The Veggie Grill…….vegan casual dinning

Yesterday Chris, Aiden, & I ate lunch at the Veggie Grill in El Segundo. I have eaten at this restaurant before and  I really LOVED it, so I had to let my family give it a try. Chris (who is NOT vegan or vegetarian) really loved his food, He said “The flavors are really great!” My little Aiden absolutely devoured his vegan mac-n-cheese and tofu chocolate pudding. I must say I truly enjoy this restaurant, and not only for the delicious food but it is so reasonably priced! Nothing on the menu is over $10 and that is amazing for vegan cuisine.

Last time I dined at Veggie Grill I had the famous Carne Asada sandwich which is by far my favorite item on the menu. The sandwich has grilled veggie-steak, marinated in mexican spices, with southwestern spiced vegan mayo, red onion, lettuce, tomato on a wheat roll, OMG so DELISH!!! This time Chris and I tried the Thai Chickin Salad with”Chickin”, romaine, red & green cabbage, roasted corn salsa, green onion, mandarin oranges, toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, wonton’s and a spicy thai dressing. Other popular menu items include The Sweetheart Fries: sweet potato fries, seasoned and served with chipotle ranch! The Steamin Kale: Tender kale with a ginger-miso dressing and roasted sesame seeds! And  of course the VG burger: Marinated and grilled veggie steak, pickles, lettuce, tomato, red onion, chipotle ranch, avocado, & jalapenos…… it’s RIDICULOUS!!!!!

All menu items at the Veggie Grill are free of cholesterol, trans fat and high-fructose corn syrup. The Veggie Grill motto is Natural & Wholesome, 100% plant-based and free of animal fat! There are currently 5 locations with more opening every year. check out the website and try a Veggie Grill near you! www.VeggieGrill.com

My Little Aiden

Modern & casual decor

Vegan mac-n-cheese with chocolate pudding & sweet potato fries

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of our salad! Chris and I were so hungry we just dove right in!

Hot Pink Half-ToeSox & Poses For Paws!

I took a Pilates class today and everyone was wearing ToeSox! I want to encourage everyone who takes yoga or pilates to purchase a pair of Hot Pink ToeSox! My dear friend Kathryn Budig co-founded Poses for Paws an organization dedicated to raising money for animal shelters through yoga. Kathryn partnered with ToeSox and with every purchase of Hot Pink ToeSox a donation is made to various animal shelters and organizations. Help support this amazing cause and order a pair of Hot Pink Half-ToeSox today!

Take one of Kathryn Budig’s classes at the prestigious Yogaworks in Santa Monica!

Green Beans With Balsamic Reduction

Last night I made green beans with a balsamic reduction. It was so good so I thought I would share the recipe!

1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 Cup Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice

1/2 tbsp Orange zest

1) Mix the balsamic vinegar and orange juice in a sauce pan.

2) Put on high heat. Stir frequently.

3) Reduce the sauce for about 20 minutes or until the vinegar takes on a syrupy quality. Work the pan every few minutes with a spatula to remove glazed sauce from the sides of the pan.

4) While sauce is reducing steam green beans

5) When green beans are done transfer to a medium bowl, drizzle reduction over green beans & add orange zest

6) Toss and eat!

If you can’t eat it, juice it!

Sometimes I don’t feel like eating a ton of leafy greens so I juice them! Just grab a bunch of veggies through them in your juicer or vitamix and make a healthy green drink. This is such a great way to get your vegetables in for the day. Today I took celery, spinach, romaine lettuce, ginger, lime, kale & an apple.

Now this is a healthy energy drink!

Vegan Cookbook Recommendations!

I have a lot of friends ask me what vegan cookbooks would I recommend, so here are the books I cook from the most. You have all heard me talk about “The Kind Diet” on my blog. I absolutely LOVE this book by Alicia Silverstone , her website The Kind Life is amazing as well. VEGANOMICON The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook is wonderful because there are so many recipes that are EASY and you will make them over and over again. The Conscious cook is just unbelievably DELICIOUS! YES the whole book is DELICIOUS! The Author/Chef  Tal Ronnen is the chef that cooked vegan meals for Oprah Winfrey’s 21 day vegan adventure. He also Catered Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi’s vegan wedding!!!!! His book is Vegan “fine dinning” for sure! I am very excited to post pics of some of the meals I make from this cookbook .  Lastly I suggest a book called Easy Vegan, this book has great salads, dips, and spreads! Great for party’s and small get-togethers. Of course they sell all of these books on amazon.com so if you are looking to get a vegan cookbook try one of these books, I highly recommend them all.

Crispy Kale Leaves

1. Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. Tear kale into 3-inch pieces, removing tough stems. Transfer leaves to bowl.
3. Toss kale leaves with olive oil in bowl, until well coated. Spread on baking sheet, and bake 15 minutes. Turn kale with tongs, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, or until edges are browned and leaves are crispy. Sprinkle with salt. Serve warm or cold.

I make this dish 3 times a week at least! Instead of a bag chips I eat a bowl of crispy kale. It taste so great and kale is so good for you, especially for all the vegans out there. Dairy products are a great source of calcium, but they’re not the only source. 1 cup of kale has 179mg of calcium and 1 cup of whole milk has 300mg. (I definitely eat 2 cups of kale in one sitting AT LEAST!) 1 cup of kale also has as much vitamin C as an orange. Aside from being rich in calcium and vitamin C, kale is rich in lutein, iron, vitamin A & K. Kale also has the much needed fiber that is lacking in the daily american diet! (WE EAT TO MUCH PROCESSED FOODS!!!) I highly recommend adding kale to your diet!!

*Note to all the new mommies out there kale is known to increase breastmilk supply.

KOMBUCHA!

My daily addiction is Raw Kombucha Tea! (My car is filled with these empty glass bottles) I honestly can’t go a day without drinking this tea. It gives me so much energy and I LOVE IT!  Kombucha is an unprocessed tea/elixir that is fermented for 30 days. During this period, essential nutrients form like active enzymes, viable probiotics, amino acids, and antioxidants. My favorite brand is GT’s Kombucha, they offer 100% Organic Raw Kombucha Tea & Synergy Kombucha (which has 95% organic raw tea and 5% real fruit juice). These drinks are only 30 -50 calories per bottle (depending on the flavor) and there are only 2 grams of sugar per bottle. I honestly love all of the flavors but my favorites are the Gingeraide & the Cosmic Cranberry. I highly recommend drinking Kombucha once a day because it is so beneficial to your health. For example the probiotics help ease digestion, purify the system, & boost the immune system.

I know they sell these amazing tea’s at Whole Foods & Bristol Farms but check the website to see if they are sold at a store near you!

www.synergydrinks.com

My Favorite!!!!! Double Chocolate Chip Fresh Mint Cookies

This recipe is from Babycakes Vegan Bakery! This place is scrumptious!!! This famous bakery started out in New York and now we have 1 location in Downtown Los Angeles. I have made the recipe below for friends a couple of times and  these cookies are a hit!!!

• 1 cup coconut oil
• 1¼ cups evaporated cane juice
• ¹⁄³ cup homemade applesauce or store-bought unsweetened applesauce
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
• 1½ cups bob’s red mill gluten-free all-purpose baking flour
• ¼ cup flax meal
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons xanthan gum
• 1 cup vegan chocolate chips
• 1 Tbs minced fresh mint

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, evaporated cane juice, applesauce, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla. In another medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax meal, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Using a rubber spatula, carefully add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and combine until a dough is formed. Gently fold in the chocolate chips just until they are evenly distributed throughout the dough.
3. Using a melon baller, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the portions 1 inch apart. Gently press each with the heel of your hand to help them spread. Bake the cookies on the center rack for 14 minutes, rotating the sheets 180 degrees after 9 minutes. The finished cookies will be crisp on the edges and soft in the center.
4. Let the cookies stand on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely before covering. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Glogg Spiced Wine

A couple of weeks ago (Before I started my “Fat Flush”) I had some girlfriends over and I made this warm spiced wine (it’s called Glühwein in german) that was absolutely AMAZING!!!  I found the recipe in my favorite book The Kind Diet. All of my girls LOVED the wine so I thought I would pass along the recipe .

Serves 10

1 bottle sulfate-free organic red wine
1 cup Madeira
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
2 slices fresh or dried orange peel

Combine all ingredients in a large stainless steel saucepan, and heat slowly over low heat without boiling. Strain, and serve immediately.

Vegan Tempeh Bolognese

Tonights dinner was Vegan Tempeh Bolognese!! I found this recipe in Vegetarian Times Magazine about a year ago. It is Sooooo Yummy! A classic italian pasta sauce made with crumbled tempeh instead of ground meat. You can serve it over spaghetti, polenta, potatoes, or tonight’s choice for me (because of “The Fat Flush Plan”) over pureed cauliflower.

1tbs. Plus 1 1/2 tsp olive oil, divided*
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped (1 1/2 cups)
1 large carrot finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 tbs dried or fresh oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8oz pkg. tempeh
1 Tbs. reduced-sodium soy sauce*
1 28-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes(I bought NO-SALT ADDED tomatoes)
1/2 cup dry white wine*
2 Tbs. tomato paste (again I bought NO-SALT ADDED paste)
1 tsp. vegan worcestershire sauce*
1/2 cup whole grain rice milk*

NOTE: Every ingredient with a * next to it I am leaving out or substituting because of my “Fat Flush Plan”

1. Heat 1 Tbs. Oil in large skillet (I am using no-sodium veggie broth) over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, oregano, and garlic and cook 5 to 6 minutes, or until vegetables are browned, stirring often.

2. Meanwhile, heat remaining 1 1/2 tsp oil in separate skillet over medium heat ( I used flaxseed oil). Add tempeh, and brown 2 minutes on each side. Add soy sauce (I am leaving it out) and 1/2 cup water. Cook tempeh 5 minutes more, or until liquid has absorbed. Break tempeh into small crumles with spatula.

3. Stir tempeh, tomatoes, wine, tomato paste, and vegan worcestershire sauce into onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered 10 minutes. Stir in rice milk (I ended up blended silken tofu in the blender to make a milk, and I added this to the bolognese.) and simmer 5 minutes more, season with salt and pepper if desired. I added a dash of cayenne pepper!!

186 CAL, 11 G PROT, 8 G TOTAL FAT, 20 G CARB, 0 CHOL, 552 MG SOD (only 35 MG SOD if you do it my way), 3 G FIBER, 10 G SUGARS (8 G if you do it my way)

* Everyone should try and keep there sodium intake to a minimum. We should only consume 2000 MG per day. This is actually hard to do if you start to pay attention to how much salt is in everything we eat! Having less sodium helps you loses weight, have lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. And who wants to be bloated anyway RIGHT ??