Squash Attack

As I've developed a more intuitive eating habit over the years, it has become clear to me the importance of eating foods that are seasonal and preparing them in an appropriate manor. According to Ayurveda and my body (an even more scientifically accurate source, if you ask me) the winter months are the best time to prepare lots of root vegetables in a longer cooking process. I bring you: my squash obsession! 

Squash is low in fat and extremely high in fiber and anti-oxidenets. It is also full of potassium, folate and B6 which aids in immune system function. The bright orange color of squash indicates the an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, the gourd boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration.* It is also thought to be anti-inflammatory due to the high anti-oxident content, which is especially vital in the cold winter months. 

*via Whole Living

Like I mentioned, I have been enjoying squash in numerous forms. The other day I bought an entire butternut squash. I cut off the hallow bottom, sliced in half, scooped out the seeds (which I later roasted) and stuffed them with marinated mushrooms and fresh rosemary. Mmm. I cubed the rest and coated in coconut oil and sea salt before  roasting in a 400 decree oven for 40 mins and placing under the broiler for 10 minutes. I have yet to meet a squash I don't love. 

In other breaking news...check out my little "urban garden" I've got going on. The tin can has celery and those are salad sprouts on the right. 

Why I will never buy almond milk again...

...because it is so freaking CHEAP and EASY to make and TASTES so so so much better when you make it yourself (as with most things).

With just two ingredients: almonds and water, why would I pay more money for added preservatives and the packaging? Don't need those last two things. Only almonds please! Just make sure the brand of almonds you choose hasn't been fumigate with toxic gas. Yea, that's a thing...You simply start by soaking almonds for about 8 hours (I just left them in a bowl covered with water overnight) and then push the skins off. Ok, this takes a bit more planning than running to the grocery store, but it literally takes 2 minutes to scoop out some almonds and put them in a bowl. Don't get lazy on me now. Why bother soaking? It not only prevents your blender from having a (literal) melt-down, but most nuts actually need to be soak to re-activate the live enzymes within them, making their nutrients more readily available and easier to digest.

The next part of the process is to place your now naked almonds (thats what I call them with their skins off) into your blender and cover with four cups of fresh, filtered water. At this point you can also add a sweetener of choice, some sea salt or other flavoring of choice, such as a vanilla bean or cinnamon. Then press BLEND and let the machinery do all the work. Only about a minute or two. Place your nut milk bag/cheese cloth/clean panty hoes (in order of most legit to janky, but crafty) in a bowl or wide-mouthed jar and empty the contents of the blender into it, slowly. After its all in there and the foam has settled down, begin to lift the cheese cloth out, sweezing it with all your might to get every last drip of milky goodness out of there! 

 

But don't throw away the left over pulp, that stuff is valuable! 

Not sure exactly what to do with a lump of almond pulp? For starters, you can use it as you would almond flour, add it to oatmeal, make it into cookies or crackers...

This video by one of my all time favorite blogs, My New Roots, totally demystifies the whole process and beautifully illustrates just how simple and versatile making your own milks at home can be!

New Year, New Breakfast

I've been trying to experiment with different breakfast options in hopes of straying away from the ever reliable, but occasionally tiering oatmeal. While over the years I've definitely found ways to get creative with that grain, sometimes a girl just needs something entirely new. 

For this bowl, I combined:
3/4 Cup cooked and cooled quinoa
1 Pear, cubed 
5 leaves of fresh basil, sliced
Cinnamon
Sliced almonds

This recipe has been submitted to Wellness Weekend, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Food-Spectacular Fridays  and  Gluten Free Fridays

Cookie Party

This year my family decided to do secret santa for the holidays. After struggling to figure out how to actually use the online secret santa generator (yup, that's real-apparently hats are obsolete) I received an email informing me that I "drew" my cousin Danielle's name. With a $30 and even smaller budget of time, I knew homemade was the way to go. My cousin always enjoys whatever vegan delicacies I bring to our family gatherings, and who doesn't like cookies? Not having very much experience in the realm of baking, I took it upon myself to test out an array of recipes that seemed to cover the basic grounds of cookies. 

First up was these Carnival Cookies from Shutterbean. I was drawn to them not only because they were inherently vegan, gluten-free and relatively healthy, but I like the idea of using things I already had in my house, most notably popcorn! Popcorn? In a cookie? This was news to me. I think they could have been baked for a bit longer and wasn't that into the presence of the banana flavor. I usually don't mind it, but I think there was a little too much going on with these for my liking. 

Next up were the Flourless Coconut Chocolate Drops also from Shutterbean. While the airy texture of these cookies was quite pleasant, they are not entirely vegan due to the presence of egg whites and also contain white sugar, which only reinforced the fact that this stuff is totally devious and sends my head spinning. Bottom line: I felt so crazy after I ate these that it wasn't even worth it. I'll definitely look into adapting a healthier version next time. 

 The third stop on cookie experiment train was these gorgeous Almond Lace Cookies (recipe to follow) based off the Vegan Florentines from Oh She Glows. These were by far the healthiest and in my opinion the tastiest of the bunch. I got really good feedback from a predominantly non-vegan crowd, so I think that's pretty telling. Plus, aren't they pretty?

Vegan and Gluten-Free Almond Lace Cookies 

DRY::
1 3/4C sliced almonds (raw or blanched)
2 TBS flour (i used almond flour to make them gluten-free which you can buy at Trader Joes or just put some of the left over almonds in a blender for a bit, or use all-purpose flour if you have that)
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt

WET::
1/4Cup coconut oil
1/2 Cup coconut sugar (or you can use cane sugar or Sucanant or I'm sure brown sugar, but i was sticking with a coconut theme and this is what I had)
2 TBS raw honey (or you can sub brown rice syrup or agave, anything sticky and sweet)
2 TBS Coconut cream (buy a can of full-fat coconut milk and place in the fridge, then when you open it later there scoop out 2 T of the "cream" that settles on the top)
1tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS::
Place all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Put oil, sugar, honey and coconut cream in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Immediately remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Fold in all the dry ingredients. With wet hands, roll 2tsp of mixture into a ball and place on a cookies sheet lined with parchment paper 3 inches apart (these will spread!!) Bake for 10 minutes at 275 degrees, then rotate pan and bake for another 7-10 minutes. Be careful not to burn! Slide parchment paper onto a wire rack or other surface that is not hot and allow to cool for 5 minutes. then transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and block excess oil. Repeat until all the batter is gone. Once they are cooled you can drizzle them with melted chocolate to make it fancy. They apparently will keep in the freezer for two months, but they only lasted three days at my house :)

It's been bitchin' 2012

What a freaking whirlwind 2012 has been for me. I feel like something extraordinary happened each of the past twelve months- some fun and exhilarating, others not so much. This past year I feel like I lost, found, lost again, rediscovered and uncovered a ton about myself, took loads of risks and look forward to doing even more in 2013.  As someone who is always looking for the opportunity to renew myself and make positive changes, I always find myself reflecting and scratching out a few resolutions as December comes to a close. Some years I'm a bit more diligent than others, but I thought I'd share what I came up with this year. Here's to a healthy and a happy new year! 

In 2012 I...
+won a fatty scholarship for design project I created and accompanying research paper I wrote
+completed my first clothing collection and participated in a fashion show where I had to talk in front of a huge crowd
+went through my first "real, adult, break-up" (whatever that means. boys drool. jk)
+contributed art to an arts festival, currated a group show and graduated from college
+went to an artists residency for a month, made cool, weird art and even cooler and weirder friends
+moved back home with my mom to save money 
+very soon after found a sick new apartment, and after lots of drama, signed my first two-year lease and started living with my brother for the first time in close to a decade
+worked beastly amounts (note to self: 5 days off a month is NOT enough) to make lots of moolah to $upport myself
+quit one of my jobs, for the first time, which was also the first job I was ever hired at, almost seven years ago. not an easy task
+began getting a glimpse of what I want to do with my life, or at least my life in 2013, which brings me to...

In 2013 I...
+want to take better care of myself from the inside out (I'm obviously already a health freak but the main thing I want to  change this year is making more time for yoga/ exercising. I've learned that has such a great effect on me physically AND emotionally)
+meditate regularly
+better refine/ define my style and over-all aesthetic 
+create beautiful things, constantly 
+be more open-minded/ take risks/ go on more adventures
+don't worry, be happy! no but seriously, stop stressing over dumb shit.
+focus on myself more, and my needs and treat yo' self every now and then
+but also continue to conserve, and save up for the future
+carve out more time to see friends and family. while I love me some alone time, socializing and forming new relationships is just as important and also I feel like need to network a bit more
+continue to educate myself- this is the first time in 20 years that I'm not in school and that is terrifying for me, but also exciting that I can take advantage of all the learning opportunities around me. from all the interesting, experienced people to literal classes being offered all around the city. there are also a ton of books I've been meaning to pick up...
+only do things that I love 
(ok, maybe I don't love going to work or doing the dishes, but do I love supporting myself and living in a clean home and my current job is definitely the most lucrative and enjoyable way to accomplish that, and the dishes ain't gonna wash themselves, so...
I'll end this lengthly and sporadic melange of thoughts with a quote that I heard (or saw?) somewhere only a few days before I decided to leave my job. It made me realize that there is really no point in forcing yourself to do things that make you totally unhappy, no matter what it may lead to in the long run. Live is made up of short moments, which form a (pretty freaking short if you ask me) whole, so make sure each little speck of that whole is as amazing as possible.

Here's to many happy and exciting moments in 2013. 

Death Row Chocolates

No, there isn't anything in this recipe that will get you the death sentence, but I did have an epiphany while savoring a few of these badboys that if I had to choose my last meal before execution, it would probably include these. Maybe a glass of champagne to go with? Oooh, I'm going to the chair, not the club... Anyways, these are so decadent and delicious that you will find yourself wanting them for your last meal and pre-meal too! I chose to make mine mostly raw because I'm kinda on that train right now, but you  can sub regular chocolate chips in for the cacao butter/ powder. 


I've been a little intimidated by the idea of making my own raw chocolates for a while. I mean, there are so many amazing brands that I've tried over the years, how could I compete? But when I was perusing one of my favorite West Village health food stores and found a funky little company that stone grinds whole Balinese cacao beans into a powder and then paste (assuming from the oils that are released) and then leaves it to harden into little bricks so they can easily be melted down over low-heat, I knew my time to delve into the world of raw chocolate making had arrived. (wow was that a run-on or what?!)


Sooo...I did exactly what the package told me to. I melted the little bricks of chocolate in a double-boiler and added a sweetener of my choice (maple syrup). I also added equal parts of coconut oil to make the chocolate extra silky smooth. I believe the ratio went something like this:

1 cup chocolate : 3tsp maple syrup : 3tsp coconut oil

As soon as all the ingredients were well combined, I turned off the heat and quickly (very key here) began dipping my strawberries into the mix. I poured the remaining chocolate concoction into heart shaped rubber ice cube trays (I think from Ikea?) which I had prepared by sprinkling half with Himalayan sea salt and the rest with coconut flakes so that they would rest on top of the chocolates after they hardened.  

It was so rewarding to have a healthy (chocolate is really good for you, okay!) treat on hand, and even more so because I knew exactly what went into making them; ingredient and labor wise. I learned a. to stop being intimidated by seemingly daunting tasks b. everything tastes better when you make it from scratch, no matter how imperfect looking it may turn out and finally,  c.  chocolate + sea salt= best combination. ever. 

Kale Pesto

This recipe is a healthier version of the pesto sauce my mom used to make for me growing up. I left out the parmesan cheese (could have subbed in some nutritional yeast, but I'm all out ) and added some kale, duh! I also swapped the white flour spaghetti for some raw zucchini noodles, making this version completely vegan and gluten free yay* 


For the pesto:


1 Cup fresh basil, packed
1/2 Cup pine nuts (I chose pine nuts because I was feeling traditional, you could also use walnuts, pumpkin seeds or another type of nut)
1 large kale leaf
2 cloves of fresh garlic
4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 Tbsp Flax oil (or olive oil or sub another oil)


Place the first 6 ingredients into a food processor and process until the leaves are no longer whole. Scrape down the sides and continue to process while you drizzle in the oil. This should make it creamier looking. 


To make "pesto pasta"::
1 Zucchini, sliced into "noodles" aka thin strips (can use vegetable peeler) **see note
1 Cup broccoli florets


I scooped out about half the mixture from the food processor and mixed it into the zucchini and broccoli and then left it to marinate in the fridge. 
**note: don't forget to drain the excess liquid from the sliced zucchini. I did this by pressing it into a fine mesh strainer. Alternatively, you can jus squeeze it in-between your hands over the sink.

What to do with the remaining kale pesto? Kale salad? I added about 1 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar to the sauce to thin it out into a dressing and massaged it into 3 large kale leaves, sliced thin. Stuck that in the fridge to marinate too. The lemon and salt softened the veggies over night and the flavor of the basil really melded with the greens. So delicious I actually forgot to photograph the dishes on their own. The next evening I was feeling nalstalgic so I decided to cook up some gluten-free brown rice pasta and topped it with the leftover salads. 

Summer in the City*

I'm home! After an amazing month long artists residency in The Catskills, I have returned to this smelly, muggy city that I love so dear. My hair has already expanded 3 times its original size and I keep finding myself holding my breath as I walk down the streets exuding hot-garbage-air. It hasn't even been a full day since I've been back and already I miss my morning jumps into the freezing cold watering hole (um best way to wake up, ever) and even the simple things like eating breakfast outside on the porch and wiggling my toes around in the grass first thing. But, on to the next one! And lucky for me, I have very little obligations in my life at the moment and there is so much fun stuff going on in this city during the summer that I'm sure I'll find many ways to distract myself::


Go:
Governors Island

Brooklyn Botanical Garden

The Museum of Natural History (haven't been since I was a kid and something tells me I would appreciate it even more now!)

Movies in the Park
SummerStage
River to River NYC 
Read a book in Central Park
Pool Parties
Rockaway Beach
McCarren Park Pool
So many gallery openings, first Thursday, the Met, MoMA, The New Museum, Guggenheim, The Tenement Museum, Brooklyn Museum
Volunteer in gardens 
Shmorgusburg
Brooklyn Flea, Chelsea Flea, 77th street Flea...
Visit a Russian or Turkish bath house/ sauna/ sweat

Learn:
Brooklyn Brainery
Trade School
Spend an entire day at the NY Public Library! (so many books, freeeee!)
3rd Ward (beautiful studios, kinda expensive though)
Skill Share
School of Burlesque 
The Brooklyn Kitchen
Make Workshop
The Textile Arts Center


Night: (I'm not so big on going out out these days, but it just wouldn't be summer without having a drink on a roof top bar with amazing views of the city skyline!!) 
The Standard’s roof 
The Press Lounge at Ink 48 
230 Fifth, Top of the Strand
The Delancey
The Frying Pan (Drinks on a booaaat!)

Other things I plan to do over the summer:
-Organize all my stuff (clothes, books, art supplies, shoes...)--> have a clothing swap --> then sell or donate the rest
-Read all the books that have been sitting on my shelf for years
-Digital detox! clean through bookmarks, blog reader, back up things onto external hard drive etc.
-Make a manifestation list, including audacious ambitions for the coming months
-Journal excessively 
-Go to the farmers market
-Run around outside, take long walks over bridges, climb trees, find the nature in this concrete jungle
-Take photos of my friends, they're cute. Also I want to find more photo booths in the city.
-Go rollerblading (I just found my old ones, I hope they still fit!!)
-People watch from a cafe window, stoop, fire escape...or not even bother being subtle about it.
-Eat a popsicle
-Buy more googly eyes and stick them on everything. Is it just me or are those things hilarious?


For more updated listing of events, check out these sites:
myfreeconcert
the fly girl guide
ohmyrockness
brooklynvegan
myopenbar

Slow:Fast:Foods

For my last time cooking at the artist's residency where I spent the last month cohabiting, co-creating and co-cooking (?) with 13 other people, I decided to make a healthy, vegan (shocker! I know!) fun, "fast food-inspired" meal. What came to mind? Burgers. Fries. Cookies. Done. 


The meal started off with a vegan caesar salad inspired by The Kind Diet, that I topped with gluten-free rosemary-polenta croutons 
For the dressing (serves 6-8 people):
2 Tbs almonds
3 Cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs Dijon mustard
2 Tbs Tamari soy sauce
1 Tbs tahini
3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs extra-vergin olive oil


2 or 3 large heads of romaine lettuce, torn into bite-sized pieces 


For the croutons:
1 Cup polenta
2 Cups water
Rosemary, dried
Garlic powder
Sea salt

Bring the water to a boil, then slowly add the polenta whisking briskly to avoid any clumps from forming. Lower flame and allow to simmer, stirring continuously for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat, stir in salt and herbs and then pour into a square, heat-proof dish. Allow to cool completely while you make other components of the salad.
To make the dressing, place all the ingredients into a food processor; process until smooth and well blended. Add water if need. 


Sweet Potato Fries:
5 big sweet potatoes
Coconut oil
Cajun spice seasoning + a bit of salt to taste

Simply wash and slice the potatoes into french fry shape. Lay them down on a baking sheet (will need multiple if making a big batch) making sure they don't touch; this will allow them to crisp up. Coat them evenly in coconut oil (if the oil has turned to a solid, simply scoop some out and rub it between your hands) and then dowse them in cajun seasoning. Bake for approximately 40 minutes at 400 degrees, or unit they have reached desired crispiness!


Black Bean Burgers (via  GOOP curtesy of Candle 79) (Makes 6-8 burgers)
2 cans black beans
2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 tsp chipotle chili powder
2 tsp salt
black pepper to taste
cumin to taste 
1 1/2 cups brown rice
3 cups water
1 Tbs olive oil
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds 
1 Tbs smoked paprika
sliced red onion, tomato and lettuce for serving
whole grain burger buns, toasted

Bring the water to a boil and add brown rice, lower to a simmer and cover until rice is tender and all the water is absorbed, about 40 minutes. Add the chopped onion and cover for 10 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds, paprika and 1tsp of salt and season with pepper. Cook the seeds, stirring and shaking the pan until they are lightly toasted, about 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Combine the drained beans, rice and pumpkin seeds in a large bowl, add the remaining spice and stir. Place half the mixture into the food processor until smooth. Return the processed mix to the big bowl and stir into the unprocessed mix. Form patties about 3 1/2 inch in diameter and 1 inch thick. Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and bake at 350 degrees until browned, about 20 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Alternatively, you can pan fry them in olive oil, about 4 minute per side. Slather in condiments as you desire and enjoy!


And finally...if you aren't already bursting at the seams...


Gluten-free and Sugar-free Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie (via Chocolate Covered Katie)
2 cans white beans or garbanzos (drained and rinsed well) (500g total, once drained)
1 cup quick oats (or certified-gf quick oats)
2 cups pitted dates 
4 stevia packs, or 1/8 tsp uncut 
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup milk of choice (I used almond)
3 tbsp oil (canola, veg, or coconut)
1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips 

Preheat oven to 350 F, and grease a 10-in springform pan (or two 8-in round pans). Combine all dry ingredients (except chips) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Place dry and then wet ingredients into a food processor and blend until super-smooth (where there are no date pieces to be seen). Stir in the chocolate chips, and pour into the pan or pans. Bake 35-40 minutes, then let cool at least 15 minutes before trying to remove it. Slice and devour! 

Chillin' & Grillin'

It was my turn to cook dinner for the group again and this time around I decided to utilize our grill. I originally planned to just throw some unadulterated vegetables straight on the grill, but woke up in the morning feeling inspired to try something a bit more challenging. Enter: marinated bbq tofu and veggie kabobs. I actually don't care for tofu, I find that it tastes like squishy nothing unless prepared really well, so I decided to make a marinade for it to sit in while we went off to a beautiful watering hole for the day. The house refrigerator had a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce, which not only has a cult following but includes quite a few culprits on it's ingredient list (I'm talking high fructose corn syrup, artificial caramel coloring and nasty preservatives...not on MY food!) 


I was a bit rushed and spastic when mixing up this alternative concoction, so I completely failed at recording what went in it, let alone any particular measurements, but I'm pretty sure it went something like this:
1 Small can of tomato paste
1 Small can of unsweetened diced pineapple
3 Tbsp molasses 
1 bottle Tamari soy sauce 
1 Head of crushed fresh garlic
1 Nub freshly grated ginger
Mustard seed, chili powder, black pepper, to taste 


I drained and chopped up lots of tofu (oh this meal was meant to feed 13 people, by the way) and placed it in two large zip-lock bags, divided all the bbq sauce between the two bags and popped it in the fridge while I went swimming for the day. This made dinner prep sooo much more simple (which I was very grateful for in my sun-stricked state) All I had to do was chop the veggies and stick them on a skewers with the tofu, alternating colors in a preconceived pattern, obviously and drop them on the grill. Actually, I had a fabulous sous chef do all the grilling for me while I prepared the guacamole (see recipe bellow). I should mention that the remaining bbq sauce was dumped onto of the kebabs pre-grilling. 

Veggie Kebabs:
Marinated tofu (see bbq marinade recipe above)
White onion, chopped 
Zucchini
Red bell pepper
Green bell pepper


also on the grill...lots of corn! Because who doesn't like grilled corn?

The guacamole was kept simple and included:
Avocados
Garlic, chopped, lots!
White onion, chopped (a good way to use up all the pieces that were too small for the kebabs!) 
Tomatos, diced
Lime juice
Sea salt
**Keep the pits of the avocados in the guacamole until ready to serve to prevent browning

Note: this meal is best enjoyed outside with friends!