high-raw mexican black rice pilaf

High-Raw Mexican Black Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

1 c cooked black rice, cooled
1/2 avocado, diced
1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tomatoes, diced
2 handfuls fresh cilantro
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 corn kernles
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1 tsp chili powder
sea salt to taste

mix all ingredients and enjoy!

Deni

Raw Chocolate Blueberry Cakes with Icing

Raw dessert time, baby!  I love how cute little individual servings are. This one's a cinch to make, as most raw deserts are. No dehydrator required.
Unfortunately I only got to eat 2 of these. Stefan inhaled the rest while I was sleeping!

Raw Chocolate Blueberry Cakes with Icing

Makes 7-8 cakes

Ingredients:

For the cakes:
1 1/2 c pitted dates
1/4 c raw cashews
1/4 c raw hemp seeds
1/4 c raw shredded coconut
1/4 c sesame seeds
1/4 c wild blueberries
2 tbs raw agave

for the icing:
1 ripe avocado
1/4 c cacao powder
3-4 tbs agave (to taste)

To make the cakes, pulse the ingredients in a food processor until it easily binds together.
Form the dough into equally sized balls, and form into mini cake (kind of like a thick cookie).

For the icing, blend the ingredients in a food processor until smooth.  Spread on top, or if you want to make them look fancier, use a piping bag to decorate the tops.

Grab a fork, an episode of Friends, and enjoy!

Deni

Soba Bowls with Orange Miso Sauce

Hi guys!
Do you love soba noodles? Because I DO! Love love love them. They are light tasting and made from buckwheat. Make sure you read the label because a lot of brands use white flour as well.  We don't want that nasty acidic stuff!  They also cook up really really fast.  They only take a few minutes in boiling water, so make you keep testing them.

Soba Noodle Bowls with Orange Miso Sauce

Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 sections of soba noodles (the packages are usually divided into sections. If not, use half.)
1 tbs olive oil
2 c sliced mushrooms of your choice
1 orange pepper, thinly sliced
5-6 leaves of kale

For the Sauce:
zest and juice from half an orange
2 tsp white miso
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs sesame oil
1 inch knob of ginger, grated
1 clove garlic, grated

Cook Soba noodles according to package directions
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat
Add mushrooms and orange bell pepper
Once these are softened, add kale and cover with foil for a few minutes until the kale is wilted
Mix ingredients for the sauce together in a bowl, and add to the noodles and veggies when finished.
Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy with chopsticks!

Hope you enjoy!
-Deni

Week In Review Feb21-27/11 plus my new strength training routine

Hi Everyone!
I've decided to do a "Week in Review" Post every week so I can keep track of what exercise I've done, and to give you guys ideas and motivation for your fitness routines!
I've also put myself on a training plan for a 10 km race. I"m on week two now. So far so good! Although yesterday I had my worst run since I was a beginner. My legs felt like they had lead in them, and I felt exhausted from the moment I left my apartment. I was supposed to run 6.5 km but I ended up running 4. Oh well. Everyone has an off day.


I've also put together a new strength routine that I plan on doing 3-4 days per week.

1. 20 min resistance training circuit  at gym (For you GoodLifer's out there it's the 20 min fit fix.  covers all major muscle groups)
2. Runner's core stability workout (check out videos here)
3. Flat Ab workout (click here to see workout)
4. 10 crunches on stability ball, 3 reps
5. 10 back crunches on stability ball, 3 reps
6. walking lunges with 10 lbs kettle bells, 20 reps

Week in review:

Run:  22.51 km total
1 hour yoga class
2 strength training days
missed my spin class :(



 How often do you do strength training?

What do you do when your exercise schedule doesn't go according to plan? 

-Deni 

Post-Exercise Snack Ideas

Hey guys!

I've kind of become obsessed with what I eat after my workouts.  As you know, I've been running more and more and I want my muscles to recover properly so that my next run will be even better. And so far, it's working! It's very important to have a combination of carbohydrates and protein immediately after your workout. The longer you wait, the less effective the food will be in helping your muscles recover. Plus, I'm always hungry when I get back and I look forward to my post workout snacks! Here's a bit of what I've been eating lately.

1. Homemade Electrolyte Drink

Forget Gatorade! It's filled with empty calories and tons of sugar. Plus, it's always a weird neon colour.

Fill your water bottle with filtered water. Add a pinch of sea salt, a squirt of agave and some citrus slices.

2. Fruit and Protein Smoothie

Blend fruit, soy or almond milk, and a vegan protein powder. I like to use hemp protein or vega post-workout powders. I also like to add some green for an extra nutritional kick.

3.  Brown Rice Cakes with Nut Butter

Spread a nut butter of your choice on two brown rice cakes. top with a drizzle of agave and pumpkin seeds.

4. Fit Fun Vegan's Perfect Post-run Scramble

Check out my earlier post here for the recipe.

5.  Raw Veggies with Black Bean Dip

 

6. My On the Go Workout Snacks

Oranges, dried apricots, larabars, apples and raw almonds.  Plus music and lip balm :)

I hope you find these ideas helpful.

What do you eat before and after a workout?


Do you notice a difference in performance if you don't eat properly?

Love to hear from you!

Deni

Calcium Boost for Vegans

If you're like me, you are constantly trying to monitor your calcium. I know that dairy isn't actually a good source of calcium because it leaches calcium from your bones. It is a widely known fact that countries who consume the most dairy have the highest incidences of osteoporosis! Damn those milk advertisers are good, making us believe otherwise!

When I see these advertisements in health magazines (i don't see comercials because I don't have cable. It's great!) I have to remind myself that I don't need milk, and that I can get plenty of calcium from plants.  Look at Asian cultures before they became "Westernized". No dairy, lots of plants, especially greens, and osteoporosis was a very rare occurrence.)

Sometimes it totally wigs me out that I live in a country that is constantly feeding me incorrect information that damages my health, just because they are under the pressure of farm companies who want to make money and don't actually care if their "products" are good for their customers. I won't go on and on, but let's just say that the dairy industry really bothers me and that most of the western world is completely brainwashed into believing that they need dairy and that it is part of a healthy diet. And it's not their fault! We are supposed to trust the FDA and our governments. They want to keep us healthy, right? Apparently not.

Most of us know that dark leafy greens are a great source of calcium. But some of us can't sit down and devour a raw kale salad.  Collards and chard with dressing i can handle, and enjoy! But kale...I'm not there yet.

Or so I thought.

After the gym yesterday, I sauteed some kale and white beans in cast iron skillet. Oh. My. God. this was good! I didn't even taste like kale. I'm going to eat it again today!

You'll need:
3 large kale leaves (I gave my stems to the dogs. They're like Vegan dog bones)
1/2 can rinsed white beans
1 tsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, grated
1 tsp braggs liquid aminos (totally makes the dish!)
sea salt and pepper, to taste

Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.
Saute garlic, kale and beans until the kale has wilted a bit and the beans are heated through. Add some sea salt to the dish while it is cooking. It will help the kale to wilt a bit faster.
Add braggs and pepper.
Serve and enjoy your super strong bones!

Deni

Perfect Post-Run Scramble

 I have found the perfect post run meal! It is balanced with protein and carbohydrates and is oh so yummy and filling.  After I ate this yesterday, I was so energized that I wanted to go out for another run!

Ingredients:

1/4 block extra firm tofu

1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 c sliced mushrooms

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp fresh or dried thyme leaves

sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste

1. heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat
2. add onions, red pepper and mushrooms. Saute until soft
3. add tofu, tumeric, thyme, sea salt and pepper. Saute for a few more minute until tofu is heated through.
4. serve on top of toast with ketchup on top and fruit on the side.

The not so great exercise week

Tuesday- 5 km run

Sunday- 20 min resistance training circuit
          -  60 min spin class

How to Dress for Winter Running

As you may or may not know, I have developed a love for running. Even winter running! At first i was a little intimidated by the thought of running through snow in freezing temperatures and crazy wind speeds.  But now that I know how to dress, it's really fun! I still don't love the wind, but hey, it's just an added challenge if you are running against it, and helps you along if you are running with it!

Base Layer:
It's important to wear a snug fitting base layer that wicks moisture away from your body. If your skin is drenched in sweat, you will feel colder. I wear a moisture wicking yoga top.

Middle Layers:
I don't like to wear bulky sweaters, so I add two more thin layers: a thermal waffle shirt, and a t-shirt over top.

Outer Layers:
 
Running jacket (I like the ventilation, even when it's cold), hat and scarf.  This particular night, I didn't wear the scarf for too long. I ended up tying it around my waist after 10 minutes. Very stylish, I know. I also wear north face gloves. I don't think these are specifically for running, but they are great. I've seen a lot of other people wearing them too.

 On the bottom I wear running tights and regular cotton tights.
My legs stay nice and warm.

Deni

Italian night with the Fit Fun Vegan!

Who doesn't love Italian food? I love pasta, but I don't let myself eat it every single day.  But now that I am exercising more and more,  I want pasta more and more. Right now I'm really on a brown rice pasta kick. I love the way I feel afterward-- Satisfied and full, but not too full.

For this particular Italian night, I decided to make spaghetti with a chunky, rustic sauce with vegan sausage and bell peppers. Classic sides for this meal: bread and ceasar salad. can't go wrong with those.  When I was eating dairy, I was totally sick of ceasar salad. I had it all the time.  But hadn't ad it for about a year after I went vegan. I guess I sort of forgot about it, and thought it wasn't an option. WRONG! I actually prefer vegan ceasar dressing, and I feel much better eating it that I did with the fatty dairy kind.  I usually just make my own, but this time I decided to use Tal Ronnen's recipe from his book, "The Conscious Cook".

This is such a great cookbook.  Not an everyday thing in my kitchen because a lot of the recipes are a bit fancier and more gourmet. But everything I've tried has been very very good!
Here's his recipe for ceasar salad:

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
3cloves garlic
1 tbs capers, drained
1c veganaise
1 tbs white miso paste
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tbs light agave
1 c olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 small heads of romaine, shredded

In a food processor, mince the garlic and capers.  Add the veganaise, miso, nutritional yeast, agave and 1/4 c water and pulse to combine. 
With the motor running slowly add the oil in a thin stream.  Continue to blend until emulsified, about 1 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Onto the main!

Ingredients:

1 package gluten free spaghettti of choice (I used brown rice)
2 tbs olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 green pepper, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1 medium yellow onion, roughly diced
2 c cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 yves brand italian sausages, sliced
1 can san marzano tomatoes (If you can't find these, use regular diced tomatoes)
2 tbs dried basil (you can definitely use fresh, I just didn't have any)
2 tbs dried oregano
sea salt to taste

Begin by cooking the pasta according to package directions. you all know how to do this!
Meanwhile, heat a large pot, preferably cast iron, like a dutch oven, over medium heat.  Add olive oil and allow to heat through.
Add onions, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, sausages, oregano and basil.  Cook until peppers and onions have softened, stirring often.  Add tomatoes and salt to taste. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer.  If you aren't in a rush, (but you probably will be because it is so fragrant and delicious, you'll want to eat it immediately), cover and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.  This will allow the flavors to deepen a bit.

Serve with some whole grain bread, ceasar salad, and red wine if you are feeling adventurous.

Deni

New Job and Dog Scares

Hello everyone!
My apologies for not posting lately, but it has been a hectic week. My dog Chero ate a pair of my nylons and we had to take him to the emergency vet. he was sick for 4 days before and we didn't know what was wrong with him. He stopped eating and drinking and wouldn't even go on his walks. We knew something was seriously wrong, so we took him to the emergency vet on the weekend. Luckily he didn't have to have surgery.  He stayed at the vet's over night and had IV fluids because he was very dehydrated. In the morning, the vet called to say that he had passed the nylons in the morning. Thank-God! Now that he is okay and at home safe and sound, I have to figure out how I am going to pay this vet bill. Someone paid it for me and I am paying them back.

I felt so bad leaving him there. He must had been so scared. I adopted him from a shelter, so he is very sensitive to kennels and does not like to be separated from us. He came out from out the whole ordeal with a pretty pink bandage!

The other sad part of this story is that I had to sell some of my books so I could by food this week!
These are the babies I lost this week.

So sad. But I'd rather have my best friend with me and not have these books. I still have plenty left, and I didn't even have to touch my cook book section. Phew!

Ok, so on to the good news! I have just been hired at our local juice bar, Thrive! Lots of smoothies, juice and yummy vegan eats.

I had my first shift on Monday, and I LOVED it! Getting paid to make delicious juices and smoothies for people all day long? Sign me up! Plus, we get to try a spoonful of each smoothie before we sell it to the customer, just to make sure it tastes alright.  And it's a nice treat for us too! It's going to be easy staying healthy at that job.

and in case you were wondering, it is affiliated with Brendan Brazier. Check out his books "Thrive Diet" and "Thrive Fitness" if you haven't already. He's a professional iron man triathlete and he's 100% vegan! He also eats a lot of raw foods as well. The books are great for everyone, not just athletes. Plus there are lots of yummy recipes. Try the raw burgers, they are awesome. I'll do a post on them soon.

Gotta run! Off to work (at the book store this time). Check back soon for Italian night with the Fit Fun Vegan!

Hugs and avocado smoothies!
Deni

Rainbow Juice and my special juice glass

this is a great juice recipe when you want a vibrant looking, sweeter tasting green juice. Plus, the pulp is so darn pretty.  This is my Led Zeppelin juice glass. I always have my juice in it. I swear it makes it taste better.

For this juice, you'll need beets, carrots, greens (I used kale and collards), lemon, ginger, and celery.  I don't drink this everyday because beets and carrots are pretty sweet, but once in a while, it's a nice treat.

What I've been eating lately

Hi readers!
Here's a bit of what I've been eating lately.

Babycakes choc chip cookies!

Easy cheesy vegan pasta.

Soba noodles with sauteed broccoli, mushrooms and onions, with olive oil and nutritional yeast on top.

Gluten free pancakes. yeah baby!

My awesome homemade guacamole with store bough raw rutabaga chips.
1 avocado mashed
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1/8 c finely diced red onion
juice from 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbs cumin
 

Anti-Inflammatory salad!
Arugula salad with avocado, sprouts, yellow bell pepper, sea salt, udo's DHA oil (love this stuff!) and tumeric.

 Post workout smoothie:
blue berries, almond butter, banana, spinach, kale, flax meal and one sample packet of vega complete whole food health optimizer.

Deni

Pizza Quesadillas for One

Every time I work out, I craze carbs immediately after. And a lot of times, I want unhealthy carbs like fries and pizza. Instead of heading out for a store bought vegan pizza, I made a healthier version at home.

Pizza Quesadillas for One

Ingredients:
2 sprouted whole wheat tortillas
4 tbs pizza sauce (store bought or homemade)
1/2 c daiya cheese
2 handfuls of salad greens (I used spinach and arugula)
1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
sliced red onion, however much you want
1 tbs dried oregano
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Heat a large skillet over medium heat
Spread sauce on one tortilla. Top with cheese, greens, veggies and spices. Sprinkle a little more cheese on top, so the top tortilla sticks.
Add on the second tortilla
Place the pizza in the skillet and place a cast iron skillet on top
Check the bottom after a few minutes, Flip when browned and slightly crispy. Wait until the other side is browned and then enjoy!

Serve with tofutti non-hydrogenated sour cream or salsa.  It's good on its own too.

Welcome!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my new blog, Fit Fun Vegan!
I have copied my posts from my previous blog, The Hungry Herbivore, so you can still find all of my old recipes and tips.  I'm still tweaking this one, so you might see some minor changes here and there. hopefully I will get the recipe tab up and running soon.
Hope you stop by again and please feel free to follow me :)

Love and arugula!
-Deni

Gluten and Sugar Free Blueberry Pecan Muffins

Here is a recipe that is perfect for Sunday mornings. Feel free to snack on these little gems throughout the day, because there is no sugar, or other processed junk, just gluten-free whole grain goodness. I personally think these kind of taste like jelly doughnuts without the powdered sugar. doughnuts are my next recipe challenge!



Gluten and Sugar free Blueberry Pecan muffins

Makes 12 muffins
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15-20 minutes

Ingredients:
2 c bob's red mill gluten free flour
2.5 tsp xanthan gum
2/3 c coconut oil
1/2 c almond milk
1/2 c maple syrup
3 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 c fresh or frozen blueberries (use wild if you can find them)
1/4 c chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325
Line a muffin tine with 12 paper liners
Whisk together the flour, xanthan gum and salt.
Add coconut oil, maple syrup, almond milk and vanilla to the dry ingredients
Stir until combined
Add in blueberries and pecans. Do no over stir. You want to create a marbled look, not blue muffins!
Pour evenly into the 12 liners
Bake for 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. the heat is very unevenly distributed in my oven, so I rotate the tray half-way through.
Stick a toothpick in the top of a few of the muffins after 15 minutes. If it comes out clean, it is done.
Place muffins on a cooling rack. Wait 5 minutes, then chow down!

* tip
If you've run out of paper muffin liners, coat the muffin tray in coconut oil. when the muffins are done, place the whole tray on a cooling rack and let sit for 20 minutes. when you let them sit, the muffins will pull away from the walls of the tray and pop out more easily. If you try and take them out right away, they will stick.

three bean warm-up chili and spinach arugula salad with herbed vegan feta

Hi everyone
I hope you've all had a wonderful week! I have been fairly busy cooking and going to he gym. Yes, that's right! I have officially joined, and I am loving it so far. I've been three days in a row so far. Everyone is very helpful and sweet. I even had a fitness test this morning. I was kind of nervous because I didn't know what to expect, and I also had a few glasses of sangria last night. . . It wasn't that bad. I was weighed and they determined by BMI and % body fat. Right now, I weight 115 lbs, BMI is 20, and body fat percentage is 17.8%. Not bad. But I was a little disappointed when I had to actually do the fitness part of it. I realized that even though I'm small, I am horribly weak! My legs are strong, but I have no arm strength. And when I say none, i mean NONE! I couldn't even do a proper push-up, and I could only hold the plank position for 35 seconds. I have some serious strength training to do. I think I'll be tested again in 3 months, and I really want my results to improve.

I've also decided that I want to run a 5 km race in the early spring, hopefully in April. I really think I can do it because I ran 3km last night on the tread mill. To be honest, I was worried that I was going to fall off because I'm not really used to the treadmill yet, but I didn't! I was watching the food network while running, so the time flew by. I was completely absorbed with Chef Michael Smith, even though he was cooking meat. I just like that he uses local ingredients and has a real family-eating-around-the-table focus.

All of this exercising has made me super hungry! and it is very cold here still, so I wanted something hearty and yummy. And when I want something warm, hearty and yummy, I make chili. When I cook with beans, I like to used dried beans and cook them myself, but I wanted my chili right away! (I can be impatient with my food sometimes) so I used canned instead. The important thing when using canned beans, is to buy brands that use BPA free cans, (I like eden organic) and to rinse, rinse, and rinse again! This removes a lot of the sodium and the hard to digest enzymes. If you have trouble digesting beans, try rinsing them. It will help.



Three bean warm-up chili

Makes one big ol' pot of chili

Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
2 cans of baked beans (don't rinse these. you'll want the yummy sauce)
1 can black beans
1 can chickpeas
3 tomatoes, diced (I used plum tomatoes)
1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 c quartered white button and cremini mushrooms
1 large green peppers, roughly diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1.5-2 c water or veggie stock (add more or less depending on your desired thickness)
3 tbs chili powder
2 tbs steak seasoning
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp sea salt

In a big pot (a dutch oven works great) heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add onions, garlic, green pepper, mushrooms, and sea salt. Saute until onions are translucent.
Add beans, tomatoes, spices and water.
Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cover.
Let simmer for about 20 mins, or longer if you have time. This will let the flavors develop.
Serve with grated vegan cheese on top, and if you are feeling adventurous, tortilla chips. That's how I used to eat my chili when I was a kid.

I also made a simple salad with some herbed vegan feta cheese. I cheated a bit though, because I bought herbed tofu, instead of adding the herbs myself.

If you can find this, I highly recommend it. Crumble the tofu and add a little umeboshi vinegar (not acidic to the body. It's actually alkalizing) and a sprinkle of salt. I used mine on a spinach and arugula salad, but I also want to try this on brushetta bread. LOVE bruschetta!




I've also been eating vegan BLT's on sprouted wraps. Tempeh bacon is divine. It's definitely on my Love List.


I hope I've made you hungry! Now run off and eat something.

Lots of love and endorphins,
-Deni

February Reading

Throughout January, I've picked up some great books at new and used bookstores, and I'm very excited to read all of them.





And a few DVD's as you can see.

Green for life is all about the benefits of greens and especially green smoothies. Right up my alley, and I hope yours!

I decided to buy a yoga book and dvd focusing on the back. I don't have debilitating or severe back pain by any means, but my shoulders do ache a lot. They always feel very tense and I get lots of knots there. I'm hoping these will help. I also have bad posture (as my mother loves to tell me) and Yoga poses that focus on strengthening the back muscles will help with this. I think it's partially from years of studying and being hunched over books and my laptop.

As I've mentioned before, I'm trying to get more into meditation. I've signed up for Deepak Chopra's guided meditations, but I haven't tried any of them yet. I bought this book on meditation because I figured if I was a little more knowledgeable about the benefits of meditation, I would be more likely to do it. We'll see.

I was super excited to find Kris Car's "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Survivor" at Chapters on the weekend. I haven't seen it anywhere before. now I have all three! I finished reading "Crazy, Sexy, Diet" and I'm working my through "Crazy, Sexy, Cancer Tips". Even though I don't have cancer, and I'm not planning on getting cancer! I'm finding it very inspiring and the health tips are really great.
I already have "Ani's Raw Food Essentials", which is really great, but I wanted here earlier book. And just by browsing through the recipes in this one, I fell like it is the better book, especially in its layout. But, I haven't actually made anything from it yet, so I'll get back to you on that.

What's on your February reading list?

Can you give me any recommendations?

I'd love to hear from fellow bookworms!

Aduki Bean Burgers

Aduki Bean Burgers

Makes 6 burger patties
Prep time: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
2 c cooked aduki beans
1/4 c vital wheat gluten flour (or flour of choice. this just works nice to hold everything together)
1/2 green pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbs steak seasoning

Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
Mix everything together (use your hands!). Form 6 equal sized patties. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 30 minutes, flipping burgers and rotating the tray half-way through.
Serve on a bun, or in a lettuce wrap.

I'm Back! with goodies!

Hi everyone!
Sorry I was missing for a while there. I went home to visit my mom and see her new house. We were busy most days, so I didn't get a chance to blog. The food wasn't too exciting. I still had my green juice everyday, didn't have any gluten, sugar or coffee, but I did have white rice. We were at the mall and the thai place was the only place I could get something that was vegan and gluten-free. I ended up having gluten the other day, just to test to see if I have a gluten intolerance. And I don't think I do. I'll admit that I do feel fuller (and not in a good way) and my stomach feels heavier when I eat regular bread and pasta, compared to the g-free stuff I've been eating. Maybe that is a sign of intolerance. I'm not sure. Does anyone know? Anyways, it's not that bad that I will avoid it completely, but maybe I will reduce it. I usually buy brown rice and quinoa pasta at the health food store and I can get it in bulk, and I've really come to like the brown rice bread. I found a brand I like.



I didn't write down everything I ate during my visit, but I assure you, it was cleanse approved :) I ended up making my mom my cauliflower quinoa curry and she liked it! She's not big on tofu, but I made it extra crispy for her. I also went to this amazing health food store! Next time I go (and not stuck taking the bus) I'm stocking up! Here are some of the goodies I picked up.




The all natural licorice was especially good. I love licorice, and this kind had NO sugar or corn syrup or any other funky stuff. It was sweetened with molasses and made with real raspberries. It was heaven. The chocolate covered Goji berries were also very good. I ate the whole bag to myself!

During the last couple days, I made aduki bean burgers





we had some with buns and some in lettuce wraps.

I also made a simple raw corn salad with tomato, bell pepper, red onion, garlic and a pinch of sea salt.


Another simple salad. Basically the same as this corn salad, but with spinach, mung bean sprouts, black beans, avacado, red pepper and some cumin on top. If you haven't noticed yet, cumin is one of my favourite spices. I like the smoky, spicy flavour it has, but it isn't so spicy that it burns.



For treats, I made raspberry scones from Babycakes!



This book is amazing. And now that I'm done the cleanse, I can start trying out the recipes. I will post them all too, because no herbivore should be without babycakes goodness. I was fortunate enough to try cookies from the babycakes bakery. My co-worker (who is also vegan) has a friend who started working at the babycakes location in LA, and she sent her some cookie sandwiches and brownies. Miranda, being the lovely girl that she is, brought me some! They were, hands down, the best cookies I've ever had! Including the non-vegan kind. They were two chocolate chip cookies stuff together with purple frosting. And the brownies were great too.

I will post these recipes asap. I'm also officially joining the gym tomorrow morning. I just made the appointment. Wish me luck!
-Deni
Have any of you had the pleasure of trying something from babycakes?

Have you used their cookbook?

Mexicasa Salad with Tomato Chili Dressing

Mexicasa Salad with Tomato Chili Dressing

Serves: 1 hungry person

Ingredients:
For the Salad:
5-6 leaves of romaine (or any green of your choice)
1/2 c cooked black beans
1/4 c corn kernels
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 avocado, cubed

It's a salad, you know how to assemble!



For the dressing:
2 tomatoes (roma or vine ripened)
3 tbs olive oil
juice from 1/2 a lime
a few sprigs of fresh cilantro
1 tbs chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt, to taste

Combine all ingredients in a blender and wiz away!

I hope you enjoy!

Deni