Beer, pizza, and insomnia

Monday started bright and early (well, if we are being technical about it, I never went to bed Sunday night…sooo…I guess it started at the stroke of midnight?).  Whatever.  I got home around 8 am and immediately showered, put on my PJs, and started some oats on the stove. 

 

I added a chopped gala to cook with the oats.  By the way, this was a pretty hefty batch (in the 2 cup range).

Can you believe this bowl was only half the yield?  I was feeling crazy so I decided to bust open a brand spankin’ new jar of nutbutter to add in.

Drumroll please…

Sunbutter!

I can’t even tell you how thrilling this was to find.  I randomly stumbled upon this company’s booth at Expo West, and after seeing Sunbutter throughout the blog world, I couldn’t help but try a sample (or three).  I tried creamy, natural, and natural chunky and (obviously) wound up licking the spoon full of natural sunbutter clean.

And that, my friends, is how sunflower seed butter found it’s way into my life.  I am determined to try every single flavor now.  It is so good!  I can’t really think of a good way to describe it – it tastes like ground up sunflower seeds.

Sunflower seeds are packed with Vitamin E, which is the body’s primary fat-soluble antioxidant.  By neutralizing free radicals, it’s anti-inflammatory effects can result in reduced symptoms for chronic conditions like asthma, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis (read: conditions where free radicals and inflammation are the key causes).  The antioxidant properties of Vitamin E have also been shown to significantly reduce the risk of atherosclerosis.  I don’t want to get too scientific on you, but Vitamin E prevents free radicals from oxidizing cholesterol (and cholesterol can only adhere to blood vessel walls after it’s been oxidized). 

Cardiovascular disease prevention AND delicious flavor?!  Win win.

 

I love healthy food that tastes like it’s sinfully good.

After my second bowl, I found my eyes drooping.  Somehow I never made it to the bedroom though, and an hour later I woke up to the ladies of The View screaming.  Yikes.  I can’t imagine a worse alarm clock.

For second breakfast (because I always wake up from naps feeling jittery and hungry), I had a bowl of Love Grown cocoa goodness.

Kyle got home around noon and all hopes of getting more than an hour of sleep went out the window.  He studied quietly while I organized the apartment. 

Then I snacked my way to the bottom of this hummus.  Serving sizes shmerving schmizes.  I thought an afternoon jog would pep me up, but my run was pretty uninspired.  I’m bored with my running music. 

Because I worked night shift the previous night, I was ready for dinner at 5 pm.  Early bird special?  Sure why not.  I asked Kyle if he wanted pizza and he was all about it.

His and hers.

The crust was made of these three ingredients.

Bud light pizza with 3 cups flour, 1 can of beer, and 1 tsp baking powder.

And voila!  Dough!  Mix and form into crust.

Unlike last time, I decided to make two personal pizzas rather than one HUGE pie.

Doughy. 

These were pretty massive for the term “personal pizza” to still apply, but you know how my appetite is.  I baked them at 350 for 15 minutes, after which they were nicely browned and had risen a bit. 

Kyle suddenly changed his tune about eating dinner at a senior citizen hour once he smelled the hot-from-the-oven dough.

To start, I added red sauce, fresh tomatoes, and bell peppers to each of our pizzas.

A good solid red and orange colored base.

 

After this, our pizzas went in pretty different directions…

His went cheesy, while mine went noochy.

Cheddar & parmesan.

Baked eggplant & nutritional yeast.

Back in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Ding! 

Dinner time :)  His was perfectly melted.

But my pizza wasn’t quiiiiite ready. 

There we go! [Nothing is complete without hummus]

Now doesn’t that look yummy!

Kyle was pretty stoked on his too…a meal well worth the study break. 

Would you believe me if I said we both cleaned our plates?  Because that’s exactly what happened. 

Taking photos only slowed me down momentarily…and then I was back at it. 

Chowing piece by piece.

Sorry for the insane number of photos…it was so pretty and the lighting was outstanding.  Daylight savings has me loving the extra sunny time.

Post pizza beer belly left me feeling perfectly satisfied. 

More than anything, I wanted to go to bed right then (despite the fact that it was 6 pm and still light out).  My body wasn’t into it.  I think my body and I have differing opinions on what’s considered a proper amount of sleep.  Ideally, I’d like 6 hours.  My body, on the other hand, considers 3-4 hours a perfectly fine amount of snoozing.  WTF!?!  So infuriating. 

 

To help soothe myself into a sleepy mood, I made a big mug of ginger tea.  I tried this stuff at the Natural Foods Expo this last weekend and loved it.  However, when I went to make it myself from the sample packet, I obviously jacked up the ratio of water to mix.

It was SO effing strong, I thought my nose hairs were going to singe off just bringing the mug to my lips.  No joke.  I choked down a couple of sips before pouring the rest out.  Oops!

I turned to a Nana’s ginger cookie instead.

 

I like the purity of the ingredients, although I’m getting a bit tired of seeing tapioca flour in all gluten free foods. 

I ate half of it and saved the rest for later.

 

KIDDING!!!! Ha.  Like I could ever.  Nana’s are the most deliciously soft cookies on the planet.  It would be against every fiber of my being to not finish the entire thing.

Unfortunately, this cookie didn’t quite quench my sweet tooth, but rather awakened it from it’s slumber more drowsy state (I think my sweet tooth suffers from insomnia as well).

My little plate of sweets included dried tropical fruits and various Sunspire chocolate goodies.

With a satiated tummy, I was finally able to get my zzzzs on.  

How many hours do you sleep on a typical night?  Weekends? 

[I think your answers are going to make me feel really bad about my sleep habits] 

When I work day shift, I average 4 hours, but night shifts get me all crazy out of whack so there’s no real pattern.  Eventually I catch up on weekends with a nice 8-10 hour block though. 

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Pa-pa-pa-pizza face

I probably like pizza just as much as the next person, however, it’s not a food I eat very option given the primary ingredient (cheese) doesn’t have a place in my diet. 

But that’s no excuse (especially when cheese-less versions are just as delish and easy to make at home). 

 

While attempting to fit all the latest Costco buys in the fridge/freezer, I came across this delish Udi’s pizza crust.  Sneaky bugger was hiding way in the back!

 

In case you missed my previous review of this product, I loved it.

Udi’s pizza crusts are gluten free, dairy free, soy free, and nut free – but definitely not flavor free.

I was feeling adventurous, so I decided to make a more complex pizza (in my world, that means more than 1 step).

Step one: bake breaded eggplant slices (I did this last week and never posted the recipe because I suck)

It was my “n” meal – and although nutritional yeast isn’t a new ingredient for me, it’s still a new recipe. 

In any event, here’s the method.

I thinly sliced the eggplant, sprinkled the pieces with salt, and let them sit for ~20 minutes to sweat.  Thanks to the people who commented on my last eggplant post about this method – it definitely helped soften up the texture and allowed for more flavor without more oil. 

After they were done sweating, I lightly coated them in EVOO.  [FYI, I did this by dipped my fingers in a bowl of oil and massaging the slices individually]

Next I breaded them in a 50/50 mix of cornmeal and nooch.

For those who don’t know, nutritional yeast (aka nooch), is a deactivated yeast.  It’s commercially available in most health foods stores in a flaky powdered form.  It’s a popular condiment or ingredient for many vegans/vegetarians because of it’s bangin’ nutrient profile.  First off, it’s a complete protein; but even more importantly, it’s a source of B-complex vitamins.  The presence of B12 is especially noteworthy because this necessary vitamin is rare in plant-based foods.  Nooch is also naturally low in fat and sodium, so it’s heart healthy all around!

Then I placed them on a sprayed baking sheet.

And cooked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 15 minutes.

Voila!

Baked breaded eggplant is perfect for making layers in a lasagna.  Along with spinach and noodles, you can use “cashew cheese” or hummus in between, and – bam! – instant Italian heaven.

Sadly, I have no photos from the first use.  But I decided the extras were perfect for pizza toppings!

Step two: sauce your pizza crust (I don’t go too heavy on this step…not a big sauce person)

Step three: sauté mushrooms (I used Bragg’s liquid aminos)

Step four: while the ‘shrooms are shriveling up, chop and prep any additional toppings (bell peppers perhaps?)

Step five: add hummus (this is practically a life step style for me)

Step six: add more hummus (not a joke…)

Step seven: go topping crazy (fun part!!)

 

Can’t read my, can’t read my…no you can’t read my pizza face.

Pa-pa-pa-pizza face 🙂

Step eight: cook in oven at 225 for 15 minutes

Step nine: wait for it to cool (hardest step of all!)

Step ten: dig the eff in

I cut the pizza into 4 pieces (quarters), and made a side salad with approximately 700 carrots and 55 servings of hummus (those may be exaggerations but they aren’t too far off from the truth).

I made a (feeble) attempt to practice moderation with this, and only plated two slices (half the pizza) as my first serving…but we all know that I went back for the rest of it after polishing off the first half.  I cannot tell you how awesome hummus is on pizza, you’ll just have to take my word for it and try it yourself. 

I was delightfully stuffed afterwards.  If you saw my pa-pa-pa-pizza face, you’d know it’s true love.

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Baked Eggplant Sticks

Well the post title says it all, doesn’t it? 

The letter of the day was “e” and so I chose to hack up an eggplant. 

I was trying to make fries, but they came out a bit on the mushy side, so I feel like a phony passing them off as such.  Frites they were not. 

All I did was chop up the eggplant into matchstick shapes (aka “fries”).

Then I did a little shake ‘n bake with Lawry’s seasoning. 

I believe this photo accurately sums up my ghetto fabulous method.

Then I lined them up on a PAM-ified baking sheet.

Ready for the oven!

I baked them on 350 for 20 minutes, at which point they were starting to smell done.  When I popped my head in to see their progress, they were definitely mushy (aka finished cooking).  In an attempt to get a little char on the top I turned on the broiler for the last minute (we have a crazy strong broiler that burns things if it’s on more than a minute).  After that, I took them out, even though I was hoping they’d be a bit more crispy and fry-like. 

Suggestions?  Maybe a higher oven temp?  Or lower and longer?

Consistency aside, at least they tasted good.  Normally, I’m pretty iffy about eggplant.  Recipes that call for it are hit or miss.  One one hand, I dislike the use of massive amounts of oil (eggplant is like a sponge with EVOO), but on the other hand, when it’s too dry, it’s often flavorless and blah.  Usually the best way to get around this is to use it in a marinara type dish, where it’s covered in copious amounts of sauce, but not fatty greasy sauce.  I still have half the eggplant left, so I think that may be my next eggplant trial.

But getting back to this dinner.

While the eggplant was in the oven, I made the rest of my meal.

It figures the amazing Alvarado Street sprouted tortillas I fell in love with last week are no longer in stock.  Isn’t that always the way things go?  You find something you love, and then you can never find them again.  Grrr.

So we got Food For Life’s Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted grain tortillas instead.  Can you see how thick and hearty it is from the above photo?  It’s much rougher (and stiffer) as compared to the Alvarado Street version.  The biggest difference though, is the size.  They are smaller, which makes them far inferior in my eyes. 

In any event, I got to stuffing them, starting with the condiments. 

 

That is about the least glamorous picture ever of vegan mayo, mustard, and avocado.

Next to join the wrap party was log seitan and spinach.

Voila!

With the baked eggplant sticks on the side.

Full disclosure, I had another wrap right after this using the rest of the eggplant (plus the same condiments, seitan, and spinach).

I was quite full after this, and sipped tea for the rest of the night.  No dessert necessary. 

Football and “f” food coming up soon!  Go Pack go!

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The bigger the better

These past few days have been a bit busy for me…among other things, I’ve been prepping for my follow-up job interview (which is tomorrow – eek!). 

Coffee for four. 

All for me 🙂

I have been cooking, too, but as you can see, blogging has taken the back burner.  Also, I’ve been having a string of bottomless pit days.  I’m sure you’re familiar.  You know the days when you’re stomach just won’t quit.  Which is all well and good, except that it leaves me with 482 photos to post.  Ugh.  I may as well dive right in…

These were overnight oats that I made Sunday morning and consumed Tuesday morning…does that make them overday oats?  Overnights oats?  Not sure.

As you can see it had all the essentials, most of which I mentioned in detail in this post.  Just add water and watch them grow…

It certainly had time to expand!  It was nearly 3 times it’s original volume and entirely raw. 

Not much to say here.

Along the same lines as my AM eats…lunch was a PB and apple sammie.

It started with the last of the jar of crunchy peanutty goodness, which I then layered with coconut flakes, flax seeds, and cinnamon.  Until…

Oh yeah.

More fruit.

At this point, I feel I should mention that these eats fueled an insane amount of exercise.  First I went on a 30 minute run.  Then, since I was still on a high from getting my bike back from the shop, I decided to go on a bike ride.  What started out as a short ride (to get my feel for the area and good bike-friendly roads) turned into a 10+ mile ride.  I got a burst of energy after just 10 minutes and decided to ride to my (finger’s crossed) future employer.  The hospital is just over 5 miles away, and there are several routes to take.  No time like the present to experiment with commutes…so I decided to give it a go.  The way there took 37 minutes, and the way home took 32.  Route #2 it is!  I prefer the second way anyways because it’s safer (bike lanes, minimal major intersections/fereways, etc.). 

For dinner all I wanted was a hugh jass salad.  And I mean HUGE. 

The wedding guest who gave us this gorgeous family sized serving bowl had no idea that I would be using it as a solo dinner bowl.  Muahaha.

• kale
• broccoli slaw
• carrots
• yellow and red bell peppers
• carrots
• raw corn

So much freakin’ fiber.  I poured a tahini & Bragg’s mixture all over it and dug in. 

I know the lighting is less than ideal, but please note the size of my legs (pink sweatpants aside), hand, and fork.  This baby was a Bieste (Glee reference?).

The most incredible thing of all was the flavor of the famer’s market fresh veggies.  I don’t think I knew what a bell pepper was supposed to taste like until now.  I’m never buying my produce anywhere else from now on.  Who cares that it’s not cost effective, I’m supporting local farmers and the food tastes better.  That’s worth the extra $$ in my opinion. 

The next day was more of the same. 

Brushing up on my skills.

Home-made raw almond butter (recipe in a later post) on a heel piece of bread.

 

After my morning jolt, I went to Barnes & Noble (lord help me!), followed by the farmer’s market (ditto to that one), and finally my Apple 1:1 appointment (nerd alert).

There were about 100 books I wanted, but thanks to Jenna’s tweet I refocused myself and only came away with 2 books.  I added the other 98 to my to-read list. 

I had way less self control at the farmer’s market…

I want it all!!

It should come as no surprise that I did some damage.  I even brought my fold-up goody green bag in anticipation…and that’s just a portion of my loot.

Lunch was a quickie sando with avocado, leftover bean dip, and (non-Daiya) vegan “cheese.”  It was fabulous, but I needed more food a short while later.

 

Snack plate with crudites (how fancy am I?) and a ‘lil tub of Sabra.  These individual servings are so cute.  Janetha would be all about it.

Later I sampled my farmer’s market fare…starting with a kind of pear I’d never heard of before. 

Before my workout I prepped dinner…chopping, marinading, and tupp-ing.

So many new things from the market! 

Russian blue potatoes (aka purple potatoes), white fingerlings, and red potatoes. 

White eggplant and Japanese eggplant. 

Zucchini, yellow squash, pattypan squash, and globe squash.

While these all percolated in a Bragg’s/nutritional yeast marinade, I did Jillian’s shred (level 3), followed by a 10 minute run cool down. 

The only problem was it needed more cowbell nooch!

Oh heyooo.  That’s more like it.

I showered while these roasted for 25 minutes on 375 degrees.

I added in chickpeas too.

This was the first of three servings.  Clearly portions aren’t my strong suit.  The bigger the better, the more the merrier…obviously these phrases were created for a reason, right?

Say hi to Kyle studying in the background.  Hi Kyle!

Ok, back to interview prepping for tomorrow.  Peace!

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Huckleberry and Finn

As I previously mentioned, my aunt and cousins came to see our new apartment and take us to lunch last week.

We went to a local cafe called Huckleberry, which is one of the best places to eat see and be seen in all of Santa Monica.

As tasty as my lunch was, I could hardly focus on the food because my cousin’s adorable son, Finn, had my undivided attention.  He’s so dang cute!  I know you all agree because last time he was on the blog he got more comments than the food!

But back to Huckleberry.  They offer the most delicious food, starting with their homemade artisan breads (which may become a weekly treat in the hippie household) and pastries…and then there’s the lunch menu…soups, salads, sandwiches, rotisserie chickens and deck oven flatbread pizza.  Plus, all their produce comes from the local farmer’s market, and they only use free range hormone and antibiotic-free meat, poultry and dairy. 

Because their breads are such a hot commodity you have to time your visit to make sure they have the goods you’re after (if you’re getting a full loaf that is).  Luckily they post the fresh-out-of-the-oven times for carb-a-holics like moi. 

As if the bread factor wasn’t reason enough for me to live across the street (this is hardly an exaggeration), they brew Caffe Luxxe’s gourmet coffee and offer Art of Tea loose leaf teas, too.  Bread, check!  Caffeine, check!  And I’m in heaven. 

The menu is so stacked, I had a really hard time choosing what to get.  In the end I went with the trio of prepared salads…which led to yet another impossible decision making process.  There were too many good options!  Quinoa salad, white bean dip, sautéed kale with garlic…and those are the ones I didn’t select!!

I chose the carrot salad, mixed grilled vegetables, and curry chickpea salad.

With a hunk of fresh bread on the side.  Here’s the up close of each dish:

Grilled veggies with cauliflower, eggplant, zucchini, and bell peppers.  A bit greasy, but amazing nonetheless.

Carrots with WAY too much cumin.  I was shocked by this dish because I thought it was going to be my favorite.  It looked like one of my favorite salads from the WF hot bar, but (unfortunately) tasted nothing like it.  I could only stomach a few bites before deciding it was inedible.  My cousin and Kyle agreed it was a loser of a dish, but my aunt liked it, so obviously it’s a flavor preference thing.  Finn tried a bite, too…

And promptly scrunched up his nose and spit it out.  Bear in mind this kid likes everything.  Sorry Huckleberry, this dish should definitely be reworked before you serve it again.  There were spices askew, and then some.

I saved the best dish for last, though.

Curry spiced chickpea salad.  Holy deliciousness in my mouth.  This was an amazingly flavorful dish that left my taste buds wanting more.  I even used the bread to sop up every last drip drop of it’s sauce.  I need this recipe.  NEED.

All in all, I was beyond content with my meal…although it’s pretty clear which parts were my faves.

 

The rest of my dining companions all ordered off the sandwich menu, starting with Kyle’s warm turkey meatball sandwich on ciabatta.

It came with a simple side salad, too.

My aunt got the BBQ pork sandwich with house made pickles & cole slaw. 

My cousin got the tuna salad sandwich with tomato, arugula & aioli on multigrain bread.

Can you even believe this bread? 

To be honest, I can’t remember what my other cousin ordered, but it’s alright because you can’t even see the insides anyways.

We also got an orzo salad for the table to share.

I had a bite, but it tasted far too delicious to not contain butter, so I immediately withdrew my fork from contention and passed off the rest of my share to Finn. 

He was busy with his own kid’s meal though.

Cream cheese and jelly!  Finn did quite a number on this sammie.  I think 60% ended up on his face, while the remaining 40% was smeared all over the plate, the table, and the table next to us…

You can get away with making messes when you’re this cute though 🙂

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Qu’est-ce qu’on mange?

Mon ami, c’est Ratatouille!

Pixar had it right: “Why do they call it that?  If you’re gonna name a food, you should give it a name that sounds delicious.  Ratatouille doesn’t sound delicious.  It sounds like "rat" and "patootie."  Rat-patootie, which does not sound delicious.”

But trust me, it is très délicieux. 

Tomatoes, onions, zucchini, bell peppers, and eggplant…all oiled up and ready for the grill.

Isn’t it amazing that salt and extra virgin olive oil can work such magic on the barbecue?

 

All together now…

Magnifique.

To accompany the ratatouille, we threw together some multi-colored rice.  [Insert multi-rice/race joke here]  Not today kids, not today. 

 

While that cooked, we chopped the grilled veggies and added them to a pot with EVOO and garlic. 

We let the veggies stew…

And when the rice was nearly done, we added balsamic vinegar (~3 T) and dried basil (~1 T) to the ratatouille for it’s last few minutes in the pot.

It was all hot and steamy, so my pics didn’t turn out so well.

You get the idea though, right?  So many colors and flavors all melded into a big pot of yumminess.  Bon appetit!

I definitely needed (yes, needed) deux servings in my life.  And I’m pretty sure my second helping was the bigger of the two. 

Try this dish immédiatement!

Although the French have many recipes I am not a fan of (creamy sauces, cheese galore, escargot, foie gras and other odd animal parts…need I go on), ratatouille is one that I enjoy a lot.  And wine, of course.

And merci beaucoup to Kyle’s parents for introducing me to such a tasty dish. 🙂

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Life in Lafayette

Now that I’m back in L’town (my affectionate name for the town I grew up in), it’s wedding task-a-mania up in hurrr.

You’d think I’d be sleeping in (given my job-less state), but you’d be wrong.  My sinuses have been crazy pissed at me with all the location changes (NYC, LA, Mexico, Newport Beach, San Clemente, and now the Bay Area).  As a result I’ve been waking up with the sun thanks to an intense throbbing pressure in my head.  Lovely.  I’ve been buddy-buddy with Sudafed as of late.

Anyways, since I’m not quite back into the swing of blogging on the reg, here’s a summary of how the past few days have been going:  Most mornings I get up and caffeinate myself before tackling the to-do list of the day.  As we all know, coffee is pretty much a priority each and every AM, regardless of my location, but without a j-o-bizzle, it’s not quite as necessary.  Being fully functional is optional when you aren’t saving lives (and with my sinus issues, my head is kinda a mess with or without java).

Fruit will never get old.  This bowl was quite massive, and contained an entire apple plus some strawberries and cherries. 

Add in some vanilla Chobz and…

Greek yogurt parfait blizzard. 

Don’t believe me on how massive this bowl was?  How about an object for comparison’s sake.

That’s a normal lemon, m’kay.  After my food coma wears off, I usually hit peak productivity.  Post-prandial tasks have included, but are not limited to:

• shopping for wedding bands
• thank you notes
• cell phone changes
• car insurance crap
• school scholarship crap
• joint checking accounts
• meeting with our pastor
• wedding food tasting
• make-up trial runs
• dress fittings
• hair research
• spray-tan research
• etc.

Clearly, being unemployed is a good move right now. 

Lunches and afternoon snacks generally revolve around hummus, bread, and veggies.  And copious amounts of apples. 

I also received a package from WOW Baking Co. full of goodies I can’t wait to try.

They specialize in wheat and gluten free treats, and although I’ve only tried one cookie so far (see below for review), I can already tell I’m going to SAVOR the crap outta the rest.

And while I’m on the subject of indulging, I should mention that Kyle and I are going on five consecutive days of Jillian’s shred.  She’s one tough b!tch.  My mom has walked by the living room several times and overheard Kyle cursing at her, but, hey, it’s wedding season, yo.   

But between all the tasks, workouts, and whatnot, we have been enjoying the CA weather and proximity to our family and friends. 

Just the other day we went to a San Jose Earthquakes game.

My friend’s cousin is kind of a stud (and by stud I mean scoring machine).

Crafty girl that I am, I managed to smuggle in a full dinner, despite the “no outside food or drink” policy.  Suckers!

Boca veggie burger + Tribe 40 Spice hummus + lettuce + avo =

Impressed?  Just wait, there’s more.

FYI, owning a purse with very deep pockets is a life saver.  I snuck in all the above (sammies for me and K, dried fruit/nut mix, and apple) PLUS the (below) cookie.

Oregon Oatmeal was my first Wow treat and it was love at first bite smell.  I opened the package and the delicious oatmeal cookie scent was enough to seal the cookie’s fate.  Breakability – perfect.  No crumbling and it easily tears with the exact right amount of chewiness.  Also amazing was the sugar content.  It tasted like a cookie, not a health bar disguised as a cookie, but a real cookie.  It was sweet but didn’t leave me feeling sick from over-syrupy-sweetness.  No sugar high = no sugar crash.  The best part were the visible dried apricot and cranberries.  This combo sets it apart from oatmeal raisin cookies (which are typically my fave), plus the dried fruit adds a natural sweetness.  The only negative thing I can think of is the fact that one cookie is two servings.  That’s BS in my opinion because nobody eats half a cookie.  Still, I can overlook that small detail because eating the whole cookie is worth it.  Also, I should mention these cookies are not vegan (bad Elise whatever it tasted good).

On nights that we’ve stayed in, my dad has been working on his grill-master-3000 license, perfecting the art of veggie marinading.

Grilled eggplant.  Swoon.

Fresh bread and corn.  Must be summah time!  I just can’t get enough of all the fresh produce, spending every spare second outside, playing with my parents dogs, and soaking up the sun. 

Clearly, the West Coast agrees with me.

Life = a bowl of cherries

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Dinner at Blossom

As promised, here is a more thorough recap of the first dinner with my parents.

I like taking non-vegans to Blossom because the menu is impressive for vegans and non-vegans alike.  They have interesting dishes that showcase a variety of non-meat “proteins” including seitan, tempeh, and tofu, as well as a few raw options and yet they aren’t presented in an ostentatious way.  I love when restaurants have diversity in their menus without an air of arrogance about them.  Unassuming and delicious. 

It took no time for us all to find something on the menu that we couldn’t wait to try. 

We started with the Black-eyed Pea Cake appetizer: a crispy cake of yukon gold potatoes and black eyed peas, served with chipotle aioli.  They were soft and warm on the inside with the perfect crispy top.  And even the tiniest drizzle of sauce made the bite pop in my mouth. 

Then my mom and I split the Butternut Squash soup. 

I’ve had this before, so I knew exactly what to expect.  Delish.  The texture was thick but still light.  My favorite bites were the croutons soaked with soup.  Mmmm…

And since we were coming from The Plaza’s Oak Room & Bar we had to keep the wine flowing…

After we finished our starters, my dad’s Field Greens salad arrived.  I’m pretty sure he thought this was going to be a small started salad.  Yeah, not so much…

This salad had mixed greens tossed with candied walnuts, tofu croutons,
and grilled pears in a shallot vinaigrette.  Clearly this salad was meant to be an entree, so my dad solicited our help with it…otherwise he wouldn’t have had room for his main course (no objections here!).

Finally it was time for my entree. 

I love seitan!!  I ordered the Lemon Peppercorn Seitan served with sautéed spinach & a black olive-Yukon Gold potato cake, over truffle cream.  It was plate-licking good.  I was never a big fan of white creamy foods before I discovered I was lactose intolerant, but this “truffle cream” sauce was out-of-control tasty. 

I literally cleaned my plate.  There was not an ounce of sauce left when I was done with it.

My mom ordered the (raw) Zucchini Linguini with almond pesto, cherry tomatoes, Portobello mushrooms, kalamata olives, and v-parmesan cheese. 

I was SO excited for my mom to try a raw dish, and she loved it.  She has been a vegetarian for a majority of her life (even back when going veg wasn’t as accepted), so she’s had some experience with trying to get others on board with different dietary preferences.  I love my hippie parents, and how flexible they are with accommodating my veganism, but her willingness to try a raw dish just shows you how awesome she is.  She let me take home her leftovers too, which came in handy when I was making my work lunch for Monday.

Kyle ordered the Soy Bacon Cheeseburger with caramelized onions, soy cheese, soy bacon, mushrooms, lettuce and tomato with chipotle aioli.

He cleared his plate, naturally. 

Like my mom, my dad was equally as adventurous with his order, and got the Moroccan Glazed Tempeh with glazed tempeh in an eggplant-chickpea stew with red bell peppers and sweet potato topped with a creamy fennel-black olive relish. 

I had a bite, and I will most definitely order it next time.  Tastayyy.  My dad enjoyed it too, and it is gluten free if anyone is wondering. 

Even after all those starters and entrees, we still HAD to try their desserts.  Had to.  No ifs, ands, or buts.

We grabbed the very last slice of this vegan double chocolate cake.  Holy YUM indeed. 

We also had a trio of soy ice cream with chocolate, strawberry, and cookie dough.  I wasn’t overly impressed with these.  They were good, but I’ve had other vegan ice creams that were creamier and more “ice cream” like (such as coconut based frozen treats).

As usual, Blossom did not disappoint in providing a simply wonderful dinner that satisfied my vegan appetite as well as my non-vegan family’s.  I am so lucky this place is so close by.  I would go everyday if I could afford it.

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Stuffed (in the hole)

I recently discovered this oh SO Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer.  I am cray cray in love with it, and since I now add it to my java on the daily, I felt the need to shout it from the rooftop post about it, too.  No soy, no dairy, no fat, just pure vegan yumminess with french vanilla flavoring to boot.  FYI, I usually flavor my coffee with NuNatural’s vanilla extract, but since my stash is nearly gone, this discovery couldn’t have come at a more perfect time. 

This morning I slept (wayyyy) in, but eventually rolled myself from the bed to the couch where I lounged around with trashy tv and a side of caffeine.  My cup floweth over.

I also had some [me] & goji cereal (which I purposefully soggified and then warmed up in the micro).  I heart mush.  Contrasting the soggy cereal were crispy, cinnamon-sprinkled apple slices (2 apples worth). 

[insert hours of college football here]

Snack plates while cheering on my Bruins.  Many, many more apples, carrots, falafel, eggplant chips, and kale chips.

And since they were nearly gone (read: looking neglected in the fridge), I decided to polish off two different tubs of hummus.  When there’s football on, that’s how I roll…ok, ok, football has nothing to do with it 😉

[insert trip to the gym here]

Reppin’ the DKB.  Pre-gym fuel in the form of sugar caked pineapple rings wasn’t exactly the best choice.  It’s no wonder I struggled through 6 miles (on the elliptical no less).  No complaints though since I haven’t really exercised since my iPod died in early October.  I think that’s a pretty legit excuse reason to take a hiatus from running, don’t you?  There’s a new Apple store opening this weekend on the UWS, though, so I may have to go shopping (thus eliminating that excuse all together).

[insert Whole Foods shopping trip here]

Dinner took a while, so I sipped on a Gingerberry Kombucha while getting busy in the kitchen.

1.  Make quinoa, then add in spinach and chickpeas.

2. Roast halved kabocha squash in the oven (first face side down, then flipped).

3. Fill the hole to the brim.

(it took all self control not to write something crass there)

(You can add it to the oven again after filling it if you want, but I like my quinoa cold, so I didn’t)

4.  Enjoy!

I know everyone in the blog world is all gung-ho about kabocha, but it’s not my fave squash varietal.  Sorry guys.  It was good (and I still ate every last bite), but I think I’m just so used to butternut squash, that nothing else measures up!  Oh, and if you are wondering if I ate the skin, yes indeed!  Every green fiber-ific bite.  The quinoa stuffing was fan-freakin-tastic and super easy, so don’t be surprised when it reappears several times in the near future.

I had a big bowl of peas on the side because I was really really craving them.  More than I’ve craved any single food in a while.  Kinda weird, but who in their right mind would deny themselves peas when the mood strikes?  If only I always had such healthy cravings… 

Side note: I used to eat peas by the truck load in college.  It was literally my favorite food.  Now I’ve moved on to greener hummus-ier pastures…

I ended the night with a bowl of vegan cocoa tofu pudding.  Tomorrow is going to be a fun filled day of food prepping for the week (aka my favorite type of day).  I love mellow weekends.

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Oven obsessed

I have literally been living at the office hospital.  And yet, somehow I have managed to churn out heaps of produce in the few hours I have been home.  Seriously, our apartment is where produce comes to die (death by baking anyone?). 

Wanna see a few of my success stories (if you said no…well…tough sh!t).  😉

FINALLY!!  (I think kale chips have been on my to-make list for a year now).  It’s about damn time, Elise.

Massaged with cooking spray, nooch, and salt (like, a LOT of salt), then baked at 350 for 10-15 minutes.  Awesome.

I sampled a few…and the verdict…salty crispy PER-FEC-TION!!  Naturally, the salt factor required a bit of sweetness (for contrast purposes of course), hence the presence of the apple on the snack plate.  Amor.

Next oven-i-zation (that’s my new word for oven experimentation) was eggplant chips.  First of all, how gorgy is this specimen (it’s an Indian eggplant FYI)?  I bought it solely because of how pretty it was.  Same premise as kale chips.  

Nooch + salt + heat = eggplant frites.  Yummy!  I need to figure out how to make them crispier without causing an apartment-wide fire drill.  Any ideas?  I’m thinking thinner slices next time, but our knives are as dull as Ben Affleck’s career. 

Prepare yourself for this next one because I saved the BEST for last.  I adapted Terry’s recipe for root veggie fries to meet my personal preferences, and here’s how it all went down.

1. Chop horse carrots into fry-like shapes.

2. Steam for 7-10 minutes. 

3. Add cornmeal/nooch/salt mix and Shake ‘n Bake (and I helped).

4. Spread on pan.

5. Add to oven (400) for 30-45 minutes.  You may have to flip a b!tch part way through depending on your fry shapes.

6. Remove from oven.

7.  Try to save some for your fiancé next meal.

And now I present to you…baked cornmeal crusted carrot fries.  DE-LISH!  Everyone try these now.  Right now. 

Anyways, moving on.  More work eats below.

Z bar central.  Honey Graham is the best flavor.  Period.  Spooky S’mores is fine for a change up every once in a while, and the Mocha-walla Odwalla bar is good for a more substantial kick in the pants kcal boost, but I really really love the Honey Graham Z bar.  Clif can do no wrong.

This salad had fancy lettuce, chickpeas, ‘shrooms, steamed sweet potato rounds, and dried cranberries. 

On the side I had some of my cornmeal crusted carrot fries.  Ummm, how fabulous is my sandwich-shaped tuperware!  I got it from my mama.

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