Chilly Basil Lemonade

This super-simple, refreshing drink is perfect on a hot summer day!
Chilly Basil Lemonade
What You'll Need
6 cups water
3 lemons (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1/3 cup sugar* (or 1/3 cup agave syrup**)
1 cup basil leaves (fresh, not dried!)
2 cups ice cubes
You'll also need a blender!

What You'll Need to Do:
Place ice and water in a blender, and blend until crushed. Add the lemons, sugar, and basil, and blend for several minutes until well combined and desired consistency is reached. Enjoy!



Some Tips and Tricks
The recipe makes about 6 cups (good for hosting!), but you can cut it in half if you're looking to make enough for 1-2 people.

Hosting a summer dinner? Feel free to add some vodka in! About 1 shot per 8 oz. glass should do it. The flavor blends in quite smoothly with the lemonade.

*not all sugar is considered strictly vegan, see my "Vegan Pantry" page for more info

**Exactly what is agave syrup? Basically, it's a nectar extracted from the agave plant. It can be used as a substitute for sugar in most recipes, and while I've used it from time to time, it has its own drawbacks (The "healthfulness" of agave has been a subject of much debate in the natural foods community). But if you have some lying around, or prefer it over cane sugar, it's a nice option for this recipe.

Beyond Sushi at Chelsea Market

I love sushi. Maybe it's my California roots, or just its undeniable great-ness, but I'm pretty much always in the mood for those little rice-rolls of goodness.

When I became a vegetarian, I was happy to continue enjoying my favorite vegetarian rolls. Kampyo, peanut avocado, oshinko maki, and umekyu are now on the top of my list. Unfortunately, my boyfriend has not been quite so enthusiastic about the vegetarian options at many sushi places. While some local restaurants offer a range of vegetarian options wide enough to satisfy my palate, I'll admit that the choices are often frustratingly limited.
 
So you can imagine my delight when wandering around Chelsea Market, I happened upon a vegan, sushi joint!

Beyond Sushi, founded by Chef Guy Vaknin (a finalist on Fox's Hell's Kitchen), offers a variety of seasonal fruit and veggie sushi. They have two locations: one at Union Square and one in Chelsea Market.

They seem to be doing something right--the line at lunchtime was out the door! The one in Chelsea Market is a take-out place. There's plenty of seating in the surrounding market, though. Even right at peak lunch hours, the service was really fast.

I was thrilled when I saw the menu. It was not just the deliciously fresh ingredients that caught my eye--but the thoughtful flavor combinations! I had the "La Fiesta" (pictured above), which included avocado, chayote, and pickled jalapeño in a black rice roll, topped with cilantro (it was excellent!). According to their web site, the black rice is "a gluten free grain that contains 18 amino acids and has a natural black hue." The rolls came with chili mango sauce on the side (in a little plastic tube, for easy application). Each of the rolls comes with a sauce that you can apply to the rolls. You can also request sides of any of the sauces on the menu.

I ordered the lunch special, which includes one roll (eight pieces), as well as two individual pieces. I had the mango (with jalapeño wasabi sauce) and seaweed (with sweet soy mirin) individual pieces. They were both delicious.



My friend had the "Pickle Me," (above) made with their six grain rice, gobo, carrot, pickled daikon, avocado. The six grain rice "is a medley of rye berries, hulless barley, pearl barley, brown, red, and black rice." These rolls came with the carrot ginger sauce, which you can see on top of the rolls. My friend also ordered a side of kimchi. It had a unique flavor profile--a bit sweeter than most--but really excellent.

There's a small refrigerated section in the back, where they house fresh-made juices, and puddings, among other things. I had the watermelon lemonade, which was wonderful (just the right amount of sweetness).


And, for the sake of the blog, I figured I had to try a chia-seed pudding, right? I've never actually had chia seed pudding before. Chia seeds, which originated in Central America (and were apparently eaten by both the Aztecs and the Mayans) are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, as well as fiber. They've been kind of blowing up on the health food scene for a variety of reasons. They're supposed to provide a great deal of energy, while also being much more filling than many other seeds. When combined with water, the fiber causes the seeds to gel (which you may be familiar with if you've ever tried the chia-infused drinks they sell in the stores!), allowing them to be used in puddings and even jams. They can also be substituted for eggs in baking.


I had the vanilla chia seed pudding with cinnamon roasted apples and a side of caramel sauce. It was a-maz-ing. I've definitely been inspired to try making my own pudding at home!

To summarize: Beyond Sushi made for a perfect lunch. Nothing too terribly fancy, just well-balanced flavors combined in smart and unique ways. They also have special monthly rolls that sound amazing. I can't wait to check out the rest of the menu, and check out the Union Square location!

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana-Tofutti Cutie Shake!

I've been experimenting with Tofutti Cuties this week.

What are Tofutti Cuties? Delicious, vegan ice cream sandwiches! My sister first turned me on to these several  years ago (they are also kosher!). These little bitty sandwiches come in packages of eight, with vanilla, cookies 'n cream, mint chip, berry or chocolate filling. I think they make a great, affordable addition to a shake (vegan ice cream can be expensive, but Tofutti cuties cost just about 75 cents each). If you haven't found a vegan ice cream that you're happy with, go ahead and give these a try anyhow. I know lots of people who don't care for the almond or soy-based ice creams but many of them enjoy these Cuties nonetheless.

So if you're in the mood for an ice cream sandwich, grab a box of these guys!  They're a perfect treat on a hot summer day. And the next time you're in the mood for a shake, throw one of them in! Here's a recipe idea to get you started.

Chocolate-Peanut Butter-Banana-Tofutti Cutie Shake
makes 1 3/4 cups

What You'll Need:
1 Tofutti Cutie, broken into pieces (vanilla, chocolate, or cookies 'n cream)
3/4 cup dairy-free milk (I like to use coconut, but soy or almond will work as well)
1 frozen banana, broken into chunks
2 tbsp cocoa powder (if you use a chocolate Tofuttie Cutie, reduce to 1 tbsp)
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 tbsp sweetener (I'd recommend agave nectar* or maple syrup)

What You'll Need to Do:
If using a high speed blender, you can throw everything in there and blend until smooth. If you're blender's got a little less power, no problem. First, blend together the banana and the milk. Once it's nice and smooth, add in the rest of the ingredients and blend again.

*see my "Vegan Pantry" page for more information on agave syrup

Banana-Berry Smoothie

As promised, I have a new recipe to share with you--just in time for summer!

I've always been something of a smoothie nut--at least when I've had access to a good blender! I have fond memories of frequenting a smoothie place that opened up right near my house when I was in middle school. My sister and I fell in love with these smoothies, and we soon realized how easy it was to make our own delicious, refreshing drinks filled with all kinds of tasty stuff! Every summer we would pull out the blender in our kitchen and mix up all sorts of different concoctions.

When the warm weather came around this year, I was thrilled to start experimenting with my new blender. I've been mixing things up pretty much daily for the last week or so, and when my boyfriend claimed this smoothie as his favorite, I figured it would be a good pick for a post.

Banana-Berry Smoothie
Makes about 3 cups
What You'll Need:
1 1/2 cups strawberries, frozen (about 8 oz.)
1 6 oz. container almond, coconut, or soy yogurt (I use plain, but a fruit flavor would work, too!)
1/3 cup blueberries
1 banana, frozen, and broken into large chunks
1-2 medium sized carrots, peeled and roughly chopped*
3/4 cup orange juice
up to 1 cup almond, rice, or soy milk

What You'll Need to Do:
If using a high-powered blender, add ingredients in the order listed and secure the lid. Start off at a slow speed, and quickly increase to the highest speed for your blender. Blend until smooth.

*If using a less powerful blender, you will have to grate the carrots or omit them. You'll also need to add the ingredients in batches. Add about half of the strawberries and bananas in with the orange juice and yogurt and blend until smooth. Add in the remaining ingredients and continue to blend until desired consistency is reached.

If you like your smoothies really thick, you can omit the milk altogether. If you'd like to thin it out a bit, add 1/4 to 1 cup milk and blend until desired thickness is reached.

Tips and Tricks
If you like (or would like to start) making smoothies in the summertime, stock up on your favorite fruits and yogurts. Alternatively, you can use silken tofu to thicken up your smoothies as well (I have some smoothie recipes utilizing this ingredient coming soon!).

Bananas are a nutritious and inexpensive addition to any smoothie, and even if you're not a huge fan of their flavor, it is oftentimes masked by the other ingredients. You can even buy the day old bananas at the market to save even more--just be sure you get them into the freezer as soon as you can! Peel and freeze bananas in a plastic baggie or other container in your freezer. And no need to stop with frozen bananas--you can chop and freeze things like mangoes and other fruits as well.

Fruit-filled smoothies also offer an opportunity to slip in other healthy ingredients, such as the carrots in this recipe. The carrots have a bit of a sweetness to them which meshes well with the other ingredients. Their taste was virtually imperceptible in this particular recipe.

Springtime Recipes

What have I been up to lately? Still a whole lot of cooking...but somehow I've let nearly an entire month go by without a post! While I've been bursting with ideas over the last few weeks, I haven't had a chance to put any full posts together just yet.

In the meantime, here are some ideas for some great recipes you might consider trying. But keep your eyes peeled! I have some refreshing salad and smoothie recipes on the way very soon...

As always, I've enjoyed delving into Veganomicon for some great ideas. After making a beet and bulgur salad a while ago, I was ready to throw the last of my winter beets into something even lighter. I was intrigued by the shredded parsnip and beet salad with pineapple vinaigrette (pictured above). If those ingredients sound a bit crazy to you, I don't disagree, but I can say that this salad is sweet, tangy, crunchy, and absolutely delicious! I brought it to a dinner party, and it was quickly devoured.

Not too surprisingly, many of the other recipes that I followed over the last month or so can also be traced to Isa Chandra:

A delicious "Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting" (recipe from Vegan with a Vengeance)


Apple Pie Crumb-Cake muffins (from Vegan with a Vengeance)


The Cookies 'n Cream cupcakes (again! they're one of my favorites from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

And I tried a recipe from PPK (follow the link for the recipe), for a sunflower-seed based Mac!


I also made a raspberry swirl vegan cheesecake (with my favorite vegan cheesecake recipe, courtesy of Sinfully Vegan)


That's all for now...I know this post is a bit of a tease, but hopefully it gives you some fun (and tasty!) ideas. And as I said earlier, expect more of my own recipes coming very soon!

Beet & Bulgur Salad

I've been quite attuned to the New York Times "Dining & Wine" section for a variety of reasons lately, and one trend I've noticed is a lot of healthy (and tasty!) vegan recipes. I've been having a lot of fun trying some of them out.

This recipe  for beet & bulgur salad was featured in an article by Melissa Clark in the Restaurant Takeaway section. The recipe is from Bill Telepan of Telepan Restaurant on the Upper West Side. It immediately caught my eye, particularly because I was looking for a way to incorporate the last of my winter CSA beets into a spring-appropriate dish.

Never heard of bulgur? It's a whole-wheat with a high nutritional value, often used in Middle Eastern cooking. Beet juice is used to infuse the bulgur, making for a truly bright and beautiful salad!




Beet & Bulgur Salad
What You'll Need:
1/2 pound beets
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt (plus more, as needed)
Black pepper (as needed)
1 cup medium bulgur wheat*
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons chopped dill
3 tablespoons chopped parsley


What You'll Need to Do:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place some foil under the beets and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil, a couple of tablespoons water and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cover beets with foil, place in a baking pan and bake until tender when pierced with a knife (30 to 60 minutes, depending on how small or large they are). Allow the beets to cool, then peel and dice.

Place bulgur in a large bowl (or heat proof container).

Add the beets and two cups of water to a medium pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Strain the beets and reserve the liquid. Take 11/2 cups of the beet liquid and season with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Pour over the bulgur. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap (or tight lid) and let sit until liquid is absorbed, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare your beet vinaigrette. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard and a large pinch each salt and pepper. Whisk in remaining 1/3 cup olive oil and the canola oil; add more salt and pepper if needed. Add beets to a blender, and pour dressing over them. Pulse until the mixture forms a coarse purée.

Once bulgur has absorbed all of the beet liquid you had previously added (above), add half of the beet vinaigrette to the bulgur and toss well. If bulgur seems dry, add a little more dressing, to taste. Toss in parsley and dill and more salt and pepper if needed. Serve or refrigerate for up to 2 days.



My Thoughts:
This dish makes more beet vinaigrette than you'll actually need to dress the bulgur.  You can add the remaining beet vinaigrette to salads or even spread a small amount as a bit of a beet relish onto a sandwich, if you're feeling adventurous.

Although I roasted the beets myself (and they were delicious!), you could buy pre-cooked beets if you are looking to save some time (just skip the first paragraph of the directions above).

I've been experimenting with lots of beet recipes this season. In the fall and winter, roasting is one of my go-tos. Before tackling this recipe, I tried a stellar recipe for beet burgers with lentils and brown rice, from the Post Punk Kitchen. My boyfriend was a bit hesitant, as he's not usually a fan of beet burgers, but he and our omnivorous dinner guest both devoured their burgers!

A final note:
*I used coarse bulgur wheat for this salad since my local supermarket did not have a "medium" grain. It worked great!

Making a Cookbook

Looking for a way to share your new favorite recipes with your friends or family?

Last year, when my brother began eating a vegan diet for health reasons, I wanted more than anything to be able to share some of my favorite recipes with him. Sure, I could have just emailed him a few...but those would easily have been lost in the email netherverse. And besides, I wanted to create something more concrete and special, a true cookbook that he could use for years to come.

I discovered the Tastebook site somewhat by accident, but was thrilled to discover that it had everything I was looking for. On Tastebook, you can start by choosing a theme for your book (I went with "Meatless Masterpieces"), and the site will create a template with recipes that fit within that theme. You can choose to include all or only some of their suggestions, and add as many of your own recipes as you like as well.



If you've been using a recipe manager like Paprika, let's say, it's very easy to copy and paste your own recipes into Tastebook and include them in your book. Tastebook includes wonderful images for you to use with their suggested recipes, and they make it very easy to upload your own images as well. The site also allows you to save your recipes in a personal online database, so that you can easily access them whenever you like. With links to the Food Network and Epicurious cooking sites, among others, they offer a wide range of truly excellent recipes for you to comb through.

You can organize and insert your recipes as you'd like. The book comes with suggested categories which are separated into sections with tabbed dividers; you can organize and rearrange these as you see fit. You can also easily generate a table of contents, and create a dedication page, if you'd like.

The book itself can be on the pricey side--if you go with their suggested book it will be $39.95. They do, however, offer the option to order pages individually which can save you some money. If you order more than one book at a time they will also discount the price. And if you join the site (it's free) they often have promotions around major holidays, etc. The quality is truly excellent, and with their "binder style" presentation, and the inclusion of several blank pockets in the back of the book, you can add recipes as you like (the book will store up to 100 recipes comfortably).

I think this is a great gift idea for birthdays, Mother's Day, etc. My brother couldn't believe how professional the cookbook looked, and neither could I!