Recipes

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This whole meal was inspired by a Japanese eggplant that was given to me by a friend I work with! I love eggplant and I couldn’t wait to make something delicious with it. It turned out surprisingly delicious considering I mostly just used whatever I had laying around in the kitchen and lucky for me I had enough left over to eat it again for lunch! Give a whirl yourself..

JAPANESE EGGPLANT OVER QUINOA

1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water/veggie broth
place in a saucepan and stir while boiling till all the liquid has evaporated. Season as needed and set aside.

1 Japanese eggplant
1 bundle of asparagus
1 package of edamame
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped ginger
2 or 3 tbsp of ginger infused olive oil

2 cups red table wine
1 cup plum sauce
1/4 cup chopped shallots
1 tbsp of olive oil

First, thinly slice your eggplant and lay it out on paper towels to help absorb some of it’s natural water. Chop asparagus and add to a large frying pan with ginger infused olive oil, half your garlic and half your ginger. Add in the shelled edamame and finally your eggplant slices. Keep the veggies moving around and the heat on low-medium while you work on the sauce.

For the sauce, in a separate sauce pan, put your chopped shallots, the leftover ginger and garlic, and olive oil and sautée. After they have cooked for a bit, add in your plum sauce and red wine and let it reduce on medium to low heat. Sauce is ready when it has a medium thickness.

Assemble your dish by placing quinoa on the plate first, then veggies and top of with a drizzle of your red wine sauce! Enjoy!

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You all know how much I love my quinoa and of course, how much I love FALL flavors, so it’s no surprise I whipped up this creation this morning! This vegan gluten free breakfast is packed with my perfect protein, quinoa and some delicious fall foods to keep you seasonally skinny and satisfied!

FALL QUINOA ‘OATMEAL’

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 cup organic pumpkin purée
Heat together in small saucepan on medium heat till quinoa has cooked and liquid has reduced.

Garnish:
3 tbsp crushed walnuts
2 tbsp of dried cranberries

myfavsalad

 

After a month of hotel living and room service/take out eating, I could not wait to get back to NYC, my apartment and my kitchen! My body was craving something delicious, fresh and healthy. Yes, your body will actually start CRAVING that after you feed it too much heavy, restaurant-y food! I didn’t eat like a total heathen, I mean this is ME we’re talking about but fair enough to say I had a couple more cocktails than usual and indulged my love for mexican food more than once while on the west coast. So first night back and all I can think about is making a salad! Seriously, starved for a salad with home-made dressing for a change. Now, don’t get me wrong, I can not wait to start making some season fall dishes, but it was almost 80 degrees in NYC when I got back (total bummer for fall-obessed me) and so I thought it fitting to have my favorite salad just one more time before pumpkins, cranberries and apples take over my culinary life. Spinach, strawberries and brie, it’s a little naughty but very nice, all of my favorite things combined to make a very easy, simple and delicious salad. Enjoy!

MY FAVORITE SALAD

SALAD

2 handfuls of baby spinach

5 small strawberries, sliced

small handful of crushed walnuts

5 slices of brie, chopped into fourths

 

DRESSING

1 tbsp dijon mustard

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil (I used basil infused)

pinch of salt

1 tbsp of fresh strawberry (or any kind of berry) preserves

 

 

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My amazing friend Katelyn whipped up this delicious breakfast for me this morning and I loved it so much I had to share! Quinoa can be a wonderful oat alternative for breakfast. Since it’s a perfect protein you get all the fiber from oatmeal but the added bonus of protein as well! As we head into the fall and colder months, I have a feeling this might become a morning go-to for me.

QUINOA BERRY BREAKFAST
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup almond milk
1 banana
A handful of berries ( I use blueberries and raspberries for mine)
1 tbsp of coconut oil
1 tbsp of Chia seeds

Boil your almond milk in a saucepan with your quinoa constantly stirring. Add chopped up bananas and berries immediately as well as your chia seeds and coconut oil. This way everything is a nice hot gooey mush together! You can add more bananas and berries on top when it’s done or if you want to really spice it up sprinkle some chopped almonds or granola!

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You all know I’ve been on a smoothie bender this summer so I thought it only fair to share one of my go-to creations! This Good Morning Beautiful Smoothie was inspired by a concoction my friend got at our gym’s juice bar. Both of us enjoyed it so much that we ended up riffing up on our own late one night! Needless to say its become one of our morning staples! Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Good Morning Beautiful Smoothie
1/2 c almond milk
6 or so ice cubes
3 tbsps of gluten free oats
1 banana
1/2 c blueberries
1 tbsp almond butter
3 tsps of chia seeds

Blend till thoroughly mixed! 😉

          I don’t know about you but I’ve been on a HUGE smoothie kick all summer long. Seriously, when we got that crazy heat wave in NY I pretty much lived on smoothies because I couldn’t bare thinking of consuming anything that wasn’t cold and liquid. Smoothies are great for breakfast, I love making one after a workout or yoga sesh in the morning and taking it on the go with me as I start my day! I also confess that I do love smoothie pics on instagram. It’s so fun (for me atleast) to see what other people are concocting up. I mean, I’m sure we all enjoy a little of trial and error with our handy blender but sometimes it’s just nice to make something you KNOW is going to taste good! So when I saw my girl, Sarah, posting crazy yummy looking smoothie pictures and found out that they were made with some of my favorite super foods, well I just had to see if I could share them with all of you! Lucky for you, Sarah is a sweetheart and sent me over recipes and pictures right away! So get excited, this smoothie is total green gloriousness and amazingly good for you! Rev up those blenders…
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Sweet Summer Green Smoothie
– 1 layer of kale leaves
– 1 layer of spinach
– 1 in. chunk of ginger peeled and cut up
– 1 cup sliced strawberries
– half of a peach (cut up)
– 1 tsp. flaxseed
– 1 TBS Sunfood Maca Powder
– 1 scoop GNC Lean Shake Key Lime flavor
– 1.5 C almond milk (unsweetened)
And blended along with ice, of course.

 

bboatmealpancakes                  Weekends mean one thing to me, BRUNCH! So regardless of where I am or who’s kitchen I have access to, this lady always has some kick ass weekend brunch. This morning was no exception, although I was stuck at my parents with them gone for the weekend and me in total control of the fridge. So after scoping out my options I got a little crafty and whipped up these SUPER EASY to make, crazy delicious and incredibly filling Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes! I think they’re a super fun, hearty brunch treat with all the fiber, flaxseed and protein you are sure to be full till dinner time but they are a healthy alternative to regular breakfast any day of the week.

Blueberry Oatmeal Protein Pancakes

2 packs of Trader Joe’s instant  whole grain blueberry oatmeal with flaxseed + plant sterols

3 cage free organic eggs

4oz of fat free vanilla or plain yogurt (I used Activa because that’s what my mom had in the house but you can use whatever you prefer, greek yogurt might be even better!)

Mix it all together and spoon it on to a non stick frying pan! This recipe should make three pretty large pancakes or six small pancakes! If you’d like to make a smaller version, I’d use one packet of oatmeal, one egg and 2 tbsps of yogurt! Yum!! Enjoy!

 

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And by CRACK, I mean protein but these little suckers are so tasty that they should be considered crack! I literally had to hide them so that I would stop eating them. So bake these in a cookie sheet and then as soon as they cool immediately cut them and put them out of reach or give some to the neighbors, they’re that dangerous.

Okay, now that I’ve got your scared and excited, here’s the recipe!

VEGAN CRACK BARS
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and get your non stick cookie sheet ready on the stove. In a large bowl combine the following ingredients and then mix gently till they are all solidly stuck together and evenly distributed.

2 cups of oats
1 cup of goji berries
2 tbsp of cashews
3/4 cup all natural peanut butter
3 tbsp of hemp seed
1 tbsp of chia oil
4 tbsp of vanilla hemp protein powder
3 tbsp of maple syrup
1/4 cup almond milk
1/2 cup mini vegan choc chips (I Love ENJOYLIFE! brand)

Next spread the whole mixture the size of the pan so it covers all corners. It should be relatively thin, maybe a 1/2 inch – an inch thick. Bake for 5-10 minutes or until the edges get toasty brown. Let cool, and you’ve been warned what to do once they’re all cooled. 😉

vegan mac

In reality this dish is quinoa + cheese, but it really scratches the itch for it’s naughty alter ego mac and cheese! This stuff came out creamy and amazing, it’s SUPER easy to make and a definite MUST TRY!

VEGAN “MAC” and CHEESE
1 cup of water
1/2 cup quinoa
4 slices of Daiya cheese
1 tbsp of vegetable oil spread

Boil your quinoa in the water, and stir it around until most of the water has evaporated. Now add in your vegetable oil spread, tear up the slices of daiya cheese into your saucepan and mix everything together. I even added some chopped avocado after this picture was taken to kick it up a notch but it’s pretty delicious either way!

fruity french lentils

I LOVE LENTILS! Seriously. In the winter lentil soup is one of my favorite comfort foods and now that it’s hot outside I needed to find a lighter, more summery way to enjoy my lentils! Inspired by a recipe I found in The Kind Diet, these Fruity French Lentils are the perfect way to enjoy my favorite beans all year round! Enjoy these at home with some Cauliflower Steaks and salad or bring them to a barbecue as a great vegan/vegetarian alternative dish. They are sure to be crowd pleasers!

FRUITY FRENCH LENTILS
1/2 cup of lentils
1 cup of water
6 large strawberries, cleaned and chopped
2 tbsp of fresh chopped basil
2 tbsp of fresh chopped parsley
1/2 cup orange juice (I made mine fresh with a juicer)
1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar
a pinch or two of salt

In a saucepan, combine the lentils and water and let boil, mixing the lentils until all the water has evaporated. Chop the strawberries and place them in your orange juice while your lentils cook. When the lentils are finished, drain out any excess water and add in your basil, parsley and OJ’d strawberries. Gently fold the berries in and top it off with your balsamic and salt before your ready to serve. This a delightful light lunch on its own or side dish but can also be combined with some tofu or seitan if you would like something heartier!

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It’s a scorching 90 degrees in New York City today and I was itching for something light and cold for lunch after running around to meetings all morning so I whipped up this delicious and refreshing protein and fiber packed concoction! Give it a whirl this summer!

Raspberry Key Lime Protein Smoothie
1 cup coconut milk
6 ice cubes
1 lime, chopped and skinned
1/2 cup frozen or fresh raspberries
4 scoops of Adonia Key Lime Pie fat free frozen yogurt
4 tbsps of vanilla hemp protein powder (Manitoba Harvest)

Blend it all together and top it off with a lime for a little added festiveness! This delicious smoothie has 10 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber!

cauliflowersteaks

Cauliflower steaks are an easy to make, delicious, vegan food. I baked these in the oven at 375 degrees on a baking sheet but they would also be fabulous on your grill this summer! Healthy and light, these can become a summertime dinner staple for you.

Cauliflower Steaks
1 head of cauliflower (makes 2-3 steaks)
EVOO or White Truffle Olive Oil
3 tbsp fresh garlic (chopped or spread)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Clean and cut your cauliflower head like a loaf of bread. You are likely to get two or three good ‘steaks’ and then a lot of extra little pieces that fall off. I cooked everything because it’s all so delicious! Drizzle your oil on the baking sheet and place your cauliflower on top. Drizzle more over your cauliflower and spread on the fresh garlic or sprinkle it over the cauliflower. Bake for 15 minutes, flip the steaks and drizzle a little more oil and garlic if needed. Bake for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy this quick and easy light vegan dish with a nice summer salad, lentils or quinoa to complete your meal!