Sesame Asparagus Maki...

Ah... see, yesterday I promised sushi and today I shall deliver it. I’ve been in a real sushi kind of mood lately, there’s something about that combination of brown rice and seaweed that’s got me jonesing bad - Sounds strange I know - but seriously it’s all I could think about last week. I made sushi twice, and this is one of the Maki’s I came up with. As I mentioned yesterday Asparagus sushi was always one of my favorites, and it’s been so long since I’ve had asparagus that I broke down and bought a bundle even though it’s not technically in season. - Very bad of me I know. - Though this Maki is kind of on the simpler side, it is super delicious either on it’s own or dipped lightly in soy sauce. It has a flavor and texture slightly reminiscent of a ‘traditional’ California Roll, which used to be me husband’s favorite. I’m proud to say that out of all the Maki I’ve ever made, in fact out of all the Maki he’s eaten, after eating this one he generously claimed that it was his new hands down favorite.

So, go ahead, and don’t be afraid to roll your own. It isn’t really that hard, and it’s not overly time consuming. You just need a little patience, and delicacy. If you can manage that, you can roll your own Maki and impress your family and friends by making them think you’re a super awesome sushi chef!

Sesame Asparagus Maki

1 ½ C Brown Rice
3 C water
1 Tbsp Granulated Cane Sugar
2 Tbsp Brown Rice Vinegar
1 lb Asparagus
4 Tbsp Sesame Seeds
4 Sheets Nori Seaweed
4 Tbsp Vegan Mayo
Wasabi paste to taste
Liquid Smoke to taste

- The quickest and easiest way to make sushi is to have everything prepared and ready to go. Meaning clean off a good sized work space. Have all your pots, pans, steamers, and bowls set up and ready to go. Have your ingredients laid out on the counter with your knives and measuring tools, and don’t forget your sushi mat!

- First, start your rice. Now if you’re like me you own a rice cooker for ease and convenience sake. I use it so often that it really is the most used appliance in my house after the Vitamix. If you have a rice cooker, dump your rice, water, vinegar and sugar into it. Mix to combine and then cook according to manufacture directions. However if you are not so fortunate to own a rice cooker you’re going to have to make your rice the old fashioned way, but you should be used to that I’d think. Pour rice, water, vinegar and sugar into a pot, stir to combine cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer until all water is absorbed and rice is cooked. Cooking time varies but for brown rice I’d say it’s usually done within 35-45 minutes so just check on it every now and again and make sure to stir so the bottom doesn’t burn. Add more water if necessary.

- When rice is done cooking fluff it with a fork and set aside to cool. About 10-15 minutes. Or you could put it in the fridge for a quick cool.

- While rice is cooking, trim the corse ends from the Asparagus and discard. Also trim off the leafy tips of the Asparagus, though save those to toss into salads, stir-fries or soups etc... Place asparagus in steamer basket and steam for 5 or so minutes until Asparagus is bright green and tender crisp.

- Remove asparagus from steamer and set aside till cool enough to handle.

- While your rice and asparagus are cooling combine the mayo, wasabi and liquid smoke in a bowl. Taste for flavor and adjust as needed. The sauce should not be overly spicy in fact it should only have a hint of wasabi heat, and a bit of sweet smokiness. However if you prefer more heat by all means feel free to add it. 3-4 small drops of wasabi paste should be sufficient for achieving the flavor I intended.

- Now comes the trickiest part, but trust me you’ll be okay. On your clean work surface. - I use a clean bamboo cutting board - lay down your bamboo sushi rolling mat. On top lay down 1 sheet of Nori with the shiny side facing up. Have a bowl of cold water at your work station and with wet - but not profusely dripping - hands grab handfuls of rice and spread evenly over the sheet of nori. Spread the rice as close to the edges as possible but leave about a half to a quarter inch of space on the horizontal side of the Nori furthest from you. This little boarder will help your rolled Maki stick together. Rinse your hands before moving onto the next step.

- Spoon 1 Tbsp worth of the mayo sauce horizontally along the edge of rice closest to you. Then sprinkle 1 Tbsp of the sesame seeds - by the way you can use toasted or not it doesn’t matter. Mine weren’t toasted - over the rice.

- Next layer in 3 spears of asparagus on the left parallel with the horizontal edge of the nori closest to you. Laying them down over the mayo layer you just created. If they’re not long enough to reach from left to right then layer in 3 more spears on the right so that the edge closest to you is completely filled with asparagus. If some poke out past the nori you can trim them off, and use them on the next roll or eat them.

- Now, using your mat, and working slowly pull the mat up slightly and roll it over. Moving slowly and using both hands slowly roll your Maki, using the bamboo mat to press down and make the roll tight. You may have to stop at some point to push the filling back under the Nori or to help guide the roll. Stop just before you get to the opposite edge that you’ve left empty. Dip your fingers into the water, run them along the empty edge then roll your nori closed. Press down tightly to seel.

- It’s okay if it’s not perfect, rolling Maki takes practice and even though I’ve done it a ton of times I still don’t make a perfect roll each time. Sometimes my rolls are to fat, sometimes they don’t seel properly, sometimes I don’t cut them well. It happens, don’t beat yourself up about it. Remember that you’re doing it for the fun of it, and it’s - maybe - your first time, you’ll get better the more you practice.

- Next, and this step is very important. Before cutting your Nori into one inch sections run your chef knife under cold water. By the way you should always use a chef knife or other similar smooth edged knife to cut sushi. If you use a steak knife, or a bread knife or some other kind of knife with a jagged edge your Maki is going to get shredded and will likely fall apart. Once seaweed is wet it is very, very durable, your roll will fall apart before the seaweed cuts properly. I know from experience. So run your Chef knife under cold water. Give it a shake and then starting from one edge and working towards the other cut your roll into rounds.

- The best way to cut your roll is to do it in one smooth motion. Do not use your knife as a saw. Press down firmly it’s okay if the roll doesn’t cut right away, it’s okay if it looks like it’s getting squished a bit this is normal. Use one fluid motion, press down on the knife with your knife hand and hold the long end of the roll steadily in place with the opposite hand. Press the knife firmly down until it has cut all the way through. To separate the round from the rest of the roll you may have to give one quick saw motion depending on the sharpness of your knife, but otherwise that is it. Run your knife under cold water before EACH cut! This is important. Before each cut your knife must be wet. The drier your knife Is the more difficult this will be and the more likely your roll will fall apart.

- Congratulations! Now that one roll is finished - You should have gotten 6-8 rounds out of it by the way - give yourself a pat on the back, and then begin again from step one. Repeat all steps until ingredients are used up. At the end you may have some leftover rice. If this is the case no worries, stick it in the fridge and toss it into a salad tomorrow!

- To serve arrange on plates and serve with dipping bowls of soy sauce, and my favorite Sweet Thai Chili Sauce. Serve with addition dollops of wasabi if desired and pickled ginger, yum!

PS: As you can see in the pictures two of my rolls were coming apart at the seam, so don’t fret if yours do too. Also end pieces are always kind of ugly so don’t worry about them either. If you’re making this for a friend you’d like to impress you can always stuff the ends with extra filling once they’ve been cut. This way you have greater control and the filling won’t fall out on you.


*** Note - Can be made Sugar-Free by Omitting the Cane Sugar***

Breakfast in the Raw, Part 2: Raw Brazilian Milk and Ani’s Buckwheat Crispies...

Before I get into the Raw Brazilian Milk I'd like to talk a little bit about my breakfast.

Yesterday I mentioned that I wanted to make Ani Phyo’s Buckwheat Crispies from "Ani’s Raw Food Essentials" and so I set about prepping it. I put the 1pound bag of buckwheat groats that I just so happened to have in my pantry, into a bowl with thrice the amount of water and let it soak overnight. I had nowhere to be this morning, nor any plans, and though it might have been nice to sleep in a little, I decided to set my alarm for 6am so I could begin making my Crispies.

At six I rose with my alarm and silently padded down the stairs to the kitchen. Once there I drained the groats and began the process of rinsing them. Since it was such a large volume and my strainer is rather small I did this in two batches. After each rinse I drained them again and shook the strainer to expel excess water. I then used the back of a wooden spoon to press the groats into the mess of the strainer in the hopes of squeezing out as much water as possible. When I was satisfied that they were as dry as they were going to get I used the wooden spoon to spread the groats out into a thin layer over two dehydrator trays. I then popped them into the dehydrator and set it for 114 ‘F. Ani says to dry them at 104 ‘F but thanks to my climate region (Which is almost always either too cold or too humid) I find this is not a good temperature recommendation for me, as every recipe ends up taking infinitely more time then is specified. Since enzymes are destroyed at temperatures above 118'F and since the majority of Raw Food books suggest dehydrating at this temperature, I didn’t feel bad about upping the temp to 114'F. I figure as long as I stay below 118'F I am fine. Once the trays were set in place, the dehydrator closed up and turned on there was nothing more to do except wait. As I was still a bit tired, having gone to bed around 1am I decided to return to bed, for a couple of hours.

The recipe said the Crispies would take 3-5 hours to dry. I turned on my dehydrator at 6:30am, and so I returned to check it at 9:30 am, the three hour mark. I found that the Crispies lining the perimeter were pretty well dry, but those closer to the middle where they were spread a little thicker sill had a bit of moisture. Had I planned to eat the entire batch over the course of a couple of days I might have took it out then. However I’m the only one eating it, and it’ll likely take me a week or more to do so. I didn’t want to take the chance and have the Crispies mold due to improper drying, so I rotated the trays and popped them back in.
I checked again at 10:30am and found they were almost finished. I returned again at 11am and they were done! I was so excited! I removed the trays from the dehydrator brought them to my kitchen counter and carefully transferred the Crispies to a plastic container.

Once they were put away I finished my morning Green Smoothie then my husband and I took our beautiful little dog for a nice long walk in the first snowfall of the year. It’s beautiful I might add, and surprisingly not too cold. She loved it!

Upon our return I set to work fixing myself a small bowl of Buckwheat Crispies. I used a half cup of Crispies with 3/4 C Raw Brazilian Chocolate Milk (Recipe to Follow) a handful of raw pistachios, a handful of dried cherries, and ½ Tbsp each of Ground Flaxseeds and Hemp Seeds. I wasn’t sure at all how this was going to turn out, as I find that a lot of raw food is hit or miss with me. However I was extremely surprised at how delicious this cereal was! Really, mouthful by mouthful I became more and more impressed. I could easily see myself eating this for breakfast on a regular basis, particularly on a day that I work because it’s actually quite filling. It’s really interesting how I could probably consume 2 bowls or your average store bought granola with store bought nut milk and be hungry 2 hours later, where as just a half cup of this has kept me full and satisfied since noon!

Now the Buckwheat itself doesn’t have much of a taste, it’s rather plain with a slight nutty or seedy flavor and a somewhat chalky texture. It makes a good template for any flavor profile you want to add to it. It’s also not as hard or crunchy as you might imagine considering it had been in the dehydrator so long. I mean it did have crunch but I was expecting it to be tooth cracking hard, and it wasn’t at all. It felt more akin to puffed rice cereal in my opinion. This was a really great hearty breakfast that filled me up without leaving me feeling heavy, gassy, weighed down or bloated. As I said to my husband, "It’s like granola but better!"

As for the Milk, I made it yesterday in anticipation of today’s breakfast. Since I was having a raw breakfast cereal I didn’t want to use pasturized store-bought nut milk on it, and so my only option was to make my own milk. I used Brazil Nuts because I bought them a while ago for a recipe I ended up never making and rather then see them go to waste I figured why not experiment with them? I’ve never seen commercial Brazil Nut Milk before and so I was curious as to what it might taste like.

Brazil Nuts if you are not familiar with them have a slight bitter edge to them, some people might not like that but the milk turned out really well, it far exceeded my expectations of it. Although to be honest I wasn’t thrilled with it upon my first stip straight out of the blender. It is definitely the kind of thing that needs to be refrigerated for a few hours, and perhaps preferably over night so that the flavors mingle properly and mellow out a little.

And just a quick word before I bestow you my recipe, trust me when I say that making your own nut milk is actually really easy. It is! I know you may be sitting there reading this and feeling somewhat skeptical. Maybe the idea of making your own nut milk is a little too intimidating, maybe you feel unsure, nervous or a little afraid to try your hand at it. I completely understand because I used to feel that way too. I never thought in a million years I would make my own nut milk, why bother when you can buy it? I always said, but you can’t buy Brazil Nut Milk, or Cashew Nut Milk, or Peanut Nut Milk or several other kinds of nut milk, and as far as I’ve seen you can not buy them raw. So trust me, and take a chance it is so much easier then you might be imagining, I wouldn’t steer you wrong! All it takes is a bit of patience, and a little self-confidence, I was amazed yesterday and then super proud of myself for giving it a try. If I can do it so can you!

So here is my recipe, I really hope you give it a try, and if you do I hope you enjoy it. I’m actually finding it kind of addictive right now! Haha...

Raw Brazilian Milk (3 Ways!)

3/4 C Raw Brazil Nuts (Soaked in warm water 2 hours) ***
8 Medjool Dates pitted
4 C Filtered Water
Stevia to taste (Optional)

Chocolate Variety - Add between 1-3 Tbsp Raw Cacao Powder (or to taste) into the mixture when you blend. If you don’t have Raw Cacao Powder and don’t particularly care about keeping your meal 100% raw then by all means use whatever Baking Coco you have.

Cinnamon Vanilla Variety - Add the scrapings from one Vanilla Bean Pod, or1-2 tsp Pure non-alcohol Vanilla Extract and Ground Cinnamon to taste when you blend. I like at least 1 tsp of Cinnamon but feel free to use more or less.

- Place all ingredients except stevia in highspeed blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Depending on your blender, how long you soaked your nuts or if you soaked them at all this could take anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Don’t worry if it takes longer, as you really want to make sure to get the mix as smooth as possible. Take your time and be patient!

- Once the milk is at the consistency you like it taste for flavor. If the milk is not sweet enough for you, or the bitterness of the nuts is to much I recommend adding in 2 packets of stevia or more or less to taste. Blend for another few seconds until incorporated and taste again. If you taste it again and still don’t think it’s sweet enough or isn’t quite to your liking I recommend you hold off on adding more sweetener right away as I think a few hours (or overnight) in the fridge really goes a long way to enhancing the flavor of the milk. You may want to wait till the next morning before adding any additional sweetener. However it’s entirely up to you.

- Next you have two options. You can either leave the milk as is or you can strain it through a cheesecloth. If you leave the milk as is, even if it’s pretty darn smooth it may still be a bit pulpy or grainy. The Vitamix can definitely pulverize but it doesn’t remove fibrous flesh or pulp. Some people don’t like that, I personally don’t mind. Though I recommend that if you do plan to just drink the milk straight it will probably taste a lot better strained. If you’re using it solely for cereal or other recipes in which the milk will be combined with other textured things then I see no harm in leaving it a bit pulpy, that’s what I did.

- Once you’ve strained your milk (If you choose to go this route) and it’s a nice smooth consistency to your liking you can discard the pulp unless you have other plans for it. Pour the milk into an air tight jar or container and refrigerate for 3-4 hours or preferably overnight. Enjoy in the morning with your breakfast! You see, it’s as simple as that!

*** Note - If you don’t have time, or simply don’t want to soak your nuts you don’t have to. Although keep in mind that soaking your nuts will release more enzyme activity and it will also soften the nuts which will yield a smoother milk. However if you’re using a vitamix and straining through cheesecloth your milk will be pretty smooth as is. The choice is yours, do what best fits into your schedule.***

PS: And yes I will post the recipe for Sesame Asparagus Maki tonight as promised! Two recipes in one day, exciting!

Sushi: An Introduction...

Sushi - People either love it or hate it. Some people are afraid of it. Some people don’t understand it. Some people are misinformed about it. They hear the word sushi and the first thing to pop into their head is this image of some pale, slimy, and quivering, raw fish flesh. Not very appetizing to most people I’m sure, but there’s a whole world of sushi out there! Far to often we don’t realize that there is and can be so much more to a thing then just the stereotype with which we are most familiar with. Sushi is a great example of this.

The history of Sushi is actually quite interesting. I mean did you know that the word sushi actually means ‘sour-tasting’? This meaning is a reflection of it’s historical fermented roots. As the oldest type of sushi was originally made by fermenting fish in sour fermenting rice. This caused the fish proteins to break down into it’s constituent amino acids resulting in a sour taste, one of the five basic tastes called umami in Japanese. Also very interesting is that once this process was completed it was only the fermented fish that was consumed, while the fermented rice was discarded.

Of course the contemporary sushi that we know - and love - today bears little resemblances to this dish of the past. In fact the sort of sushi with which we are acquainted today was created by Hanaya Yohei in Tokyo sometime in the 1800's. It’s intention was as an early form of fast food. Fresh fish was used instead of fermented which decreased the preparation time, and the small rolls were something that people could eat quickly and easily with their hands on the go, in a theater or at a roadside food stall. Strangely - or perhaps not so strangely considering the common humans aversion to all that is perceived as being different - Sushi did not make it’s way to the West until the 1950's and didn’t really catch on until the end of the 20^th century.

Now when it comes to sushi you are probably imagining a tight roll with a one inch diameter with either seaweed or rice on the outside and a filling on the inside, but there is a vast array of sushi types out there. They come in different shapes, sizes, styles, with different fillings and seasonings, different preparation and presentations but the one thing they all have in common is that they all include rice, which has usually been seasoned with rice vinegar and sometimes sugar. Everything else however is up to the discretion of the chef.

Here is a quick guide to the most common types of sushi.

Makizushi - Also known as Norimaki, Makimono, or simply Maki meaning ‘roll’ or ‘Rolled Sushi’ Is the most common variety of sushi you are likely to find at least in the West. It is also my favorite to make. It is a cylindrical piece formed with the help of a bamboo mat, and cut into six or eight pieces. It is generally wrapped in Nori seaweed, and contains rice and whatever your desired fillings are. Within this category there are several different types of Maki.

Futomaki are a popular type of Maki that are larger and thicker then your average Maki. They are traditionally vegetarian and can be vegan if they do not include egg. Generally three or four fillings are picked to fill the Futomaki for their complimentary color and taste.

Hosomaki is another type of Maki that are very thin and only contain one filling. Usually cucumber, avocado, pickle or tuna. Interestingly Cucumber Maki known as Kappa Maki is named after a legendary Japanese water Imp called the Kappa said to be fond of cucumbers.

Temaki is a hand roll not cylindrical but cone shaped stuffed with various ingredients spilling out of the wide end. These too are very delicious and I enjoy them, though I’m not so skilled in making them myself.

Uramaki also known as an ‘inside out roll’ because in this case though it’s still a cylindrical roll like many other maki, the seaweed is on the inside while the rice is on the outside. They can be filled with any kind of filling you prefer and are usually coated with something on the outside. Sometimes it’s fish roe or avocado but more often it’s sesame seeds. Interestingly enough the Uramaki isn’t that popular in Japan, but in the West it is the most popular kind of maki, mainly because Westerners are adverse to eating seaweed. So having the seaweed rolled on the inside makes it more appealing to the average Westerner. I admit I love inside-out rolls too but not because I dislike seaweed. I like them for their presentation! And by the way if you fall into the category of ‘not liking seaweed’ get over it! It’s SO good for you! It’s loaded with vital nutrients and is so beneficial to ones health.

Chirashizushi - Also known as 'scattered sushi' is a particular favorite of mine because it always looks so beautiful. It’s also quicker and easier to prepare then a traditional hand roll. Scattered sushi traditionally consists of rice, that is garnished with various things either raw or cooked, though generally raw. There is no set formula for the ingredients and is usually determined by the chef’s mood, or a request by the customer. Think of the sushi roll salads that are becoming more and popular here in the west - such as the one I posted about from Appetite for Reduction last year - this could technically be considered a scattered sushi, although in a much larger form.

Inarizushi - Is a pouch of fried tofu filled usually with just rice. Named after the Shinto God Inari for his supposed love of fried tofu. Not to be confused with Inarimaki which is fried tofu in a regular maki roll.

Nigirizushi - Also known as ‘hand formed sushi’ or ‘pressed sushi’ is an oblong mound or rice formed by pressing a rectangle of rice between the palms. It is then topped with a bit of wasabi (sometimes) and a topping that is draped over it. Sometimes these toppings are secured by a strip of Nori Seaweed but not always. These are also really fun and easy to make, and have an endless amount of possibility as far as taste and presentation go. I love them!

Gunkanmaki - also known as a‘Warship roll’ is another form of Nigirizushi that is an oval hand shaped clump of rice with a strip of Nori wrapped around it’s perimeter to form a vessel or boat that is then filled with loose, soft, or fine chopped ingredients. These are also quite tasty and very cute!

Temarizushi - Known as ‘ball sushi’ is another form of Nigirizushi that is formed by pressing rice and your desired filling into a ball shape using plastic wrap. Sometimes it is wrapped in Nori, sometimes it’s left plain, and sometimes it’s wrapped with just a strip of Nori. These can also come in other shapes beside a ball. A square or a triangle are also popular. These can be a lot of fun especially to make for other people. You display the rice balls on a plate, everyone grabs a few, they take a bite and are surprised by the filling hidden inside!

Oshizushi - Also known as ‘Pressed sushi’ or ‘Box sushi’ it is a pressed sushi in which a wooden mold is used to form it. Topping ingredients are scattered along the bottom of the mold and then the rice is placed over top. The top of the wooden mold is then secured and the sushi is pressed into a tight square or rectangle. Then the mold is removed and the sushi is cut into bite sized pieces.

Lastly there is Narezushi - which is a matured sushi that is left to ferment in a wooden barrel for six months. This always consists of fish and so Is not in any way appealing or desirable to me.

So you see there are many different types of sushi, many different ways to roll it, adorn it and serve it and it can literally be made with any ingredients under the sun. I’ve known so many people over the years who wouldn’t try sushi because they were disgusted by the idea of eating raw fish, or even warm fish - as sushi is often served at room temperature - They had no idea that sushi doesn’t automatically equate fish, and that many Maki Rolls are made vegetarian. Though I guess in honestly I wasn’t so quick to jump on the sushi bandwagon either. It wasn’t until I reached high school that I braved to try it. Interestingly even though at that time I ate many different kinds of sushi, vegetarian and non vegetarian alike, my favorites were always Asparagus Maki, Spinach Sesame Maki, Sweet Potato Maki or Yam Maki, Cucumber Maki, Avocado Maki, Vegetable Roll Maki, and Futomaki. I guess my mind, body, and spirit were even trying to tell me something way back then.

But I guess by now you’re wondering, "What the hell does this have to do with anything?" Well aside from it being a bit of interesting culinary history peppered with some fun facts, I tend to make a lot of sushi. Both my husband and I love it, it’s one of our favorite foods. Since I make it so often, especially lately it seems I would like to be able to share my sushi recipes with you, however I thought little lesson in sushi history would be nice first. Particularly for those of you who may not be so familiar with this delicious little food, or for those of you who may regard it with suspicion and distaste.

Tomorrow I hope to post my recipe for Sesame Asparagus Maki - Pictured below.

Breakfast in the Raw: Apple Nut Porridge...

Though this is not the post I had originally intended for this afternoon, my experience with raw porridge was so mind-blowing that I just had to share!

This morning I decided to forego my regular morning Green Smoothie in favor of a different kind of raw breakfast. Since Christmas I’ve been working towards incorporating more raw fruits and vegetables into my diet, in the way I was over the summer and fall. It’s been going really well, and each morning I wake up eager for my green smoothie. This morning however I thought it might be nice to try something a little different.

The Raw Foods lifestyle is something I’ve been fascinated by for some time now. I’ve read and own many books on the subject, enjoy dining in raw restaurants, and participating in raw discussion groups, I even own a dehydrator. Though I’m not raw I do try to consume a lot of raw foods throughout my day. Green Smoothie for breakfast, big ole’ salad with homemade dressing for lunch, that kind of thing. Since reading "Crazy Sexy Diet" and "The Beauty Detox Solution" - A review of which will come Friday - I’ve been trying to make a greater effort to incorporate raw fruits and vegetables into my daily diet.

This morning I was sitting here contemplating my day when Ani Phyo’s "Ani’s Raw Food Essentials" caught my eye. I’ve owned this book since it came out and I’ve made one or two things from it but like most of my other raw food uncook books it mainly serves the purpose of collecting dust. It looked so sad sitting there on the self, untouched for months and practically unused. I grabbed it and began flipping through it. The recipe for Buckwheat Crispies caught my attention, and in that moment they sounded like they’d really hit the spot. It also just so happens that I had a large bag of buckwheat groats sitting in my pantry, also unused and practically untouched. I was all set to go about making this when I realized the groats require soaking over night. I chose not to be disappointed by this fact, and decided to view it as an opportunity to have a delicious breakfast tomorrow.

I set the groats to soaking and then went back to the question of "What should I eat for breakfast today?" the next recipe to catch my eye was the Apple Nut Porridge. I had apples, nuts, flaxseeds, agave, Goji berries, figs and a food processor. The recipe was simple, and quick, and required no soaking time or dehydrating. Excited I went to work preparing my raw breakfast, and in five minutes I was ready to eat it!

Now honestly I had no idea what to expect from this recipe, I wasn’t exactly sure how raw apples and nuts were going to have the texture and consistency of porridge, but as it turns out they did! This breakfast bowl was such a delightful surprise! It was smooth - thought not too smooth you want a bit of chunky texture - and creamy and tasted strongly of apple. In the recipe Ani says you can use any nuts, I chose to use Cashews because they’re my favorite and I think it was a good choice for this bowl as they yield a much smoother result and have a slightly sweet but mostly nuteral flavor. I also really liked the addition of Goji berries and dried figs over top, and my only complaint is that I found it a little too sweet for my taste. Next time I would use only 1 tbsp of Agave rather then 2, but I wanted to make it the proper way first. She also states in her recipe that you can enjoy the porridge with your favorite nut milk, but I opted to eat mine just as it was. Though it isn’t warm like traditional porridge it’s still delicious especially I imagine on a hot day. However if you’re living in a colder climate and it’s winter I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t give the porridge a quick heat either in your dehydrator or your oven set at it’s lowest temperature.

This dish was such a welcome surprise, and man do those nuts keep you full in the morning! I can’t wait to try my buckwheat crispies tomorrow! Here’s hoping they’re just as delicious!

Green Hydration Smoothie...

You know how sometimes you wake up and feel super desperate for water? Somehow over the course of the night your mouth transformed into a desert wasteland and now your body is just aching for some good old fashion hydration? In addition to drinking some delicious agua upon waking this smoothie is the perfect solution. It’s not only hydrating but refreshing. I consider all the ingredients in this smoothie to either be hydrating or refreshing. Cucumbers are especially hydrating because they contain so much water themselves, they’re also super refreshing particularly on a hot day. Mint too helps to calm and cool the body leaving you feeling oh so good, and bananas help replenish your electrolytes.

The great thing about this smoothie - in addition to it being delicious - is that it’s super light. It has a consistency more akin to a juice rather then a smoothie due to all the high water content produce within. So you can drink a large amount of it and not feel bogged down or overly full. In fact even if you drink the entire blender full you’ll still have a bit of room to have a bit of solid breakfast if you wish. I recommend drinking this smoothie upon first waking, then get yourself into some exercise, light cardio, a brisk walk a nice jog, then come home and drink another glass with a bit of breakfast. It’s the perfect start to a beautiful day.

Green Hydration Smoothie

1 Small Zucchini
1 Large Cucumber seeded ***
1 thumb sized knob of Ginger Root (or to taste)
2 Granny Smith Apples (or Pink Lady or a Combination)
2 C Water
6 Leaves Fresh Mint (or to taste)
2 Packets Stevia
3-4 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Banana

- Place all ingredients except stevia in a high-speed blender and blend on high for 60 seconds or until completely smooth. Add in Stevia, blend to incorporate and serve.

*** Note - You do not have to seed your cucumber if you don’t want to. However I find that depending on the cucumber the seeds can be sweet or bitter. I recommend tasting a piece of your cuke and if the seeds are bitter remove them. If not feel free to leave them in ***

*** Note - Because this is a question I often get I would like to make it clear that whenever I’m using non-organic produce I always, always peel it. If you are using non-organic zucchini or cucumber or apples in this recipe I urge you to peel them! If you are using organic then there is no need for you to do so. Just give them a wash. As for water, whenever I call for water in recipes particularly smoothie, sauces or other non-cooked recipes I’m always talking about filtered water. You can use bottled or filtered tap, whatever works for you, but I don’t recommend using unfiltered tap water, particularly if you’re living in an area where the water might not be so pure.***

Ancient Inca Tri-Quinoa Stew...

Yesterday was a relatively chilly day, it was also a rather busy day for me, coming at the end of a busy weekend. I wanted something warming, and hearty for dinner that wouldn’t take all that much effort or time on my part, and I wanted to incorporate Quinoa. I’ve been really craving this delicious little grain over the past few days, and as I never seem to eat enough of it, I really wanted to make a dish that would showcase it prominently.

For those of you unfamiliar with Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) it is a grain like crop, hailing from the Andean region of Ecuador, Bolivia, Columbia and Peru, where it was domesticated for human consumption roughly 4000 years ago. Quinoa is a very nutrient dense food, containing all the essential amino acids, which makes it a complete protein! It’s also a good source of fiber, calcium, phosphorus and iron. The Incas held this crop as sacred and referred to it as the "Mother of all Grains" and is it any wonder? A 100g serving of Quinoa contains 7g of fiber, 14g of protein, 35% Iron, 55% Magnesium, 65% phosphorus, 33% Zinc, and many B Vitamins as well as Vitamin E. Amazing! Quinoa was also called the "Gold of the Incas" because they recognized and utilized it’s value. Inca warriors would often sit down to a big dish of Quinoa just before battle because they believed this grain made them strong and powerful.

What I really love about quinoa - aside from it’s delicious flavor of course - is it’s versatility. You can use it in any way that you’d traditionally use rice, barley, cous cous or other grains. I’ve seen people make Greek Dolmas with Quinoa, and it’s becoming more and more popular to make sushi with it as well. You can steam or stir-fry veggies to spoon over top of it, use it in stew, soup or chili, toss it into salads or even eat it as a breakfast porridge instead of oatmeal as the Inca did. Quinoa is also very quick to cook, in roughly 20 minutes you can have a big steaming pot of it ready to go. Personally I like to cook mine in low-sodium vegetable broth - as I do with rice and cous cous - but water is totally fine too. So if you haven’t tried quinoa you absolutely must, and if you have tried it an liked it you should try to make it a staple in your diet for it’s wonderful health benefits! Just make sure you rinse your Quinoa first to remove any bitter residue.

As for this stew, I wanted something with a South American flair that would compliment the Quinoa’s region or origin, but at the same time I wanted a stew that was lightly seasoned. Too often our food is overly spiced and so the natural flavors don’t get the chance to truly shine through. In this dish I wanted to be able to taste the nuttiness of the Quinoa, the sweetness of the corn, the tanginess of lime and the acidity of the tomatoes. However if you want the stew to be a little more spicy or a little more sweet or a little more tart feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your preference, oh and while I’ve listed the avocado as being optional I definitely recommend it. It pairs so beautifully with the stew and lends a wonderful mouth feel to have creamy raw avocado mixed in with your hot grainy stew. Although a dollop or two of guacamole would probably be just as good if you’d prefer.

Okay, before I get to it let me just say that I know this is going to look like a lot of ingredients but trust me when I say this dish is actually really simple and comes together very easy. You hardly have to do any chopping and most of the cook time is spent with you just sitting around waiting for the stew to finish simmering. There Is so much you can do in that downtime. Shower, read, check your e-mail you name it. It’s the perfect after work dinner. Throw everything in a pot and go!

Ancient Inca Tri-Quinoa Stew

1/4 C Vegetable Broth
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
10 Garlic Cloves Minced
1 Large Red Onion
1 Orange Bell Pepper
6-10 Baby Bella Mushrooms chopped
½ C White Quinoa
½ C Black Quinoa
½ C Red Quinoa
3 ½ C Vegetable Broth
1 ½ C Corn Kernels
1 15 oz Can Black Beans
1 28oz Can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
3 tsp Chili Powder
3 tsp Ground Cumin
2 Tbsp Dried Oregano
1/8 tsp White Pepper
1/4-1/2 tsp Smoked Paprika
Black Pepper to taste
3-4Tbsp Lime Juice
2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
1 Bunch Cilantro minced
Sliced Avocado (Optional but highly recommended)

- Pour quarter cup of vegetable broth and 2 tbsp of lime juice into a soup pot. Add minced garlic, onion, and bell pepper and saute on medium until veggies are soft and translucent. About 5-7 minutes, sprinkle with black pepper to taste, add in mushrooms and saute another 3-4 minutes.

- Add all quinoa to the pot along with the fire roasted tomatoes and remaining 3 ½ C vegetable broth, bring to a boil. Let boil for five minutes then reduce heat and let simmer for 35 minutes.

- Add in Corn kernels, black beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, white pepper, and smoked paprika and let simmer another 15-20 minutes.

- By now Quinoa should be fully cooked and expanded and the amount of liquid in the pot should have decreased some. If this is not the case then let simmer an additional ten minutes. Otherwise add in Cilantro, the last 3 tbsp of lime juice, and agave nectar. Stir to combine, simmer for 5 minutes and then serve.

- Garnish with half a sliced avocado per bowl, and serve with a side salad or a hunk of cornbread. I decided to serve mine with cornbread. The basic recipe for which I got from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s book "The Joy of Vegan Baking" However I added in a 1/3 C of minced cilantro and 2 Tbsp of minced Jalapeno for a little Latin kick.

***Note: I realize not all of you may have access to so many different types of Quinoa, so if you don’t, don’t fret. It’s perfectly all right to use whatever kind you have and I don’t think the flavor of the stew will suffer for it. Although Black Quinoa is my absolute favorite so if you can find it I highly recommend you grab some! Also you can use any bell pepper you have, I would have used red but orange was the only kind I had at the time.***

'Crazy Sexy Diet' - by Kris Carr...

"I am capable, confident, intelligent, resilient and in charge. Health and happiness are my birthrights and I accept with gratitude." - Kris Carr, "Crazy Sexy Diet"

Forget the silly title of this book, and ignore the word diet. What Kris Carr proposes within the pages of this ‘how to’ isn’t a diet, but a complete lifestyle overhaul. Lifestyle changes - not diets - are what we as a society should be focused on, not only to make us look and feel better but to improve our overall health and help us fight in the struggles against pre-mature aging, pre-mature death and disease.

For those who know me well, know that I do not believe in diets. I never have and I never will, I have in fact never gone on ‘a diet’ in my life. Why? Simple, diets do not work! Or rather they work only in the short term, gaining you superficial results that you almost immediately loose the minute you stray from the diet plan. Many new fad diets have come and gone over the years, and I have had too many girlfriends fall victim to the dangerous insanity most of these con men and woman perpetuate. Atkins, South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, you name it and I have a friend who’s tried it, and in virtually every case they’ve failed. Either the diet didn’t work for them, or they lost an exorbitant amount of weight in a very short time only to gain it all back in the weeks or months that followed them ending the diet. Very often I’ve known people to gain back not only what they lost but more, and sometimes as much as double. One thing all diets have in common is restriction and control. The reason why any of these diets work in the first place is because they have the dieter eating an unreasonably low amount of calories. Portions are tiny, and while certain things are restricted or allowed only in moderation within the scope of the diet, none of these programs ever truly seek to remove the unhealthy foods entirely. In fact many of these diets tell you that yes you can continue to eat your bacon and eggs and potato chips and pop and still loose weight, which is insane. It does however speak to the vast majority of people who want to reap all the benefits of diet without actually putting forth and real effort or work.

The word diet in my opinion - when used in it’s current mutated manifestation meaning ‘a restricted eating regiment’ rather then it’s actual original meaning ‘the foods a human or animal habitually eats - is one of the most heinous words in the human lexicon, offering nothing but negative connotations. ‘Diet’ books by contrast are nothing more then highly publicized mass-marketed money making schemes that pray on the weakness and insecurity of easily led people. They promise solutions that are neither realistic or sustainable for the long term. They are complete and utter shams peddled by charlatans. Diets are not the answer, lifestyle changes are.

So what does my disdain for diets and diet books have to do with the Crazy Sexy Diet you may ask? Well it’s my utter abhorrence for the subject that had me automatically reject this book based on it’s title. When I saw the word diet I didn’t even deem the book worthy of a glace at the back cover. However as time went on I began to pick up fragments of "Crazy Sexy Diet" in the media or from friends who’d read it, for a while the book seemed to be everywhere, but still I turned my nose up at it. Then a few months ago I happened upon an interview with Kris Carr that I was immediately drawn into.

I discovered that Carr was not, after all, peddling another fad diet book but rather a lifestyle shift. One inspired by the fact that she is a cancer survivor. I learned that in 2003 at the age of 31 she was diagnosed with terminal cancer that was completely inoperable. A dozen tumors in her liver, ten more in her lungs and absolutely nothing anyone could do for her. No radiation, no surgery, no chemotherapy. Though she sought out second and third opinions the prognosis was always the same. Not willing or ready to give up she took matters into her own hands. She found an oncologist willing to work with her, and she completely transformed her life. Nearly ten years later she still has cancer but it’s dormant, not growing, not spreading, not expanding, she is healthy. I was in awe, and I wanted to know more.

So about a month and a half or so ago when I saw Crazy Sexy Diet collecting dust in my local library I decided it was time to finally give the book a fair shake. I took it home, cracked the cover and devoured the entire book in one night, almost in one sitting mind you. I was that captivated, that intrigued, and that enthralled. Since then I’ve read bits and pieces over again, and I have to say this book is really kind of life-altering.

"Wellness is not just about nutrition. It’s also about ecology, spirit, passion and culture. The Crazy Sexy Diet takes in all these interconnected issues" - Kris Carr, "Crazy Sexy Diet"

Now, being that I’m already vegan, and a health nut ta boot, not to mention pretty familiar with the raw lifestyle though I’m not a raw foodist myself most of the information in this book was not news to me. A lot of it I’ve read in other books, or articles, or heard in lectures, but it had been a while since I’d read anything nutrition related, or more accurately anything raw or detox related. It also just so happens that at the time I picked this book up I had been experiencing some unpleasant ups and downs - which I still am - which I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago. Two weeks of vacation really through me off my routine, and it’s been difficult getting back on it since coming home. I had been having a lot of stomach upset, bloating, gas, indigestion and hadn’t really thought too much about it since I’d been so busy, but once I started reading this book it clicked. Finally the reasons why I was feeling so off balance were starting to make sense to me. Sometimes you just really need a refresher course you know?

Though a lot of this book was a refresher for me, there were thing of which I was vaguely familiar that the book explained more fully. The book also goes way beyond changing your diet which I appreciate. Carr covers topics of personal care, meditation, relaxation and other holistic health and wellness treatments. This book is loaded with tons of useful information whether you’re a newbie or a veteran I think there’s a little something for everyone here.

I especially enjoyed chapter 2 which is all about PH Balance in your body, enzymes and eating more alkaline. Chapter 5 which is all about digestion and explores the process in a lot of depth. Chapter 6 Which is all about juicing. Something I’ve never done, and never been that interested in although Carr (as well as others) make it sound so sexy and fun! That I’m actually very interested now in investing in a juicer. Chapter 7 Which is all about taking care of your body through meditation, exercise, dry brushing, essential oils, massage, breath work and so on, and finally the sections in Chapter 9 that deal with probiotics and digestive enzymes were of particular interest. It’s amazing what you don’t know about your intestinal flora, and how backed up your bodies waste management system can become. Never in my life have I ever even entertain the notion of going in for a colonic but honestly it doesn’t sound like a half bad idea, especially considering how off kilter I’ve been feeling as of late.

I also really liked the upbeat nature of the writing. The book didn’t feel pushy or make you feel bad, it laid out simple truths that you can either accept or not. She fills the book with positive affirmations and does a really good job of making you feel like you have support and comradery. I think this is important particularly for people who may not have a good support system in their life. You can get to feeling like you’re all alone in the world but Carr makes you feel like part of a group. I also like the way she speaks positively about the body, and her encouraging words to help the reader feel more comfortable with theirs. In a society where so many woman - and men too - have severe body image issues these reassurances are very comforting.

Another great thing about the book is she offers a 21 day cleanse. Each day is laid out with her suggestions, advice, menu ideas and comfort and support. It’s a really great section of the book that she obviously put a lot of heart into. In the back of the book are a bunch of recipes to use during the cleanse or anytime and they’re also pretty wonderful. A lot are raw, but there are many cooked recipes as well, and several recipes for green juice and green smoothies. In the very back of the book Carr offers a great resource guide. Which is perfect for those who’d like more information on PH Balance, Fighting Cancer, Gi Index, and so on. As well as cook book ideas, and support for people transitioning to a gluten-free or vegan - or both - diet.

Now, having said all of that, I’ve read a lot of reviews that criticize the book for it’s use of bad language. Yes there is swearing, not an overly dramatic amount mind you, but it’s there. Think of this book as a kinder gentler "Skinny Bitch" but with a different goal. She never calls the reader an idiot or a bitch or anything like that but she does curse. Some people don’t like that, personally I could care less. I grew up in a family full of construction workers and I’ve been cursing like a sailor since I was 9. However if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing you may want to keep that in mind. Other people have criticized the book for it’s not being realistic or workable for the average everyday person. Personally I think this is an excuse, and it’s the same thing I hear from omnivores all the time as to why they’re not vegan. Honestly anything worth doing takes a little bit of work, and If you haven’t got the time to be sick, or don’t want to get sick then you need to find the time or make the time to be healthy. It’s as simple as that. If you don’t want to buy a juicer then don’t, make green smoothies. If you don’t want to buy a dehydrator then don’t you can use your oven on it’s lowest temperature setting but honestly it’s not even necessary for simple raw food preparation. What you need is to find balance, and do what works best for you. It certainly isn’t Kris Carr’s fault if you don’t know how to manage your time, so keep that in mind too.

The information in this book is solid, it’s well researched and well informed. I think she does a really good job of making a connection with the reader, and helping you realize the things that might not be so great in your life without being pushy. She’s great at offering support, and she makes you feel comfortable. Whether you agree 100% with her, or her plan, or not doesn’t matter, I really believe that there’s a lot of good here, there’s a little something for everyone and I think we could all benefit a little from the advice within these pages. So go order yourself a copy on Amazon or pick it up at your local library, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed as long as you read it with an open mind and an open heart. Remember that your health is everything, so stop putting it on the back burner.

"I am calm and light, I am peaceful and easygoing, I find beauty in simplicity." - Kris Carr - "Crazy Sexy Diet"

*** Photo found through Google Images ***

Restaurant Review: Native Foods Café and The Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago...

Native Foods Café - The Loop Location

If you have not been to Native Foods Cafe, you need to go right now! I’m serious! It is one of the best low-key, comfort-foodey vegan restaurant I think I’ve ever been too, and almost everything is delicious! For those of you who may not be aware, Native Foods Café is a California based restaurant that finally made it’s way to the Chicagoland Area in 2011. Three locations opened, one in Wicker Park, one in Lakeview and one in the Loop. I was extremely excited about this latest addition to Chicago’s vegan dining scene, and since they opened In August we have been about four times. Every time we go I mean to take pictures and post about this marvel of an eatery and always I forget. Well, not this time. We were in the Loop location on the 27^th as part of my husband’s birthday celebration week. You see we typically do fun stuff the entire week of our birthday’s rather then just on the day, and dining out at Native Foods was one of the things he wanted to do, and we just happened to have a camera handy.

Every time we go to Native Foods I look forward to it for days before hand, and usually plan out what I’m going to get before we arrive. Native Foods is a cafeteria style place with a cozy interior and comforting atmosphere. They serve up good ole’ fashion comfort food in a gourmet style and make everything in house. Including their drinks, their seitan, their tempeh, their ‘chick’n’ their ‘bacon’ their other faux meats and their ‘cheese’ which I believe is nut based. The food is truly divine, and very reasonably priced in my opinion. There isn’t a thing on the menu over $9.95. The most expensive appetizer is $7.95, non-alcoholic beverages are $2.50 and come with free re-fills, alcoholic beverages run between $3.95 and $4.95, and all desserts are $2.95. Oh and did I mention that the portions are huge! Holy veggies, when you eat here you do not leave hungry. It is also the kind of place that just begs you to be naughty but overindulging in all that stuff you - definitely I - try to shy away from most of the time, but it’s oh so good!

On this latest trip I ordered the Chili Cheese Fries for an appetizer, I figure if I’m going to be bad why not be really bad right? These were pretty good, and not quite as bad as one might imagine. The cheese wasn’t a melty daiya kind meant to mimic ‘real’ cheese but more of a creamy nut based cheese that is spooned on the top. While it was good I would have liked it to have a bit more kick. I like a little spice in my chili and the chili on these fries didn’t really have any. I also like my chili a little acidic which this chili was not and so I added a bit of organic ketchup into the mix and that fixed it right up. These fires however are entirely too much for just one person to handle so if you order them share them with a friend!

Chili Cheese Fries

My husband ordered the Saigon Roll which is amazing! Braised lemongrass tofu, with daikon raddish, carrot, cucumber brown rice cilantro and basil wrapped in a whole wheat wrap and served with a peanut dipping sauce. Can you say yum?

Saigon Roll

To drink I ordered a hot Chai tea as it was rather cold out, and it was seriously delicious. My husband got the Lavender Lemonade which I nearly drank all of before he’d even had a sip, so he had to go back for the re-fill. Definitely delicious.

For the main meal I decided to go with the Greek Gyro Bowl. I was kind of in the mood for something Greek and a gyro sounded pretty good right then. While the bowl was good overall I think it was the wrong choice for that moment. It was a bit plainly seasoned, and when I go out I usually want big, bold flavor. The thinly sliced peppered seitan was pretty good, although It wasn’t my favorite preparation. It was served over a bed of quinoa and shallot with steamed broccoli, cauliflower and kale. Topped off with a lemon garlic humus, which I thought there should have been more of, and a warm tortilla. Definitely tasty, and super gut-busting filling but not my favorite meal from Native Foods.

Greek Gyro Bowl

My husband ordered the Scorpion Burger for his meal which was amazing! A blackened tempeh burger served with chipotle sauce, romaine, carrots, avocado and onions. Delicious!

Scorpion Burger

We have eaten a lot of things in our few trips to Native Foods, and I highly recommend getting a small bowl of chili. It’s so tasty with it’s combination of white beans, Native chili meat, tomatoes, onions and Native Cheese. It comes with cornbread too! The Native Chicken Wings are also good if you’re in a mood to have them, and I recommend the ranch sauce rather then the buffalo sauce particularly if you don’t like spicy, but you know they taste good with ketchup too. They definitely reminded me of the chicken fingers I’d eat as a kid only 10 times better. The Sweet Potato Taquitos are pretty incredible too. I mean how can you go wrong with mashed coconut sweet potatoes inside a crispy shell? I love their chipotle crema and guacamole. However my favorite appetizer is the Nuevo Native Nachos, hands down. So delicious and monstrously big so if you order it share with a friend! The corn tortilla chips are homemade and come uber-loaded with Native Taco Meat, Native Chipotle Crema, Native Cheese, Salsa fresca, guacamole, black beans, corn, green onions, cilantro, and Jalapeno.

Sweet Potato Taquitos

For your meal I highly recommend both the Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger and the Baja Surf Tacos. The former is thinly sliced Native Seitan, melted Native cheddar, caramelized onion, and crispy Native Bacon on a bun slathered with BBQ and Ranch, topped with romaine, carrots, onion, tomato and crunchy battered dill pickle chips. So, so good. This is the first thing I ever ate here and it’s phenomenal. I really can’t stress that enough. It actually tastes like a bacon cheeseburger. It’s one of those things that looks and tastes like it should give you a heart attack, but because it’s plant based you know it won’t. Love, love, love it! The latter consists of two grilled soft corn tortillas stuffed with crispy battered tempeh, homemade ‘surfer’ sauce - a kind of tartar sauce - salsa fresca, shredded cabbage, and guacamole. Oh man, so good they nearly blew my mind! My husband has also got the Portobello and Sausage Burger which he said was amazing, and the Chef’s Garden Pizza which he also said was really good.

Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger

For dessert I definitely recommend the peanut butter parfait, it’s my hands down favorite. I’ve also tried the boogie bars which are good, - they’re actually crumbled up inside the peanut butter parfait by the way - the strawberry shortcake which I was less then impressed with and the seasonal pumpkin cheesecake which was good but doesn’t compare to the parfait. This time however we decided against dessert as my husband wanted to pop on over to Bleeding Heart Bakery for a little vegan dessert. We hadn’t been there since our Anniversary in August so he was itching to go again. Last time we went, I enjoyed it but wasn’t overly impressed. Personally I think I make pretty good desserts and I find that store bought or restaurant desserts often don’t compare. They’re either lacking in flavor, dry, or way to sickly sweet. Bleeding Heart is a pretty cool place, very ‘punk’ and though they are not a strictly vegan bakery they do have many vegan options as well as gluten-free and nut-free options. Just ignore the bacon cupcake when you walk in there. (Yuck!) This time around I opted for the chocolate peppermint cake ball, I sure do love the chocolate peppermint combo and Starbucks has been taunting me all through the holiday season with their non-vegan chocolate peppermint cake pop - boo! I also got the peanut butter doughnut with peanut butter glaze. First, the doughnut was a bit dry and could have used a stronger peanut butter flavor but over all It was decent. I haven’t quite got around to testing my skill on home made doughnuts but I just might have to one of these days. The peppermint cake ball on the other hand was fan-freaking-tastic! No lie! It was mind-blowing good, and I wish I’d gotten two or three of them! What I really like about the bakery in addition to their vegan options is the fact that they have a rotating menu, it’s nice to be met with different options every time. The staff are also very friendly, knowledgeable and helpful, which you gotta love. Also nice to keep in mind is that the Roscoe Village location at least is open 24 hours on the weakened, and the first time I went there I was told that they do brunch on Sunday mornings, though you may want to double check that, and certainly check whether all locations do the same.

Bleeding Heart Bakery - Roscoe Village

If you’re not as proficient in dessert making as I am this is definitely a place worthy of your attention. However even if you are a wonderfully talented baker, we all have our faults, and in those moments it’s nice to have someone skilled do a little baking for you. Chocolate peppermint cake ball anyone? Seriously, they’re worth the trip just for that! Sorry I forgot to take a picture, I ate it to damn fast!

PS: I just found out that since Native Foods had such a wonderful, blossoming 2011 they are planning to open 15 new locations 1 in Boulder Colorado, Newport Beach, San Diego, Santa Monica and another location that has not yet been disclosed. Keep your eyes and ears open for it as these restaurants are set to open in the first quarter of 2012! Yay!

Native Foods Café Chicago Locations -

Wicker Park - 1484 N Milwaukee Ave
Lakeview -1023 West Belmont Ave
The Loop - 218 South Clark St

Bleeding Heart Bakery Locations -

Roscoe Village -1955 W Belmont Ave,
Oak Park - 1010 North Boulevard
Elmhurst - 116 S. York St
West Town - 1916 W. Chicago Ave.

The Happy New Year's Post: Ringing In 2012...

Best Ever Birthday Ice Cream Cake

Though this is a few days delayed, I hope everyone had a wonderful New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day. My New Year’s was slightly hectic but definitely enjoyable. Since my Husband’s birthday is on the 30^th of December, and we generally spend the entire day alone together, we traditionally have a birthday party for him on the 31^st. This year was no exception, although I did end up working New Years this year, which is why the holiday was a bit hectic on my end.

Since virtually everyone attending the party - with the exception of my good friends J and C - was a dedicated omnivore we decided to make it easy on everyone by ordering pizza for our main meal. That way the omnivores could have their boring sausage pizza and us vegans and vegetarians could have something delicious as well. Since I spent most of the day at work, this was also a major time savor. I did however undertake the task of providing appetizers and a cake, which honestly was enough work itself.

It took quite a bit of time and deliberation, not to mention a lot of pouring over my cook books before I finally decided on what to make. I find it so hard to cook for picky omnivores because too often it’s been my experience that they turn their nose up at anything I make that’s ‘out of the ordinary’ Open-minded omnivores are a breeze and I love them, but you just never know what people are going to like, or how they are going to react. So after a lot of thought I decided ‘what the heck’ and picked items I knew my husband and I would probably enjoy. It was after all HIS birthday party.

So I started with dip. It’s my opinion that you can’t have a party without at least a couple of dips or spreads available, for party-goers to nosh on with pita bread or raw veggies.

First I decided upon the Truffled White Bean Humus from Party Vegan. I love humus but it’s always nice to switch it up with different flavors and I thought this might appeal to people. It was also helpful that I just so happened to have truffle oil, and the black sesame seeds for which to garnish the dip, in my pantry. I did not however have chives and so I just used some chopped green onion. Now, while I really like the idea of using white beans in a humus, I wasn’t really sure what to make of the dish once it was put together. At first, tasting it right out of the food processor I liked it. It had that indescribable truffle taste with a nice hint of garlic and green onion. The recipe says however to refrigerate the dip for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours which I did. I think it was in the fridge about 12 hours, and honestly when I tasted it again I wasn’t as thrilled with it. The truffle flavor really exploded, and mixed with the garlic and green onion it became a little overbearing. Not much of it got eaten, not even by me. However I think I would make this again, but next time I would decrease the amount of truffle oil to a ½ tbsp and serve it almost immediately.

Truffled White Bean Humus

Next dip on the list was the Edamame Humus from Big Vegan. I love edamame and thus am always looking for new and interesting ways to incorporate it into my diet. What better way then with another untraditional humus recipe? I thought the contrast between a white humus and a green humus would be rather nice, and I was very interested in the Asian flair the miso and edamame would lend to humus. I actually really loved this, a lot. It had a smooth texture and mild flavor with that nice touch of miso. It was great on raw veggies particularly on carrots because they’re a bit sweet. Although I did increase the amount of lemon juice, olive oil and miso used just to give it a smoother consistency. You definitely want to try this recipe, trust me. Also since I was serving this to guests and you never know how your friends will handle spice I garnished the dip with smoked paprika rather then cayenne pepper. Still great!

Edamame Humus

The next spread I went with was actually a pate. The Save a Duck Pate from Blissful Bites, actually. This was a nice thick pate that you could mold although I chose to serve it in a bowl. It had good texture and a robust flavor and seemed to go over well with the vegetarians though it wasn’t a favorite. While I did enjoy it, I thought it tasted overly strong of Dijon and Nutritional yeast, and as much as I love dill, I thought it was a bit too potent. Not at all what I was expecting from a pate. In all honesty I’ve never had a pate in my life, duck pate or otherwise so I don’t know what ‘the real stuff’ tastes like, but I imagine it having a smoother blander flavor, and this I felt was a bit acidic tasting, and tangy. I did like the combo of tempeh and almonds though that way you didn’t get too much of a bitter or nutty aftertaste, though I think the next time I make this I’m going to have to adjust the seasoning’s a little bit. Perhaps more parsley and less dill the next time, not to mention cut the nooch in half.

Save a Duck Pate

From dips we move on to other appetizers, and for the rest of them I stuck with Party Vegan. Not only for the sake of ease but because the book contains so many great sounding recipes that I rarely get the opportunity to use.

Since stuffed mushrooms are always a hit, and usually a safe bet with omnivores I decided to make the Artichoke Stuffed Mushroom recipe. I like artichokes, and these mushrooms were good, most of them got devoured but honestly after popping a few mushrooms I started to feel a little overwhelmed by the artichoke content. My husband loved them though, and devoured the few leftovers for lunch the next day. Personally I like my stuffed mushrooms better.

Artichoke Stuffed Mushroom

Next I made the Spinach Phyllo Cigars with Walnuts and Figs. I love figs, spinach and walnuts and who doesn’t love anything wrapped in phyllo? I’ve been wanting to make these little morsels for nearly as long as I’ve had the book and so I thought now’s my chance. In the end they weren’t exactly what I’d imagined. They were a little heavy on the figs, which is fine except that the fig flavor seemed to overpower everything else. Figs are also one of those things that most people either love or hate and apparently the majority of my omni friends and family are none to fond of the little things. Oh well, c’est la vie right? You never know until you try, and really they were pretty good cold the next day but maybe I’m just crazy. I’d make them again using less fig and more spinach, as well as a little diced onion I think.

Spinach Phyllo Cigars with Walnuts and Figs

Next up were the Sun-dried Tomato and Green Olive Biscotti, served with Artichoke Tapenade. Again I’ve been wanting to make these since I first got the book but was a bit intimidated by the prospect of making my own biscotti. They were, however, a raving success and even my husband who doesn’t like olives, pine nuts, and really isn’t all that fond of sun-dried tomatoes either enjoyed them. I wasn’t able to cut them super, thin like traditional biscotti, since I don’t have a truly good and decent knife that can handle the task, and I didn’t bake them enough to get them really hard and crisp but I kind of liked that they were bite sized rounds. I also liked that they were on the softer side, because all my fillings can’t take a lot of hard chomping! The tapenade was pretty good too, but a little strong of caper. I think I’d add a bit more choke next time and decrease the caper amount, but it did pair beautifully with the biscotti, and actually didn’t taste too bad smeared over cold fig phyllo cigars the next day.

Sun-dried Tomato and Green Olive Biscotti

Artichoke Tapenade

Last but not least I made the Chickpea-Artichoke bites with Rosemary Aioli which was the major crowd pleaser, and universal favorite of the night. They kind of remind me of medallion sized falafels in appearance. Flavor wise they have a nice artichoke taste with hints of lemon and Dijon. They’re great when eaten on their own but amazing when paired with the Rosemary Aioli which is super simple to prepare. Just pour the ingredients into a food processor, scrape into a bowl and serve. Except I didn’t have sherry vinegar so I used Apple Cider instead. It was phenomenal! A winning combination indeed.

Chickpea-Artichoke Bites with Rosemary Aioli

As I said the main event was pizza. We ordered from a local place our family likes and it was fantastic. Definitely one of the best pizza’s I’ve had since going vegan. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of it but I can at least tell you about it. It was thin crust, with no cheese (obviously) but extra sauce, fresh basil, roasted garlic, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms and broccoli. It was phenomenal, so delicious that even though we ordered a family sized pizza for the four of us, at the end of the night there were only 4 meager slices left!

Then of course after a nice period of digestion we brought out the cake, and what an elaborate affair that was. When I asked my husband two weeks earlier what sort of cake he wanted me to make for his birthday he replied "Ice Cream" You see, both he and I grew up in households where ice cream cake for birthday’s was the tradition. Birthdays were the only times of year either of us ever had the opportunity to enjoy ice cream cake, and generally we only received that privilege twice, maybe three times a year. It was and still remains our favorite. My family always used to go the Dairy Queen route, which I loved especially that oreo fudge center, while my husband’s family goes the Baskin-Robbins route with something called a golden-ribbon I think. I’ve never really been a fan of the BR ice cream cakes because I never thought actual cake should have any place in an ice cream cake. I wanted a straight wall of ice cream, however for my husband’s birthday I decided I wanted to go all out extravagant.

Since his birthday last year - wow, it sounds so strange to say last year when it was less then a week ago! - was something of a milestone I was determined to make the cake of all cakes! I was obsessed with making the perfect most monestrous and amazing cake in existence. Without wanting to brag I think I did a pretty damn good job. The finished product certainly exceeded even my wildest expectations.

After some careful thought and planning I decided to make it a six layer cake. Two layers of cake, one layer of fudge and three layers of ice cream. It would be like DQ and BR got it on and popped out a baby! It seemed to me like combining the best of both worlds and so I set to work. I asked my husband to pick out three flavors of non-dairy ice cream that he wanted. He chose Mocha Fudge Almond Milk Ice Cream, Vanilla Almond Milk Ice Cream, and Cappuccino Almond Milk Ice Cream. Then I asked him what kind of cake he’d like, chocolate, vanilla or yellow. He chose yellow. With those requirements in mind I set to work.

When I tell people I made my own ice cream cake, they always seem very impressed, and often gush about how much work it must have been; but you know making an ice cream cake is actually a lot easier then you might think. - Unless of course you’re going to make your own non-dairy ice cream from scratch, that’s another story altogether. I do however own an ice cream maker so perhaps that will be the next step? - Easy though it may be, it is a bit time consuming because you have to wait for all the ice cream to melt, and then wait for one layer to freeze at a time before you can add the next layer. It is so worth it though! Trust me on this, if you have not yet made your own ice cream cake go and do it!

For the Yellow cake layer I ended up using the Golden Vanilla Cupcake recipe from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World. I made a double batch and used their suggestion to use turmeric for a deeper yellow color. It worked beautifully. I spread the batter between two 9inch springform pans and while they baked and cooled I set the ice cream out to melt. Once the cakes were cooled I covered one, set it aside and spread the mocha fudge ice cream over the other. Popped it in the freezer waited two hours then took it out. Unfortunately at this point I realized there would not be enough room in the cake pan for all six layers and so I opted to forgo the fudge layer I’d originally envisioned. Instead I spread the cappuccino ice cream over top. Popped it back in the freezer for two hours then spread the vanilla layer over top. After that I left it in the freezer overnight, probably a good 8-10 hours. You want to make sure all the ice cream is rock solid before you put your final layer of cake on top, because if the cream isn’t solid your top layer is going to sink. Once that layer was on, I put the cake back in the freezer until I was ready to frost it.



Best Ever Birthday Ice Cream Cake




















About a half hour before we were ready for dessert I removed the cake from the freezer. I frosted it with the Butter Cream frosting recipe from The Joy of Vegan Baking, then piped Rice Whip around the bottom and along and around the top of the cake. In the middle I put a big dollop of the rice whip and decorated it with maraschino cherries. Next I drizzled chocolate sauce and raspberry sauce over the cake, both recipes for which I also got from The Joy of Vegan Baking, then ta-da it was done!

Man was it delicious! I’m telling you this is hands down the best ice cream cake I’ve ever eaten. Not even DQ nor BR comes anywhere close to how awesome this was. I will never miss a ‘traditional’ ice cream cake again, and this will now be my go-to birthday ice cream cake. It is very heavy, and very filling mind you, but oh so amazing! Really there aren’t enough words to describe the mouth-watering, taste-bud teasing delight of it! You simply have to try it for yourself. In fact at the end of the night, even though a couple omni’s had turned their nose up at it because it wasn’t "Real Ice Cream" there were only 3 slices left, which interestingly is A LOT less then is normally left over whenever we’d order a DQ or BR cake in the past.

The Inside of The Best Ever Birthday Cake - Look At All Those Awesome Layers!

After all that food I wanted to pass out. I can’t remember when the last time I ate that much was but I was in desperate need of either a second stomach to help with the digestion or cake bypass surgery. Enter J to the rescue who gave me a nice massage which actually really helped to speed up the digestion process. By the time she was done I felt pretty normal, definitely not on the verge of death by food coma, so that was a nice surprise. At Midnight we all ran outside in the cold like crazy fools, banged pots and pans, while we hollered and screamed, shouted Happy New Year to our sleepy little neighborhood, and watched the fireworks shooting off in the distance. Then I grabbed my husband who wrapped his warm loving arms around my waist and we kissed under the moon and the stars. In that moment where lips were upon lips nothing else existed, my mind was clear, I think 2012 will be a good year!