more vain than you. Lastly, I am totally one for going to the thrift store to scope out some unique and awesome finds. I love to put them together and feel fairly proud of it. Still, no matter how skilled you are, I believe finding what you see below is challenging at best. Click on the picture to bring you to the links of the blogs where I found the articles of clothing via Pinterest. What are your thoughts? Anyone have any amazing suggestions on how to dress to impress for less? Sorry, had to say it! But really, anyone? Ideas? Please share! -Heather
A Maple Bourbon Fruit Fling Named Rosemary
Oh, Rosemary! What a gal! Beautiful, sweet, seductive, makes you feel oh so good… what a catch! In the words of Shakespeare: “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” It does indeed in this case. This delicious and fragrant bourbon drink is something a bit different for your collection of cocktails. I love bourbon but usually drink it neat. I wanted a unique and interesting libation, so my friend introduced me to something similar to dear, Rosemary. Naturally, I went home and the following week came up with this rendition of her cocktail. I’d like to think this would’ve made Romeo & Juliet proud! Perhaps, consuming enough of these could’ve cured the feud between the Montagues and Capulets. Alright, enough of this literature speak. The moral of my story is that this is a cocktail not to be missed, I’d befriend this Rosemary any day. Shakespeare or no Shakespeare. Again, I wish I had a current picture from my sweet new camera with my slowly growing photography skills but alas, this is what we’re stuck with for now. Drink and be merry with thy friends!
- Approximately 1/4 C Bourbon (I like it a bit strong so I use 1/4)
- 1/2 a lemon - squeezed
- 3 diced peach wedges (no skin) - grilled (preferably if you can)
- 3 Tbl diced plum (no skin)
- 2 Tbl real maple simple syrup
- 3 ripe red cherries (diced) - optional but delicious!
- Sprig rosemary
- Ice
- Top with soda water or San Pellegrino Limonata
- 2 Pint glass
- 1/4 c water
- 1/4 c REAL maple syrup
- 1/3 c fresh rosemary
- 1/4 tsp fresh chopped sage
- For the maple simple syrup: (This should be made prior so it can cool before you add it to drink)
- Put all ingredients in a small pot & bring to a simmer for 5 minutes
- Cover & let sit for an additional 5-10 minutes for the flavor to fully develop
- Pour the simple syrup through a strainer to get rid of the rosemary and sage pieces
- In a pint glass add all fruit, simple syrup, lemon, bourbon, ice, and pour back & forth between both pint glasses to mix well
- Fill one pint glass with ice and pour the contents of the other glass into the pint with ice
- Top with soda water or Limonata, stir, and garnish with a sprig of rosemary
- Cheers!
Croissant Egg/Egg Monster/Breakfast Feast!
I was looking to be glutenous on a Sunday morning way back when. Well, I’m always looking to be glutenous on every Sunday morning. I LOVE breakfast but sometimes have a hard time finding something different. I wanted a breakfast platter of sorts and before I knew it I ended up with this feast! I have never thought of having mushrooms as a side for bfast until traveling around Europe. Many of the hotels offered this and as a mushroom lover I thought to myself, “why the ‘bleep’ haven’t I thought of this?! I eat mushrooms with everything!” So, after beating myself up about it right, left, and center I decided this would now be a weekly staple. What to add with this staple? Well, after being reminded of these amazing European hotels I was quickly reminded of the awesome croissants they served, next came the thought of eggs, then toast, fruit, and my mind soon arrived at the recipe platter below. Simple, quick, delicious, satisfying, and seemingly grander than it really is (who doesn’t love that?)… I present to you… drum roll please… “Croissant Egg/Egg Monster/Breakfast Feast!”
Croissant Egg Sandwich & Breakfast Feast!
- 4 eggs
- 2 croissants
- 2 pieces delicious sandwich bread
- 2 slices cheese (I used white cheddar)
- 4 medium slices ripe & juice tomato
- Small handful of arugula
- 1/2 C mushrooms (I used oyster mushrooms)
- 1 Tbl fresh oregano - chopped (or 2 tsp dried oregano)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Oil for pan
- 1 C fruit of your choice (I used diced melon & strawberries)
- Breakfast potatoes (find this recipe in my California Omelette with Homemade Breakfast Potatoes Recipe) or hash brown patties per plate
- Slice open croissants and top each with a piece of cheese, two slices of tomato, and arugula
- Scramble your 2 eggs with salt, pepper, and oregano (save some for mushrooms)
- Place eggs on top of croissant. Voila!
- Cut a small & circular hole in each piece of bread
- In a heated pan, place bread & crack your egg in the hole (cook to desired temp) - sprinkle with salt and pepper. Done!
- Heat pan with oil & throw in mushrooms. Add salt, pepper, and oregano. Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes depending on the type of mushrooms. Finished!
- Put each of the sandwiches on both plates
- Add potatoes, mushrooms, and fruit as a side
- Enjoy your feast!
- Serve with a nice Bellini or Kir Royal, an amazing cup of coffee, and you've started out your Sunday more than successfully! Now, you've guaranteed yourself an awesome day!
Best Veggie Inspired Pho Ever!
As promised, here is my follow-up recipe that is in the picture below with the Sesame Noodles. Also, I’d like to mention that I am desperately trying to get all of my ancient photos into my recipes so that I can solely move forward with proper food photography. If you’ve read my “About Me” you’d know that in order to get this blog up and running I needed to use crappy iPhone and other crappy photos from well before I’d ever owned an amazing camera and had thoughts of food blogging or food photography. Bear with me! Soon enough I’ll be able to only post my newest and ‘best-est’ photos for you. Until then, you’re stuck with this.
Onwards, this dish was served in addition to my Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles for hubbies bday. I had absolutely no idea how this was going to turn out but thankfully, it was amazing! Full of flavor, pretty, and instantly popular. After a few bday beers let’s just say we were indeed slurping it up, however, not slurping gracefully. It reminded me of my teenage years when my mother told me to never order pasta on a date. Not because one should never do that, but because I, specifically, should never do that. Thanks for the advice, mom! I think you just may have been right. With that in mind, slurp sloppily and enjoy!
- 8 oz rice noodles - cooked
- 1/2 C shitake mushrooms - loosely diced
- 1 small head of broccoli - loosely chopped
- 1/4 edamame beans - (optional)
- Large handful of cilantro
- Large handful of basil - chopped very loosely
- 1/4 C soy sauce or Braggs Amino Acids
- 4 C vegetable broth
- 1 onion - diced
- 2 Tbl sesame oil
- 2 red chilis - seeded
- 2 pieces or 1/4 inch piece of ginger - chopped
- 1 lime - juiced
- 3-4 cloves of garlic - minced
- 3 stalks lemongrass - diced
- 4 scallions - diced
- 1/2 C bean sprouts
- 1 Tbl peppercorns
- 1 Tbl toasted black sesame seeds
- Add 3-4 cups water, vegetable broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, onion, chilis, ginger, garlic, lime juice, lemon grass, peppercorns into a pot. Bring to boil for 15 minutes and then simmer for 15-20 minutes more.
- Stain the broth when done to remove everything but the actual broth itself.
- Add noodles, broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts, basil, and edamame. Stir.
- Separate into individual bowls and smother in cilantro, scallions, and sesame seeds.
- Done!
- Serves 2 large bowls or 4 average sized bowls.
Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles
Try saying that one five times in a row! Unlike the challenging title, this dish is so easy to make and absolutely scrumptious! It was amazing how long I had been living in China before I started to get my feet wet with basic Chinese or other Asian dishes. I had been tooling around with udon noodles and this incredible and common chili sauce here but that was about it. This noodle dish is refreshing, simple, and most likely something a bit different than your day-to-day noodle nom-noms. Usually, noodle for me equals Italian food. However, both this dish and the recipe that will be posted afterwards are indeed Asian inspired. I made them both last year when I decided to spoil the crap out of my husband for his entire birthday weekend. I literally cooked him crazy awesome and sometimes crazy involved meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 3 days in a row. I know, I know, how insane or insanely nice of me, right? Well, selfishly, as this is my hobby, it was a fantastic opportunity for me to concoct some creations I’d had brewing in my brain for some time. I loved every second of it! Enjoy!
Sesame Soba Soy Scallion Noodles/Best Veggie Inspired Pho ever!
- Soba noodles (9 oz)
- 1-2 Tbl sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup mushrooms (I prefer Shitake) - halved
- 1 small cucumber - juilienned
- Lime wedges
- 2 cups scallions - diced
- 1-2 cloves garlic - minced
- Handful of cilantro - chopped
- 2 Tbl fresh ginger - minced
- 1 Tsp pickled chili with garlic sauce (optional)
- 3-4 Tbl sesame oil
- 1 1/2 - 2 tsp chili oil (optional but highly recommended)
- 2 Tbl honey or agave nectar
- 4-6 Tbl soy sauce or Braggs Amino Acids
- 2 Tbl rice wine vinegar
- Mix sesame & soy sauce in bowl
- Cook noodles
- Mix sauce, sesame seeds, cucumbers, mushrooms, and noodles in bowl - mix well
- Serve cold and garnish top with sesame seeds and a sprinkle of green onion. Put 1-2 lime wedges in each bowl to be squeezed on top.
- Add peanut sauce to make this a sesame/peanut noodle dish! Just remove the chili option.
- This serves between 2-4 people.
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
This recipe was made completely randomly with the left overs in my fridge. I had pita and tomatoes from some Greek food I had made the day before, extra eggs, and I almost always have parmesan cheese. This plus a few herbs and voila! A simple, quick, and delicious breakfast was born. Honestly, this could easily be one of those breakfast for dinner dishes. Whatever the time of day, it’s a great & easy dish to add to your repertoire. Not to mention, if you’ve read the “About Me” portion of my blog you’ll know that this goes along with my food philosophy. Like the mind, food is a terrible thing to waste!
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
Pita & Parmesan Eggs w/ Tomato
- 2 pitas (preferably flat bread pitas)
- 2 eggs
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 6 cherry tomatoes sliced in half
- Small handful fresh (or 1 Tbl dry) flat leaf parsley
- 1/4 cup (or just shy of) shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 Tbl olive oil
- Salt & pepper to taste (I use a fair amount of both)
- Put the olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt & pepper in a bowl and toss together
- Lightly toast the pitas
- Fry the eggs in the pan (I prefer over-medium)
- Put an egg over each pita and split the tomato bowl over each pita
- Sprinkle with loads of parmesan
- Optional: Garnish with additional parsley & salt and pepper. Cut into triangles.
- You can use any herbs that your heart desires!
Brie & Basil Pasta
Okay, this is an amazing dish! It’s amazing because it’s delicious, quick, and super easy. Up until I was about 8 years old, my mother predominately cooked Italian food. She had me at a young age, didn’t know anything about cooking, and followed my grandmother’s (dad’s side) homemade cookbook that was comprised of recipes on index cards from the typewriter. Well, my mother most definitely mastered pasta dishes, and today, is an absolutely incredible cook. Honestly, I don’t think she even makes much pasta anymore. She cooks a wide variety of healthy and delicious meals. I never could’ve became a vegetarian at eight years old if she didn’t keep me so well fed. What 8 eight year old in 1989 was eating quinoa? No one had even heard of that grain at that time. My friends used to come over and ask what weird food we had that day. Not weird bad, just weird different. I remember her taking me to the local health food store when I was 9. The woman was holding a workshop about vegetarianism after the store closed for the night (1990- awesome, right?). She taught us how to make vegetarian jello, delicious grain dishes, and why it can be such an incredibly healthy way of life. In hindsight, this was so cool!
This Brie and Basil pasta was a VERY popular dish in my household when I was young. The smell of it today still reminds me of my childhood. It’s a tasty flashback indeed. This dish couldn’t be easier. If you’re looking for a quick and delicious pasta you’ve found your recipe here. Mangia!
Brie & Basil Ingredients
- 1 lb linguine pasta
- 1/2 C quality extra virgin olive oil (sometimes I add a splash more)
- 7 very ripe tomatoes - diced (preferably off the vine)
- 1 C fresh basil - loosely chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic- minced
- 1 1/4 lb brie cheese - diced (peel off outer layer)
- Salt & ground pepper to taste
- Optional: Sprinkle each bowl with some freshly grated parmesan cheese & additional cracked pepper
- In a bowl, add oil, tomatoes, basil, garlic, brie, and salt & pepper - stir well
- Cook your linguine
- Optional: Let bowl marinate for about 30 minutes to and hour
- Pour bowl of ingredients on top of pasta and stir
- Optional: Add the parmesan & extra cracked pepper now if you'd like
- Garnish with fresh basil leaves
- A fair amount of freshly cracked pepper is key for me in this dish. Also, you can toss a very small amount of recycled pasta water into this dish if you'd like!
Strawberry Gin Muddle
- 1 1/2 cups gin
- 6 ripe fresh strawberries - diced
- 1/4 cup cucumbers -diced
- 1 large handful of mint - chopped
- 4 lime wedges
- Approximately 4 twelve oz cans of soda water
- Mint or regular simple syrup - approximately 1/4- 1/2 cup depending on your desired level of sweetness
- Muddler
- Place a very small amount of crushed ice in the bottom of all 4 pint glasses
- Equally distribute the strawberry, cucumber, and mint into all four glasses, squeeze one lime wedge in each glass as well - now muddle away!
- Fill up the glasses with ice and add gin, simple syrup, and soda water
- Take an additional and empty pint glass and pour each drink back and forth about 2-3 times to fully mix all ingredients
- Done!
Bomb-Diggity California Veggie Burrito
- 2 large whole wheat wraps
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
- 1 avocado - sliced
- 1/2 cup pico de gallo
- 2 handfuls cilantro - loosely chopped
- 1 can vegetarian refried beans
- 1/2 red onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup red & yellow bell peppers - diced
- 4 cups kale - chopped
- 1/4 cup purple cabbage - shredded
- 1 Tbl taco seasoning
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Any green hot sauce (salsa verde) of your desire to smother burrito in
- Oil for pan
- Oil and heat pan. Add red onions and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Add cabbage and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Add peppers and cook for another 3 minutes.
- Add broccoli, kale, and taco seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Turn off heat and add a handful of cilantro. Stir.
- Divide the pan over your two large burritos, top with cheese, and then fold.
- Smother in pico de gallo, salsa verde, and half of an avocado on each burrito.
- Top with the rest of your cilantro.
- Pairs perfectly with a bomb-diggity margarita and sombrero!
Nha Trang, Vietnam Xmas ’15
Happy New Year To All!
This Christmas my hubby, wee man, and myself went to Nha Trang, Vietnam. Pre-baby we had travelled to Ho Chi Minh (Saigon), Vietnam and absolutely loved it. However, this time around, we were looking for a sweet beach holiday. I’d say we definitely found it here! Beautiful beach, friendly people, cheap-as-chips food and beer, and the most AMAZING coffee ever. I came back with loads of caffeine for friends but yes, mostly, for myself. It was rich, strong, and flavorful…the coffee and the holiday! Haha. We hung out at the pool, the beach, and walked everywhere. I loved going to the colorful markets and taking pictures of my surroundings, food, and my two delicious dudes. Everyday, we strolled on the walkway that followed the shoreline, soaking up the sun, shading ourselves under the palms when we got too hot, and breathing in the clean air (remember, I live in Beijing, the city of smog and Red Alerts – ready to leave for sure), often with no purpose. We simply would stop on the beach to let the wee man continue to get comfortable with his feet in the sand (he decided he could cope with walking on it as long as he had his shoes on). It was relaxing and amazing. Enjoy the pics!
FOOD:
As a veg, there aren’t crazy amounts of options, but I did chow down on some local favorites. Spring rolls and bahn mi! Bahn mi’s are sandwiches that are sold for about .50 in carts on almost every side street. You can opt for vegetarian ones with mock meat. There were quite a few mock meat restaurants in the vicinity as well. It just took some research and running around to find (some were closed etc) but alas, my hubby did me proud and found me my faux meat. Here’s a pic of the spring rolls (also a rickshaw pic), my bahn mi, coffee, and the banh mi food cart:
Bahn mi
bahn mi cart
Drip Coffee – Amazing!
I loved the fruit you could find everywhere as much as I loved the beaches (beach pics of a full moon on Christmas. Was SO incredible!)
Full moon on Xmas
Scenes from the markets and streets of Nha Trang
Vegetarian Mexican Rice Bowl
- 2 cups cooked brown rice (Tip: When cooking I use a veggie stock cube, lime, & cilantro to season rice)
- 1/2 of a red onion - diced
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 1/2 Tbl spoon taco seasoning
- Oil for pan
- 1 can black beans (save liquid from can)
- Handful loosely chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 head of broccoli
- 3 ounces kale or chard - chopped
- 2 stalks green onion - diced
- 1 large tomato - diced
- 2 avocados - sliced
- 1 cup sharp cheddar - shredded
- 1 lime - cut into wedges
- In a large pan, heat oil and add onion. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook for almost a minute more.
- Add black beans (keep some of the liquid from can) and a bit of the taco seasoning and stir. Cook for about 3 minutes.
- Stir in rice (add rest of liquid from black bean can) and cilantro.
- Add broccoli, kale, and the rest of taco seasoning. Cook for about 5 minutes. Squeeze in any amount of lime juice you would like.
- Now put Greek yogurt in a bowl with about 1/2 Tbl of taco season and stir.
- Give the pan a good stir and turn off heat.
- Add green onions and tomatoes.
- Separate into 4 bowls
- Top with cheese, add half and avocado to each bowl, and top with the greek yogurt. I often add some extra green onion & cilantro for garnish as well.
California Omelette with Homemade Breakfast Potatoes
- 4 eggs
- 1 avocado -diced
- 1/4 red onion - diced
- 1/2 head of broccoli - small pieces
- 2 stalks green onion
- 4 slices of havarti cheese with dill
- 1 tomato - diced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 medium potatoes (I like to use russet) - diced
- 1/2 an onion - diced
- 1/4 red bell pepper - diced
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of pepper
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- Oil for pan
- Heat pan and cook onions with a pinch of salt for about 3-5 minutes
- Add broccoli and cook for an additional 3 minutes and then remove from pan
- Crack 2 eggs, scramble lightly leaving it to make a circle as the base for your omelette, add 2 slices of cheese on top, add tomato
- Add salt and pepper
- Cook until the bottom starts to lightly brown
- Fold over one side and flip on rotate, flipping onto both sides until bottom is browned and egg is cooked in the middle
- If you have two pans or a griddle you should make both omelettes at once so they are served warm together
- Top each omelette with half of the avocado and sprinkle the green onion over the omelettes and the potatoes
- Boil the potatoes
- Heat pan and add onions & pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes
- Add potatoes and all of the seasoning. Toss well and cook for an additional 5 minutes
- Toss again and scrap all the goodness of the pan and mix it in, cook for another 5-10 minutes.
- Taste. If needed, add more salt and pepper
- Serve with your favorite whole wheat toast!
Healthy & Hearty Cheddar Omelette
Okay, sometimes I really just need a plump Sunday breakfast. Well, almost every Sunday I feel this way. Again, my philosophy is to use whatever is in my fridge. I wanted something pretty healthy yet hardy and something my husband would eat as well (this can be a challenge). We had a tomato, cheddar, white beans, basil, and broccoli. Sold! 15 minutes later breakfast was served with some additional sides, not to mention a delicious bellini (prosecco and peach puree) to help wash down the delectable omelette delight. What a way to start my Sunday. In my opinion, the only way one should begin their Sunday. Now go cook your way into a relaxing end of your weekend!
- 4 eggs
- Small handful of basil - chopped
- 1/4 C cheddar cheese - diced
- Approx. 10 broccoli florets - diced
- 1 small tomato
- 1/2 15 oz can of white beans
- Shallot - diced
- Pinch of red pepper flake
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Olive oil for pan
- 6 strawberries
- 2 english muffins
- 4 hashbrowns
- Heat pan on low with olive oil. Add shallot and cook for about 3 minutes
- Add broccoli, white bean, tomato, salt & pepper, red pepper flake. Cook for 3-5 minutes
- Remove from pan, keep heat on, and re-oil
- Crack 2 eggs and lightly scramble. Add cheddar, pinch more salt & pepper, basil, and all other ingredients you've just cooked
- When bottom becomes lightly browned, fold omelette in half and briefly cook on both sides until egg center is fully cooked
- Do the same again for the other omelette. If you can do two pans at once or have a griddle I recommend doing this. Both omelettes will be perfectly hot and ready to eat together.
- Add side dishes and garnish with whole leaves of basil (optional)
- When I have brie cheese in the fridge I sometimes replace the cheddar. I love brie and basil together!
Veggie Twist on a BLT
- 2 slices hearty whole wheat bread - toasted
- 2 slices vegetarian bacon
- 2 medium slices of firm or extra firm tofu
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 slices of tomato
- 1 Tbl green onion - diced
- 6 baby spinach leaves
- 1 Tbl Vegenaise (my favorite is the grapeseed)
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tsp taco seasoning
- 1 slice white american cheese (optional)
- Olive oil
- Coat tofu with oil and taco seasoning (both sides)
- Cook tofu on medium in pan until golden brown on both sides
- Spread the Vegenaise on both sides of toast
- Smash the avocado on both slices of bread and sprinkle with salt and pepper
- On one side of the toast place the spinach, bacon, and then tofu
- On the other side of toast place the green onions & top with cheese (optional), then top with tomato
- Put the pieces of bread together, slice in half, and enjoy!
- Smoked tempeh bacon is a very nice choice for your veggie bacon!
G’s Avocado Pasta
Greyson’s Avocado Pasta is incredibly easy, healthy, quick, and delish! One of his ultimate faves which works for my recently very busy schedule. Honestly, I usually make enough for 2 meals for the wee man and two meals for myself! And yes, I always use super cute pasta because it just makes the avocado shell bowl look even more fabulous. 😉 I always like to aim for ‘fabulous’. Hehe. Next time you have some super ripe avocados lying around, whip up some G’s Avocado Pasta!
- 1 avocado - smashed (save your avocado shells)
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 1/2 Tbl cilantro - chopped
- 1 Tbl tofu - crumbled
- 1 Tbl plain greek yogurt
- 2 C cooked pasta
- Pinch of salt
- Mix the avocado and salt together in bowl
- Add the lemon juice, cilantro, tofu, greek yogurt - mix well
- Stir in the pasta and cover completely
- Place pasta in half of avocado shell
- Mix with diced tomato & sprinkle with parmesan cheese
The Most Bitchin’ Broccoli & Eggplant Veggie Burger Ever!
- 2 eggs
- 1 large potato, skin on - diced
- 2 C eggplant -diced
- 4 Tbl cooked lentils
- 1/3 C loosely packed fresh basil - chopped (save some for garnish)
- 1/4 C bread crumbs
- 1 C broccoli florets, no stems - diced
- 1 shallot - diced
- 1 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
- 2 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbl parmesan cheese (optional)
- Olive oil
- Grain and seeded buns
- 2 Tbl sesame paste OR tahini
- 1 1/2 Tbl lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbl freshly chopped cilantro
- 2 Tbl water
- 1/2 tsp chilis (I use jarred fermented Chinese chilis)
- 2 Tbl plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 tsp dill
- Steam potatoes until soft
- Cook shallot for about 5 minutes
- Add lentils and stir for about 1 minutes
- Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute more
- Add eggplant and 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cayenne and stir for 5 minutes
- Add broccoli, basil, and the rest of the seasoning, and stir for about 3-5 minutes
- If using parmesan, add now
- Remove from heat and place in bowl adding your potato, eggs and bread crumbs. Blend with immersion blender until smooth
- Let cool in fridge either briefly or overnight
- Form mixture into patties
- Brush patties with olive oil and heat in pan until each side is golden brown
- Mix all ingredients together and blend with immersion blender or small food processor
- Place the burger, open-faced, on the bottom bun
- Add sauce and garnish with basil
- To make these burgers really solid you can place them in the refrigerator for two hours or over night before cooking them.
- Feel free to plump these burgers up when serving with red leaf lettuce, onions, cucumbers or anything you'd like!
The Perfect Purple Potato Veggie Burger
- 4 medium purple potatoes - diced
- 1 1/2 C uncooked oats
- 1 red onion - diced
- 2 cloves garlic - diced
- Handful of cilantro
- 1 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 Tbl oregano
- 1 small carrot - diced
- 1 egg
- Olive oil to brush on burger patties
- 4 seeded and plump whole wheat or grain buns
- 4 lettuce leaves
- 4 small slices white cheddar (optional)
- 1 avocado - sliced
- 1 small tomato - sliced
- 6 Tbl greek yogurt OR Vegenaise
- 2 tsp taco seasoning
- Heat the pan on low with add onions. Cook for about 3-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds more
- Add purple potatoes, carrots, salt, cumin, and oregano. Cook until potatoes are soft. Throw in the cilantro at the end
- Remove from heat and put in bowl with egg. Use immersion blender until smooth
- Add oatmeal and mix it in with your hands
- Form into 4 patties (put in fridge for two hours if you would like them to be more firm - not necessary though).
- Brush burgers with olive oil and cook on each side in pan until lightly browned. Top with cheese at the end if using (optional) to slightly melt
- Take the yogurt or Vegenaise and mix with taco seasoning
- Place lettuce leaves on bottom of buns
- Place burger on lettuce
- Top with sauce, avocado, and tomato
Vegan & Vegetarian Huevos Rancheros
- Handful cilantro - lightly chopped
- 3 stalks green onion - diced
- 8 Tbl vegetarian refried beans
- 2 slices cheddar cheese (optional)
- 3 Tbl red & yellow roasted peppers - juilienned
- 1 1/2-2 C spinach
- 2 wedges of lime
- 2 eggs (for vegetarian version)
- 4 slices tofu (for vegan version)
- 1 small tomato - diced
- 2 whole wheat tortillas
- Hot sauce as desired (I use a green & a red hot sauce)
- 1 tsp: cumin, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic salt, salt OR taco seasoning
- Cook spinach in pan for about 1 minute with pinch of salt
- Add roasted peppers and cook for about 30 seconds more
- Smear refried beans on each tortilla and top with cheese (optional) & pinch with seasoning (don't use all of the seasoning)
- Cook eggs or tofu in a separate pan. Sprinkle each side with remaining seasoning
- In the meantime, heat an additional pan on low and put tortilla/s in pan.
- Add spinach & peppers and then place your egg or 2 slices of tofu on each tortilla and cook until tortilla gets crispy
- Garnish each tortilla with cilantro, hot sauce, and lime wedges (squeeze on top)
- Serve quickly while still warm!
- If you like more seasoning feel free to be liberal when sprinkling it on.
- When using eggs, I like to fry it over-medium.
Tofu Tuna
- 3/4 C diced white onion
- 1 drained & pressed firm brick of tofu - crumbled
- 150 grams plain greek yogurt or Vegenaise (I prefer the grapeseed Vegenaise) OR half yogurt & half Vegenaise
- 2 grams crumbled dried seaweed
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1 heaping Tbl dijon mustard (a bit more if you'd like)
- 2 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp tumeric
- 1 small stalk celery - diced
- Pinch of white pepper
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/4 tsp soy sauce (I use Braggs Amino Acids)
- Put all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix together. Done!
- For a sandwich, I love this on a ciabatta roll with a piece of lettuce and a slice of provolone. The same with a wrap.
- Top on a bed of greens with some veggies for a delicious salad!
- Serve in a bowl as a dip with crackers and/or veggie sticks!
Black Sesame & street food
Black Sesame Ice Cream…Yummmm!!!
Ok, there are definitely a few places that I would recommend eating when you’re in Beijing. Whether you are a vegetarian or not, the restaurants I will write about are most definitely worth a visit for the food and for the experience.
Thankfully, my friend Kate decided the past two years to have her birthday celebration at Black Sesame restaurant. I had heard about this place and new that it had an awesome reputation. It did not disappointment! Black Sesame is located in a Beijing hutong. It is very small and has a rustic feel. They offer cooking classes & open as a restaurant for two days/week. You must make a reservation before going. My suggestion is to go with a large group therefore kinda renting the place out. You pay the same price per person and there is a set menu. When you call to make the reservation, mention you are a vegetarian so they accommodate you. All of the food comes out in waves and is for the table to share. I LOVE the five-flavored eggplant & the three-mushroom stir fry. But…wait for it…as the name of the restaurant suggests you will be having black sesame. A loud drum roll for the most amazing dessert ever! Homemade black sesame ice cream with seasonal candied fruit. It is truly the most incredible, melt in your mouth, who came up with this amazing bleeping idea?!, dessert around Beijing. This dish alone is worth the trip. The ambiance is very cool and is Beijing chic in its little rustic hutong home.
Next… street food. Have many people I know gotten totally sick from this? Yes. My advice? Be mindful of where you buy it and of what you buy. Also, don’t eat it too often! There is a market next to my school that once in a blue moon I will go get food from. I love their tofu skin dishes, cucumber in chili sauce, and the classic jian bing (an egg pancake with cilantro, green onions, and an amazing hot chinese sauce) – not to be missed. I also love broccoli with garlic (served & eaten cold), though there is not enough mouthwash in my drawer at work to warrant me being in close proximity to anyone after eating this. It is sure to ward off the most vicious of vampires and fight the fiercest of colds one may encounter. But damn! It’s goooood. Not only that but the price for all of this food you see here was purchased for a mere and measly $4.00 total. Hot dang!
G’s First Birthday Cake!
- 1 C whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 C fruit puree (I used an apricot, peach, and apple blend)
- 1/2 C soy milk
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 8 oz apple sauce
- 1 banana
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 6 oz plain greek yogurt
- Approx 1/4-1/2 C raspberries
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 and grease a small circular pan.
- Flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- fruit puree, soy milk, egg, and vanilla
- Mix bowls together until smooth.
- Add to pan and put in oven for about 25-30 minutes
- With a very light one whisk electric whip, whip together apple sauce, banana, vanilla, and greek yogurt.
- Place in refrigerator.
- Once cake is cooled, find a cup with a large circular top and cut out 3 circles.
- Stack the circles, pour the frosting over the cake, and decorate the top with raspberries. Add extra raspberries to scatter around the cake on plate.
Apricot Sauce
- 1 1/2-2 cups apricots
- Approx 6-10 cups water
- Simmer apricots covered in water. Add more water as is simmers down.
- Cook until fully soft. About 25-30 minutes.
- Put apricots in blender with remaining water. Puree until totally smooth.
- Add more water whilst blending depending on the level of thickness you want.
- Enjoy!
- This will make a very large amount. I make this size because it's so great to use on so many things. Freeze what you don't use. A sauce that is great to have on hand for a variety of desserts or other dishes. Add to smoothies, on top of ice cream, in frozen cocktails, with yogurt, with oatmeal, and so much more!
G’s Protein & Veggie Tofu Scramble
- 3 medium sized slices of firm tofu
- 2 tsp very finely diced chickpeas
- 1 Tbl finely diced yellow pepper
- 1 Tbl finely diced pumpkin
- 3 finely diced broccoli florets
- 1/4 tsp basil
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- Olive oil for pan
- Pinch of salt & pinch of garlic powder
- Heat pan with oil
- Add pumpkin and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add tofu, broccoli, chickpeas, basil, oregano, salt, and garlic powder. Scramble and cook for 5 minutes.
G’s Veggie Egg Scramble
- 1 egg
- 2 Tbl finely chopped spinach
- 1-2 Tbl finely diced carrot
- 1-2 Tbl finely diced yellow pepper
- 1 Tbl finely diced cheddar (optional)
- Pinch of salt (optional)
- Pinch-1/3 tsp basil
- Pinch-1/3 tsp oregano
- Olive oil to heat pan
- Heat pan with oil
- Add carrot and pepper and cook for 4 minutes
- Add egg, spinach, cheddar, salt, basil, and oregano.
- Scramble together for about 3-4 minutes.
G’s Dinner Quesadilla
- 1 6" tortilla
- 1 egg
- 1/2 Tbl diced tomato
- 1 tsp cilantro - chopped
- 1/2 slice white mild cheddar
- pinch of salt (optional)
- Dash olive oil
- Heat the pan with olive oil
- Crack egg & add tomato and cilantro and scramble. Add salt if you would like as well. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Keep pan on, remove egg scramble, place tortilla in pan, top with cheese and then egg scramble and fold tortilla in half.
- Heat each side for 1-2 minutes
- Let cool and dice up to serve
- Feel free to add a veggie inside as well. I often do!
G’s Quick n’ Easy Italian Egg Scramble
- 1 egg
- Pinch of oregano (I use a healthy pinch)
- 1 tsp tomato sauce
- 1/4 tsp parmesan cheese
- Grapeseed oil
- Heat the pan with just a bit of grapeseed oil.
- Crack the egg and add all ingredients.
- Scramble for approx 3 minutes.
- Done!
- Sometimes I add diced broccoli, spinach, or kale.
G’s Oatmeal Smoothie
- 1/2 - 1 C oatmeal
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2-1 cup coconut water (depending on your desired thickness)
- 1 Tbl lemon juice
- 3 Tbl plain greek yogurt (optional)
- Approximately 8-15 strawberries (depending on size of berries)
- Handful of blueberries (I use 1/2 of a small pack)
- Lg handful of spinach
- Put the oats and coconut milk in first
- Add the spinach, then blueberries, strawberries (yogurt too if using), and coconut water
- Top with the lemon juice and blend
- Voila!
- You can make this the night before and blend the following morning. The oats are fully soaked and blend so nicely as well. Will be perfectly chilled!
- This recipe makes 3 almost pint-sized glasses.
Hummus & Veggie “Sushi” Rolls
- 4 nori seaweed wraps
- 1 avocado
- 1/2 C hummus
- 1/2 a carrot julienned
- 1/2 a cucumber julienned
- 1/4 red pepper julienned
- 1/4 yellow pepper julienned
- 1 stalk green onion julienned
- 2 Tbl cilantro
- Smear hummus on all 4 wraps
- Either smash or use slices of avocado on top of the hummus
- Layer your veggies, green onion, and cilantro and roll them up
- Cut each roll into 6 or 7 pieces
Classic Hummus
- 1 15 oz can garbanzo beans (You can heat these in a pan or toast them for additional flavor)
- 1/2 15 oz can small white beans or cannellini beans
- 2 cloves garlic
- Liquid from cans of beans for desired consistency of creaminess - Add SLOWLY!
- 3 tsp lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp freshly chopped parsley (a smidge more for garnish if presenting)
- 1 tsp oregano (optional-I'm just obsessed with it)
- 1 1/2 Tbl tahini
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Add garlic, lemon juice, tahini, cumin, oregano and parsley, white beans, liquid from can, salt, and blend in food processor.
- Add the rest of beans and liquid and blend again until smooth. Add more liquid if needed for desired creaminess.
- Put in small bowl in center of plate with pita bread/pita chips/crudite/pretzels
- Sprinkle hummus with olive oil, paprika, and a few pieces of parsley on top
- Hummus is amazing on sandwiches, wraps, and burgers as a healthy and creamy spread. It also makes for an amazingly easy and well-liked party appetizer or just on a spoon itself! Lastly, place it on top of a salad or even use it as a pasta sauce!
Classic Baked Creamy Macaroni & Cheese
Creamy Mac n’ Cheese
- Approx 1 lb conchigliette pasta
- 1/4 C diced onion
- 2 Tbl butter
- 2 Tbl flour
- 1 1/2- 1 3/4 C milk
- 2 3/4 C shredded white sharp cheddar
- 2 3/4 C shredded smoked gouda (if you are not a fan of smoked gouda, 'sigh'- I forgive you, you may use regular gouda)
- 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (sometimes I use a Mexican blend to spice it up for a change)
- salt & pepper to taste
- Cook pasta.
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Heat the pan and add butter. Once melted stir in onion and cook for about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in flour. Stir continuously until a paste is created. This should be quick.
- Add milk and stir continuously until smooth.
- Add cheese and stir continuously until no bumps and completely smooth.
- Add salt and pepper and turn off heat.
- Slowly add pasta into the the pan of cheese. Be sure you are fully covering the shells before you add more.
- Once all pasta has been added to the cheese pour into a rectangular glass bakeware.
- Top with breadcrumbs and put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.
- *I often put tinfoil on the the first half of the baking time and remove it for the rest.
- Enjoy your glutenous cheesy comfort!
- I think mac n' cheese deserves a decent amount of pepper for those who pinch small! I usually grind some on each plate afterwards as well.
- Wear spandex style pants before indulging. 😉
It’s Easy Bein’ Green Smoothie
- 1/2 C oats
- 1 C coconut milk
- 7 Strawberries
- 1/4 C raspberries or blueberries (or a combo of the two)
- 3 C spinach or spinach & kale mix
- 1 banana
- pinch matcha powder
- water (depending on your desired level of thickness)
- Put in a blender, add water, and blend until smooth. Done!
- I make this the night before so the oats get nice and soaked. Also, all you have to do is blend in the morning. No fuss!
Pumpkin Coconut Curry Soup
PUMPKIN COCONUT CURRY SOUP
- 20 oz pumpkin puree
- 3 cups veggie broth
- 2 Tbl grapeseed oil
- 1 small diced onion
- 2 cloves diced garlic
- 1- 1 1/2 Tbl Thai red curry paste (pending upon the strength you'd like)
- 1 1/2 C coconut milk (plus extra for a drizzle if you'd like)
- salt to taste
- cilantro & pumpkin seeds to garnish
- Heat the pot with grapeseed oil and add onion. Pinch with salt. Cook for approx 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
- Add the pumpkin and stir in for about 30 seconds-1 minute.
- Add veggie broth and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes.
- Remove from heat and puree. Bring back to stovetop.
- Add coconut milk and curry paste then stir.
- Stir occasionally on low heat for about 15-20 minutes.
- Drizzle coconut milk (optional)
- Top with cilantro and pumpkin seeds
- I make my own pumpkin puree by steaming and blending the pumpkin with a little bit of water.
