Insane in the Grain

So, I'm not much for making videos (though it might seem that way lately). I was making granola and was briefly inspired to make a quick video on how to pop amaranth. It's one of my favorite things to do. I love finding new things to use and new ways to use them. I've been stuck on amaranth for years. When I took gluten out of my diet, I started eating brown rice... a lot! I actually put on weight because I was consuming so many carbs and so much rice! People think they will automatically lose weight on a gluten free diet, but this is absolutely incorrect. The possibility exists, but you have to make smart conscientious decisions. For me, that meant declaring all-out war on rice.

One of my favorite whole-grains in the whole world is quinoa. It's delicious and nutty and packed with protein. It can be a pain to handle as there is a slimy, bitter substance called "saponin" that needs to be rinsed off before you can use your quinoa. However, most grocery stores carry pre-rinsed versions of the whole-grain which makes my life a bit easier. It also makes my life a little more difficult as well, since quinoa is the new "darling" grain of health food gurus everywhere. Whenever something becomes this popular, it also becomes quite expensive. It's packed with protein and fiber, and since people can pronounce it correctly they will also consider eating it... and paying hand over fist. So I had to find other whole-grains that I like that wouldn't break the bank.

Another of my all time favorite whole-grains is millet. Millet is considerably less expensive than quinoa while still boasting many of the same health benefits. It doesn't quite have the same protein content or complex amino acids but it is full of B vitamins and vitamin E (giving you healthy, glowing skin and hair). It is particularly delicious lightly toasted before boiling to enhance it's nutty flavor. Cooked, it is just like couscous accept that it is a whole-grain and couscous is nothing more than a tiny pasta product. I also like to keep a big bag of puffed millet in my pantry. It is only a couple dollars for a huge bag and I like to use it in cereal and granola. The more "puffed" and "popped" grains you use, the crunchier and less calorie dense your final product will be.

Finally, we come to amaranth. Amaranth has abundant sources of lysine, an amino acid that aids in the production of collagen and elastin. (Cheap facelift, huh?!) Amaranth also rivals quinoa in it's protein content. It is a teenie-tiny grain, no bigger than the head of a pin. It is often overlooked by health experts and therefore is still sold dirt-cheap at most grocery stores. I love this grain! It is fantastic cooked. I use it in both savory dishes (like tabbouleh or pilaf) and sweet dishes (like porridge). It can be sprouted into the most deliciously sweet microgreens, and the red version of the grain makes lovely pink greens. But my new favorite use for amaranth is popped. It is fun and funny and delicious!

Here is a quick video I made to show you how cool and simple this can be:

Popped Amaranth

See?! That wasn't so hard!
I also enjoy throwing some of this into my chocolate bars to create a nice "crackle" without Rice Crispies.

In this next video, I will use the popped amaranth as well as several other whole-grains.

Carrot Cake Granola

1 c. shredded or chopped carrots (about 2 large)

1 c. applesauce or mashed banana

 1/4 c. maple syrup, agave, honey or stevia (add more to taste)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/2 to 1 c. old fashioned rolled oats or rolled quinoa

1 c. puffed millet

1 c. popped amaranth

1 c. sprouted buckwheat

1/4 c. shredded coconut (unsugared and unsulfured)

1/4 c. raw sunflower seeds

1/4 c. raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 c. raisins (mix in after baking)

Grease 2 cookie sheets and spread mixture evenly. *Bake at 200-250 degrees for 1 to 2 hours. Make sure to flip the mixture halfway through baking. The finished product should be very dry and crispy. Break apart into bite-sized clusters and add raisins. Store in an airtight container for up to a month.
*If you want to try to keep this "raw" you can use all sprouted buckwheat or other sprouted grains. Then place in your oven at 150 degrees with the oven door slightly cracked open. This takes several hours but will eventually completely dry out. It's a lot of work and takes patience, but if that's important to you then I wish you luck!

The finished product is so yummy and healthy. I like to eat it on yogurt, sprinkled over fruit salad, or mixed into my popped amaranth cereal with blueberries and almond milk. This is also a fun road trip snack or something you can stick in you backpack and take on a hike. It's very hearty, crunchy, and versatile!

Peace!

 - Ali

Cooking, Contests and Cameramen!

It's been a while since I've had a chance to write anything. It's amazing how quickly life can bounce from one thing to another. I recently started doing standup comedy... I know it's unbelievable, but it's been going very well for me! I'm not exactly a stage fanatic and I don't have confidence through the roof, but I do consider myself to be genuinely funny and perhaps a bit of a masochist. I've been writing a lot. I've been feeling creative and strangely empowered by my new outlet. The downside is that the money sucks!

So in an attempt to steer myself back to gainful employment, I decided to enter a local cooking competition. I can see myself giving cooking lessons again, designing menus at a small bistro, or maybe cooking up my crazy concoctions at parties or something. I really don't know. I just know I'm good at this and I'd like to get paid at some point. I really don't think that's entirely beyond the realm of possibilities.

Anyway, I spent an entire evening at a friends house. I cooked, I drank, I laughed, I goofed around, and 3 hours later I was convinced that this cooking competition wasn't for me. I have no business in front of a camera! I told my amazing cameraman not to feel bad if he couldn't condense the insanity into a 5 minute video... at least we got a good meal out of the evening. But he assured me not to worry. He would produce a cohesive cooking video for me. It turns out, even the impossible is possible in the hands of a capable and clever video engineer.

Thank you Joe for not making me look as much like the fool that I am!!!

So, here are the results:





Peace
- Ali

Favorite Things: Spiralizer

I'm not normally an advocate of kitchen gadgets. Most things can be accomplished with a few simple tools. A sharp knife, a strong cutting board, a sturdy pan, and maybe a blender are all a person really needs to have in their kitchen. I try to apply this concept to all aspects of life; scaling back as much as possible instead of buying and hording and feeling buried in clutter. Every now and again, something will catch my eye and I have to have it. Not surprisingly, most of these things wind up as white elephant gifts to friends, as part of a family member's garage sale, or being donated to good will. But sometimes I find something so fun and clever, I can't help but think, "where have you been all my life?!"

I introduce... The Spiralizer!

If you're interested in picking up a spiralizer you can get one here: http://www.amazon.com/World-Cuisine-A4982799-Tri-Blade-Vegetable/dp/B0007Y9WHQ

I had no idea what to do with this thing. I think it sat on my counter for 3 weeks before I even thought about trying it. First, I used it to make apple curls. It was fine. But honestly, I couldn't figure out the point of eating apples curled. The kids thought it was fun, but it still just tasted like an apple. So, next I spiralized a carrot. It made super cute carrot squiggles! But again, in a day and age where it's not exactly complicated to shred a carrot, I couldn't figure out why I needed this thing. It wasn't until I read a post at my dear friend's blog, http://anniessimplelife.blogspot.com/2010/07/eatin-out-of-pantry-part-1.html, that I absolutely had to try zucchini noodles.

About 10 seconds later I was hooked!

Not only are zucchini noodles delicious; they are gluten free, they are vegan, they are low carb, they are low sodium, and yeah... they're just veggies! One ingredient: zucchini. Done. One normal sized zucchini will fill a giant pasta bowl. My favorite easy lunch is just zucchini noodles with my favorite marinara sauce lightly warmed and tossed all over the top. But if you're in the mood for something super fresh and yummy, check this out.

It already looks pretty good, doesn't it?!









Pictured here is one pint of fresh diced heirloom tomatoes, a bunch of diced garlic scapes, one large zucchini, fresh basil and half a lemon. Everything here was fresh from my garden except for the lemon. In my house, cheap is always a plus! Once I had all of my ingredients tossed together in a bowl, I couldn't help but add a bit of black olives and tofu feta to the top. (recipe follows)

This is such a refreshing lunch or light and healthy dinner. The best part is that it is so well balanced in all of the good nutrition you need. Zucchini is loaded with potassium and folic acid. It's high in Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Beta Carotene. As a bonus, it is 95% water. So one zucchini has approximately 20 calories. (That's nearly 1/10 the calorie content of regular pasta!) The tomatoes are high in lycopene, which helps neutralize free radical damage that are implicated in cancer, heart disease, macular degeneration and other age related illnesses. Garlic and garlic scapes are an excellent source of manganese, as well as B6, selenium and iron. Garlic also has a powerful amino acid, alliin, which has an antibiotic and bactericidal affect. The fat in olives is mostly healthy, monounsaturated fat, and will aid your bodies' absorption of all of the vitamins and minerals in this dish. Lastly, the tofu feta is full of protein.

Vegans are often offended when you ask them where they get their protein. I have been asked this so many times, I can barely begin to count, but I've never taken offense. I love having an opportunity to share with people without making it feel like a criticism. I think people should do what works best for them, and that only they can decide what that is. I also absolutely love being a vegan and eating this way, so I'll talk to you about protein. Yes, I get a ton of protein in my diet. No, I don't eat piles and piles of tofu. It just happens to be in this particular dish.

Tofu Feta

1 brick firm tofu (I like sprouted tofu best)
2 Tbsp. sweet white miso
1/4 c. assorted olive brine
dried herbs, if you like

1. Just stir the miso and olive brine together. I always keep an assortment of black and green marinated olives around and cry every time I dump the brine down the sink. I know this sounds weird, but save that stuff! I promise you, it works!

2. Add a pinch of Italian or Greek herbs, such as oregano or marjoram and basil. This will intensify, so don't overdo it.

3. Allow at least 2 days to marinate. Cover it and place it in the fridge. It will become very salty and a bit sour from the miso cultures. It's at it's most "cheezy" in 3 to 5 days.

4. Strain most of the liquid away before serving. It really, really tastes like feta!


Anyway, we were talking about noodles before I got off subject. I also enjoy sweet potato noodles and will have to share these recipes at another time. I wanted to offer you a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, zucchini noodle recipe. Earlier this year, I moved. For some reason, this made me crave the warmth and comfort of homey, traditional foods. I didn't, however, crave all the cooking that comes along with comfort food. So, I invented this soup and it's been a staple ever since.

Single Serving Zucchini Noodle Soup

2 c. low-sodium vegetable stock (I used mushroom stock, but whatever you have is fine)
1 big blob ginger paste
1 big blob garlic paste
1 large carrot, sliced
1 large celery stalk, sliced
4 baby 'bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 c. frozen peas
1 big blob sweet white miso paste
1 large zucchini

1. Pour your vegetable stock in a big bowl or pan and cut it with a bit of water. This is to keep it from becoming too salty later, since the miso is very, very salty.

2. Toss in your ginger, garlic, carrots, and celery and heat on high in a pan or the microwave for about 5 minutes. The veggies should be tender, but not too soft. The flavor should be combined and nothing should be too overwhelming.

3. Spiralize your zucchini and add it into your bowl or pan with the mushrooms and peas. Just heat for 1 more minute. Then turn off the heat.

4. Allow this to cool slightly. The miso is a probiotic food with living beneficial bacteria. (Like yogurt or kombucha.) If the soup is too hot to touch with your bare hands, you will kill the bacteria. Once it is warm, not hot, add your miso and stir it in really well.

5. Eat right away. It is so yummy and soothing!


These are just a sample of the fun things you can do with a spiralizer. I think it is a fabulous toy for those of us who like to be creative in the kitchen. This could also be a useful tool when you are trying to incorporate more veggies into your diet or eliminate glutenous, starchy, processed pastas. It's a perfect stand in for macaroni and cheese or pasta Alfredo (which are easily veganized). There are so many fun recipes! I'll share more at another time.

So, I hope I this is something you will try soon. You won't regret it! Enjoy your week everybody!

Peace!
 - Ali

That's Slaw Folks!

Yesterday, I wrote about salads. I could spend a lifetime writing new combination of unique dressings and fresh veggies. My favorite thing about salad is how versatile it is. All you need are a few simple ingredients to make it absolutely perfect. So, I thought I'd share a fantastic dressing and a few unique uses for it.


Ginger Chili Cashew Butter Sauce

1/4 c. cashew butter (any nut butter will work; try sunflower seed butter for a more "allergy friendly" version)
2 Tbsp. natural apricot preserves (anything would do, but I like the color and sweet/tartness of apricot)
1 Tbsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
1 tsp. sriracha (add more or less depending on your tolerance for heat)
1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic

1. Blend all ingredients together until they are smooth and well combined.

2. Add a bit of water to thin it to a pourable consistency.

3. Taste the sauce to make sure all of the flavors are balanced. There shouldn't be one flavor that is stronger than the others.

This sauce is so amazing! I love to use it as a dipping sauce for vegetable spring rolls. These spring rolls are simply rice paper rolls with leaf lettuce, shredded cabbage, shredded carrots, julienne cucumbers, julienne red pepper, fresh mint and basil leaves. I also like to dip carrot sticks and sugar snap peas in it. It can be used as a salad dressing with fresh greens or as a massaged kale salad.

I use this sauce to make a simple "Cheaters Pad Thai." When I have leftover spaghetti noodles, I quickly toss them with leftover veggies or rainbow slaw mix. Saute in a pan for just a minute with 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil. When the veggies are crisp tender, pour over your Ginger Chili Cashew Butter Sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and snipped fresh chives or green onions. It's so good!

This also makes an excellent marinade for tofu. Tofu is fantastic because it pretty much tastes like whatever you put with it. If you don't do anything with it, it is bland and tasteless; but if you have a fantastic sauce like this, the results will be surprisingly good. I make up a  big bunch and keep it on hand when I need a quick tasty protein source. Just bake this in the oven at 300 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour. These are wonderful on rice, in lettuce wraps and even rolled into sushi.

This is only a handful of ideas for you. Once you make this sauce, you will be compelled to put it on everything! But spring is sprung, so I thought I would make one more suggestion that is more picnic friendly. Packing up a simple picnic is the norm in my house. That's why I like to keep this fresh, healthy Asian Slaw on hand. Just add 2 Tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar and fresh snipped chives or green onions to the recipe for Ginger Chili Cashew Butter Sauce. Then I layer my slaw ingredients into a container, keeping the sauce separate. This is shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, shredded broccoli stems, red pepper, cilantro, and sunflower shoots. This is both hearty and refreshing, cool and creamy, spicy and sweet. It's pretty much a perfect slaw!

I love my salad shaker!








Not a bad afternoon snack?! Try this with the marinated tofu. The flavors are a perfect match and you get a little extra protein.







Note: At some point, I will make a post on how to make your own nut and seed butters. It's easy and will save you a ton of money. But this sauce is so versatile, just use whatever you have on hand or whatever you like the most. Most of my recipes are what I call "bare bones" recipes. Use them as they are or play around with them.

So that's slaw folks!

Peace!
 - Ali

Spring is Sprung

It's hard to believe that April is nearly over. The lovely warm showers are already beginning to give way to some early flowers. People have been out and about on bikes and skateboards, taking walks and picnicking in parks (and up mountains!). I've been so busy lately... well, I just haven't had time to cook. So that begs the question, as a new food blogger, what the heck do I write about?

Last week I made a post about my unabashed love of chocolate. I decided to counter balance that this week with my not-so-subtle enthusiasm for salads. Don't worry... this will be fun!

As a kid, I didn't eat many salads. I don't mean I didn't eat salads frequently. I did. My parents taught me that vegetables, in general, are a good thing and should be eaten from time to time. I ate salads a couple of times a week with my dinner, and I never disliked them. I just never got very excited about them either. When I say I didn't eat many salads, what I mean is that I seemed to eat the same salad over and over again.

It was a good salad; a basic salad. It generally started with iceberg lettuce, then I added broccoli florets, mushrooms, black olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, croutons, and ranch dressing. I'm relatively sure that this is what most people think of when they hear the word salad. There's nothing wrong with this salad, and as an adult I still enjoy it from time to time.

See?! It's pretty good!

But this is not the kind of thing that makes me leap to my feet with excitement. This isn't the kind of thing I crave all day long. This is what I eat, when I don't feel particularly creative.

Creativity can strike at any moment. Sometimes I will pass by a fancy restaurant and see something delicious out of the corner of my eye. I can overhear somebody mention something that they had, or read about a customary dish in a foreign country. Sometimes I will pick up a new ingredient I've never used before, and sometimes I'm trying to use up things that I already have on hand. In any case, I become absolutely obsessed with my new idea and cannot wait to go home and try it out. Most of the time, I am not disappointed and I'm even pleasantly surprised to discover new flavor profiles that I'd never tried before. The best thing is that when you experiment with salad, you are always doing yourself a favor. Salads are so good for you!

So here are just a handful of my favorite salads.

Fruity salads are very popular right now. There's something about the sweetness of  fresh fruits and the tartness of a good vinaigrette that just screams "spring is here!" I love to start with crunchy romaine lettuce and pile on whatever fruit I have in the fridge; in this case strawberries, mandarin oranges, and red grapes. You can get crazy with your vinaigrette, but this one is simply lemon juice and olive oil with a pinch of honey, salt and pepper. Then I sprinkled this with shredded coconut and toasted, slivered almonds. This is perfection!


Note: I know that most vegans would abstain from eating honey, and I respect anybody that does. I, however, do use honey. It is my one non-vegan item and some time I will write more about it; but not now. Just substitute agave, maple syrup or stevia for a completely vegan salad.

 I use a lot of fruit in my salads, but that does not mean they are not entirely unique. This one has a definite Asian flair and brings the beauty of probiotics and extra protein to an already healthy spinach salad.

I used to call this one Asian Orange Salad, but I dropped the moniker because I didn't want it to sound like I was feeding anyone a deadly herbicide with their greens. So maybe I'll just call this one delicious?! Spinach and red cabbage are mixed with shredded carrots, cranberries, mandarin oranges, edamame, and toasted sesame seeds with an orange miso dressing.


Orange Miso Dressing

1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. sweet white miso paste
2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
2 tsp. sweetener (honey, agave, brown rice syrup, or a little less stevia would work well)
1 clove raw garlic

1. Blend all ingredients really well in a blender.

2. Thin with a little water if necessary.

3. Keep this in the fridge for a week or 2.

Yeilds: 3 or 4 servings.


My inspiration for my Spring Salad came from my favorite springy vegetables. Mixed greens with shaved fennel, radishes, beets, shelled peas, and pea shoots with toasted sunflower seeds and honey mustard vinaigrette. It is a wonderful base recipe that can be made into a dozen other recipes. The honey mustard vinaigrette has 3 ingredients; about equal parts dijon mustard, honey and apple cider vinegar thinned with a little water to make it pourable.

Yet another simple salad, but perfectly balanced with a summery menu. All of the flavor comes from my roasted red pepper vinaigrette. I mix together some peppery greens, shredded carrots, cucumber, tomato, red pepper, black olives and toasted sunflower seeds. Then I blend together 1 roasted red pepper and some herbs into my honey mustard vinaigrette. It's that simple.


I call this one my Blushing Greens Salad because it is so pink and pretty. I use spinach, shredded red cabbage, shredded carrots, diced cucumber, diced avocado, pomegranate seeds, pumpkin seeds and grapefruit segments with a grapefruit dijon vinaigrette. For the vinaigrette, just add a splash of grapefruit juice in place of vinegar to my recipe for honey mustard vinaigrette.


Now it's time to quickly touch on my personal favorite green leafy vegetable. Kale! Oh, how I love kale! It is so very delicious and so very healthy. I blend it into smoothies. I juice it. I turn it into chips. I cook it with lots of garlic for a side dish or put it into my pasta dishes and soups. But lets not forget the ever popular massaged kale salads. These have been gaining momentum in the last year or 2, thanks mostly to the "whole foods" movement. I was originally scared to try and averse to doing something so utterly trendy. But I eventually gave it a fair chance, and it turns out they are neither scary nor too trendy.

Kale, on it's own, is much to stiff and crunchy to eat raw in a salad. You'd be chewing all day long! But if you make a yummy dressing and "massage" it into the stiff leaves, it will soften and wilt for you. This will make a beautiful, tender salad green. Here are just a couple of my favorite kale salads.

This is just my favorite honey mustard vinaigrette massaged into a pile of kale leaves with roasted beets, roasted butternut squash, cranberries, shelled peas, pea shoots, and pumpkin seeds. It is an incredible salad for spring or fall and is considerably more hearty given the density of the massaged kale leaves and chewy texture of the squash.

I debated weather or not to share this salad. It is absolutely the craziest combination of ingredients I've ever assembled. I actually refer to this as my Kooky Krauty Kale Salad. It is kooky, but last fall I became obsessed with this salad and couldn't get enough of it. So here it is.




I blend a small amount of tahini into my honey mustard vinaigrette, then massage it into the kale. Toss in some fresh, raw sauerkraut. I will post my recipe for this some time in the future. Add chopped celery, mandarin oranges, purple and golden raisins, and toasted sunflower seeds. This salad is altogether light and hearty, sweet and sour, crunchy and creamy. It's awesome!

So there you are! That's a whole bunch of different and somewhat unusual salads to try this spring. None of them are particularly difficult to make and all of them will give you all of the energy you need to get outside and play in the sunshine. I'm looking forward to planting my vertical garden and I know that I will be enjoying some serious hiking, biking, and kayaking this summer. Who knows? There may even be a bit of mountain climbing, spelunking, and road trips coming up. But I'll keep you posted on that. I hope you have a fantastic May, try something new, and make my salads!

Peace!
 - Ali

A Girl's Gotta' Has Chocolate!

I think sometimes people get this picture of vegans as scrawny, malnourished hippies who eat nothing but sprouts while planning their next PETA protest. I mean, I even thought that once. But this is not the case (most of the time). I think most of us probably have more than one reason to abstain from certain types of foods or live the lifestyle that we've chosen. Most of us are not judgmental and will not glare at you if you choose to eat a hamburger while we eat a salad. Most of us just want to be normal and enjoy life.
So what's more enjoyable than chocolate?

I absolutely adore (need) chocolate. Good chocolate! Real chocolate! Dark chocolate! The only problem with adoring and needing something in it's highest quality is that well... it's expensive! My mom used to tell me I had champagne taste and a beer pocketbook. She wasn't wrong. I do have expensive taste. I don't think that's a bad thing. But I also don't have the money to spend on every little thing that I want. So this is my way of having my chocolate and eating it too.

This is a picture of my candy bar mold. It cost me about $2. I got this one from Michael's Craft Store but you can find these almost anywhere. I love this thing! It only takes a few minutes and a bit of creativity to supply myself with a week's worth of delicious, healthy chocolate (It is! I swear!). You see, like most healthy people, I don't eat chocolate because it tastes good and is wonderful. I eat chocolate for the antioxidants. Obviously! Let me show you.

Total hippie fridge, right?!

Dark Chocolate Crazy Crunch Bar

10 oz. vegan dark chocolate
1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
Perky's Crunchy Flax Cearal (puffed brown rice or millet would be fine as well)
course ground coffee
roasted ground ginger
ground star anise
ground cardamom

1. Heat the chocolate in a microwave safe glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time, stirring well in between each time. It can burn easily so don't go anywhere.

2. Once the chocolate is just melted and becoming smooth, stir in the coconut oil. Allow this to come to room temperature, stirring often. This only takes 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Layer the crispy cereal, ground coffee and spices in the candy bar mold until it is covered but not heaping.

4. Pour the cooled dark chocolate into your molds and gently swirl with a toothpick (or your finger, depending on whom you plan to share with).

5. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before unmolding. I like to gently wrap this in parchment paper and then put it inside a plastic sandwich bag. You can keep this in the fridge for a very long time or out on the counter for a week or so (provided it lasts that long).


Dark Chocolate Superfoods Bar

10 oz. vegan dark chocolate
1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
dried goji berries
chopped dried apricots
chopped crystallized ginger
toasted pumpkin seeds
cinnamon
cloves (just a tiny pinch)
cayenne pepper (just a tiny pinch)

1. Heat the chocolate in a microwave safe glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time, stirring well in between each time. It can burn easily so don't go anywhere.

2. Once the chocolate is just melted and becoming smooth, stir in the coconut oil. Allow this to come to room temperature, stirring often. This only takes 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Layer the dried fruit, pumpkin seeds and spices (going very easy on the cloves and cayenne) in the candy bar mold until it is covered but not heaping.

4. Pour the cooled dark chocolate into your molds and gently swirl with a toothpick (or your finger, depending on whom you plan to share with).

5. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before unmolding. I like to gently wrap this in parchment paper and then put it inside a plastic sandwich bag. You can keep this in the fridge for a very long time or out on the counter for a week or so (provided it lasts that long).

Dark and White Chocolate Monkey Bars

5 oz. vegan dark chocolate
5 oz. vegan white chocolate (recipe follows)
1 tsp. extra virgin coconut oil
dried banana chips

This one might be good with peanut or almond butter incorporated into it somehow. Haven't tried it yet... but not a bad idea, huh?!

1. Heat the dark chocolate in a microwave safe glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time, stirring well in between each time. It can burn easily so don't go anywhere.

2. Once the chocolate is just melted and becoming smooth, stir in the coconut oil. Allow this to come to room temperature, stirring often. This only takes 3 to 5 minutes.

3. Melt your white chocolate in a separate microwave safe glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time. Stir it until it is smooth. It will be slightly runnier than the dark chocolate so no oil is needed.

4. Add whole chunks of dried banana to the bottom of the candy bar mold.

5. Plop the cooled dark chocolate and white chocolate into your molds and gently swirl with a toothpick (or your finger, depending on whom you plan to share with). Shake the mold slightly to get out air bubbles and push the chocolate around the banana slices as well as possible. You want them to peek out a bit, but be held in there pretty snug.

6. Sprinkle broken up chunks of dried banana all over the top (which is the bottom) and then gently push to secure them.

7. Place in the fridge for at least an hour before unmolding. I like to gently wrap this in parchment paper and then put it inside a plastic sandwich bag. You can keep this in the fridge for a very long time or out on the counter for a week or so (provided it lasts that long).


Simple Vegan White Chocolate

4 oz. grated cocoa butter
1/2 c. sugar of your choice (cane sugar, coconut sugar or a little less stevia would work well)
1 Tbsp. coconut flour
1 Tbsp. coconut milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1. In a food processor, add your sugar and coconut flour. Process until it resembles powdered sugar.

2. Gently heat your cocoa butter in a microwave safe glass bowl for 15 seconds at a time, stirring well in between each time.

3. Whisk your coconut milk (I scoop the cream right off the top of a can of full fat coconut milk) and vanilla into the melted cocoa butter. Continue whisking in your powdered sugar a little bit at a time until everything is uniformly incorporated and smooth.

4. Pour your white chocolate mixture into a candy bar mold or spread on wax paper. Place in fridge to cool for at least 2 hours.


Tip: You can use any kind of chocolate you like for these recipes. Use your favorite brand of chocolate bar or baking chips, anything will work. But if you don't wish to shell out $6 for a 10 oz. package of good vegan dark chocolate (and trust me, I'm with you on that one), look at the cheapest stuff first. I know that seems odd, but ingredients like milk and cream and butter are often more expensive than canola oil or soymilk solids. As long as the product has real cocoa butter and cocoa in it's first ingredients, and it is called chocolate (not "chocolaty"), then you've just found cheap, vegan chocolate.

So that's it! Beautiful, fancy chocolate bars that won't break the bank. You can be as creative as you like; using a wide variety of chocolates, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, cereals, spices, whatever. And what looks better than an original chocolate creation when you have visitors or you're gift giving?

I really hope I've left you feeling inspired to try this. Happy chocolate making!

Peace!
 - Ali

Taco Time!

I don't think I'm the only one with a taco obsessed family. It's really a perfect family friendly food. When I was a kid, it seemed really special. There was something about making my own food decisions that I always liked (such as; do I want cheese or a lot of cheese?). Back then, taco night generally started out with a pound of ground hamburger, some spices, shredded iceberg lettuce, cheese, salsa and sour cream. These things got stuffed any way I wanted into a crunchy shell. That was so much fun!

Now, I am gluten free and vegan. Almost none of my meals start with a pound of ground hamburger, cheese or sour cream. So one might think that my tacos would be seriously lacking. One might think that vegan tacos suck. But they totally don't!

The best part about tacos is that they are already, pretty much gluten free. I buy hard shell and soft corn tortillas. Don't bother getting anything fancy, like soft white or multigrain. Just plain, cheap, corn is perfect!

The next part is figuring out what kind of filling you want. I have 2 favorites. The first is totally cheating! I generally don't encourage people to eat processed foods, and I don't like to eat fractionated soy products. Having said that, it's kinda' awesome! I saute some onions and other mixed veggies (for example: carrots, celery, peppers, or whatever) with Trader Joe's Soy Chorizo.

Simple, you're done. Do whatever you want at this point. Serve with lettuce, black olives, green onion, salsa, and maybe some Daiya Cheddar Cheeze. Yummy! There's dinner.

But I like to make things a bit more healthful (complicated). So here is my favorite option. Tempeh! First of all, it's cheap and relatively easy to find. Second, much like tofu, it's extremely versatile. It pretty much has no flavor apart from a mild nuttiness, so it kinda' tastes like whatever you put on it. Last, I like it for it's nutritional content. It's loaded with protein and fiber, healthy monounsaturated fats, B vitamins, Manganese, it's low in sodium and is cultured to make it a probiotic food; great for digestion.

If you have a problem with soy for any reason, you can find black bean and garbonzo bean tempeh products as well as recipes for making your own here: http://www.lalibelafarm.com/tempeh.htm and http://www.culturesforhealth.com/tempeh-starter.html

Tempeh Tacos

Ingredients:
1 package plain tempeh
1/2 finely chopped red onion
1 finely chopped carrot
1 rib finely chopped celery
1/2 finely chopped red pepper
2 Tbsp. low or no sodium taco spices
(I used Mrs. Dash Salt-Free Fiesta Lime)
1-2 Tbsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
Cooking Instructions:
1. Chop the tempeh into little cubes. Crumble a bit into a pan with a couple spoonfuls of water. Cover and alow to steam on medium heat for about 10 minutes.

2. Add your chopped veggies and alow those to soften with the top off. Begin to stir and break apart the chunks with a wooden spoon.

3. When the water evaporates out, add your spices and liquid aminos. As it browns, it will begin to resemble taco "meat."

Yields: this should feed about 4 people each 2 tacos

Once your taco filling is made you can get really creative. The picture above is a double decker taco with refried black beans on a soft corn tortilla around a crispy blue corn tortilla with my tempeh filling, corn and black bean salsa, avocado, and vegan "sour cream." Recipes follow.

Just about this time last year, I was having a picnic fiesta in the park. This is how I chose to pack my picnic:

Tempeh Taco Filling. Check!
Corn and Black Bean Salsa. Check!
Pickled Raddishes. Check!
Shredded Red Cabbage and Cilantro. Check!
Vegan Sour Cream. Check!
Sliced Avocado and Limes. Check!
Crispy and Soft Corn Tortillas. Check! not pictured
Crispy Sweet Potato Strings. Check! not pictured
Green Tea Sangria. Check! not pictured

You can have this tonight for dinner or plan your own picnic fiesta in a park! The best thing about this is that it is unassembled (so it travels remarkably well), and it's vegan (so it keeps incredibly long).

I love crispy tacos best!
Yum!








 No wait! I love soft tacos best!
 Mmm... me gusta tacos!







Corn and Black Bean Salsa

1 c. frozen corn, thawed
1 c. canned black beans, well rinsed
1/2 diced red pepper
1/2 diced jalapeno (add more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
2 Tbsp. lime juice (about a half a juicy lime)
salt to taste

1. Toss these ingredients together and alow the flavors to mingle. Easy Peasy!


Vegan "Sour Cream"

1 brick firm tofu
1 Tbsp. liquid amino acids (or gluten free, low sodium soy sauce or tamari)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
fresh herbs such as chives or cilantro

1. Add the first 3 ingredients to your blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Taste to make sure the flavors are balanced and appealing. Add herbs if desired.


Pickled Radishes

8-10 radishes, thin sliced
1 shallot, thin sliced
1/4 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. orange juice, fresh is best
1 tsp. nitrate free pickling spices
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

1. Toss the ingredients together. Allow at least 2 hours to marinate. They are best left in the fridge overnight.


Sweet Potato Strings

1 sweet potato
olive oil spray or mist
cumin
paprika
pinch of sugar
pinch of salt

1. If you have a spiralizer... get it out! Otherwise, chop your sweet potato into matchsticks.

2. Layer your sweet potato "squiggles" or slices onto a pan lined with parchment paper.

3. Spray your sweet potato with olive oil and add a dash of your spices, sugar and salt. Toss gently and repeat until everything is just lightly coated.

4. Put this in your oven at it's lowest setting (mine goes to 150 F.) for at least 4 hours. Check every now and again to toss and make sure it is drying properly. You do not want any burned or blackened edges.

These keep for weeks once they are dry and crispy. Pack them into plastic sandwich baggies and keep in a cool dry place.


Green Tea Sangria

4 green tea bags
1 liter no-sodium soda water
1/4 c. sweetener (honey, agave, brown rice syrup, or a little less stevia would work well)
1 lemon, sliced
1 lime, sliced
1 orange, sliced

1. Boil 2 cups of water and add your 4 tea bags. Alow to steep for at least 10 minutes. While the tea is hot, add your sweetener. I used a mixture of agave and stevia. This should not taste sweet, but rather mild and pleasant with a strong green tea flavor.

2. Add your soda water and layer in the citrus fruits. Make it look pretty!

3. Chill the entire mixture in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight. Enjoy with friends on a hot day!


I really hope you try this. It might completely change your mind about how you do taco night!

Peace!
 - Ali