Vegan Kale & Potato Gratin

February 4, 2014February 4, 2014Leave a comment

Cold weather equals comfort food. I’m all about the comfort when it’s easy to make and tastes delicious. Though it’s great to put in a great deal of effort, I’d rather save the effort for the eating and serving up yummy dishes. This meal is great as a side or even as a main event, trust me you will want seconds. I even was able to get my carnivorous boyfriend and brother on board. I was inspired by a recipe on TheKitchn.com but you know me, I love to make it vegan! Well, here you go my foodies!

What You Need:

1 1/2 pounds of red potatoes
1 bag of Tuscan kale (Trader Joe’s has a great bag of Tuscan kale, super cheap, super tasty-great in smoothies too!)
1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons of sea salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 cup of coconut or soy milk creamer (unsweetened)
1/4 cup of cashew cheese
1/4 cup of nutritional yeast
2 tbs of vegan butter (soy free)
2 tbs of gluten free flour (or wheat flour, your choice)
Breadcrumbs (optional)

How You Make It:

Preheat oven to 350° F.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Slice potatoes into disks , 1/4-inch thick (skin on) and toss into salted boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain potatoes and rinse with cool water to stop the cooking process.
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Add flour, stirring constantly. After a minute or so, add in the coconut/soy milk creamer. Continue to stir until it thickens. Once thick, add in nutritional yeast and cashew cheese (think cheese sauce for mac ‘n cheese, yum). Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes and kale in the olive oil mixture. Add to a casserole baking dish, layering the kale and potatoes and adding the “cheese” sauce to each layer and sprinkling with bread crumbs, if you like.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 15 minutes or until the top is crispy. Feel free to add more breadcrumbs to the top layer for added crunch (suggestion: mix breadcrumbs with vegan butter to make the top extra golden).

Serving Suggestion: Serve with a mixed greens salad or with your favorite sautéed veggies. I love making roasted brussels sprouts with Grade B Maple Syrup, dried cranberries and slivered almonds. Perfection. Sweet and savory all in one dish, talk about a food-gasm (yes, that is a word).

I hope you get inspired to make something delicious for dinner tonight or any of these cold nights during the Polar Vortex.

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

Super Green Smoothies

January 22, 2014January 25, 20141 Comment

I am a smoothie lover. I really enjoy making smoothies, seeing how much I can cram into the blender and trying out different flavor combinations (even though I have my goto’s). I began my smoothie journey back in 2012 when I bought a Ninja blender and vowed to make a smoothie every single day ( even in every season, winter too). It just so happened that a 30 Day Green Smoothie Challenge with Simple Green Smoothies was starting up at around the same time I began my new-found obsession. I never really thought of putting greens in smoothies (when you have a crummy blender, you understand why–think chunks). 2012 really marked the beginning of my journey to a healthier me so this was really perfect timing. The challenge asked us to replace at least one meal a day with a smoothie. My first thought, “Um, I am going to starve. Are you crazy?” Mind you this was before I did a juice cleanse so I was extremely attached to the idea of chewing and eating (boy do I love eating). The moment the mood swings, purging and attachment to chewing disappeared, I fell in love. I am super serious. I fell in love with green smoothies.

My friends over at Simple Green Smoothies offer 5 great reasons to LOVE green smoothies:

Natural energy booster to keep a little pep in your step in the morning (and during those afternoon slumps).
Natural weight loss can he a happy side effect of gulping these in place of a typical breakfast (just make sure to include healthy fats and protein to make it a more complete meal).
Stay healthy all-year-long. Simple way to boost your immune system when you’re feeling under the weather.
Packed with disease-fighting antioxidants. The phytonutrients in leafy greens boost your body’s immune system and keep it functioning properly.
Hands down— The best fast food. It takes less than 5 minutes to make a green smoothie (and clean up!) and they’re super easy to take on the go– especially when you prep ahead.

I have started to crave green smoothies. If I’m not in the mood to cook, I just whip out my greens, fruit and choice of liquid and create something delicious and nutritious. After acquiring my brand new blender of the Gods, the Vitamix, making smoothies is more fun than ever. To give my smoothies an extra boost, I include superfoods. But G, what is a superfood? Well, according to Oxford Dictionary a superfood is: a nutrient-rich food considered to be especially beneficial for health and well-being. Here are a few of my go-to superfoods that are a must in all of my smoothies (or at least most of them- depending on the flavor):

Maca: an ancient Peruvian tuber is a great natural source of energy. This adaptogen helps improve and attain balance in the body. It especially balances out the hormones helping tame PMS (you know those awful mood swings), increases fertility and helps boost mood as well as immunity. How can you go wrong with a little bit of maca? For maca newbies, start off with just a tablespoon in your smoothie and slowly increase to two tablespoons. An added perk? It spices things up in the bedroom. Read more about the benefits of maca here.
Camu Camu: this superfood has a sweet and sour flavor, which I really enjoy. It is an amazing source of vitamin C
containing 60 times more vitamin C than an orange! Camu is also a great anti-inflammatory, less inflammation equals less sickness.
Flaxseed Oil (or Udo’s Omega Oil) is a great source of Omega 3’s. Not only do your Omega 3’s keep your heart healthy and deliver a healthy dose of good fats to your system (more good fats help burn the bad ones), it boosts your mood. Ladies, that time of the month has us all over the place and we need all the help we can get. Aside from that, your skin becomes more radiant and supple. Winning!
Raw Cacao Powder: I am a chocoholic. Anything with chocolate in it, I am all over it. I only recently started adding this tomy smoothies (obviously not the ones with orange juice or tart cherry juice as a base- mostly coconut water or unsweetened nut milk). We all know that chocolate is loaded with flavonoids and increases endorphins in the body giving you a feeling of etherial bliss, right? But in its raw form you are getting much more! It is high in magnesium, zinc, protein, calcium, fiber and more. Raw cacao can also improve digestion, promote cardiovascular function & health while also lowering blood pressure. I know I have more of a reason to LOVE chocolate (raw, of course).
Green Powder: I love my smoothies extra green. Even though in most of my smoothies I put at least 2 cups of greens, I love to add an extra scoop or two of green powder to give it more of a boost. I can instantly feel the energy and power (unlimited power said in Darth Sidious’ voice). Right now I have two favorites: Amazing Grass Green Superfood Powder and Philosophie’s Green Dream. I’m starting to favor the Green Dream powder more since it comes with hemp protein and I don’t have to add something extra to my smoothie (not that I really mind!). Green powders give you an extra boost of energy and liveliness. Say goodbye to caffeine (okay, maybe not goodbye) and hello to a rejuvenated version of you!

If you need a little help getting started with your green smoothies the infographic below really helps you put one together or you can sign up for free smoothie recipes at Simple Green Smoothies:

(**NOTE: OMIT THE SWEETENERS YOU DO NOT NEED IT. Chopped Medjool Dates are a great alternative to sweeteners)

I hope you start to enjoy some green smoothies and experiment. Make it your own! Add superfoods and be merry!

Peace, love and NO beef!

Guramrit

And that’s me enjoying a super delicious green smoothie after some yoga!

Meyer Lemon and Almond Risotto

January 14, 20142 Comments

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!

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:

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.
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)
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.
Toss in peas and tomatoes. Stir to combine. Slowly stir in the final tablespoon of butter for creaminess. Season with salt and pepper.
Once peas are fully cooked, add the juice and zest of both lemons, almonds and parsley. Add more salt if needed.
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

Vegan Corn Chowda’

January 8, 2014January 8, 20141 Comment

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)

Super Greens and Beans Stew

December 14, 2012Leave a comment

Need comfort on a cold day? Need another reason to get in the kitchen? Want a way to get your greens in without the hassle? Your search ends here. This simply delicious and delightful stew will not only ease those cold weather blues but also satisfy your need for greens! Don’t believe me? Try it for yourself! [P.S. This recipe comes with leftovers, so be prepared for a few days of stewy goodness!]

What you need:

2 cans cannellini or other white beans, rinsed and drained

1 32 oz carton of vegetable broth/stock

1/4 cup white wine [cooking wine works as well]

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper [I like it spicy!]

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

2 cups fresh kale, roughly chopped

2 cups rainbow chard, roughly chopped

1 15 oz can of whole peeled tomatoes [San Marzano is the best!]

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

How You Make It:

1. In a large pot, heat oil and saute onions until soft. Add garlic, red pepper, rosemary, basil and oregano and pinch or two of salt. Stir in the kale and swiss chard. Stir until kale and chard look slightly wilted.

2. Add in broth, tomatoes and beans. Add 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt and stir.

3. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add white wine and reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. Season with salt, pepper and serve with bruschetta or garlic bread.