Vegan Mofo #25 - Donna’s Sesame Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Rice Noodles...

Vegan Mofo #25 - Donna’s Sesame Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Rice Noodles 

The Region - China
The Book - The Chinese Vegan Kitchen
The Author - Donna Klein
The Recipe - Sesame Crusted Tofu with Spicy Pineapple Rice Noodles
Page # 119
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - About 35-40 minutes

From the Caribbean we move back to China with a dish that Donna claims hails from Yunnan Province. Yunnan province is in the extreme southwest of China bordered by Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, because of it’s diverse ethnic population Yunnan cuisine is an eclectic mix of local ingredients and outside influences. Most of the dishes tend to be spicy, though this is complimented by what Donna says is their liberal use of sweet, cool, pineapple.

Personally I really love pineapple, after all I practically grew up gorging myself on the tropical fruits, but as much as I love it fresh and raw, I also love it in savory and sour cooked dishes. I’ve eaten a lot of sweet and sour in my time, and so for me pineapple with vegetables or a protein just works, it’s like comfort food to me, you know? Needless to say I was pretty stoked to try out this dish when I first saw it in “The Chinese Vegan Kitchen” as I also love sesame and rice noodles. Can there be any greater combination of flavors?

What I really love about Donna’s dish is that it’s simple, and easy to throw together but the flavor is so powerful that you don’t feel like you’re compromising or wussing out when you make this on a busy workday evening. All that’s required is a few minutes of saute time and a little chopping. The noodles are made with garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, snow peas, pineapple juice, fresh pineapple, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, salt a little pepper and that’s it. For the tofu you simply press out the water slice it and bread it in a mixture of salt, cornstarch and sesame seeds then fry it till golden brown. Voila! Dinner! And as an added bonus if you make the tofu first, then wipe out the pan to make the noodles next you only need to use one pan! Also it’s very handy to make the rice noodles in advance to make this dish even easier!

Vegan Mofo #12 - Taymer’s Pina Colada Ice Cream...

Vegan Mofo #12 - Taymer’s Pina Colada Ice Cream 

The Region - The Caribbean
The Book - Caribbean Vegan
The Author - Taymer Mason
The Recipe - Pina Colada Ice Cream
Page # 202
Difficulty - Easy
Duration - The active time on this recipe is about 15 minutes, but it requires some before hand prep. Once the ice cream base is made it needs to refrigerate overnight, I actually made the ice cream base very early in the morning and then popped it in the ice cream maker in the evening. Once it’s gone through the ice cream maker for 30 minutes it needs to freeze for 3 hours. Since I like soft serve ice cream I skipped the freezing step.

Okay, it’s finally time to get into the Island spirit, with a Caribbean inspired dessert. This recipe comes from Taymer Mason’s book “Caribbean Vegan” which is a book I’ve owned for a while now, but don’t use very often. This recipe in particular is one I’d been coveting for some time - probably as long as I’ve had the book - and I never made it because up until last year I completely forgot I owned an ice cream maker. I know, how do you forget something like that? Well, it was a wedding gift and it got lost in the shuffle somehow and at the time that I received it while I was a pretty good cook I wasn’t so experimental. Certainly it had never occurred to me to make home-made ice cream back in those days. These days it’s all different, becoming vegan has inspired all sorts of new creative culinary pursuits and I love making things from scratch from condiments to soy milk, to tofu, and even ice cream. Since I knew I wanted to include The Caribbean as a region I explore during this mofo, I thought there was no better time then now to finally try this delicious pina colada ice cream. Even if summer is only a few days away from being over.

Now, some of you might think making homemade ice cream is a chore, or that it’s laborious, but really it’s not. Not if you have an ice cream maker anyway. All you really do is spend a few minutes whipping together a base, you let it cool, and then you pop it into the ice cream maker and it does all the rest of the work for you. When it’s done you can eat it straight out of the machine provided you like soft serve. If however you prefer a more frozen ice cream it’s generally a good rule of thumb to freeze the finished product for 2-4 hours. Once you get the hang of this little dance making ice cream at home is fun and easy, and out of all the ice creams I made over the summer I’d have to say that Taymer’s Pina Colada is probably my hands down favorite. I just really love the mixture of flavors, and they all come together so nicely.

The base is pretty simple, non-dairy milk, non-dairy creamer, arrowroot powder - I used cornstarch -, coconut milk, sugar and coconut extract. Then you stir in white rum - I used Captain Morgan cause that’s all I had - crushed pineapple, and candied cherries. I also didn’t have candied cherries but I used jarred maraschino cherries that I blotted with a paper towel to remove the excess juice. The recipe also calls for Angostura bitters which I didn’t have and couldn’t find and so I just left that out.

Really this ice cream is so superb, it’s better then any store bought ice cream I’ve ever had, vegan or otherwise, and the craziest part is that I don’t even like Pina Coladas! No really, I don’t. There’s just something about a pina colada I can’t stand, it’s a strange taste, and texture, but I love pina colada flavored things which is bizarre. Anyway, a scoop or two of this flavorful ice cream will make you feel like you’re in the tropics. I know I’ll be making this again and again.

PS: Since we ate this straight away as a soft serve it didn’t photograph real well in a bowl. So since we were eating it with a pie I made I decided to photograph it topped onto the pie. For anyone curious the pie in question is Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s Purple Plum Pie with Crumble Topping from “Color Me Vegan” and seriously it’s one of the best pies I’ve ever had. So damn delicious, and it tasted great combined with the tropical flavors of the ice cream.

Tropical Avocado Smoothie...

Looking for another Green-Tastic smoothie to start your day off right? Well I have just the thing. Lately I’ve been really into the whole Avocado for Breakfast thing. Whether it’s in a smoothie or spread onto toast, I’m addicted! It’s delicious, filling, creamy, satisfying and some might even say that avocado on toast is even ‘buttery.’In a smoothie half an avocado adds depth of flavor, and creaminess which I love. Plus it makes your morning smoothie taste rich and decadent when it’s really not. Some people shy away from Avocados but not me. Healthful fats like those found in Avocado or other whole plant foods are an important part of a healthy balanced diet. Your body needs fat, your brain needs fat - unfortunately we as a species are getting far too much of the wrong kind of fat and we’re getting it far too often. However if you’re eating a healthy, balanced, nutritionally dense diet half an avocado - or a whole one - every once in a while isn’t going to do you any harm. And, while we’re on the subject of fat, I kind of like the idea that if you’re going to eat fat you may as well eat it in the morning that way you have the day to work it off and use it for energy. If you eat a lot of fat at night and then just lay around or sit on the couch your body’s just going to store the fat instead of utilize it. So indulge in a little tropical-avocado goodness and power your morning the right way, through fruit, veg and healthy fat!

Tropical Avocado Smoothie 

1 C Coconut Water
½ Large Avocado
1 C Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1 Large Satsuma Orange
1 Sliver of Ginger - or to taste
Pinch of Fresh Parsley
3 Large Leaves kale
1 tsp Spirulina - Optional

- Place everything in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 90 seconds until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

PS: If you’re looking for something to do with that other half of Avocado you can freeze it and use it in a smoothie another day. Or you can do what I did and toast 1 slice of whole grain or gluten-free bread. Then mash the avo in a bowl with some lime juice, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes then spread it over the toasted bread. It may sound strange to you at first - trust me it took some convincing before I was even willing to try it - but it’s so freaking delicious. Your mind will literally be blown! 

Tropical Greens Smoothie with Super Seedy Milk...

I love smoothies, I’m sure you know this by now. I especially love them in the summer, but this summer thanks to two extended vacations and a busy schedule I haven’t been feeling much creative inspiration in the smoothie department. I still drink a smoothie each morning of course but over the past month and a half I’d say I’ve mostly been drinking flax-milk chocolate vega shakes. They’re delicious of course but nothing that really needs to be written about.

Well yesterday I decided to try something new. I decided to make some homemade seed milk. I’d made homemade nut milk before and that was fun and easy, so I thought I’d give seed milk a try. It’s even easier then nut milk because you don’t have to filter out any pulp and it gets super creamy without having to soak the seeds first. Of course the recipe makes quite a bit (3-3 ½ C) so today I wanted to make sure I used up some more of it. Of course the next logical question became “What should I use it on/in?” After a bit of thought I decided a good belly-filling smoothie was just the ticket, and since I’ve been thinking a lot about the glorious combination of pineapple and spinach that seemed the natural choice for the smoothie.

The seed milk on it’s own is a bit bitter, as you would expect from sunflower and sesame seeds, so I wasn’t sure how it would pair in a smoothie. However I figured pairing it with sweet frozen pineapple could only make a good thing better and I was right. This smoothie came out so creamy and delicious, really you won’t believe how creamy it is! The seed milk becomes a subtle flavor addition and the tropical flavors really shine through. A perfect blend, and super filling, which is great for a first day meal.

I know it may sound a bit weird “Seed Milk” but trust me, this smoothie is delicious! And the best thing about it is that this is a super quick and easy way to get in some greens and some seeds. Two food groups I think a lot of us often neglect.

Tropical Greens Smoothie with Super Seedy Milk

1 ½ C Frozen Pineapple Chunks
1 Big Handful Baby Spinach
1 Banana
1 C Super Seedy Milk (Recipe Follows)
½ - 3/4 C Filtered Water

- Place all ingredients into a highspeed blender and blend on high for 1 minute or until completely smooth and creamy. Pour into glasses and enjoy with a nice bowl of strawberries!

Note - If desired you can use half frozen pineapple chunks and half frozen mango chunks to give the smoothie a slightly more tropical feel.

Super Seedy Milk

 3/4 C Raw Sunflower Seeds
1/4 C Hemp Seeds
1/4 C Sesame Seeds
4 Medjool Dates
A Tiny Pinch of Cinnamon
2 ½ - 3 C Water (Depending on how thick you want it)

- Place all ingredients into a highspeed blender and blend on high for 1-2 minutes or until the milk is smooth and creamy. Add more or less water for your preferred consistency.

- Store leftover super seedy milk in an air tight container or mason jar in the fridge for 3-5 days. Shake well before using because the milk may settle and or separate when in the fridge overnight.

Hot and Sour Pineapple Seitan Broth...

Everyone has a favorite type of cuisine, it doesn’t matter who you ask, everyone has a favorite. Some might say Italian, and some might say Mexican. Others might say German, or Greek, or Japanese, or Chinese. I love all cuisine’s, and if you asked me to pick a favorite I wouldn’t be able to narrow it down to one specific country, but I could narrow it down to a continent. Asia. Asian cuisine is by far my favorite, if I could eat nothing else for the rest of my life that would be totally fine with me. I love Chinese, Japanese, Indonesian, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Malaysian, Nepalese, and Indian food, I love them all. This is the food I grew up on, and these are the types of restaurants I typically sought out when I grew older - not that they were at all hard to find in Vancouver.

Vancouver you see has a huge Asian population. Over 30% of the cities inhabitants are of Chinese heritage, they are the largest ethnic group in the city. Vancouver has the largest Chinatown in all of Canada, and the third largest Chinatown by population in North America. The city also boasts significant Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Cambodian, and Indian populations. I loved this growing up, and I spent a significant portion of my teenage and early adult years exploring Vancouver’s Chinatown, which still today remains one of my top 3 favorite places in all of Vancouver. I loved going to the night markets, I loved going to hawker stalls, and food stands. I loved ducking into little shops, bakeries and groceries, and I most definitely loved eating in every Asian restaurant I came across. It is amongst these people, and these cultures that I feel most comfortable and most at home. I miss ‘my’ Chinatown all the time, I miss meditating in the Sun Yet Sen Classical Chinese Garden - one of the most beautiful and peaceful places in downtown - something I typically did 2-3 times a week when I wasn’t working. Some weeks I was in Chinatown everyday, usually alone, which is how I preferred it. For some reason I rarely went to Chinatown with friends, these adventures were always solo, that is until I met my husband, and then the two of us would explore together.

My husband, who loves Asian food as much as I do if not more, found Vancouver to be a magical place. Growing up in Chicago and suburban Illinois he wasn’t exactly exposed to the same level of Asian culture as I was. It wasn’t until he attended University in Southern California that he really experienced Asian food proper, particularly sushi for which he has an undying love. I can’t tell you how many Vancouver days and nights we spent stuffing our faces with all the glorious sushi on offer. Sushi bars you see are to Vancouver what Starbucks is to Seattle. No joke, you can’t throw a rock in downtown Van without hitting at least three Sushi Bar’s or restaurants. They are almost literally on every corner, and they are far more populous then either Starbucks or McDonald’s. As my husband said to me many years ago - and has said many times since - “Even the shittiest hole in the wall Sushi bar in Vancouver is better than the best Sushi Bar in Chicago.” - With which after moving here I would have to agree. While after a lot of searching I have found some very good sushi here in Chicago none of it can ever compare to the sushi I enjoyed in Vancouver, which Is why I typically prefer to make my own, but that’s beside the point.

Together we hit up Korean BBQ’s and Vietnamese Pho restaurants all over the city. We chowed down on Thai takeaway, and Indian curries. We stuffed ourselves on fried bananas in coconut milk, and green tea ice cream. More often than not we were the only white people eating in the restaurants we chose, and half the time we couldn’t read the menus - which weren’t in English - and so had to order by pointing at pictures. I miss this a lot, and I definitely miss the food. Even after living here for nearly 5 years I can’t get used to the endless stream of white faces, I feel awkward being part of the ‘majority,’ and I find the lack of diversity in the suburbs suffocating.

I guess it’s because I’ve been missing Vancouver lately that I’ve been making more and more Asian dishes at home. Lately I find myself particularly fascinated by the foods of Malaysia. The cuisine of Malaysia is one of the few Asian cuisines with which I’m not overly familiar, but it’s always intrigued me. Years ago I bought a Malaysian and Singapore cook book but never made anything out of it because at the time I wasn’t very proficient in the kitchen. When I finally developed my skills in the kitchen I’d stopped eating red meat and pork and was only six months away from turning vegetarian. So the book has just been sitting in my closet collecting dust for the past five years.

Traditionally Malaysian food is not particularly vegan friendly. Malaysia is a pretty ethnically diverse place, and religiously diverse as well, with a percentage of the population being Buddhist. So there are vegetarian dishes but many of them call for eggs. Most people might consider this a problem, but not me. These dishes have been calling to me over the past couple of weeks, and once I get curious about something I find it very hard to get my mind off the topic, so I decided I would try and veganize some of these recipes. When it comes to vegan Asian cuisine I find there are a lot of repeat recipes. Anyone can make a vegan curry, or a vegan stir fry. There are recipes abound for vegan won ton, vegan kung pao, vegan fried rice, and vegan tempura. As much as I love all of those things I like a little variety too, and I want to start making vegan versions of more of the dishes I used to enjoy. As well as new dishes that remind me of the tastes, and flavors I loved back in those days.

The first dish I decided to recreate is a simple Nonya dish. When early Chinese traders settled in ports of Penang, Melaka and Singapore beginning in the 15th century, many of them married local Malay woman. These marriages created an ethnic sub-group of Malay-Chinese, which in Malay are referred to as Peranakan. This group was particularly noted for it’s distinctive dress, it’s lavishly decorated homes and above all it’s cuisine. All the meals were cooked by the woman or Nonyas - the Peranakan word for female - and were an inspired blend of both Chinese and Malay traditions. The style of cuisine is very unique, full of flavor and infused with elements of Indian, Thai, Portugese, and Chinese cooking.

For my first foray into Malay cooking I chose a simple soup dish because It intrigued me, and it inspired memories of many of the sweet, sour and hot dishes I used to enjoy back home. Though the soup is traditionally made with prawns It wasn’t hard for me to decide that seitan would be a perfect substitute. I had some homemade seitan in the freezer that I needed to use, and all the other ingredients I needed were on hand. Though I was initially a little skeptical about how this might turn out I have to say it came out amazing. Really, I enjoyed leftovers of this soup for lunch all week, and it got better and better each day. I highly suggest making it a day in advance and giving it a night to let the flavors develop in the fridge. However it does taste wonderful the first day as well. I really hope you try this delicious soup, and enjoy it as much as I did.

Hot and Sour Pineapple Seitan Broth 

1 Tbsp Peanut Oil
1 Small Red Onion diced
8 Garlic Cloves minced
1 Thumb sized Piece of Ginger grated
1 ½ tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1 lemongrass stalk trimmed and minced or 3 tsp jarred minced lemongrass
2-3 Tbsp Tamarind Paste
1 ½ Tbsp Sugar
1 ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce (or Coconut Amino's)
5 C Water
Sea salt and Black Pepper to taste (Optional)
8oz Seitan (Homemade or Store Bought)
2 C Fresh Pineapple chopped into bite sized pieces
½ Bunch Cilantro minced
Fresh mint leaves, minced to garnish

- First prepare your seitan by slicing it into thin strips.

- Next heat a large pan over medium-high heat and spray lightly with non-stick spray. Add Seitan in batches and fry a few minutes on each side until browned and crispy. When browned on each side remove the seitan to a plate and set aside.

- Heat the oil in a medium sized pot over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion, minced garlic and grated ginger. Saute for 5 minutes until fragrant.

- Add the red pepper flakes, and lemongrass saute another 2-3 minutes until onions become translucent.

- Stir in the tamarind paste and sugar, then add the 5 cups of water. Stir to combine then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat then simmer for 10 minutes.

- Season the broth lightly with sea salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the soy sauce.

- Add the Pineapple and reserved Seitan to the broth and simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the pineapple is soft and both it and Seitan are heated through.

- Add in the minced cilantro and mint leaves. Divide the broth evenly amongst serving bowls making sure each bowl gets a good helping of both pineapple and seitan. Garnish with extra cilantro and mint if desired.

Typically this soup is served as an appetizer because it’s considered an appetite enhancer, however you can also serve this broth over a plate of steamed rice or noodles for a more substantial meal, or eat it as is for a light lunch or dinner. Either way it’s delicious!

*** Note - Soy Free if using Coconut Amino's instead of soy sauce ***

Roasted Vegetable Mango Salsa...

Now I am of the opinion that you can’t have a good taco without good salsa. I am a big fan of salsa’s and Pico de gallo, any kinds and all kinds, the more unusual the better. Though I am particularly fond of salsa’s or pico’s that include fruits such as mango, pineapple, peach etc.. There’s just something so divine about that combination of tart tomatoes and spicy chili blended with the sweetness of fruit and the pungency of garlic. A winner in my book every time.

Since I was feeling in a very tropical mood the other night, and since the tacos I was making included coconut, avocado, and plantains I thought it only fitting that I make a fruity salsa to accompany them. As luck would have it I had mangoes on hand and pineapple juice in the fridge, so I set to work. Since I’ve always been rather fond of roasted and fire roasted salsa’s I decided to use that method and in the end It worked out brilliantly.

Fair warning this recipe does make quite a bit of salsa, but it’s so delicious you’re going to be glad that it does. Even when all your taco’s are eaten and you have no more leftovers to compile into a tortilla you can use this salsa on chips or wherever else you might typically use salsa. It’s really fantastic, especially for all the mango lovers - like me - out there.

Roasted Vegetable Mango Salsa

2 Large Tomatoes
1 Red Onion
1 Red Pepper
5 Cloves Garlic
1 Bunch Cilantro minced
2 Ripe Mangos
Sea Salt and Black Pepper to taste
Crushed Red Chili or Cayenne Pepper to taste (Start with 1/4 tsp and work your way up)
3-5 tbsp Pineapple Juice
3-5 tbsp Lime Juice
Garlic Powder to taste if needed

- Preheat your oven to 400'F (200"C) and lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray.

- Slice each tomato into 6-8 pieces, quarter your onion and pepper. Separate onion layers. Lay all the veggies and garlic cloves out onto the baking sheet and place in the oven. Roast for 15-20 minutes until
veggies begin to get soft and fragrant.

- Peel and chop mangoes, place into a food processor. When veggies are done remove them from the oven and let cool for 5-10 minutes. Place them into the food processor with the mango and pulse until everything is finely diced but not pureed.

- Remove contents of food processor to a bowl. Mince cilantro with a chef knife then add it to the bowl, along with the pineapple juice, lime juice, sea salt, pepper and chili or cayenne. Stir until thoroughly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. If you don’t feel that the 5 cloves give enough garlic flavor to your salsa once they’ve been roasted you can add in some garlic powder to taste or 1-2 cloves raw minced garlic if you like.

- Enjoy served with my Coconut ‘Shrimp’ Tacos or any of your favorite taco, burrito, fajita’s or just with chips.

*** Note - How much pineapple and lime juice you’ll need are going to be dependant on how much your fruit and vegetables yield. Your tomatoes, mangoes etc... may be larger or smaller then mine, so adjust the liquid as needed. You don’t want it soupy. ***

The Popeye...

I’ve been craving spinach lately, and oranges. Yesterday when doing my grocery shopping o bought several pounds of each. Then this morning when I awoke in dire need of a green smoothie fix I thought what better use for them? I’m sure you’re saying to yourself that spinach and orange is a strange combination, but trust me when I say they pair beautifully together. Not only is it delicious, and a wonderfully nutritious way to start one’s day, but the vitamin C from the oranges and lime juice help your body to absorb the full iron content of the spinach. Incase you didn’t know - for whatever reason our bodies find it difficult to fully absorb iron from certain leafy greens, spinach being at the top of that list. So by simply adding something containing vitamin C you dramatically improve your bodies ability to absorb this important nutrient. This by the way is important to note whether or not your vegan, vegetarian or omnivore. Iron isn’t absorbed any easier by meat-eaters which is why anaemia effects omnivores as much (if not more so) then it does vegetarians and vegans. So if you’re going to eat your greens, as you should make sure to pair them with lemon, lime, orange, tomato or any other vitamin C containing food. My opinion is to always use a lot of vitamin C rich foods in cooking anyway, because it’s one of natures most important antioxidants. How can you go wrong?

The Popeye

3 Handfuls of baby spinach
2 Navel Oranges peeled and halved
1 C chopped pineapple
2-3 packets Stevia, or other sweetener (Optional)
2 C filtered water (or more to thin if needed)
3 Tbsp lime juice

- Place all ingredients except sweetener in high speed blender and blend on high for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until completely smooth.

- Taste for sweetness and adjust as necessary, and enjoy!

Now I can’t guarantee that by drinking this smoothie your muscles are going to quadruple and bulge right out of your shirt. You’re not going to turn into the hulk or anything but I think you’ll feel a nice boost after drinking this. I did at least, by the time I’d drained my glass my energy was flowing and I was feeling pretty lively. I hope you feel the same.

Bottoms Up!

*** Note - This recipe makes enough for three good sized glasses. So if you’re not looking to drink that much, or don’t have anyone to share it with then by all means cut the recipe in half. ***

Island Paradise Salad with Teriyaki Chickpeas and Fresh Pineapple...

Now that summer is here I’m craving tropical food. Carribean, South East Asian, Hawaiian, and Mediterranean inspired dishes are currently the most appealing to me. With the sun hot and burning, and the humidity increasing I’m craving salads, salads, salads, or other meals that require minimal use of my oven, and stove top. I’ve been dreaming a lot about The tropics, Puerto Rico where I spent a week in February, and Hawaii, Maui to be exact where I’ll be going in October for the umpteenth time. I’ve been dreaming of palm trees, swollen coconuts, crashing waves, and ocean breezes. Calm summer nights under clear cloudless skies, and dinner outside on the terrace of a lovely little condo. I’ve been dreaming of leisurely morning beach walks at sunrise, biking up a sleeping volcano, and long hikes through ancient forests of ridiculously tall trees. I’ve been dreaming of roadside markets selling the sweetest fresh onions you’ve ever tasted in your life. Onions you can eat like apples, where Bob Marley’s sweet voice is the ‘noise pollution’ of choice, and guava’s hang large and ripe for the picking. I dream of sea turtles, starfish, dolphins and whales. Childhood memories of geckos, shell necklaces, sand castles, sandals, fresh fruit’s and vegetables, and summer salads have me aching to be back in that tropical paradise; but for now I have to content myself with what I have here. A few days ago, in an attempt to find something to sate my far away dreams and my tropical tastebuds I threw this salad together. It was incredibly delicious, and filling and wonderfully reminiscent (for me) of another place and another time.

A little advanced preparation is required for this recipe, but it’s worth it.

Island Paradise Salad with Teriyaki Chickpeas and Fresh Pineapple

1 15oz can chickpeas
Roughly half a head of romaine lettuce chopped
1 quarter to 1 half a small red onion diced (or to taste)
1 medium sized tomato diced
1/4 C chopped green onions
Finely chopped cilantro for garnish
1 Handful of thinly sliced red cabbage
½ red pepper broiled
1/4-1/2C Your Favorite Teriyaki sauce
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tbsp agave nectar (or to taste)
*** Hawaiian Red Alaea Sea Salt to taste (See Note)
Pinch of black pepper
Dash of Garlic Powder
½-3/4 cup diced fresh pineapple (or to taste)

- Drain and rinse your chickpeas under cold water. Then place them in a small sauce pot over medium heat on the stove and pour over roughly 1/4-1/2C of your favorite Teriyaki Sauce. (I use Organic Ville brand) When you pour in the sauce you don’t want your chickpeas to be drowning in it. You want there to be enough sauce to coat all the chickpeas, but it doesn’t have to be enough sauce to cover the entire 15oz.

- Bring the chickpeas to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for roughly 10-15 minutes.

- While chickpeas are on the stove, place your red pepper half on a lightly greased broiler pan and broil on high until skin blackens. When red pepper is done place in a bowl or on a plate and put into the freezer for 5 minutes to quick chill it, so that the skin peels off easily.

- Assemble your salad. Chop your romaine, Cabbage, onion, tomato, and green onion and place into a bowl.

- Remove pepper from freezer, peel away blackened skin and discard. Chop pepper either fine or rough and toss into the salad.

- When chickpeas are done place a metal sieve over a bowl and drain the chickpeas into the sieve. Making sure that the bowl collects the excess Teriyaki marinade. Let chickpeas cool for a few minutes and then add them into the salad.

- Chop Pineapple and Cilantro and add to the salad.

- Stir lime juice, agave, Red Sea Salt, and pepper into your reserved Teriyaki marinade. Drizzle in a little water to thin, and add a dash of garlic powder. Taste for seasonings and adjust as needed, the pour over your salad and enjoy!

***Note - If you do not have Hawaiian Red Alaea Sea Salt, and it’s not something that you can easily find, or think you would use in other recipes, you can simply use Sea Salt. The red alaea salt in my opinion dose have a stronger flavor but I don’t think using regular sea salt would make the salad any less delicious. If you do have Red Alaea sea salt and yours is very course like mine, you may want to consider grinding it to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle, which is what I did. Also if you live in the Chicagoland area and you are really interested in getting your hands on some Red Alaea sea salt, I get mine from The Spice House. http://www.thespicehouse.com/ They have a lot of great spices here, some really unique and wonderful things, and I’ll probably talk a lot more about them in the future. Definitely check them out if you live in the area, they have several locations, both in the city out of it.***

Pink Raspberry Passion Smoothie...

Monday was a wonderful day, beautiful, sunny and warm with a nice breeze. Exactly the kind of spring day where you feel the overwhelming desire to kick back with a good book and a delicious fruit smoothie after an afternoon of running around. So that’s exactly what I did. I wanted something sweet, and delicious with berries being the focal point, and so I came up with this super simple smoothie that totally satisfies the tastebuds. Enjoy it garnished with fresh raspberries, near an open window where you can hear the sounds of birds singing, and smell that fresh sweet spring air - or better yet enjoy it lounging outside on the grass, with a book in one hand, and your drink in the other.

Pink Raspberry Passion Smoothie

½ C Raspberries (roughly 23-25)
1 ½ C chopped fresh Pineapple
3/4 C water (or enough to cover blades of a Vitamix)
1 packet Stevia (optional)

- Place everything except Stevia in a high speed blender and process for 30 seconds to 1 minute until everything is smooth. Taste for sweetness and add Stevia if desired.

- Serve in a fancy chilled glass, and garnish with 4-5 raspberries, of if you’re feeling especially creative garnish with raspberries and a thin slice of pineapple.

You won’t be sorry you did, I promise!