Massaged Kale, Sweet Potato, Pomegranate Salad

December 1, 2016Leave a comment

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HAPPY DECEMBER ya’ll!

Just like that, it’s time to prepare for Christmas. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!!!! Don’t mind me, I’m on a holiday high, our apartment is almost fully decorated (just need to add snowflakes) and the Christmas music is on 24/7. Not even kidding.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Legit, it was exhausting. I really enjoy hosting, but sometimes that sh*t is tiring af. From shopping, preparing, cooking, serving, and actually hosting, it’s ALOT of work.

I must admit, however, I had quite the blast.

MY favorite part was creating the ultimate menu that was both seasonally delish and healthy. But mostly delicious 😉

With all the heaviness that is typically associated with the season, I really opt for something light, nourishing and colorful. This is where my massaged kale salad comes in handy.

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Hearty winter greens are warming for the soul and loaded with flavor when paired properly. You know not just greens with lemon and salt. Give that sh*t a boost. Add some roasted sweet potato, pomegranate seeds and pepitas. Holy shiz. It’s da bomb dot com.

I’m sure it will be a favorite at your holiday table, and besides, it looks GORGEOUS as a starting course 😉 Great for BRUNCH, LUNCH and DINNER! Yaas.

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The Easiest Mushroom Soup {For Cold Weather + Rainy Day Cuddling}

October 18, 2016Leave a comment

Tempeh Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sammies.png

HOLY MOLY! You must be wondering where in the heck I have been? No? Maybe? Sorta?

I promise I have not forgotten how to cook.

I just did something pretty awesome.

I got married.

Yes! I am someone’s MRS! He’s not just any someone, he’s freakin’ amazeballs. And we had such a wonderful wedding surrounded by love which was immediately followed by a much-needed honeymoon in Aruba. We took some serious chill time, caught up on our sleep and really embraced the fact that we had the time to just BE together and do absolutely nothing else.

For the last two months, my brain was on overload which ultimately meant I had to upgrade the self-care and hone in on what my body really needed. It totally needed more sleep and more wine, and I was perfectly okay with both. This, of course, meant a few things fell to the back burner. I’m sorry blog! I luh you though boo boo.

This is me keeping myself accountable, I am officially working on my next cookbook. This one is different. It is going to take some serious love and time to make it happen in a grander way. I say grand because there will be over 100 recipes. Yea. That’s one big ass book. But you know me, these recipes have to taste DELISH and be simple enough to actually want to make.

Being in a cooking slump is tough. Sometimes we just get back to the ol’ reliable recipes, the ones that are tried and true and never let us down. For me, soups are my go-to when the weather (A HUGE SHOCK FOR ME after being in 110 degrees F every day) starts to shift and get that slight hint of a winter chill.

I LIVE off of smoothies in the summer and soups in the fall/winter. It’s the best thing…and it LASTS FOREVER.

I like a good soup that holds up on its own without needing much help (you know, flavor wise). This one makes great use of bold and mighty shiitake mushrooms and gives the baby bella mushrooms life. It will feel like this took you hours to make though you will have only taken about 30 minutes out of your day to prep, cook and savor it. Okay, maybe you should take more than a few minutes to actually savor this, but you get the point.

(Keep going to get the recipe….it’s worth it)

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Protein Powered Mason Jar Muesli

June 29, 2016Leave a comment

Wait…what in the heck is a Muesli?!

For the last few weeks, I’ve been packing my breakfasts for work (in addition to my daily green smoothie)…and besides the usual overnight oats, I decided to give Muesli a go. And besides, I have some kickass protein powders that I figured belonged in my breakfast (and no longer in my smoothie…I think I over did it for the last month, so I’m all about switching thangs up).

But wait…for realz, what is muesli?

According to our friend the Dictionary and Wikipedia, muesli is a: breakfast and brunch dish based on raw rolled oats and other ingredients including grains, fresh or dried fruits, seeds and nuts, and may be mixed with cow’s milk, soy milk, almond milk, other forms of plant milk, yogurt or fruit juice.

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Now, I’m not a fan of mixing oats with juice but I’m all about the yogurt and almond milk combo. It’s really nourishing, filling and pretty friggin’ deeeeelish.

This recipe makes breakfast even more amazeballs. It keeps you satisfied because it’s jam packed with protein (that Bob’s Red Mill, really hits it on the head), a variety of textures (I’m all about the crunchy) and keeps the body cool. Sometimes hot oatmeal is not sexy on a muggy summer day.

Besides, don’t you think your breakfast could use an upgrade?! I know I like a little variety (here’s my overnight oats recipe…it’s similar and perfectly adaptable).

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Creamy Broccoli + Cauliflower Soup

February 21, 2016Leave a comment

Tempeh Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sammies

Okay, okay I realize I have done a broccoli cheeze soup recipe on No Beef Here like 2 and a half years ago when I was doing the whole super duper vegan thing. In all honesty, I always think about how I can take recipes I’ve already made and make them WAY better and less complicated. Can you imagine a vegan recipe or even vegetarian recipe that doesn’t call for a sh*t ton of ingredients?! Jeez.

Simplicity is key.

I’ve made this broccoli + cauliflower soup at least two or three times in the last few weeks. From working outside in the frigid cold (in all honesty I’ve grown to appreciate my farmers, postal workers, sanitation workers, etc way more as a result) to my weird sleeping habits (Matt is on a different schedule, 4-12 a.m. yikes), my desires for soup has grown immensely. This recipe is a no nonsense, creamy, dunk garlic bread in it type recipe. Wait…there’s veggies up in here too. This makes it EVEN better 😉

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Snow Day Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies

January 25, 2016January 25, 2016Leave a comment

Tempeh Bacon Lettuce & Tomato Sammies (7)

Howdie lovers!

NYC got SLAMMED with snow. Winter was tired of our trash talk and decided to show up, give us some snow (okay, lots of snow about 25 plus inches) then bounce, leaving the city in disarray.

So what do you do with a snow day or two (after you play outside because the roads are closed of course)?

YOU BAKE!

And binge watch Avatar the Last Airbender. Yea, super cheesy but Matt and I love this show. It’s perfect and really helps you tune into that inner child 😉 Oh yes.

Braving the storm to go and play…and dig out the cars!

Beware of the power of these cookies. You will not be able to slow down because they are just so so so delicious. So be sure to hide them in the kitchen, out of reach just so you can savor them a little longer.

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