Hello from the other side of 2012! And thanks for all of the sweet responses to my best of 2011 post. I was happy to hear that so many of you would like to see more salads! I often think that my salad posts are more for me than for you; the response on sweets and snacks is always so overwhelming that I wonder whether the soups and salads are kind of a drag for you all. It’s nice to be reminded that the CR audience is fanatical about crunchy greens as I am.

This salad is the perfect way to usher in a new year of healthy and delicious eating. It’s a quintessential winter salad: crunchy and fresh, but also full of warmth and comfort in the form of steamed sweet potato and a creamy, dreamy peanut butter dressing. You can simplify and lighten it up by using a simple flax oil and apple cider vinegar dressing instead, or you can add heft and nutrition by throwing in some garbanzo beans or lentils. You can serve it with a cup of soup for yet more warmth, or you can serve it with a side of raw crackers (which is what I did). As with all salads, the possibilities are endless.

It’s worth saying that the inspiration for this salad came from a recent meal at Café Blossom. They have a new salad, which is iceberg, radicchio, watercress, carrot, sweet potato, cashews, pumpkin seeds, cherry tomato, wakame, arame, sunflower sprouts, and peanut dressing. I ordered it half expecting it to be a disaster—way too many cooks spoiling the broth, so to speak—but the odd mix of textures and flavors actually turned out to be fantastic. A really great and meal-sized salad. My version is an extreme simplification, but I enjoyed it every bit as much.

Radicchio, Butter Lettuce, and Cabbage Salad with Steamed Yam and Peanut Sauce (vegan, gluten free)

Serves 1

For the salad:

2 cups butter lettuce, washed and torn
1 cup radicchio, washed and torn
1 cup red and/or white cabbage, chopped
1 small sweet potato/yam, steamed and cut into cubes

For the dressing:

1/4 cup peanut butter (you can substitute almond butter if you wish)
2-3 tbsp water
1 tbsp reduced sodium tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 tsp agave syrup
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp ginger powder (optional)

1) Mix all salad ingredients together in a salad bowl.

2) Mix dressing ingredients together. I recommend starting with 2 tbsp of the water, and adding more to thin the dressing if you wish. I used 3 tbsp at first and would actually have liked a slightly thicker texture.

3) Toss the salad with just enough dressing to coat well. Serve!

This salad is bright and delicious!

Enjoy it today, as you welcome 2012.

Before I go, a fun announcement! My recipe tab has been completely and totally updated! This means that all of the latest and greatest CR recipes are ready for your perusal (organized by course). I hope you check it out!! And the other fun news is that I’m also in the middle of developing an up-to-date Recipage. Not familiar with Recipage? It’s a wonderful service for bloggers that was developed by the lovely Emily and her husband, Casey. It allows blog readers to search through their favorite blogs’ sometimes intimidating recipe archives in an organized fashion. You can search by course, ingredients, or alphabetically. I hope that it’ll give you all an easy means of sorting through my nearly four years worth of food! My friend Andrea has been instrumental in helping me with this new endeavor, so if you like the results, please visit her blog and thank her

Finally, since we’re all still abuzz about Tara-Parker Pope’s The Fat Trap, I wanted to mention that Slate posted an interesting response to the piece. It’s not a rebuttal or rejoinder, exactly, but it does point out something crucial about the weight loss methods detailed in the article, which is that they are inherently disordered (at least according to most definitions of the term). This doesn’t change the information laid out in the article, exactly, but I think its an important point, and that it expands the ongoing conversation.

xo

One of the things I’ve always loved most about being a New Yorker is the smug assurance that, sooner or later, everyone will come to me. When you live in New York, there’s a good chance that the people you grew up with will be as inclined as you are to stick around. When go to college in New York, you feel pretty certain that your fellow alums will want to stay in the city after graduation to find jobs. When you live in New York, and there’s a writer you love, or a band you like, or a new tenor you’re dying to see in Turandot, you can rest assured that they’ll all come passing through at some point. One of New York’s peculiar ironies is that, although it’s easy to lose yourself in the anonymity of the city, it’s also easy to feel as though your status as an NYC resident puts you at the center of the world.

The thing about leaving New York is that—even if you relocate to another big city—you may have to start seeking out the things you took for granted at home. You may have to check newspaper listings to find some of the shows and readings you’re interested in. You may have to sign into Facebook once in a while to see if anyone you know is close by. And maybe, for the first time ever, you’ll have to seek out friendships, and learn to ask people for help. Asking for help isn’t my strong suit, but I’m getting better at it—with a little help, that is, from my friends.

It’s tradition for neighbors to welcome each other to the neighborhood with offerings of fruit baskets and pies. Two weeks ago, my friend Andrea welcomed me with some killer high-raw, vegan pad thai. That following weekend, Katie welcomed me by coming to a little birthday get-together, and then continued to welcome me in a small chain of sweet, hilarious, unplugged and uncensored emails. Last week, Chloe welcomed me by joining me at Busboys and Poets. Last night, my family here in DC (my Mom’s brother, his wife, and my two rad cousins) welcomed me by preparing a meal that included three of Heidi’s vegan recipes.

Just this morning, Lori and Michelle welcomed me by sending me a bunch of their amazing goodies:

…including my favorite raw flatbreads on the planet:

And some of their amazing new raw biscotti!

I immediately enjoyed a piece of the flatbread, along with some homemade bean dip and veggies, as one of my post-lab snacks:

To all of this, add the steadfast and wise care of Valerie, who has been my guardian angel since I got here, checking in on me with supportive texts and emails, taking me out for Sweet Green or Chop’t when some restorative salad was in order, introducing me (just this evening) to the yoga at Tranquil Space, and donating some of her excess frozen juice pulp to my kitchen. (If that’s not health-freak friendship at it’s finest, I don’t know what is.)

She also gave me some of her juice pulp crackers last week. They’re actually based on my recipe, but ya know? They’re better. (Sidenote: why does everyone outdo me at my own juice crackers? Diana’s are way better, too.) In addition to gobbling them up between labs, I also put them to good use in my post-lab snack plates (usually 2:30 or 3:00 pm). And with them, I made the following spread. Maybe Katie and Andrea and Val will like it, and it can be a little “thank you” present for all they’ve done for me.

Chickpea, Avocado, and Nori Spread (Vegan, GF)

Makes 4 servings

1 small avocado
1 can BPA-free, organic chickpeas (or 2 cups freshly cooked), drained
1-2 tbsp tamari (adjust to taste)
1 tbsp low sodium rice wine vinegar (if you don’t have low sodium, decrease your tamari to 1 tbsp maximum)
1/2 cup nori crinkles (I used the Eden brand)

1) Scoop avocado into your food processor. Add drained beans and pulse a few times to get it going.

2) Add the tamari and vinegar, and turn motor on to process until mix is very creamy.

3) When dip is ready, add nori crinkles and pulse to combine them.

And you’re done!

I know what you’re thinking: chickpeas, avocado, and seaweed: how did I never combine these, pretty much my three favorite things, before? The answer is, I don’t know. I’m just dense like that sometimes. Thank goodness I wised up, because I suspect that my snack time will never be the same again:

Look at Val’s pretty crackers! And the amazing spread paired with them perfectly:

I’m really glad that the standard neighborly welcome gift is no longer a casserole. Raw crackers and pad thai are way more fun. Thank you, Valerie, for everything!

Speaking of casseroles, though, and other baked dishes that are warm and filling: thanks, all, for the response to my enchiladas! I love that you love the recipe, but I’m also mighty intrigued by the reaction to the info on iron in a vegan diet. So tell me, what other sorts of nutrition posts/spotlights would you like to see? I’d love to know!

Happy Friday.

xo

Great responses to the raw, vegan tomato bread! I’m already excited for another sandwich.

I’m thrilled to bring you guys an interview today with two of the most inspiring, enthusiastic, and talented young vegans I know. They’re my friends Cassie Karopkin and Daphne Cheng, and they’re the culinary dream team behind Verité Catering. Verité is one of the few entirely plant-based catering companies here in NYC and nationwide (in fact, it’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head). Within months, Verité has made a splash in the fine dining world, catering parties, special events, gallery openings, private dinners, and dinner parties.

Full confession: Cassie is one of my closest friends. So I’ve watched Verité thrive with pride and excitement. I met Cassie over two years ago, and from the moment I shook her hand, I knew she was destined to do wonderful and inspiring things for the vegan world. She’s infectiously enthusiastic, tough-minded yet encouraging, and wise beyond her (very modest) years. It gives me so much joy to see her join forces with another passionate young woman, and to watch the two of them create food that’s as sophisticated as it is compassionate. To quote from the company’s mission statement: “It is our mission and our pleasure to create dishes that are both simple and elegant, daring and familiar. We believe in foods that are kind to our bodies and to the planet…we believe that our food showcases a compassionate and forward-looking ethos.”

And so it does. I’ve tasted Verité food, and I can attest to its excellence. Without further ado, I’d like to share a short interview with these vegan entrepreneurs. I’ve asked them to share their thoughts on creating a “fine dining” experience with vegetables as a primary ingredient, on creating vegan food that holds its own for an omnivore audience, and on the intriguing title of their company. I’ve also asked them to share one of their favorite recipes, and they haven’t disappointed me! I can’t wait to try their roast beets with arugula and almond granola, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.

1) Be truthful: how did you come up with the name “Vérité” for your new business?

“Vérité” means “truth” in French, and it has significant meaning for us in various ways. It represents the truth in the ingredients we use, which are organic and non-GMO. Without being preachy, we believe we are educating people about what truly healthful foods are. We don’t believe in gimmicks, fad diets, heavy marketing, “superfoods”… just honest and simple whole plant foods.

2) Try to sum up the ethos of Verité catering. What’s your mission?

We want to feed you delicious food, whether you are omnivorous, vegan, pescatarian, raw, gluten-intolerant… whatever your lifestyle and diet choices may be. We want to inspire your palate to develop an appreciation for plant-based cuisine and realize that it is completely satisfying in its own right. Our approach is to appeal to your taste buds and alleviate the fear of vegan food being bland or boring. The goal is to help people realize not only that they won’t miss eating animal products, but will actually crave plant-based cuisine. Whether one chooses to completely eliminate or simply cut back on animal products, we support any reduction in their consumption.

3) What sort of services do you offer?

We cater any size event ranging from an intimate dinner for one or two to a cocktail party for hundreds.  Our skills are versatile, and we also offer private and group cooking lessons.

4) Tell me a little bit more about your backgrounds, and what led you to the work you do.

Cassie: after studying mathematics in school, I delved into the world of actuarial science. Once I discovered veganism, though, I became immersed in health and nutrition. After I quit working at an auto insurance company, I began practicing as a colonic hydrotherapist. Many of my conversations with clients were focused on diet and nutrition, and I became interested in preparing the different meals I was describing to my clients as being healthful and delicious. I eventually entered culinary school, where I met Daphne, and we created Vérité as a way to spread the love of healthful eating. Now I am able to bring together wellness and culinary arts in my daily experience and share it with people who are embracing healthier choices in their own lives.

Daphne: I also originally came from a math background and became fascinated with the culinary arts when I was fifteen. I am completely obsessed with every aspect of enjoying a meal, from shopping for ingredients, to slicing and dicing with my beloved damascus steel knife, to taking photos of a beautifully plated dish, to finally devouring it all. I can spend hours wandering about the aisles of Whole Foods, getting lost in food and finding inspiration. With such a fervor for cooking, it only made sense to attend culinary school and dive into the food service industry.

5) As a vegan, I’m always conflicted in my thinking about how much vegan entrepeneurs should emphasize the veganism of their work. I know you’ve said that clients often don’t realize your food is vegan, and that you market it simply as great food. I think this is brilliant, and I like that it shows “foodies” that vegan cuisine is on par with any other high quality cuisine.

At the same time, I think it’s important to ultimately share vegan values. How do you navigate this tension, between wanting to draw attention away from vegan vs. non-vegan labels, and focus on the food’s quality, yet also wanting people to know what veganism is about?

We don’t feel as though we are misleading anyone into eating vegan. We are a catering company that serves good food; it just so happens that our dishes don’t include animal products. We don’t blatantly advertise ourselves as a vegan company as we don’t want to alienate anyone with the oftentimes polarizing word, “vegan.” The sad truth is that some people have preconceptions and will refuse to even try something if it is labeled vegan. We like to let our food do the talking. Most of the time, the guests at our events don’t know they are enjoying a meatless meal until they rave and ask us about it. The overwhelming positive response we get from people after tasting our food is what our company exists for.

6) You both have strong interest in nutrition. Can you tell me how you balance your enthusiasm for good health with your desire to make food that’s accessible and delicious?

It’s really easy when you are working with plant-based ingredients, because you don’t really have to put that much thought into making a dish that’s both flavorful and healthful. We truly believe that the most health-supporting foods also happen to be the most delicious.

7) How do you select your ingredients?

We only prepare foods that we would want to eat ourselves, and we almost exclusively eat organic and locally grown food. We purchase our ingredients from local, organic farms and purveyors and eco-friendly food service suppliers. In a pinch, we rely on farmers markets, food co-ops, and companies like Whole Foods that share our principles.

8  ) Unlike other vegan food companies, you’re very spare with meat analogs and cheese analogs. I love it! Tell me how you satisfy using veggies as the centerpieces of your meals.

Vegetables do the work for themselves. As chefs, we have the creativity and the skills to reveal and showcase the flavors that are naturally found within them. While we honor requests for meat substitutes if a client desires them, we generally don’t feel the need to have such a dish as part of a gratifying meal. Our clients tend to agree.

9) What’s an average selection of food at a Vérité event?

There is no average menu here at Vérité, as we custom create each menu specially for our clients. We rarely ever repeat a menu item unless requested and enjoy creating new recipes regularly. Our menus can vary from light, raw to incredibly rich and decadent. Some sample menu items include baby arugula with seared trumpet mushrooms in lemongrass chili vinaigrette, cucumber celeriac vichyssoise garnished with wild rice popcorn, butternut squash risotto with baby spinach and fresh basil chiffonade, rosé poached pear with cashew crème tart. And the list goes on.

10) Wow. Can you share one of your favorite recipes with CR readers?

Mélange of Roast Beet with Arugula and Almond Granola (serves 4)

Ingredients:

For the salad:

¾ cup baby arugula
2 trimmed rhubarb stalks, cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (optional)

For the red and golden roast beets:

1 pound red medium beets
1 pound gold medium beets

Roast beets at 350 degrees until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Allow beets to cool and remove skin. Cut into medium dice. Try to keep red beets away from golden beets to preserve color.

Red beet puree:

1 pound medium beets
½ cup orange juice
zest 1 orange
1 date
salt to taste

Roast red beet at 350 degrees until fork tender (about 45 minutes). Once cool, peel off skin and combine in blender with orange juice, zest, date, and salt. Blend until smooth.

Granola:

½ cup slivered almonds, toasted
½ cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 teaspoon melted coconut oil
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Toss granola ingredients together in a bowl and transfer to a baking dish. Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.

Directions:

Arrange beets, beet puree, and granola on a plate and garnish with baby arugula and rhubarb. Serve! This dish can be broken up and used separately as well.

Thank you, ladies! What a delicious treat.

For those of you who are interested in having Vérité cater a wedding, party, dinner party, or any other special occasion, contact them through their website or by emailing Daphne or Cassie individually. And New Yorkers, take note: Vérité hosts a special dinner party once a month or so, called “dinner with true friends.” They invite individuals in need of a friend—whether because they’re new to the city, new to a plant-based diet, or simply want good company—to a five course dinner, limited to 12 guests. They donate 50% of the ticket price to a different charity, which is decided at the end of the dinner by all attending. What an amazing idea! The next dinner with true friends is on Sunday, May 22, and you can purchase tickets here. I’m definitely going to try to attend, though the end of May promises to be wacky for me, and you should, too.

And readers, take note: we have a Green Recovery submission coming soon from Ms. Daphne, who has bravely shared her story with me. I can’t wait.

And now, let the weekend begin!

xo

Great response to the nori cigars! I thought of you guys as I snacked upon a few of them on my bus ride to D.C. yesterday, along with an apple, veggies, and dip. One reader asked me how the leftover gingery sunflower pate can be used: great question! I love nut pates precisely for their versatility, and the answer is that you can do almost anything you’d like with the leftovers: stuff it into collard wraps, top a salad with it, use it as a dip or spread, or put it on your favorite sandwich in place of mayo. These are only a few of your options! I encourage you to get creative.

So far in my Super Bowl recipe round up, we’ve had a three layer, semi-raw dip, a raw soup, raw nacho “chips” (made with kale) and my vegan artichoke pesto pizza. Yum! Today, I’m sharing the most decadent recipe so far: hot and cheesy vegan artichoke and spinach dip.

I’m pretty proud of this one. It’s not particularly healthy, and it’s not the sort of thing I’d make if I were sitting around at home and wondering what to snack on. But cooking isn’t always just about us, and our priorities as eaters. It’s a shared experience, food, and part of learning to enjoy it means understanding that sometimes, a wonderful meal is a meal that you shape around the tastes of the people you dine with. Anyone who’s suffered from an eating disorder can tell you that social isolation is one of the uglier consequences; you spend so much time avoiding food that you also avoid a lot of social occasions, and when you do cook, you’re so imprisoned by rules and hang-ups that you can’t make anything that doesn’t fall within your own narrow little range of “safe” options.

One of the nicer things about learning how to cook, for me, was learning to surrender a lot of my vestigial rules—to throw a nice big hunk of Earth Balance into a fry pan, or agave into a muffin recipe, or a glug of olive or coconut oil into a roasting pan. I’m in earnest when I say that my palate hews to the healthy side of the food spectrum, and that simple tastes and textures are always my preference. But I also know how to prepare something decadent when the occasion calls for it, and to enjoy it. Eating shouldn’t be a monochromatic experience: it should cover a wide range, from simple to special, from light to luscious, and from routine to rich.

Consider this one a special recipe. Hot, cheesy, and oozing with cashew cream and melted Daiya, it’s the perfect treat for a superbowl party—or for any comfort meal. And even though we’re all about range today, keep in mind that it’s made with only the best ingredients: raw cashews, almond milk, nutritional yeast, and a vegan “cheese” that happens to have a short ingredient list and and be allergen free. More importantly, it’s 100% without animal cruelty.

When decadence tastes like this, it’s easy to be indulgent.

Vegan Artichoke and Spinach Dip (Vegan, can be gluten-free with gluten free bread)

(serves 6-8)

For the dip base:

2 9 oz. packages frozen artichoke hearts, or the equivalent in canned artichoke hearts
2 9 oz. packages frozen spinach
1 1/2 heaping up daiya mozzerella style cheese

1) Defrost all the veggies.

2) Chop artichokes into small pieces.

3) Drain spinach very well by placing it into a round strainer and pressing down on it with a bowl that fits into the strainer till it’s nice and dry.

For the cashew cream sauce:

1/2 cup cashews (generous 1/2 cup), soaked 1 hr or more
1 cup almond milk
1 small clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp mellow white miso
2 tbsp tahini
1/2 paprika
Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender till very smooth. I always blend before adding salt and pepper, then season to taste.

For the breadcrumbs:

2 large slices whole grain bread of choice, torn into pieces (use GF bread if you’re gluten free)
1 tbsp Earth Balance

Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse till broken into crumbs.

Assembly:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Place the artichokes and veggies in a bowl and mix them with 1 1/4 cup cashew cream sauce. Mixture should be nice and wet; if you need to, add more sauce.

3) Mix in 1 cup daiya cheese.

4) Turn vegetable mixture into a small casserole. Top with another 1/2 cup daiya (add more than that if you like)

…and the bread crumbs.

5) Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until crumbs are brown and cheese is bubbly.

6) Serve. Watch your guests melt in joy.

Hope this one goes on your game day menus!

Before I go, I wanted to mention that Casey and Marlena–two health-minded counselor friends of mine, are leading an emotional eating program that commences on Monday. Freedom From Emotional Eating Program is a 10 week program designed to show you how to love your food, love your body and satisfy your emotions so that you are happier, healthier and more fulfilled. The program gives you the guidance, education, support, compassion and real life strategies to heal. Focus on what you really want out of your life! Learn more about what they’re up to at www.emotionaleatingfreedom.com

With that, a cozy day commences in a rainy D.C.. Happy weekend, all.

xo

Love the response to my pizza recipe and tutorial! It was a lot of text, I know, but I hope I was able to convey the ease of pizza making in spite of that. Homemade crust is so much more worthy than store-bought, and kneading can double as stress relief therapy. Seriously. Please make some vegan pizza soon, and then come talk to me about it.

What you may not have realized yesterday as you salivated over my artichoke, red onion, and sundried tomato pie was that it was the first in a series of recipes dedicated to Sunday’s big game. That’s right, my friends. This is officially Super Bowl week at Choosing Raw. Yesterday was Day 1, and today the fun continues with a three-layer dip I think you’ll love!

If I asked you to guess whether or not I’ve always been a football lover, would you guess (a) absolutely, Gena, you seem like a hardcore sports fanatic, or (b) to be honest, it came as a surprise to me, but I’ve just been going along with it, I’m guessing most of you would choose (b). And you’d be right. I did not grow up a sports fan, and it wasn’t until Chloe and her Dad introduced me to all things Yankees that I really tasted the exhilaration that comes from rooting for a great team (a few Bostonians just took me off Google reader, didn’t they?). My love of the baseball didn’t begin in childhood, and it wasn’t passed down from parent to child (Hamshaws all root for the Red Sox). It didn’t come from any natural ability in sports, because lord knows, I haven’t got any of that. It came from the fact that my best friend and her father loved the game and loved the team, and I, out of solidarity, learned to love them, too.

Do I enjoy the Yankees any less because I became a fan by proxy? No, not really. I’d actually say it works the opposite way: my loyalty is amplified by the fact that I associate the team with people I love. And so too with the Packers. M is a big fan, and this year, out of solidarity (and curiosity), I’ve become a big fan as well. Do I understand most of what goes on in an average game? No. Do I have poignant and patriotic childhood football memories? No. Does it matter? Not at all. It’s fun to be rooting for Green Bay this week, and even more fun to be planning some delicious vegan eats for Sunday.

The following dip is the kind of thing I love to serve to party guests because it’s so sneaky: it’s 2/3 raw and all vegan, but it’s composed of familiar components, so everyone gets really excited about it before they realize that they’re eating a plant-based, cruelty free appetizer. It’s a win for everyone’s taste buds, and it’s a win for veganism. One can only hope these wins are met by on-screen victories, too.

Three Layer Super Bowl Dip (Semi-raw, vegan, gluten free and soy free)

Serves 6

To assemble the dip, you’ll need the following 3 components:

Gena’s Famous Black Bean and Red Pepper Dip (Vegan, gluten free, and soy free)

Serves 4-6

I call this “famous” only because I make it constantly and use it in various recipes–a version of it goes in my polenta stacks, and I stuff it into collard wraps all the time. Everyone who tastes it likes it as much as I do, and it’s so simple to make!

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped, or about 2/3 cup roasted red peppers (jarred is fine, if that’s what you have)
4 sundried tomatoes, pre-soaked and drained, OR oil packed and drained
1/2 clove garlic, finely minced (optional)
3/4 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp salt (use 1/4 if the canned beans are salted; 1/2 if they’re unsalted)
2 tbsp lime juice
Black pepper to taste
Water

1) Empty beans into a food processor and process till thick and broken down.

2) Add the peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper, and pulse until the mix looks like refried beans. If it needs thinning, add a little water.

3) Serve!

2 batches of My Favorite Guacamole

Mango-Jicama Salsa (Raw, vegan, gluten free and soy free)

Serves 4-6

I’m not a fan of mangoes, and this recipe is 100% un-seasonal. But it’s the tastiest way I’ve found to eat a fruit I don’t like very much, and it’s a wonderful alternative to regular salsa.

2 ripe mangoes, diced small
1 medium beefsteak tomato, diced small
1 large jicama, peeled and diced small
1/2 red onion, finely minced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1/4-1/3 cup lime juice (I like my food tart, so I err on the generous side)
1 tbsp agave nectar
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Toss all ingredients together, and let marinate for at least one hour in the fridge before serving.

To assemble, simply layer your components. I halved the recipe, knowing I’d be the sole recipient of this foodie offering, and used a glass storage container that was about 5 1/2 inches in diameter, so if you make this for company, I’d suggest making the whole recipe and using a glass dish that’s about 6×8 inches, or 48 inches squared in area. <————– Look, I’m learning math!

Begin with a thick layer of the bean dip, then a layer of the guac, and top with salsa. If you suspect one layer may get too thick, set aside some of it for later (I have some leftover bean dip now).

Heaven!

This is perfect with some corn chips:

And you’ll notice that the top two layers are yellow and green.

Coincidence? I think not.

I actually recommend making this in a container that’s transportable, because it makes it so easy to pack up and bring to parties. See?

This isn’t a recipe you’ll want to have sitting around, as it’ll get goopy and the guac will start to go brown, so do try to eat it right away.

For more plant-based Super Bowl eats, please check back throughout the week! And also go over to Wendy’s blog, where the lady herself will be having a week long Super Bowl festival.

Sporty readers: what are your favorite things to eat as a sports spectator? And how did you become a sports fan in the first place?

xo

If you caught yesterday’s sweet potato hummus post, you may have heard me mention the fact that Saturday was Vegan Pizza Day. A momentous occasion, if ever there was one. M and I spent ours at Cafe Viva on the Upper West Side, ogling the many vegan options:

By the end of the weekend, I’d had two of Viva’s famous varieties. First, I had my favorite, the “Zen,” which is green tea herbed miso-tofu, green tea basil pesto, shitake mushrooms, maitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, sundried tomato, roasted garlic on a green tea herbed spelt crust. (I’ve never tasted the tea part, and I think that’s a good thing.) I also had a slice of the “naturale,” which is organic tomato sauce, tofu marinated in miso, eggplant zucchini, red pepper & spinach. Both slices were amazing, and they made me think back to a wonderful dinner a few weeks ago that I’ve yet to post: pizza night in D.C..

Once upon a time, I, like other cooks I know, was pretty terrified of making homemade pizza. I’ve never been a whiz kid with bread-making, and so the idea of homemade crust was just a bit more than I thought I’d be able to handle. What if I burnt it? What if it didn’t rise correctly? What does “kneading” really mean, anyway? How the heck do I choose my toppings? Do I cook the crust and then put toppings on, or vice versa?

You get the idea.

When I made my first homemade, all-from-scratch, 100% vegan pizza pie a few years ago, I could not possibly have been prouder. And what stuck with me most was how incredibly easy the process was. In fact, it’s a wonder I don’t make pizza more often, except that I just don’t happen to love the stuff as much as most people do. Every time I do make it, though, I’m delighted with the process, and I resolve to make it more often. Now that I have a boyfriend who appreciates a good vegan slice, it’s all the more reason to get creative.

This post, though, isn’t just about getting creative. It’s about matching the creative with the classic. One of the things I like most about Viva is that they have both wacky and super-healthy pizza slices (like the Zen), but they also have traditional style pizza: just good dough, good sauce, and the magic of Daiya. Since my regular pizza crust recipe yields two crusts, not one, and since I made this particular dinner on a night when I was on vacation and feeling ambitious in the kitchen, I decided to follow Viva’s model and make both a non-traditional and a traditional pie. Lucky for you, I’m sharing recipes for both.

Let’s start with crust. This is my basic pizza crust recipe, and I rarely wander from it. Follow it closely, and there’s truly nothing to fear from your pizza-making adventure:

Basic Herbed Pizza Dough (Vegan)

Yields approx. 2 pizza crusts

1 1/2 cups warm water (I used to mess up every homemade bread by using water that was too hot and killing my yeast. You want this just at about 100 or 105 – take the temperature if you have to)
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package–if it’s expired, you’ll be in trouble)
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour (you can use bread flour too, for even better results, but I usually use all purpose)
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons Herbes de Provence (optional)

1) Place water in a bowl. Sprinkle on the yeast and let it sit for five minutes or so, or until it looks as though it’s dissolved.

2) In a large mixing bowl, stir together 1/2 of the flour, the olive oil, the salt, the herbs, and the sugar. Add the warm water and yeast, and begin to mix it all together with your hands. It will be sticky and wet. Add the remaining flour, continue to mix by hand until it’s all incorporated.

3) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface that’s very clean. Knead for about five full minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. You may need to add a little flour as you go (if the dough is too sticky), and you may need to knead it for an extra minute or two; use your kitchen intuition, guys!

4) Place dough into a well oiled bowl and turn it to coat. Cover it with something (I used a clean dishtowel, but plastic wrap will work well) and leave it someplace warm to rise for 1 1/2 hours (longer is OK). It should double in size; if it doesn’t, that means your yeast was either dead or only half-alive. Bummer. The dough will still work, but it won’t be as light and airy as you may wish.

5) After the rise, go ahead and punch the dough down (it’s fun). Divide it in two. At this point, you can freeze your dough in an airtight container for up to two weeks, or you can get ready to rock!

Pizza Prep:

1) Prep all of your toppings (my two particular recipes follow).

2) Preheat your oven to 475 or 500 degrees (this accounts for the fact that ovens vary; if yours runs hot, use 475, but if it runs cool, use 500). Let the oven pre-heat for a good long time — I gave M’s about 30 minutes, or as much time as it took for his apartment to transform itself into a sauna.

3) Using clean hands, start to flatten each ball of dough into a round that’s about 1/2 inch thick and even. You can do this on a clean surface and then transfer it to a baking dish, but I like to do it right in the pan or tray I’m baking with.

It’ll take some patience and a good sense of humor–I always end up with thin spots in my pizza dough! Relax. This isn’t the SATs. If you have slightly lumpy crust, no one will care. I recommend starting in the center of the dough and working outward with flat palms.

Once the dough has been flattened, you may want to let it "rest" (and rise) for about five minutes. Then, begin stretching and flattening the dough again.

4) Keep working diligently until you have a large circle that’s about 1/2 inch thick and about 10 or 12 inches in diameter (Ack! School word. That’s 10 or 12 inches across). Using your fingertips, pinch the edges of the dough to form a little "lip" that goes all around the circumference (Drat! I did it again! I mean the edge) of the circle.

5) Make little dents in the dough with your fingertips (this can prevent bubbles). Brush the dough very lightly with olive oil, and you’re ready to make pizza.

6) If you haven’t been shaping the dough on your baking surface so far, now is the time to fold it gently in half and gingerly transfer it. Place your dough on a pizza stone that’s been dusted with cornmeal, if you’re lucky enough to have one, or an oven that fits one. But guess what? This New Yorker doesn’t. This means that I usually squeeze my pizzas onto two regular baking trays that I’ve dusted with cornmeal. It’s never easy, but it always works just fine. See?

Layer your dough with sauce and toppings, and bake for about 15-18 minutes, or until it’s crisp and browning on top.

Obviously, what I’ve just described will work for most any toppings, though if you intend to top your pie with something slow-cooking (for example, sweet potatoes), then I suggest pre-cooking them. For all watery vegetables (broccoli, spinach, onions, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, etc.) don’t bother cooking your toppings beforehand. If you’re short on ideas, try one of these two babies.

Artichoke, Onion, and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza with Cashew Cheese (Vegan, Soy Free)

Makes 1 10-12 inch pizza

1 recipe Sun-dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto (below)
1 9 oz package of frozen artichoke hearts, thawed, or a package of fresh ones (some companies are doing this now)
1/2 large red onion, sliced thinly
8-12 sun-dried tomatoes, cut in half
1/2 cup cashew "goat cheese"

1) Spread the sun-dried tomato pesto in a thick layer on the crust. You’ll have a bit leftover, but not too much.

2) Spread the pesto with artichokes, tomatoes and thinly sliced red onions.

3) Dot the pesto and veggies with the cashew cheese, and bake at 475 or 500 degrees for about 15 minutes, according to instructions above.

Sun-dried Tomato and Walnut Pesto (Vegan, Raw, Gluten Free, Soy Free)

Yields Approximately 1 1/4 cups

1 cup tightly packed, fresh basil
1 small clove garlic, minced
1/3 cup walnuts
10 sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for ten minutes in warm water, drained, and roughly chopped
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients but the oil in a food processor, and pulse to turn into a meal.

Add oil in a thin stream till the mixture is getting thick and smooth. Add more oil as needed, until the texture is perfect.

This pizza is truly divine: salty, savory, and bursting with flavor. I could have eaten leftovers for days.

And I did.

See how browned and delicious the cashew cheese gets? Incredible stuff.

Sometimes, though, we don’t want cashew cheese. Sometimes we want hot tomato sauce and cheese that melts—just the way we remember most pizza of yore. Which is when the following recipe comes in handy.

Classic Mushroom Pizza (Vegan, Soy-Free)

Yields 1 10-12 inch pizza

1 package sliced button mushrooms
1 cup tomato sauce of choice mixed with 2 tbsp tomato paste (I use Muir Glen everything)
1 package Daiya mozzarella style cheese (you may not use it all, but have it around)

Optional: 9 oz artichoke hearts, thawed (I didn’t intend to use them here, but I had leftover from the other pizza, and they worked nicely!)

1) Prepare pizza crust according to instructions above.

2) Layer crust with tomato sauce. Sprinkle it with Daiya to taste–M and I love our pizza cheese, but we’ve been known to, um, smother it a little, so try to eyeball it smartly. I’d say that 1 or 1 1/2 cups is about right.

3) Top the cheese with mushrooms. Bake at 475 or 500 for 15 minutes, and enjoy!

Of the two pizzas I made on this particular evening, I have to admit that I thought M would like this one better than my other pizza. Cashew cheese? Artichokes? It all seemed a little…out there. In the end, though, although we both loved the Daiya treatment (and agreed that it was pretty awesome as cold leftovers), we both preferred the artichoke, red onion, and pesto pie. I’d keep the Daiya variety around for a humdrum night, and save the artichoke and red onion pizza for a special night!

So that’s it, friends. All the proof you need that pizza making is much more fun, and much less freaky, than you think. I’d love for you all to give it a shot, and to tell me what you make. In return, pizza lovers, I swear that I’ll come up with more combos—both traditional and wacky—in the months ahead.

But for now, it’s off to a chem quiz. Happy Monday!

xo

For days now, I’ve been hinting at the arrival of this:

My favorite new hummus. And that’s saying a lot because I love hummus, and there are plenty of tried and true variations to which I’ve already given my heart. Still, we all know that sweet ‘taters are among my favorite foods, so it actually surprises me that it’s taken me this long to mix them up with chickpeas and tahini. What was(n’t) I thinking?

This hummus has it all. It’s tasty, satisfying, and it’ll work equally well whether you’re craving salty or sweet foods. A few mornings ago, I slathered it on some of my raw cinnamon raisin bread for breakfast; I’ve also layered it into Ezekiel tortillas for lunch, scooped it on top of a nutrient dense salad or two, and stuffed it into some raw collard wraps, as you saw earlier this week:

How are your wrap making skills, by the way? Tell me they’re stellar by now. You’ve had ample time to practice.

Anyway, this stuff is good. It’s very good. It’s so good that, even though the recipe yields more than regular hummus, I finished my batch within the usual time (no more than three days). If you’re sensitive to beans, but my bean-free zucchini hummus just isn’t cutting it, you might find that lessening the bean density per serving of hummus might actually do your digestive system some good. You’ll still be getting the wonderful nutrient benefits of chickpeas, including folate, fiber, protein, and iron, but you won’t be overdoing it, because the sweet potatoes will add a lot of the recipe’s volume.

They also add sweetness and a thick, hearty texture. What’s not to like?

Sweet Potato Hummus (makes about 3 cups)

2 small or 1 very large sweet potato, cooked, skin removed, and cut into chunks (I like baking my potatoes, but if you’re in a big rush, you can steam them or nuke them)
1 can chickpeas, drained, but with the liquid reserved
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
5 tbsp tahini
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste
Water
Paprika

1) Place sweet potatoes in the processor.

2) Optional step: warm up your beans. This really isn’t necessary for great hummus, but guess what? It’s a really, really good trick of the trade. Either microwave your chickpeas for 1 minute (OK, for the record, I don’t much like microwave cooking, but I don’t think it’s going to murder any of us if we do it once upon a hummus), or pour the chickpeas and their canning liquid into a little saucepot and get them warm. Drain them after, but reserve the liquid. That’s it — not a lot of effort for a step that will really improve your hummus.

3) Place chickpeas (warm or not) into the processor along with the sesame oil, tahini, curry, salt and pepper. Run the processor. Take 1/2 cup (this should be all that’s left) of the canning liquid from the beans (it’s got starch in it, which will help make the hummus super delicious) and drizzle it into the processor to help create the perfect texture.

If you run out of liquid but the hummus needs to be thinner (this, by the way, should happen — all in all, I needed about 3/4 c. liquid for my batch) start drizzling in regular old water. Stop now and then to scrape the bowl. When the consistency is even, smooth, and thick but not pasty, you’re done.

4) Sprinkle hummus with paprika, and serve.

Hummus lovers, this one has your names on it. And I think most everyone who reads my blog is a hummus lover. If, by the way, you don’t want to use canned bean, that’s fine. That’s admirable, even. Now that I have a pressure cooker, I should be cooking beans, too. After you cook them, reserve the cooking liquid and use that in lieu of canning liquid.

And now, after a wonderful weekend with M and a whole heck of a lot of vegan pizza from Cafe Viva (it was national vegan pizza day yesterday—did you know?), I’m settling down to study. I want to thank all of you who wrote to me about the free health screening initiative here in NYC – potential volunteers, I’ll be contacting you shortly via email to put you in touch with our leader.

Here’s to a less snowy week!

xo

First things first:

GO PACKERS!

Massive game last night! And only one way things could get bigger. Can’t wait for the Superbowl victory–right, Elise??

When you start to read about raw foods and “going raw,” you hear a lot of talk about “transitioning.” This of course refers to the process of going from cooked foods to raw foods (in some cases, raw vegan foods—don’t forget that not all raw foodies are also vegan!). If you want it, you’ll find all sorts of supportive advice on how to “transition” painlessly—some of this will be in the form of elementary tips (“warm up your veggies in a dehydrator!”) and some of it will sound a lot like something you’d find in a a self-help or spirituality book (“prepare yourself to experience ‘emotional detox’…”)

These latter kinds of dialogs never really resonated with me, mostly because my own discovery of raw eating was more a practical and nutritional journey than a spiritual one. I didn’t feel sudden freedom from negativity, or spiritual awakening, or bliss, or anything like that. I had moments of high energy in the first few weeks that were kind of euphoric, but mostly, I was just psyched to be feeling so good, and to be learning so many new cooking techniques. It was as if a whole new world of vegan food had just revealed itself to me, and I was excited.

But was it akin to finding God? No, not really. As I’ve said before, I don’t think that raw foods are a magic pill or a panacea; I think they’re just one way to maximize nutrition and feel really great. I wasn’t looking for magic, and maybe that’s why magic didn’t find me, but it didn’t matter: I felt awesome, and that’s what was important.

Perhaps because of the fact that my expectations were modest, I didn’t find that my transition into raw was all that rocky. I did experience some headaches and some fatigue after the initial few weeks, and maybe these were “detox”—detox is a word that’s hazily defined in raw circles, and usually overstated—but after that, I felt great. And it didn’t feel emotionally taxing, either: if anything, I was so happy that I’d stumbled on the raw scene.

Of course, you might point out that I’d been a vegan for a long time before I was raw, so of course I never had to cope with the difficulty of living without animal foods. That’s true, and one thing I always try to keep in mind when I write CR is that a lot of my readers who are exploring raw foods aren’t coming from the same place I was when I found them: I was eating a mostly whole foods vegan diet already, with lots of fresh veggies. Some of my readers are coming from food backgrounds that are 100% cooked and 100% omni, so of course getting into green smoothies and meal sized salads is going to feel like more of a jump. I hope that my site feels welcoming to all of you who are in this position; I was a vegan before I was raw, but I’m not impervious to how hard any food transition can be. And my whole practice as a nutritional counselor is geared toward easing those rocky little crossings.

My friend Kristen is another raw educator who is highly sensitive to how difficult transitions into raw or vegan foods are. And though she’s best noted for her work in the raw food world, I’ve always admired Kristen because she strikes such a terrific high-raw balance. As you know, I like to call my lifestyle a “semi-raw” one; Kristen probably falls closer to the raw end of the diet spectrum than I do, but she and I share a laid back and non-neurotic attitude about how raw we eat, and it’s one of the things we’ve always bonded over. (For those of you that don’t know, Kristen is one of the closest friends I’ve made through blogging.)

It didn’t surprise me, then, when I found out that Kristen’s newest raw cookbook would be about easy raw, vegan transitions. The book—Kristen Suzanne’s Easy Raw, Vegan Transition Recipes—provides cooked, whole foods recipes, transition (semi-raw) recipes, raw recipes that don’t “feel” raw (like smoothies and guac, which are familiar to all eaters), and raw recipes for new raw foodists. I think that all of Kristen’s e-books are amazingly helpful, information-packed, and approachable for budding raw foodists, but this one, which features favorite recipes from her previous collections, really takes the cake. It’s totally unintimidating and the recipes are all delicious, and I’d gladly recommend it to anyone who’s serious about becoming higher raw.

When I told Kristen I’d happily review the book for her, I knew that it would sort of be unnecessary. I mean, Kristen’s food inspired me a lot as I was going raw, and since then I’ve made her recipes countless times (I make her Harvest Soup at least once every two weeks, usually once weekly). And I don’t really need any “sneaky” raw transition recipes, so I suspected I’d be making the usual sorts of raw recipes I’d make from her site: soups, smoothies, salads.

I was right about all that. But that didn’t make reviewing the book any less fun. First, I made her banana protein shake, which features hemp seeds, frozen banana, and carob (three of my favorite recipes). It was so rich and delicious that I served it in a bowl, just like my recent green pudding:

Next, I sampled Kristen’s “Kick Ass Raw Soup.” Why? Well, it sounded really good to me (red pepper, hemp seeds, kale, cucumber, apple, dulse—all of my favorite stuff). But moreover, one of the things that Kristen and I tend to commiserate over is our mutual love of cursing, and all things profane. Seriously, guys: we may seem nice and sweet and articulate on our blogs, but we both have potty mouths. And we love it. Of course I had to make a recipe with “a**” in the title.

I served the soup with some sweet potato hummus (recipe coming!) stuffed collard wraps:

Note: this is a VERY green soup. I love that (as I write this, I’m chuckling at the fact that I love extremely kale-y green soups, but not green smoothies), but if you’re sensitive to it, I’d suggest omitting the kale, or just using one leaf. I think I made it supergreen by using three GIANT leaves, but that was just fine by me.

These recipes are fast, tasty, and absolutely accessible—just like all of Kristen’s food. If you’re exploring raw, or even if you’re not, I highly recommend checking Kristen’s Easy, Vegan Transition Recipes out! I’m a fan.

For those of you who went from cooked to raw, or omni to vegan: how would you characterize your own “transition”? Was it easy? A nightmare? What sorts of emotions and challenges did you face?

I’ll be back tomorrow with an awesome recipe for quinoa breakfast porridge!

xo

As some of you may know, I have a love hate relationship with green smoothies. I want to like them, I do. They’re the currency of the raw food world, and who doesn’t need more greens in her diet? (OK, I may be one of the few people who actually doesn’t need more greens in her diet, but still.)

That said, I just can’t get down with green smoothie culture. There’s something about the stuff that just skeeves me out, in spite of my love of raw leafies. And since I’m not a huge fruit/smoothie lover to begin with, the whole endeavor is a little beyond my ken.

If I were to make lifelong rules out of current preferences, however, I would never ever eat cilantro, radishes, artichokes, or onions. These are all formerly hated foods that, with an open mind, I’ve grown to appreciate (only if the onions are cooked, mind you). So I think it’s important for me not to turn my cheek to green smoothies, at least not entirely: if I continue to experiment with ones that I like—like my mellow green smoothie—I may just surprise myself.

So far, I’ve noticed that green smoothies only work for me if I bury the greens in lots of banana, lots of almond milk, and something fatty (like coconut, nut butter, or nuts/seeds). With those preferences in mind, I whipped up the following green smoothie a few mornings ago. Lo and behold, I loved it. Maybe not as much as I love my peanut butter and berry smoothie, or my butternut squash smoothie, but quite a bit. Maybe a tide is shifting.

Green Smoothie with Banana, Hemp, and Kale (serves 1)

1 large or 2 small bananas, frozen
2 tbsp hemp seeds (shelled)
1/2 cup almond milk
3 leaves stemmed kale
1 scoop Vega Whole Foods Optimizer in vanilla chai flavor (optional, or substitute your favorite vegan protein)

Blend all ingredients in a high powered blender till creamy and smooth, adding more almond milk if needed. Serve and enjoy!

Speaking of smoothies, please head over to Vital Juice New York today (January 20) to check out my “vital spy” interview! I’m chatting about my favorite places to eat, exercise, and unwind here in NYC, and I offer up my favorite smoothie (the butternut squash concoction) for readers. I’d love it if you gave it a look!

And with that, it’s been a long day of class. Till tomorrow, folks!

xo

Ah, student life. Study groups. Finals. All nighters. Coffee (lots of coffee). New textbooks.

Loans.

Of all the many things that characterize the joys of living the life of the mind, living on a budget is perhaps one of the most ubiquitous. This is true of graduate and undergrad life alike, of course, but as I prepare myself for a new semester, I like to think that I have better financial planning skills than I did when I was eighteen. I’m also a much better cook, which means that I’m determined to make as much homemade food as possible this semester, and not to squander my funds on campus dining when I’m between classes. Let’s begin with snacks.

No matter how many times I vow to make my own snack bars, I continue to fail. I’m not sure why—I’m so disciplined about making my own food in other instances. But for some reason, I can’t stop dropping dough on Larabars, Pure Bars, Vega bars, and other favorites. Now, though, is the time to stop. I have buckwheat groats. I have a food processor. I have dried fruit, nuts, chia seeds, hemp protein, agave, spices…in short, there’s nothing else I need to make awesome homemade energy bars happen. After all, the thing I like most about my favorite raw snack bars is their simplicity. Larabars—the flavors I like, anyway—have three item ingredient lists. Vega bars, as my friend Brendan will always tell audiences at his speaking engagements, were designed to replicate the snack bars he was making at home in his own kitchen. These bars aren’t supposed to be impossible to replicate.

With this in mind, I took a crack at one of my first raw snack bars a few weeks ago. With Vega bars in mind (they’re probably at the top of my raw snack bar list, due to the flavor, the great nutritional profile, and the absence of excess sugar), I decided to use a base of buckwheat, dates, cashews, and Vega Whole Foods Optimizer in the vanilla chai flavor (this is my personal favorite). If you don’t have Vega, that’s fine. You can omit it altogether, or you can substitute hemp protein, Sun Warrior, or another vegan protein powder of choice.

The best thing about these bars is that, even though they’re raw and vegan, they require zero dehydration. Simply mix, shape, refrigerate and enjoy.

Buckwheat Chai Energy Bars (yields 12)

1 cup soaked and dehydrated buckwheat (follow instructions from my buckwheat cereal post)
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup cashews
1 cup dates, pitted
2 tbsp agave nectar
1 scoop Vega vanilla chai
1 tbsp flax oil

1) Grind the dehydrated buckwheat, pumpkin seeds, and cashews in a food processor coarsely (i.e., not so much that they start to look like powder).

2) Add all remaining ingredients and pulse until the whole mass starts coming together and adhering. You may need to turn it out into a bowl and use your hands, but it should stick together easily.

3) Turn the mix out onto a flat, smooth, clean surface, and flatten it into a giant rectangle, making it as neat as you can. You can also use a baking dish for this!

4) Press the mixture down, and then use a sharp knife to cut it into 12 bars. Wrap in saran or tin foil, and store in fridge.

These make wonderful snacks. They’re even a decent solution for a meal on the go. Now that I spend every other weekend on the BoltBus to DC, I eat quite a few lap lunches. Here’s a shot of Friday’s meal: salad, an apple, and the very last bite of one of these bars:

Delicious and nutritious raw, vegan dining on the go. I suspect these bars might be a good standby for days with hectic class schedules in the upcoming semester, too! One thing to note is that these do get overly crumbly after a week or so, so you’ll want to eat them within 7-10 days.

Snack foods tend to be some of our nation’s least healthy. Check the label on any conventional granola bar, snack “cake,” cookie, or even trail mix, and you’ll be horrified by the nutritional stats. This is too bad, because snacks and on-the-go meals are the ones we need to be most nutrient rich—after all, aren’t we counting on them to get us through busy times? Rest assured, then, that these snack bars are chock full of nutrition: protein from the buckwheat, nuts, and Vega, healthy fats, simple sugars that help to fuel you for immediate activity, and a touch of Omega-6 fatty acids from the flax oil. They’re a perfect solution to the junk-food-as-snack-food dilemma.

Hope you get to try these soon, and that they’re as simple and rewarding for you to make as they were for me.

What’s your favorite snack bar—commercial or homemade? Have a recipe to share? What other on-the-go foods do you love?

Stay tuned for a big event recap tomorrow. Happy Sunday!

xo