I Sold My Soul to Tough Mudder

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In 3 months and 3 days I will embark on an incredibly frightening but exhilarating journey, Tough Mudder.  On April 19, 2014, my boyfriend, myself and our team of adventurists will attempt to conquer one of the most difficult obstacle courses known to man (or woman). A few months ago we made this bold decision but only recently decided to shell out the dreaded $155 entry fee and sign a waiver indicating our awareness of these physically, emotionally and mentally demanding 10-12 mile obstacle course. As I was reading the waiver,  I started to fear for my life. I read through the entire waiver and came across the paragraph of inherent risks:

I understand and acknowledge that the inherent risks include, but are not limited to: 1) contact or collision with persons or objects (e.g., collision with spectators or course personnel), contact with other participants, contact or collision with motor vehicles or machinery, and contact with natural or man-made fixed objects or obstacles); 2) encounter with obstacles (e.g., natural and man-made water, road and surface hazards, close proximity and/or contact with thick smoke and open flames, barbed wire, pipes, and electric shocks); 3) equipment related hazards (e.g., broken, defective or inadequate competition equipment, unexpected equipment failure, imperfect course conditions); 4) weather-related hazards (e.g., extreme heat, extreme cold, humidity, ice, rain, fog); 5) inadequate first aid and/or emergency measures; 6) judgment- and/or behavior-related problems (e.g., erratic or inappropriate co-participant behavior, erratic or inappropriate behavior by the participant, errors in judgment by personnel working the event; and 7) natural hazards (e.g. uneven terrain, rock falls, lightning strikes, earthquakes, wildlife attacks, contact with poisonous plants, marine life
and/or ticks).

Um….what? Contact with open flames? Electric shocks? What in the hell am I signing up for? My boyfriend and I just looked at each other before clicking submit, really contemplating if this was a good idea. After REALLY thinking it through, we made the decision to sign up.

We printed out our workout to get us prepared for the big day which includes burpees, walking lunges, pull-ups (my favorite- not really), butt kicks, pushups, squats and more- pretty much the Insanity Workout, times 10. We have successfully completed Insanity two times when we were in college (before the hype) so we really thought it would be cake or at least a little easier. Not that we aren’t in good shape but this workout was intense. We were dripping sweat and dreaded the 2 minutes of burpees and dirty ballerinas (frog jumps-but dirty ballerina sounds more fun). I anticipate that this will get easier over time as our stamina and endurance improves. My two month hiatus from the gym really did not help either (thank you concussion, you will not be missed). Luckily, I workout everyday doing yoga, walking, Jillian Michael’s DVD’s (her Yoga Meltdown DVD is BOMB- in case you were wondering) and am slowly getting back into Zumba and running or else this would seem completely unrealistic.

Even though I am fearful for my life (I really do not want to be subjected to electric shocks or run through fire) I know that having a great team, training and eventually letting go of my fear will make this a fun experience (progress pics will be posted throughout my bootcamp training since I anticipate some sexy abs from this).

Pray for me as I embark on this ridiculously insane but amazing adventure!

As a Tough Mudder I Pledge That: 

  1. I understand Tough Mudder is not a race but a challenge
  2. I put teamwork and camaraderie before my course time
  3. I do not whine-kids whine (waaah) 
  4. I help my fellow mudders complete the course
  5. I overcome all fears! 

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Meyer Lemon and Almond Risotto

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In 2011 after graduating from college, I went on a little Euro-trip with my best friend, Xiomara. As a food connoisseur (foodie for short), I was in heaven the moment we landed in Italy. One of my favorite dishes is risotto. The creaminess, the heartiness as well as the love and soul that goes into a great bowl of risotto makes my taste buds and heart sing. I have to admit, it is a tedious and exhausting process. Traditionally risotto calls for wine but we didn’t have any on hand so we just added a little more veggie stock. If you can get the wine, bring it! It adds another dimension of flavor. Get ready for a delicious meal and arm workout!

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What You Need:

  • 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil
  • 1-2 tablespoons of butter (Vegan Butter, Earth Balance Soy Free Spread is Fab)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup of finely chopped shallots
  • 1 cup of arborio rice (or short grain brown rice, which I opted for in this recipe)
  • 3-4 cups of vegetable stock (there’s more flavor in stock), warmed and set to the side
  • 1 cup of white wine (Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio- only use wine you actually would drink)
  • 1 cup of frozen peas
  • 1 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup of chopped slivered almonds (you can toast them if you would like for added flavor)
  • 2 Meyer Lemons, juice and zest
  • 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley (opt for flat parsley, not curly)
  • Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

How You Make It: 

  1. Heat oil in a heavy pot. Add one tablespoon of  butter to the oil. Toss in shallots and garlic. Cook over medium low heat for about 5 minutes.
  2. Turn up the heat and toss in rice. Mix thoroughly until completely coated with the oil mixture. Add the glass of wine (if you’re not using wine, add a ladle full of stock) and scrape the pot to deglaze (AKA removing the crusty bits at the bottom of the pan)
  3. Stirring frequently, slowly add a ladle full of stock at a time. Once the previous ladle full has been absorbed, add another ladle full. Continue this process until you have used up to 3 cups of the stock. Test the rice. If the rice is tender, do not add the last cup of stock. If there is still a bite to the rice, add the final cup and continue to cook until the stock is absorbed.
  4. Toss in peas and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in the final tablespoon of butter for creaminess. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Once peas are fully cooked, add the juice and zest of both lemons, almonds and parsley. Add more salt if needed.
  6. Serve immediately.

My favorite part about risotto has to be eating it with loved ones and seeing their smiles. You can serve this with some fresh sautéed veggies on the side or with some bruschetta if you’re having an Italian themed dinner. The best part about this recipe is it doesn’t contain any cheese or actual butter to make it overly heavy. You can enjoy the comfort of this classic Italian dish without overindulging.

Buon Appetito!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Guiltless Fettuccine Alfredo

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I’ve been on the search for a vegan version of an Alfredo sauce since…forever. I loved making Fettuccine Alfredo when I ate dairy but even then it would not play nice with my stomach. I went on a search yesterday to satisfy this craving and found a fool proof recipe for Alfredo sauce. When I say this recipe was simple, I mean simple. I popped the ingredients in my Vitamix and within a minute this sauce was ready. The longest part of this recipe was cooking the pasta, but trust me the wait is worth it!

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo

What You Need:

1 can of unsweetened coconut milk

1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast Flakes

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 tablespoon of dried basil (you can use fresh as well)

1/2 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper

1/4 cup of Daiya Mozzarella Vegan Cheese Shreds (optional)

How You Make It: 

1. Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender. Blend. Pour over your favorite pasta. Enjoy!

Suggestions:

Serve with brown rice fettuccine pasta and broccoli or peas. Serve with a delicious glass of white wine and bask in the glory of not feeling bloated or guilty! 

Benefits: 

1. Nutritional Yeast is jam packed with: Vitamin B-12 (us vegans need this as it is only really present in meat and dairy products for the most part), it is high in protein (2 tablespoons = 9 grams of protein!), high in fiber, it’s gluten free and is a great source of folic acid.

2. Coconut Milk has good fats to help you feel full which keeps you from overeating and helps you burn fat. How awesome is that? The creamy goodness of coconut milk is also great for your hair and skin while also boosting your immunity.

Peace, love and NO beef (more Alfredo sauce, please)

Guramrit

Beyond Sushi, Beyond Amazing

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The Mighty Mushroom and Green Machine

I’m a huge fan of sushi and I mean the veggie rolls that are simple, healthy and don’t make you feel bad after eating almost 10. Serve me up a good avocado or cucumber roll with a side of edamame and I’m a happy camper. Though veggie rolls are great, they lack real flavor. Aside from the soy sauce on the side with the wasabi, there is no real depth to the flavor of these rolls (not that there is anything wrong with that). Today for lunch I ate at a remarkable vegan sushi joint, Beyond Sushi. You may be skeptical initially, but I promise this is perfectly filling and the genius behind this place has really done his work jazzing up the plainest of vegetables and making them exquisite. Let us leave your preconceived notions on sushi behind and open up your mind to the possibility that vegan sushi could be your new favorite thing.

La Fiesta Roll

Let me start off by saying the location I visited was pretty much a hole in the wall but it was cozy, perfect for wintertime lunches with friends. I instantly felt at home. It radiated sustainable eating, animal kindness and fine dining all at the same time. Who wants to eat at a vegan restaurant that doesn’t have ambiance and doesn’t convince you to eat there over and over again? I walked in, got cozy and started salivating at the many options available to me. This was heaven for a vegan foodie! The menu is impeccable. From the Mighty Mushroom (my favorite)–rolled with  six grain rice (their own unique blend-how fab is that?), enoki, shiitake, tofu and micro arugula and carefully topped with a sensationally sweet  yet savory shiitake teriyaki sauce which perfectly coats the palate, sending your tastebuds on a wild ride–to their delicate mango, tofu or seaweed individual rolls, this is truly a godsend for us sushi loving vegans.

Miso Soup

Miso Soup

Say sayonara to boring cucumber rolls and say hello to rolls worthy of vegan high priestesses (if those even exist). All I know is, I wanted to practically lick my plate clean and was sad once the meal was over- for me, this is a rare occasion.

Head on over to Beyond Sushi for lunch or your next dinner date with your favorite vegan, I promise you will not be disappointed.

Check out Beyond Sushi at these awesome locations:

Beyond Sushi:  229 East 14th St. New York, NY 10003                    

The Green Roll: 75 Ninth Avenue  New York, NY 10011 

Peace, love and NO Beef! 

Guramrit

Vegan Corn Chowda’

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If you can’t tell, I’m in a soup mood. After a long day at work, running errands or anything else that takes over the day, putting on a pot of soup is really the ultimate comfort. One thing I have missed about eating dairy is the creaminess cheeses, heavy cream and milk give to soups, mac and cheese and lasagna. I am lucky enough to have figured out a way to get the same creamy goodness of a non-vegan corn chowder and made it vegan! Say sayonara to the dairy version and say HELLO to this tasty soup that is sure to please your loved ones.

What You Need: 

  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 5 small red potatoes, diced
  • 1/2 cup celery, chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrot, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely diced
  • 3 cups of vegetable stock
  • 3 cups of sweet corn (either fresh or frozen-whatever is available)
  • 1 4 oz. can of finely diced jalapeños
  • 1/2 cup of dairy free creamer (coconut creamer is THE best if you can find it)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

How To Make it: 

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot and add onions, garlic, celery and carrot. Sauté until golden. Add potatoes and stir to coat. Let cook over medium high heat for a few minutes.

2. Add stock and mix well. Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and cover until potatoes are tender.

3. Add can of jalapeños, corn, dairy free creamer to the mixture. Stir and continue to cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

4. Add salt and pepper to soup. Ladle into bowls and serve immediately with some sprouted grain toast or your favorite crackers!

Bon Appetit (oh and don’t forget no beef here)