Winter
December * January * February
Year - Round
| Winter December * January * February Year - Round Add Comment 
Runner #5 ....
J/Fit 30Lb Workout Vest 
My Cardio Workout Vest
Will You Survive?
GRAINS NOT BRAINS: GO VEGAN! 
Live Zombilicious! xo Yippieeeeeee, I'm back!!!!  The hustle and bustle of every day life once again kept me away for far too long but things have seemingly simmered down (for now) and I'm super excited to be posting today as not only am I back but so it the Secret Recipe Club (woot woot!) and today is reveal day!!  My assigned blog for February was The Ginger Snap Girl, which I must say is chock full of amazing-ness! It took every ounce of strength not to lick the screen while I browsed her recipes - Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars, Banana Cake with Nutella Frosting, Spring Time Pasta, Balsamic Marinated Flank Steak..... Oh, oh - and the pictures - the pictures are epic!!!! As I browsed Gloria's blog, I was especially loving the diversity of the recipes as I have been finding myself in a bit of a food rut. I've been eating mostly raw fruit salads, simple crock pot soups,and basic roasted or broth sauteed veggies which is fine by me but said delicious simplicity doesn't exactly translate into hot and exciting blog material. I needed something new, something different... and the second I saw it I knew I had found "the one", the most perfect recipe that had everything I was looking for: Grilled Mahi Mahi with Mango Avocado Salsa.  Mahi Mahi is probably the only fish I would say that I love and although I only eat it once or twice a year max (yes, I know, I'm a bad "vegan"....), I thoroughly enjoy it on those few occasions. Along with this, I have never made Mahi Mahi so the prospect of making something totally new was an added bonus! I quickly called Darin, who just recently discovered this yummy fish (I know, I know!), and set a date to convene for dinner. For the fish, I followed the recipe as is but due to the frigid temps of New York Winter, I did my grilling on Cuisinart 5 in 1 Griddler . For the salsa, however, I ran into some difficulty as my mangos and avocado weren't as ripe as they should have been (not only did I buy both way in advance but I tried every ripening technique in the book but to no avail), thus making it easier for me to chop instead of dice. and I skipped the zest. Grilled Mahi Mahi from The Ginger Snap Girl Mahi Mahi filets Olive oil Sea Salt Fresh Ground Pepper Drizzle fish generously with olive on both sides. Season with sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Grill on medium high heat with lid closed until fillet looks opaque on the sides (about 5 minutes depending on thickness). Note: If using an actual grill, flip fillet and cook for additional 3 minutes with lid closed until fish just feels firm. If you don't have a grill you could use a grill pan or simply pan sear the fish. Mango and Avocado Salad adapted from The Ginger Snap Girl 2 large mangoes, peeled, pitted and chopped 1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped 1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced 1/3 cup red onion, chopped 2 Tbs fresh lime juice 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro 1/2 Tbs olive oil Salt and pepper to taste Combine all ingredients except avocado in a medium bowl and stir. Gently toss in avocado so the juices fully coat the avocado pieces (to prevent browning).  In a word: DELICIOUS! I will definiately be making this again (and may very well start eating Mahi Mahi more than twice a year as cooking fish was a lot easier than I anticipated in that I was able to tell when it was done. We paired the dish with a salad (pictured above) which consisted of both raw and lightly steamed vegetables. I later made Darin Banana Fosters (for one.... pictured below....) and I will post the recipe for that later in the week.  Big thanks to Gloria & her amazing recipes, which have helped me out of my food rut, as well as all the members of the Secret Recipe Club :-) I truly appreciate each and every one of you! Positive vibes to all for a fantastic week ahead Live Delicious xo Refocus on Food & Fitness Day 3 (and back to work after the New Year Day 1 - Meh!) Yesterday my head felt clear and my spirits soared, while today I woke up feeling groggy and so not in the mood to tackle the day ahead. Go figure. Fortunately it subsided and by noon I was back to feeling like my usual sunny self. However, that too subsided after a kitten fight with Darin. Adding insult to injury was the text I received from the Narcissist, who by the way STILL owes me money, about an hour or so after. My ruffled feathers didnt straighten until approximately 4:30pm, which also happened to be when I bounced out of my office and headed straight for the gym. With my fitbit indicating a mere 2372 steps for the day thus far I was ready to work it out like no other.... and thats exactly what I did! I left the gym nearing my goal of 10,000 (woot woot!) and feeling the best I'd felt all day. By the time I arrived home, I was famished. I hit the kitchen and promptly made a hearty dinner. Mmmmmmm, so good!! Hope you all had a great monday and positive vibes for a fantastic week ahead! I have a standard week lined up, + a hair appointment on friday and a meditation saturday morning in NYC that I am really looking forward to. I'm hoping to post again mid-week and then again after the weekend. Until then, I'm off like a prom dress! Breakfast: Apple Pie Oats  1 small granny smith apple, peeled and shredded 1 Tbs Coconut Nectar 1 cup Coconut Milk (So Delicious, Sugar Free preferred) 1 Tbs Chia Seeds 1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract 1/2 cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats 2 Tbs Currants, soaked overnight Apple Pie Spice, to taste Peel and then shred the apple, placing apple shreds in a small container. Add coconut nectar (or sweetner of choice) and pie spice (to taste). Add oats, chia seeds, coconut milk, and stir. Cover and place in fridge overnight. Prior to eating in the morning, stir in currants and a splash of coconut milk (or water). Stir and enjoy! Lunch: Slow Cooker Cranberry Bean & Chopped Salad  Cranberry Beans in the Slow Cooker 1 1/2 cup cranberry beans, soaked overnight 1 can diced tomatoes 1/2 red onion, chopped 1 tsp garlic, paste Water, as needed to almost cover beans in crock In a 2 quart slow cooker, combine all ingredients and stir to combine. Cook on high 4 hours and reduce to low until beans are tender. Once cooked, scoop bean mixture out of the crock with a slotted spoon. For the Salad 1 Hearts Romaine, chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 chunk red onion, chopped 1 handful grape tomatoes, sliced 1/4 cucumber. chopped 1 Tbs green olives w/ jalapeno's, chopped 1/4 cup Daiya Cheddar Shreds Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and heat up cranberry beans. Once beans are heated, mix into the salad and top with salsa if desired. Enjoy! Dinner: Stuffed Zucchini  1 medium zucchini 2 heaping Tbs breadcrumbs 2 heaping Tbs nutritional yeast Salt and pepper to taste 1 tsp basil 1/2 recipe tempeh not meat (recipe below) Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a small baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. Slice ends off zucchini. Cut zucchini down the middle lengthwise. Use a small spoon to remove zucchini seeds and pulp and hollow out zucchini leaving a well to place the filling in. In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange zucchini boats in the baking dish. Spoon half of the nutritional yeast/breadcrumb mix into the zucchini, then fill with tempeh (not meat) sauce. Sprinkle with remaining nutritional yeats/breadcrumb mixture. Bake at 400F for 30 minutes or until zucchini is tender and breadcrumb mixture is lightly browned. Tempeh (Not Meat) Sauce: 1 package diced tempeh (I used Garden Veggie) 1 bell pepper, diced 1 large chunk red onion, diced 1 tsp garlic, minced 2 Tbs Italian Seasoning Blend 1 22oz can crushed tomatoes with basil Salt and pepper Generously spray a small pan and heat over medium heat. Cook diced tempeh until it starts to brown. Add garlic, onion, and bell pepper, crushed tomatoes, Italian seasoning blend, and salt and pepper (to taste). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer uncovered 20 minutes. Live Delicious xo Tis the Season: Energy Cleansing & the BEST EVER Cookies & Coconut Cream Chocolate Mousse12/04/2011 Ummmm, yeah ... So once again time escapes me. I fully intended to post Thanksgiving Part 2 by that weeks end but as you can see, such did not occur. Now December is upon us and I sit at my computer typing this for the second time due to having accidentially deleted it all while I was proof reading. Instead of my wrapping a slew of deliciousness into my typical "recipe catch up post" and hope for the best in terms of finding the time for regular postings, I'm going to proceed with what's doing now (and hope for the best in terms of finding the time for more regular postings. Ha!)  Today is Sunday, December 4th and I am covering the 7a to 3p shift at work. Knowing I'd be coming in, I made it a point to turn in early. I slept fairly well but woke to discover a troublesome voicemail message. I received an even more troubling call several moments ago but I'm not letting myself get all all worked up about it nor do I see any point in wasting time discussing the obvious. Ya see, over the last three weeks or so, I have been focusing on ridding my life of negative energy, both on and off the plate. I find the latter to be more difficult, mainly because misery loves company (and said misery knows how to appeal to the social worker side of me). Determined to not succumb to the pathtic and seemingly incapable forces working against me, I kicked off my energy cleanse with a massive cleaning of my living space (no easy task) as well as emplored some of the techniques described here. The actual room clearing part took me two full weekends to (almost) complete (I still haven't gone through my drawers). From there, I applied for a volunteer position with Last Hope Animal Rescue (and as you can see from the picture of above, have started!!!!!) and I am in the midst of an internal cleaning of sorts. Winter is my least favorite season for cleansing and I rarely if ever embark on such ventures during the cold seasons. However, weeding through my obscenely over packed bookcase, inspired me and the prospect of re-balancing my natural energy level & refreshing my system fit into my energy clearing goals as a whole. As usual I'm using the books Super Cleanse and Raw Food Cleanse as guides but it should be noted that instead of placing any pressure on myself to adhere to an outlined plan, I'm celebrating my love of natural highly nourishing food and drink. My focus has been on daily green juices and fresh salads in the afternoon as I tend to eat high fruit and I can't keep neglecting my veggies!! That said, today's celebration has included (thus far): hot water with lemon upon waking (6am), a 24oz green juice (at 9:30a), massaged kale and fresh veggie salad (shortly after noon), and I have some fruit with me in the event I get hungry before quittin time. Dinner tonight is still TBA but will definately include the cranberry beans I slow cooked overnight in my 2qt crockpot. I have never made or had cranberry beans before and am looking forward to sampling them. Hopefully the outcome of my first cranberry bean venture is posted sooner rather than later, but in the meantime, I leave you with my BEST EVER vegan dessert recipe to date: Cookies & Coconut Cream Chocolate Mousse!  1 can coconut milk, chilled in the fridge one full day 1 package Newman-O's (see notes) 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract 3/4 cup non-dairy milk of choice (see notes) 1/2 cup quality chocolate (see notes) 1 package Silken Tofu To make the coconut cream: Place can of coconut milk in the fridge to chill for one day. Open can and scoop contents into a chilled mixing bowl. With a hand mixer, whip coconut milk until it reaches an almost buttery whipped cream consistency (approximately 3 minutes). Store in an airtight container and place back in the fridge until ready to use. Prior to use, crush Newman-O's in a food processor. Mixed crushed cookies into the coconut cream. To make the mousse: In a double broiler, melt chocolate. While chocolate is melting, heat milk in a small sauce pan until it begins to boil. Then remove it from heat to cool slightly. Place milk and tofu in a high speed blender. Once chocolate in melted, add the chocolate to the blender and blend all ingredients until you reach a smooth consistency. Pour mousse into container, cover, and chill in fridge for at least 4 hours (but the longer the better). To serve: Layer coconut cream and mouse in individual serving dishes or cups, starting and ending with the coconut cream. Garnish with a cookie :-) Notes In regards to the milk, I have used Vanilla Coconut Milk and Silk Pure Almond Dark Chocolate Milk with excellent results. In regards to the chocolate, many brands are vegan. The key to making this super delicious (and the tofu unknown) is using a high quality chocolate. For this batch I used semi-sweet but in the past have used dark chocolate. Both were equally yummy. In regards to the cookies, I used 4 or 5 of the chocolate flavor ones for this batch. If you don't have access to Newman-O's you can use any sandwhich cookie but check the label to ensure your pick doesnt contain any funky ingredients).  Live Delicious xo Gobble, Gobble ...  Hey kids! I'm short and time and want to squeeze several recipes into this post so I'm gonna skip the banter and hop right to it! Ya see, I get to celebrate and feast more than once due to an annual work dinner, gatherings with friends, and then the traditional meal time with family on Thanksgiving Day! While some might consider this to be a bit gluttonous I consider myself lucky because I can never decide on what to make and this allows me to make small portions of several different out of the ordinary dishes that I normally would make. YUM! I hope your week is off to a fabulous start. I'm fixin' to be back later in the week with a Thanksgiving Part 2 post, detailing the recipes I chose for meal time with family. Until then, I present to you - Thanksgiving Part 1: Autumn Fruit & Spinach Salad with Maple Balsamic Vinaigrette  Adapted from Gluten Free Goddess For the salad: 3 cups baby spinach, packed 1 green apple, cored & chopped 1 bosc pear, cored & chopped 1 chunk red onion, chopped Fresh ground salt, to taste Fresh ground pepper, to taste For the dressing: 2 Tbs balsamic vinegar 1 Tbs pure maple syrup 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil Place salad ingredients in a large bowl. Toss to mix. Combine dressing ingredients in a small cup or shot glass. Pour over salad ingredients and stir (or cover and shake) until well mixed. Apple Carrot Coconut Flax Crackers  Adapted from Eat to Evolve! 2 cups carrot & green apple juice pulp 1/2 cup ground flax 1/2 cup ground sunflower seeds 1 1/2 cup pure water 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes 2 tsp fresh ground sea salt 2 tsp fresh ground pepper Food process sunflower and flax seeds together to make a gritty meal. Soak seed meal in water one hour. Stir remaining ingredients into the soaked seed meal until a dough is formed. Divide dough into two equal portions and spread out as evenly as possible onto 2 teflex sheets. Score into desired size and number of squares. Dehydrate at 110 degrees for 6 hours. Then flip crackers onto mesh, peel off teflex and continue to dehydrate 6 more hours or until desired texture is reached. Store in airtight container in the fridge. Meatless Loaf & Vegetable Socca Stuffing  For the meatless loaf: I halved this recipe and altered it based on what I had on hand in the house. It came out yummy. For the Socca: 1 cup chickpea flour 1 cup water 1/2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil 1/2 tsp garlic salt 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash Onion & Herb Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to rest at least two hours. Preheat oven 500F. Oil a cast iron skillet and pre-heat in oven. When oven and skillet are blazing hot, remove the skillet and pour just enough batter to cover the bottom of the pan, shake to evenly coat. Place skillet back in oven and turn oven on broil. Cook until the top begins to blister and toast but not burn. Remove from oven and slide pancake onto a plate to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. S Set socca out to stale one day prior to making the stuffing. To make stuffing: 1 large carrot, cut into coins 2 stalks celery, sliced 1 chunk red onion, sliced Thyme, to taste Sage, to taste Rosemary, to taste Fresh ground pepper, to taste 1/2 Tbs oilive oil, optional 1/2 cup + Low Sodium Vegetable Broth Tear socca into pieces. Prep veggies as directed. Toss socca and veggies unil combine. Sprinkle with seasonings and drizzle with olive oil, if using. Stir and pour into a casserole dish. Pour vegetable broth over socca veggie mix until well moistened. Cover and bake at 350F approximately 40 - 60 minutes, adding vegetable broth as needed to prevent dry out. Broccoli Rabe Saute  1 bunch Broccoli Rabe, washed, stems removed and torn into pieces 2 Tbs Diced Tomatoes 1/2 can white beans 1 chunk red onion, chopped 1/2 tsp garlic, minced Italian Seasonning, to taste Generously spray a skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic and cook 3 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and seasoning, and cook several minutes, stirring continuously, until rabe begins to wilt. Add beans tomato and cook an additional 3 minutes until beans and tomato are heated through out. Carrot Cake Balls  2 cups carrot juice pulp 5 large dates, pits removed and soaked 15 minutes 1/2 cup raw pecans Ginger, to taste Cinnamon, to taste Nutmeg, to taste Unsweetened shredded coconut, optional, for rolling In a food processor, process the pecans until finely ground. Add dates and process to make a paste. Add carrot pulp and spices and process until a dough forms. Shape dough into balls and roll balls in shredded coconut. Store in airtight container in fridge for up to a week max. How do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What recipes will you be making for this years celebration? * Raw Recipe Catch Up * I have been meaning to post these for a few a weeks now but life got in the way. These cheese stix are delicious and well worth the effort in my opinion although they are not something I would make often. The ranch spread on the other hand is phenomenal and in regular rotation :-) Enjoy! Sunflower Parmesan & Sunflower Cheese Stix  Sunflower Parmesan Adapted from Frugal Raw 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/8 cup nutritional yeast 3/4 tsp seasoning of choice* see note 1/8 tsp cayenne, optional Grind sunflower seeds until fine. Add remaining ingredients and mixed until well combine. Store in an airtight jar (If making cheese stix, set aside and continue as stated!) Note: In the batch pictured, I used a taco seasoning blend (it was delicious!). For traditional mozzarella style cheese sticks, use an Italian seasoning blend. Also, you can make this in advance, leave it plain, and then seasoning according to what you are making. Cheese Stix Adapted from Frugal Raw 1 recipe Sunflower Parmesan 1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked & drained 1/2 Tbs lemon juice 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil 1/8 tsp sea salt Process seeds into a fine grind. Add remaining ingredients and process until very smooth and creamy. Scoop into a bowl and set aside. Scoop portion of dry sunflower paresan onto a plate. Scoop a 2 Tbs ball of moist sunflower cheese onto the dry cheese and roll until full coated and you can form into a soft stick. Place on mesh dehydrator screened tray. Repeat until all of the sunflower cheese is used. Dehydrate at 105 for 16 - 20 hours. Stix should be solid and ready for dipping. Cashew Ranch Spread (on Raw Veggie Flat bread)  1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked 1/8 - 1/4 cup filtered water (pending desired consistency) 1 1/2 Tbs lemon juice 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1/8 - 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 Tbs coconut nectar 1/2 clove garlic 1/4 tsp garlic pwd 1/2 tsp onion pwd 1/4 t dill 1 tsp sea salt 1/8 t basil Blend all ingredients in food processor until smooth & creamy, adding water until desired consistency is reached. Slow Cooker Veggie Lentil Soup, Red Onion & Pear Gratin, Spinach & Grape Salad, & a Slow Cooker Stew11/11/2011 ** Recipe Catch Up Post ** 
Slow Cooker Veggie Lentil Soup My first ever lentil soup. I thought it was delicious but heavy on the thyme. Mom said it was perfect. 1 cup lentils, rinsed 1/2 cup chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 cup diced tomatoes 1 medium zucchini, peeled, sliced and halved 1 medium carrot, peeled, sliced and halved 1 large stalk celery, sliced 1/4 medium red onion, diced 1/2 tsp garlic, minced 1/2 tsp dried thyme Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste 1 (32oz) container Trader Joes Hearty Vegetable Broth 2 qt slow cooker Place first 10 ingredients into your slow cooker. Pour broth on top of ingredients until almost full (you should still be able to stir without making a mess). Cover and cook on high 4 - 6 hours, or until vegetables and lentils are tender. Enjoy! 
Red Onion & Pear Gratin Adapted from Eating Well 1 small red onion, cut into wedges 2 ripe Bosc pears, cored and sliced 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme 1/8 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper, to taste 1/3 cup coarse dry breadcrumbs 2 heaping Tbs Nutritional Yeast Fill a large bowl three-quarters full with water; add a handful of ice cubes. Cut onion into wedges, place in a strainer and lower into the water. Let stand for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°F. Halve and core each pear; cut each half into equal slices. Drain the onion wedges well and place in bowl. Add pears to the bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon oil, thyme, salt and a grinding of pepper; toss to combine. Pour into an 8 x 8 baking dish, cover with foil, and roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice. Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs and nutritional yeast in a small bowl. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil; stir to combine. Remove the baking dish from the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the pear onion mix, and return the dish to the oven and roast until the breadcrumbs are well browned (approx 20 more minutes). Remove the dish from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving. 
Spinach & Grape Salad w/ Spicy Sweet Mustard Dressing Adapted from Addicted to Veggies For the salad: 3 cups Baby Spinach, not packed 1 cup mix of red & green grapes, sliced in half 1/4 chunk small red onion, chopped small 1/2 cucumber, sliced and quartered For the dressing: 2 tsp mustard of choice 2 tsp fat free nayonnaise 1 tsp raw local honey Fresh ground pepper, to taste Water, optional, till desired consistency is reached Place salad ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix. Mix dressing ingredients in a small glass and pour over salad ingredients. Mix until well combine. Enjoy! 
Zucchini, Onion, & One Pepper Stew This recipe is the result of needing to use up a few vegetables that I found in the back of the fridge. That said, the following measurements are all estimates as I just threw a bunch stuff into the crock and ultimately hoped for the best. It came out amazing, thus me posting it. 1 Tbs olive oil 1 bell pepper, chopped small 1/2 large onion, chopped small 2 medium zucchini, sliced 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained 1 tsp garlic, minced 1 tsp fresh ground McCormick Italian Herb Blend Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste Fresh Ground Salt, to taste 1 Heaping Tbs Tomato Paste + enough water to make a saucy pourable consistency 2 qt slow cooker Place first 9 ingredients into your slow cooker. Mix tomatoe paste with water and pour into the slow cooker. Stir to combine, adding more paste + water if needed. Cover and cook on low 4 hours (or on high 2 hours) until vegetables are tender. Enjoy! Whoa, allergies!! I stayed home from work today due to feeling like absolute crap when I woke up this morning. With my head pounding and my eyes/face swollen, I finally dragged myself to the kitchen to make something to eat:  4 - 5 Parsnips, peeled & processed fine 2 cups mixed raw vegetables (I used carrot, peppers, green ionion, corn, green beans, and peas) Note: Cauliflower can be used in place of parsnips. While I love cauliflower, parnsips are sweeter, process finer (in my mini processor at least), and serve as an inexpensive alternative, thus the reasons I find myself using them more and more. Orange Sauce Adapted from Frugal Raw by Mattye Lee Thompson 1 orange, peeled, seeded, & pith removed 1 1/2 tsp chopped jalapeno 3 cloves garlic 1" piece ginger, peeled 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes 4 Tbs raw local honey 3 Tbs Braggs Liquid Aminos 1/2 tsp sesame oil 1 tsp olive oil Process in high speed blender or food processor until smooth. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.  Light, simple, and absolutely delicious! It was exactly what I needed. And now I need to get back into bed. Hope you all had a fabulous day! xo | Miss DeliciousSocial Work, 
Eat REAL FoodAll Submit a Recipe
|
RSS Feed
