What to bring to a holiday party?

Umm cookies, duh!

I am always trying to subtly turn my meat-devouring family members (who I love very much) onto the deliciousness that is vegan food. My most effective approach has been to make really yummy vegan food whenever we have a family gathering and either leave these dishes out on the table with the rest of the food, or I make a special treat and wrap 'em up real cute and give them as gifts. Whether I pose them as a gift or "regular food", everything always gets eaten.

I made these cookies a while back, I think as father's day gifts, but they would also make really great holiday presents. I took the original veganized recipe and made a few changes to make them gluten-free as well and also to use up a bunch of very ripe bananas I had on hand. They came out great and where really fun (had a little too much fun with this part) to decorate! They would even be a great project to work on together if you weren't trying to hide the absence of milk and butter from the eventual consumers!

Chocolate-dipped peanut butter-banana cookies:

1 cup chunkyy peanut butter
½ cup dairy free margarine, softened (I used Earth Balance brand, could also sub in coconut oil if you wanted to make these less processed and even more crazy flavored!)
½ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
½ cup sugar
¼ cup mashed really ripe banana
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 ½ cups gluten-free flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup almonds, chopped
2 cups dairy free chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dairy free margarine

Heat your oven to 400 degrees

In a large bowl beat together peanut butter, margarine, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and creamy. Add banana and vanilla.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Add flour mix to peanut butter to and stir well.

Cover bowl and refrigerate for 20 – 30 minutes. Make balls about the size of a golf ball, roll in sugar and place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Using a fork make crisscross pattern flattening cookies slightly. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove cookies from the oven and cool on a wire rack (after testing a little piece to make sure they aren't poisonous of course!)

Place a sheet of waxed paper over a cool cookie pan or plate.

Next, heat the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. As it begins to melt add the margarine. Once the chocolate is melted, begin dipping half of each cookie in the chocolate, using a spoon to help spread the chocolate evenly over the cookie. Don’t be shy here, a nice thick coating is what you’re looking for.

Place the chocolate-dipped cookie on the waxed paper. Then the fun part! Decorate (or in my case, over-decorate!) with whatever sprinkles, chopped nuts etc you have on-hand. Be sure to do this as you dip each cookie because the chocolate will set quickly. Once you’ve filled up this tray with dipped cookies, place the tray in the fridge to help set the chocolate.

Got a leeeetle bit carried away

When everything has cooled an hardened, stack about 4-5 cookies on top of each other, wrap up in parchment paper and tie with a ribbon. Viola!

I've been a vewrrrry good girl this year :))

Holiday Wishlist 2011*

Totally already ordered this iphone case for myself. Ooops I just couldn't hold back!

While it's not being prescribed as a cure for seasonal affective disorder just yet, the Bright Blind is sure to lighten one's spirit in dark, sad abodes and office spaces worldwide. Made of electroluminescent (EL) sheets, Makoto Hirahara's Bright Blind simulates a window where none exists. The artificial blind functions in exactly the way you might guess; turn the plastic stick and control the brightness!.

Finally, a cute bike helmet! I ride my bike around NYC all the time and have even been in a (minor) accident before, yet I don't own a bike helmet because I have yet to find one that is actually cute enough to wear.

I don't know about you, but the heat in my apartment has been making me feel shriveled up like a raisin. Made out of cedar, the Mast requires no plugs. While it's definitely not as powerful as some of the electric models listed here, it's certainly more ecological. The bottom is filled with water and dispersed through the fan shaped sheets of cypress at the top at a rate about six times that of a glass of water. The humidifier is also made by artisans, not machines so expect it to take about a month for yours to be made. We like the artful shape, environmental friendliness and woody smell in the air this humidifier provides. Forewarning, the page for the Mast is in Japanese.

**Nerdy-tech Alert** but how good of an idea is this?

The Belkin Conserve Socket plugs into any household outlet and automatically stops the flow of energy, including standby power, to outlets using an adjustable timer. Not only is this outlet better in terms of safety (devices that are left plugged in can be prone to electrical malfunction or fire) but is helpful in reducing electricity bills and conserving resources.

Salad spruce-up pt.2

This post seems quite appropriate considering my recent adventures in ending a salad rut and finding confidence in preparing brussels sprouts on my own. I bring to you: The Super Sprout Salad

Ingredients:

1/2lb brussels sprouts, grated in a (not for)cheese grater

1 handful alfalfa sprouts

Sprinkle of flax and/or sunflower seeds for added protein and crunch

Sweet Mustard Miso Dressing:
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons miso
2 tablespoons stoneground mustard
2 tablespoons brown rice syrup (I only used 1 because I used sweet white miso and found it to be sweet enough)
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Black pepper, to taste
Sea salt, to taste (omitted this because the miso was salty enough for me)
Filtered water, as necessary

Also bellow are 5 ways to break out of your salad rut via thekitchn

1) A Sprinkle of Cocoa Nibs: I first started using a sprinkling of cocoa nibs on top of my salads this summer. While you'd think it would lend an odd sweetness to a salad, because of their slightly bitter nuttiness, they provide a really nice toasty, savory element. And a welcome crunch.

2) Mix Up Your Greens: It's easy to get in a rut when it comes to salad greens. We know which greens we like and we continue to buy them. Maybe you're a butter lettuce gal or a strictly romaine kind of guy, but next time you're at the market, choose a spicy arugula or watercress to change things up a bit.

3) Try a New Ingredient: I recently had a dinner party with a handful of good friends here in the Bay Area and we prepared a salad with fennel and mushrooms. Both the fennel and mushrooms were sliced paper thin and we dressed it with a simple dash of olive oil, lemon and good sea salt. It was a most welcome change from a more typical green salad. Now when I'm at the market, I've been picking up fennel or a persimmon or something I don't typically use in salads just to experiment with something new.

4) Herbs, Herbs, Herbs: My dad adds chopped cilantro to virtually every green salad he makes. After falling in love with salads at his house, I've tried adding chopped Italian parsley, chives or dill. Herbs are an easy, wonderful (and healthy) way to liven up any tired salad.

5) Hello there, mandolin: In addition to trying new greens or ingredients in a salad, slicing or prepping your vegetables in a new way will make you feel like you're experiencing an entirely new kind of salad. Try slicing your vegetables paper thin or as matchsticks on a mandolin. Or do the exact opposite and keep things robust and chunky. Visually, you'll trick your palate into thinking you're onto something totally new.

salad spruce-up pt.1

I've kind of been in a salad rut lately. Kale + some herbs + sprouts + some kind of dressing + maybe half an avocado for slow-digesting fats, some beans or seeds for protein and crunch and, if I'm lucky, some leftovers on top.

To make my lunch a little more exciting (lunch is already a pretty exciting part of my day-but sometimes you need something special to look forward to!) I'm currently working on devising a few recipes that can be made ahead of time, stored in the fridge over the week and added to the top of any bed of greens and really jaz them up. Bonus* they also make great fillings for a collard or tortilla wrap, or atop some whole grains for dinner!

Corn and Mung Bean Salad(based off of this recipe)

1 cup dried mung beans
2 large ears corn, kernels removed (about 2 cups)
1 small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup dill, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Prune and Beet Salad:

5 cooked beets, chopped into bite-sized pieces

1c prunes, soaked in water for a few hours or until soft, then drained

3Tbsp olive oil

2tsp ground flax seed

2tbsp sesame seeds

sea salt, to taste

Mix all ingredients. Plop on a bed of greens (kale in my case) I also chopped up a dill pickle because, um, sour pickles and sweet beets are a bomb combo.

What are your favorite salad add-ins?

master of the sprouts

I have a confession to make. I love brussels sprouts. Ok, that' t not the confession. I'm a little ashamed to say that until now, I had never cooked my own brussels sprouts. I think I tried a while back but they never came out nearly as good as my moms, which are a spin-off of the Whole Foods prepared brussels. If you have never had them, let me tell you that these things are better than candy and are HIGHLY addictive. They manage to make them perfectly charred and crunchy on the outside yet mushy melty in your mouth on the inside. I have a feeling that their technique may involve 20lbs of oil and 2 tons of salt, but I like to think that they taste so good because of the love and effort involved in the slow, attentive roasting process. But I'm pretty sure its because the pint I indulge in sparingly contains the caloric intake of entire days worth of food.

Enough rambling about my gluttonous cruciferous'. So when I found a whole branch? of organic brussels for only $2 at the farmers market, I couldn't turn them down. While I was tempted to bring them over to my moms apartment as a gift/ beg her to cook them up for me, I decided to give it a go on my own.

I began by plucking each sprout and then slicing them in half. Then I placed them in my fun confetti bowl and gave them a nice rinse.
I then heated a bit of coconut oil in a pan and placed the brussels, cut side down, in it. I let them char there for a bit. I really wanted to get that yummy burnt affect they have going on with the Whole Foods variety, just minus all the yucky useless fats from oxidized, cheap oils. A sprinkle of himalayan salt helped them cook down without adding oil. While these babies were crisping away, I made a little dressing from:

2T Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Maple Syrup

2 T Dijon Mustard

After about 5-7 minutes, I poured the dressing over the brussels and let it cook into them for an additional two minutes. Make sure to mix well so that it gets evenly distributed.

Oh my god. So freaking good! I could have eaten a whole pound of these things. No really, I could, and not have to worry about my cholesterol levels skyrocketing!

Lesson learned: Don't be intimidated by recipes you think are too good to tackle. Instead, get inspired by them and pull from them ideas and make them your own.

simplicity is bliss*

Sometimes when things get a little hectic (or a lot hectic) you just need something that is simple and comforting....

Steamed bok choi with a drizzle of umeboshi plum vinegar//

kombocha squash with onions and a pinch of salt. Thats all :)

all wrapped up

Although I have been enjoying my daily kale salad for lunch, sometimes you just need to shake things up, ya know? So today when I went to pick up some ingredients at the farmers market, I was inspired by these gorgeous collards, to make collard wraps! The ingredients are things that I generally eat for lunch anyway, but instead of shredding and mixing together, I've wrapped them all up in a green collard.

My wrap included:

1 collard leaf

1/2 an avocado

1/2 an heirloom tomato (which my farmer friend assured me for the third week in a row that these are really the last tomatoes of the season)

a handful of sprouts

fresh herbs (I used dill because I'm totally on a dill kick!)

I dressed this bundle of simplicity up with a splash of Braggs and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper*

To turn this from a pile of veggies into a wrap, just fold the top and the bottom of the collard towards the center, then fold the right side over and then roll tightly, burrito style. Place the the wrap, folded side down, on a plate. With a clean, sharp knife, slice through the middle on a diagonal. Ooo la la fancy you!

Tai-spied Korean scallion pancake

A while back I posted about some scallion-pancake type things I created in a moment of desperation and inspiration. While they were pretty delicious, there were no real measurements, limitations to ingredients (when are there ever?) and they could have used a little work in the texture department. Then I discovered Maangchi. Her recipe for Panjeon (and freakin' adorable video*) got me craving this doughy-scallion concoction all over again.

I would love to forage in the park with this lady.

The first change to my recipe I needed to make was to use a grain flour rather than the whole grain. This would instantly solve solve my textural problem and also eliminate the need for any binder (a.k.a flax egg). I chose to use oat flour because I really liked the taste of oats mixed with the scallions last time I made these. You could also use brown rice, chickpea or whole wheat flour if happen to have those. I like that Maangchi used miso paste instead of salt to add flavor. However, when you boil miso paste or put it under high heat, it looses all the nutritional properties it contains do to fermentation. Boiling the miso paste kills all the useful bacteria. I decided to add some miso paste to the dipping sauce instead, in order to keep the beneficial properties intact. I also altered the original recipe by adding lots of hot peppers to the mix. I've been trying to incorporate a new spice into one meal a day. Today it was a handful of Tai cayenne peppers for a kick of color and heat tossed in!

Tai Cayenne Peppers

Scallion Pancakes:

1 bunch of fresh scallions (a.k.a green onions)

1/2c oat flour (or any flour you like)

1/2c water

pinch of salt

Tai cayenne peppers (optional and to taste!)

Begin by placing 1/2 cup rolled oats into a blender and pulse until it turns into a flour consistency. Add any fresh herbs you like to the flour mix (cayenne peppers in my case) and a pinch of sea salt. Get your pan ready by putting the flame on high heat.

Add oil of choice (I used olive oil spray) and then add your scallions. Saute for a few minutes until they begin to brown and soften a bit.

Then add the water to the flour, wisk together and pour over the scallions. Make sure to keep the mixture moving so that it spreads evenly. Keep pressing the batter down with a spatula so that it seeps through the cracks and reaches the bottom of the pan. Once it crisps up a bit, flip it so that its scallion side up. Continue to press the pancake down onto the pan and flip every so often until it is crispy and brown. Serve with some spicy lime dipping sauce (see recipe below).

These ended up being a completely different kind of pancake, but absolutely delicious! And I'm also happy I got to incorporate another type of hot pepper ;)) You could totally add in any extra veggies (like I did last time) but I like the simplicity of this dish. I served mine up with some steamed broccoli for some extra green goodness! It tasted really great with the dipping sauce too (which I obviously poured all over everything)

Dipping sauce:

2T Braggs Liquid Aminos

Juice of 1/2 a lime

1t miso paste

1t raw honey (optional, but if you do use, try to get the good stuff-local, raw, creamed ;)

1 garlic clove

sesame seeds

1t daikon, grated (optional-buuut it helps to cut the fat of fried food :)

chili pepper flakes (optional)

world vegan day

source

I'm in a super festive mood today because not only was yesterday Halloween, today is World Vegan Day (the 67th anniversary of the term "vegan") and also the two year anniversary of me following a vegan lifestyle wooo!! All this definitely calls for celebration...a giant vegan lower-back tattoo perhaps? Ummm I think I'll try a less permanent and painful means of commemorating this awesome day by reflecting a bit on why I chose a vegan diet and why I've stuck with it.

I don't remember the exact day I "officially became a vegan" but I do remember visiting my best friend at her college for Halloween weekend and even though it was definitely an inconvenience to find options in her cafeteria or the small college town she lived in, I distinctly remember not making any exceptions. One of the biggest struggles of becoming vegan was feeling like an inconvenience when it came to feeding time. From family dinners, staying with friends and even going out on a date, I often found myself apologizing for my restrictions. Over the past two years I've learned to stop feeling sorry and started sharing all the information and food I have learned since begging this journey. Pretty much everyone I approach with confidence (and samples!) has been extremely receptive and appreciative. All of my roommates have adopted a vegan diet for the most part and the craziest thing is- I never once asked any of them to even try to go vegan. Keep your cheese in fridge, have an egg in the morning, I don't mind. But I think (and what I've been told) is that by simply observing how simple (and inexpensive!) it is to be vegan and healthy and thus reap all the amazing benefits, making the switch to a vegan lifestyle ends up being the obvious reaction.

For me, I started dabbling in veganism when I moved back to New York from Southern California (ironically enough) and was living on my own rather than in a dorm or with my mom. I had the opportunity for a fresh start and complete control over what I would fill my refrigerator and stock my cabinets with. I have always had an interest in health but at this time I also became increasingly interested in food politics and veganism seemed to be the answer to my search for the most ethical, environmentally sound and most importantly, healthy lifestyle choice.

a glimpse at my pantry- what more could you need?

spooky juicy

Happy Halloween!! I wanted to share this "spooky" looking juice I made::

scarily nutritious!

This purpley foamy goodness included:

red cabbage, kale and spinach stems, 2 celery stalks, small pear, spiralina & lemon juice. Yum!

Kale Massacre Salad

I call this bad boy the Kale Massacre Salad because a) there is NO WAY you will not massacre this thing when you make it and b) when you finishing beasting on it, your plate (or in my case, Tupperware that I brought it in to work) will look like some one went on a kale killing spree, with green blood and guts and all. Mmmm. Well, now that I got you hungry, here's the recipe:

So much green goodness!

3-4 kale leaves (depending on the size of the kale and the size of the salad you want to make) pulled off the stem and ripped into little bite-sized pieces

1 hand full of parley, torn into smaller pieces

1 hand full of fresh dill, torn

2t apple cider vinegar

*I let this mix of greens and herbs sit in a container in my fridge overnight to help break it down so its easier to digest. you could also combine all of the ingredients at once, but I like to let the herbs really mix in with my greens

In the am, I added...

juice of 1/2 a lemon (the leftover half from my lemon water!)

1/2 avocado (I scoop out all the meat and then use my hands to really coat all the leaves)

1-2 T nutritional yeast

1/2 Tground flaw seed

1/2 t spiralina

a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup sprouts (I used a mix of lentil sprouts and pea shoots)

salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste (I like a lot of cayenne in this one :)

1/2 piece nori seaweed, cut into thin strips

dulse seaweed* (I impulsively picked up this kind on my way to work and added it in at the last minute...ohmygod so good! I'm afraid I may have munched a little bit too hard on it as an afternoon snack, not because there is any lack of health benefits, but it is a bit pricey. I'm thinking of ordering it in bulk from the same company I purchased from today because I'm already hooked! It has an amazing salty, smokey, (dare I say) meaty flavor. I think it would be amazing on an avocado sandwich, in miso soup or a veggie stir-fry with mushrooms! Woah slow down!)

destroyed.

Linky-link October

Love this! I'm the "black charger"

The art of wearable communication via Ted Talk

Fruit labels that magically turn into (fruit) soap!

NY Mag Twelve takes on falafel, but they forgot my fav, which is from Tahini

Cultural Faux Pas in New York

"don't interfere with others' privacy. New York is a very crowded place. The way people deal with it is to create their own space. Thus, what outsiders often see as aloofness and isolation is, in fact, a sign of community; there is a shared ethos that everyone respects others' privacy and expects others to respect his own."

linky-links

I wish I had my own studio :( One of the downsides of living in NYC.

I would love to make a vegan version of this genius no-roll sushi.

Sabrina Ward Harrison is one of my most favoritist artists and this is her house!

The article "The Tyrany of Trends" really examines the dynamics of sustainable fashion.

LOVE Here is Everything I Learned in New York! A few great quotes from this piece::
But eventually, I realized there is only one bad decision, the decision I moved to New York to avoid: Doing nothing at all. That is unforgivable.

Some of my favorite conversations have been with cabbies, because there is a curious intimacy that develops when you both know you will only share 10 blocks together in this lifetime.

New York is a lonely place. But in New York, you’re never alone.

Lower East Side from Django's Ghost on Vimeo.

One Hundred Years of Fashion::

via the streets i know

Happy September!!

these make me really happy and I want to make/ eat them.

photo fun.

Source

Source

Source

I like the idea of using my own photos (of which I have boxes and boxes of) as wall art.

minimal.

I'm finally moving into my new place on Monday!! All I can think about is how I'm going to decorate my amazing (and extremely teeny-tiny) new space. This is the smallest apartment I've ever lived in, and it's forced me to re-evaluate all the crap I've accumulated over the years and think about what I actually NEED in my life. I want the space to be comfortable and inspiring in decor, while also minimal in actual stuff.

Image source
Image source
Like my last place, this one has ZERO closets. Me and my roll rack don't give a damn!
Via Emmadime
Love how the white-on-white makes the shelves blend in with the walls
via daydreamily
Image source
I like the idea of using a blanket like this as a couch covering
Uhh rentals! If I ever buy a place, my kitchen will look like this! via pinterest

Get ready for tons more apartment inspiration coming your way! Maybe even some DIY'S too!

leftover steel-cut oat and broccoli scallion pancakes

I have been so crazy busy this week-between looking for a roommate, searching for an apartment and then signing the lease (I literally feel like I batted an eye lash and all this happened)-I have been so exhausted. Too exhausted to even go food shopping or cook food! (I know! And those are like, my two favorite activities!!)

So when I went to take a dinner break from sorting/ packing all my stuff, I didn't really have much to work with. I was actually craving falafel, or something similarly warm and crispy, but I didn't have ANY of the ingredients needed to make falafel:( What I did have was a big container of steel-cut oats I cooked up the week and a random array of vegetables. I just kinda grabbed whatever looked good and started mixing things together with the intention of making some sort of stir-fry or veggie burger. The outcome of concoction tasted JUST like the scallion pancakes I used to eat from the chinese restaurant near my house when I was younger-only wayy better (less greasy + more flavorful)

just like take-out, only better

Here's what I mixed together. The measurements are complete estimates because I just used what was leftover!

~1c steal-cut oats, cooked and cooled

~1/3c daikon radish, grated (or chopped, but I like to grate my veggies with a cheese grater, which is obvi not ever used for cheese;)

~3 scallions, chopped (white part included) plus leave some aside for a super-shmansy garnish

~1/4 broccoli florets, chopped into tiny pieces, excluding the stems (sorry stems!)

-1T ground flax seed mixed with 2T water, set aside to turn into a gel

-1T brown rice flour, or whatever flour you have on hand (all purpose would work)

-1 pinch of cumin

-1 pinch of cayenne or other spiced pepper (I used a lot because I love heat)

-salt and pepper to taste

-olive oil for pan (although cooking spray would work if you are trying to cut down on oil)

Mix all the oats and veggies in a bowl. Then add your spices and binders (flax "egg" and flour) While the oil is heating in the pan, use your hands to form a ball of the "dough" and then plot it into the pan. Let it crisp up a bit before using a spatula to flatten it into a pancake shape. Cook until both sides are crispy and brown, about 8 minutes total, depending on the size of your flame and how crispy you like it (or how hungry you are.) Serve with some chopped fresh scallions on top. Viola!

This would make a great appetizer to go with an asian stir-fry. Wow, I should really go grocery shopping!

what's wrong with wool

So by now we know not to EAT meat and definitely not to WEAR fur or leather (gross) but what about wool? This seems to be fuzzy (pun intended) topic because many people think that the sheep are simply given a "hair cut" every now by a nice shepherd which is then woven into a little sweater by someone's grandma. Well, sorry to break it to ya, but not only are most of the sheep raised in horrific living conditions, non-organic sheep's wool is dowsed in harmful (to us and the sheep) chemical pesticides and insecticides. In addition, one of the world's largest sources of wool, Australian merino wool, practices a technique called mueling- essentially cutting off chunks of flesh to ensure the greatest wool output. When the sheeps are no longer needed/ usable for wool production, they are shipped of for slaughter. This is all illustrated nicely in this video by PETA narrated by Pink:

While organic wool seems like a great alternative to conventional, it unfortunately comes with a heafty price tag and isn't nearly as widely available. I'm still a firm believer that second-hand is the most eco way to go because you don't have to factor in the impact of production, packaging, shipping etc. let alone labor practices and inhumane treatment of animals. One eco-company that I'd like to highlight is Vaute Couture. Created by Leanne Mai-Ly Hilgart, these gorgeous coats are artfully made out of inovative fabrics such as recycled soybean pod fibers! I'm still always on the lookout for ways to stay warm without harming animals or the environment.

What are your thoughts on wool?