Out on the Town

This weekend my mom and her boyfriend Ken were in town as well as my Uncle Steve and Aunt Diana. I knew that we would all be out and about in NYC starting Saturday morning so Patrick and I decided to cook at home on Friday night. I was craving Indian food so we made some Palak (sans Paneer- otherwise known as cheese) and chickpea curry. We also made some brown basmati rice and onion naan. So good! Better than takeout for sure : )

Green leaves being blended for palak- check out this recipe from Mama Pea for specifics
I bought some chilis for the chickpea curry. Thank god I tasted them before I added a handful to the pot. They were hot, hot, hot. I put one in my mouth and began running around the kitchen like a crazy person looking for something to cool me down. I only added 1 1/2 of these tiny chilis to the dish and it still packed some major heat.

Chickpea Curry:

1 can mashed chickpeas

1 jar stewed organic tomatoes (if I could do this again I would puree them before adding to the recipe)

1 small chopped onion

2 cups vegetable broth

1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced ginger
1-2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put ingredients together in a pot and simmer for 30-40 minutes. Yum!

Dinner together at home was a great way to begin the long weekend. I was proud of myself when my craving for curry did not lead me to pick up the phone and a takeout menu. Hurray for sticking to my goals (I vowed to cook at home more this year).

The next day, my family and I had tickets to the Yankee game so I woke up early and did some yoga, then enjoyed some granola with a juicy chopped pear and hemp milk.

This was my first time trying hemp milk and I LOVED it. Very creamy. It has a funky color to it but I sort of like the greenish hue. Wierd huh? It also has way more calories than my usual almond milk so if you're looking to lose weight you might want to pick another type of milk. However, it would be great as a treat : )

Pat enjoying a beer at the game

There actually turned out to be some healthy eating options at the new Yankee stadium (a fruit and veggie stand). But, rather than pay a ton of money for a mediocre salad, I brought in an "egg salad" sandwich and some snacks.

Pat decided to indulge in one of his favorites.

Hmmm... I'm already thinking of a way to veganize the philly cheesesteak...

Fresh veggies in a bag at the 7th inning stretch

For dinner we tried this awesome organic restaurant by the 14th street PATH station. It was sooo good and had options for vegans, vegetarians and meat eaters. My family was so open to trying food from the unique menu. Some people who make the choice to go vegan have to deal with resistance and mockery from their loved ones. I am so lucky to have people in my life who are open and willing to explore a new way of eating. Thanks guys!

The signature Gusto Soup- this was made mostly from beets which are not my favorite so I didn't love it. Also, it looked like ketchup. Not the best part of the meal.

Vegan penne with veggies and marinara. Very fresh and delicious...

My mom and Ken about to enjoy their own organic meals : )

Uncle Steve and Aunt Diana

The whole crew- notice the organic red wine at the forefront

Patrick was excited about his pizza!

The boys enjoyed some chocolate fondue for dessert. Sadly, the chocolate had dairy in it so I did not partake.

They did however have a vegan apple tart that was very light and sweet. Not quite the same as chocolate fondue but it did satisfy my need for dessert.

Another shot of the wine. I really enjoyed this Meritage. Not sure if the fact that it was organic made a difference in the taste or if it was just good wine... either way... CHEERS!

The restaurant philosophy

On Sunday we were headed back to the city to see Jersey Boys. I got up and did a quick workout with Pat and then started off the day with some Oats in a Jar. Days are always better when they begin in a PB jar, don't you think??

Leftover palak for lunch with flatbread and carrots. Points for presentation?

The show was really fun. People were clapping and sort of dancing in their seats. I was surprised to see that I actually knew all the music.

Afterward, we headed over to Philip Marie's in the Village (thanks for the recommendation Megan!) At first glance, there weren't a ton of vegan options but I spoke to the waiter and he helped me to get a little creative with my order. The results were AMAZING! Everyone really enjoyed their meals and we will definitely be going back...

Crispy portabella fries

Nuts & Berries Salad with figs, dates, currants, pear, walnuts and sesame

Side of grilled veggies to go with my salad

The drink of choice

Fresh fruit plate with mango sorbet for dessert

Basically, I had a great weekend with my family and was sad to see them go. This weekend marks the official end of summer for me as the first day of our regular school year begins on Tuesday. While I am really looking forward to the school year and the fall and everything that comes with it, I will miss the more frequent visits with family that always happen in the summer months. Corssing my fingers that the holidays come quickly!

Carbs, Cheesecake and Red Wine

So I used to think that people who made homemade pasta, baked bread or made sauce from scratch had too much time on their hands. Perhaps that is true but I have now become one of those people and I can tell you this... time is one thing I usually do not have on my hands (Mr. Sketch marker remnants and a crappy month old manicure? yes. But no time.)

Anyhow, today was a lovely day filled with household chores, pre-school year parent phone calls and the aformentioned pasta/sauce making. I suppose you could say I was inspired by Julia Robert's spaghetti scene in Eat, Pray, Love.


The day began with a simple breakfast which included one of my favorite Peanut Butter Co. flavors:

Cinn-Raisin Ezekial Toast with PB Co.

Strawberry-Peach-Mango Smoothie

I had some lunch after a Jillian Michael's workout video. She kicks my butt but man... does anyone else find her a little irritating? Anyway, after hearing her voice for an hour I needed a break so I had some Thai Tempeh Pizza while watching a Jersey Shore rerun. I know you're judging and I'm ok with that.

Thai Tempeh Pizza

Crust = whole wheat pita

Pizza sauce = 1/4 cup Amy's Thai Coconut Curry soup blended with 1/2 cup organic stewed tomatoes

Topped with curry tempeh pieces and various veggies along with 1/4 cup rice mozzerella

Bake for 15 minutes at 350 until crust is crispy

Thai Tempeh pizza slices with snap peas

Post-lunch I had a cookie dough blizzard dessert. It was amaaaazing and completely guilt free. I froze some coconut yogurt in an ice cube tray this morning. Then, I blended four of the frozen yogurt cubes to create some healthy "fro-yo" I mixed in pieces from the cookie dough balls I made the other day. Soooo good and the ingedients were literally just yogurt, dates and almonds.

Around 6, the pasta making fest began. I picked up some fresh baked wheat bread from the local farmer's market and cracked open a bottle of red wine from our wedding. Isn't cooking so much more fun when you have a glass of wine in your hand?

Veggie Marinara Sauce:

1 yellow onion

1 cup broccolini florets

1 cup chopped zucchini

1 cup chopped spinach

2 cloves garlic (minced)

2 tablespoons EVO

2 cans organic stewed tomatoes

2 tablespoons fresh basil

1 tablespoon sea salt

1. Saute onions in EVO until they brown. Add in chopped veggies and salt. Saute for 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender and vibrant in color.

2. While veggies are cooking, grind tomatoes in food processor with garlic and basil.

3. Add tomato mixture to sauce pan. Simmer for 1 hour.

I also made some of Mama Pea's homemade tofu ricotta gnocchi. This dish definitely goes into the list of top 10 dinners I have made since going vegan. Sooooo good! Patrick said it was one of his favorites also and believe me... he knows gnocchi ; )

Cheescake bar for dessert. I don't know why it did the flippy thing again. Apologies. But it was good!

Time to get some rest for the upcoming holiday weekend. I am so excited for a jam-packed couple days with my family. Would love to hear about your own plans for food and fun this Labor Day! Leave a comment and let me know what you'll be cooking up : )

Dates and a Date

As you know, I have some time off this week in between summer school and the start of the regular school year. Since we returned Tuesday night from our mini-vacation, I thought I'd take advantage of these few days at home to try out some new recipes. A few weeks ago I bought a container of Medjool Dates and wanted to experiment with some snack-making. Today seemed like the perfect day.


I started off the morning with a bowl of peanut butter banana oats (cooked in the stove NOT the microwave)... oh the luxury! I was really sore and achy from spending so much time in the car this weekend so I got in an hour of gentle yoga this morning in order to be kitchen-ready. I felt much better afterward.


For lunch, I had some more of my favorite...


Vegan Egg Salad:

1 can mashed chickpeas
1 tablespoon Veganaise
1/4 cup chopped dill
2 teaspoons tumeric
sea salt and pepper to taste

"Egg salad" sandwich with heirloom tomatoes and kale- snap peas and orange peppers on the side

After lunch, the Date-Fest began. First I tried out Mama Pea's version of the cookie dough Lara Bars. However, I preferred balls of cookie dough rather than bars.

Mmmm... snack time!

After the cookie dough balls, I had some dates leftover so I decided to get creative...

Cheesecake Snack Bars:

Crust:
6 pitted dates
¾ cups almonds
¾ cups cashews
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Topping:
1 container tofutti cream cheese
½ cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon extract

1 tablespoon agar agar powder (to thicken)- cornstarch would probably work here too

1. Combine all crust ingredients in food processor. Press thin layer into the bottom of a loaf pan.

2. Combine all topping ingredients in food processor. Pour on top of crust. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before slicing into snack bars.

I had to quick up a quick dinner after the date-fest because I had an actual date to see Eat, Pray, Love with my good friend Allison : ) I cooked up some brown rice Mediterranean Couscous with chopped bell peppers in a hurry.

Added some curried cashews for some crunch and protein

While the movie did not inspire me to drop my current life and travel the world, it did make me think about cooking up some yummy pasta dishes... stay tuned!