Quinoa black bean salad

I'm finally feeling better! I haven't been doing much cooking lately but I have a few posts from the last month that I've been working on but never published. Here's one of them! I made this salad for lunches during the week and it's a perfect main dish for lunch or side dish for a summer BBQ. (We just bought a grill yesterday so summer meals are on my mind!) I got the recipe from Oh She Glows (again). Angela's recipes are just too good to pass up. The pictures on her site and the one I use here are all with red quinoa which makes this colorful dish even more colorful, but I only had the regular quinoa on hand- it was still beautiful and very tasty. It's supposed to be 83 degrees and sunny here today in Colorado and this dish would be a perfect thing to make! If it's cold and rainy where you are it would also be perfect- it will put you in a sunny mood:)

Ingredients:

For the salad:

1 cup uncooked quinoa

1 (14 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red pepper, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

2 green onions chopped

1 cup fresh corn (optional)

1 small avocado, chopped into 1 inch pieces

For the dressing:

4-5 Tbs fresh lime juice (juice from 2 small limes

1/2 tsp salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 garlic love, minced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp ground cumin, or more to taste

1. Cook 1 cup of quinoa according to package directions.

2. While quinoa is cooking, prepare the chopped vegetables and whisk together the dressing.

3. Allow quinoa to cool after cooking for about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Add the beans and vegetables and toss well.

4. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss well with salt and pepper to taste. Bring salad to room temperature before serving (I didn't do this and it was still pretty tasty). Keep fresh in a sealed container for 1-2 days. Makes about 5 cups.

Photo from Oh She Glows blog.

Simple grains

I've been sick:( I was supposed to be in Oregon this week on vacation but had to cancel plans because of being sick. So lame! Instead I've been lounging around the house watching movies and sleeping. Anyways, I haven't had much of an appetite which means I really am sick! I almost never lose my appetite so this is big news haha. I've been trying to stick to simple foods and have mostly been eating applesauce, dry toast, pudding, soup and simple grains. I started getting my appetite back today and decided to try some quinoa. I made this with quinoa but it would be great with pasta or brown rice or whatever grain you'd like. It's not that exciting of a dish but it does the trick for a simple dinner or lunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked quinoa (or whatever grain preferred)
a few shakes of garlic powder
a pinch of dried basil
freshly ground sea salt to taste
drizzle of olive oil

1. Cook grains according to directions.

2. Sprinkle with spices, drizzle with olive oil and enjoy.

Brahms and cinnamon apple slices

I sing with the Larimer Chorale and we are performing Brahms' requiem in Fort Collins on Sunday. Check out the program notes on the link and you'll see what kind of piece it is. Usually I've sung alto 1 or alto 2 but the director of the group put me on soprano 2 for this piece (basically this just means I'm singing a part that's much higher in pitch and has the melody more often). For those of you who don't sing, performing the soprano part of Brahms' requiem is like running a marathon with your voice. We rarely go below the C above middle C and there are lots of G's, A's and even a Bb (basically, really high notes). The piece is long and the text is so meaningful- even singing the text on low notes would be exhausting. On high notes you just really have to save your voice but give it your best effort at the same time- even when you're exhausted after just the first movement (there are 7 movements).

So why do I mention Brahms on my blog (other than as a shameless plug for my concert)? Well, at the end of our 3-hour rehearsal last night I was physically exhausted, but not so exhausted that I couldn't keep going. Yes, my back ached, my feet hurt, my brain hurt and forget about my voice, but normally after a marathon rehearsal I just want to sleep. I can barely keep my eyes open and I feel like I've just had a hard workout at the gym. I started thinking about how I've been using food lately to help fuel my body which is my instrument. Athletes take care of their body and fuel it accordingly and reap the benefits of higher energy, better performance, higher concentration, etc. Why not singers? (Or pianists? violists? trumpet players? etc.). For those of you non-musicians out there this might sound crazy- what do you mean? You're just standing there? Well, performing is hard work- it takes every ounce of concentration and energy you have, especially when you're performing Brahms.

So here's where I'm going with all of this: I strongly believe that food affects energy and performance. I've been taking better care of myself- eating balanced meals, high energy snacks and lots of fruits and veggies and I know this is what works for me to feel my best. Yesterday, for example, I made some whole wheat carrot snacking bread (recipe here) and I snacked on apple slices and nuts before rehearsal, had a balanced breakfast and lunch and I had good energy to work through my long rehearsal. If you are a musician you need to take care of your body and fuel it with whole, healthy food, just as athletes do. Your body is your instrument (or the instrument is an extension of your body) and playing music is a whole body experience.

So Cinnamon apples:

Photo courtesy of "Fresh Squeezed Nutrition"

A snack! I discovered a wonderful way to eat apples. Slice them thinly, place in plastic bag and sprinkle cinnamon and maybe a bit of coconut sugar or toasted crushed almonds. Shake around in the bag to evenly coat and voilà! Easy snack, great for kids and adults alike.

Thanks for reading through! I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Spring green mini vanilla cupcakes

These are perfect cupcakes to make with kids- the batter is easy to throw together and it's not too messy- until you get to the decorating part:) Choose a fun cupcake paper liner, maybe with a spring-like theme- I chose mini flower cupcake liners. Don't be afraid to get messy with the decorating! The recipe comes from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World and is just the basic "Golden Vanilla Cupcakes" recipe, the first one in the book. I decided to make them green to have more fun. I made them with some little kids while I was babysitting and they had so much fun with the decorations!

Ingredients:

1 cup nondairy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 Tbs cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract, caramel extract or more vanilla extract

1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF and line muffin pan with cupcake liners.

2. Whisk the milk and vinegar in a measuring cup and set aside a few minutes to get good and curdled.

3. Beat together the milk mixture, oil, sugar, vanilla and other extracts, if using, in a large bowl. Sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt and mix until no large lumps remain. Add a few drops of food coloring if you want to use it.

4. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 of the way and bake for about 15-18 minutes for mini and 20-22 minutes for regular size or until done (they're done when a toothpick comes out clean). Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

I just made a simple frosting with powdered sugar and water and food coloring. Mix about a cup of powdered sugar with a little water and keep adding sugar or water until you get to the desired consistency. This is a really easy frosting to make but it is a little messy- but easy to clean up!

Here are some of our decorated cupcakes:

Chai coconut breakfast cake

I recently discovered a new vegan blog and have been bookmarking lots of recipes from the site. This is one I made this weekend- coconut chai breakfast cake from Fat Free Vegan's blog. Lots of yummy and healthy-looking recipes here! This cake is pretty tasty and is perfect for something to go along with your afternoon tea or to enjoy for breakfast.

Ingredients:

1 cup strong chai tea (use 2 teabags and let them sit in the water until it cools)

1/3 cup uncooked quick (not instant) oatmeal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup unbleached white flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ginger 

3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 cup white sugar)

1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 Tbs apple cider vinegar

1/2 tsp almond extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup coconut flakes, 2 Tbs reserved

1. Prepare the chai ahead of time. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan, or a rectangle pan like I had.

2. Combine the dry ingredients (oatmeal through sugar) in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the chai, applesauce, vinegar, extracts and all but 2 Tbs of the coconut. Mix well and pour the batter into the prepared pan.

3. Sprinkle with the reserved coconut and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature.

This cake goes really well with your favorite cup of tea- it need not be chai!

Fried udon noodles

Liz and I made this when she was visiting. We both have a passion for udon noodles. They're just so... noodley. This is such a simple dish and is pretty satisfying. It comes from (again) The Kind Diet but we modified and added some ingredients to suit our tastes.

Ingredients:

1 package udon noodles
2 Tbs olive oil
2 cups sliced green cabbage (we used leftover bok choy)
1 cup half-moon onion slices
a few handfuls of broccoli florets
1-2 carrots, chopped as matchsticks
2 tsp finely chopped garlic
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
3/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1 package extra firm tofu, pan-fried
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
soy sauce to taste

1. Drain, press and pan-fry the tofu and set aside.

2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the udon noodles and cook just until al dente; drain and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbs oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika and cook until the onions begin to get translucent. Add the cabbage, broccoli and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes (add a Tbs or 2 or 3 of water and cover to steam if you find the broccoli isn't cooking or if the cabbage starts to burn).

3. Add the drained noodles and tofu and toss together until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot. We added some soy sauce and sesame seeds to ours.

Garlicky greens

When my mom was pregnant with me her biggest craving was kale with garlic on wheat toast. Now I know where I get my love of kale from! What a wonderful thing to crave while pregnant- so healthy. Thanks, mom:) I've been adding more kale to my diet via green smoothies but have decided to spice up some meals with a side of delicious and nutritious garlicky greens. This recipe also comes from Chloe's Kitchen. We had it twice this week- once with Chloe's mac and cheese and once with the crispy orange tofu. It was wonderful both times and will definitely be added to our repertoire of staple greens dishes.

Ingredients:

2 Tbs olive oil
1 bunch kale or other leafy greens, thick stems removed, and cut into chiffonade or torn into bite-sized pieces
sea salt
freshly ground black paper
4 to 5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)
pinch crushed red pepper, optional

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add kale in batches, stirring continually. Season with salt and pepper to taste. One all the kale has turned bright green and has begun to wilt, add garlic and cook for another minute. You may need to add a tablespoon or two of water if the garlic sticks to the skillet.

2. Remove from heat and toss with lemon juice and red pepper. Adjust seasoning and lemon juice to taste and serve immediately.

With mac n' cheese.

With crispy orange tofu.

Crispy orange tofu

Orange tofu. Yum:) This recipe comes from Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook Chloe's Kitchen. I planned our weekly menu around her book and everything we've made has turned out wonderfully! I highly recommend buying this book- it's great for vegans and non-vegans alike. It's also great if you're on a budget or would like to plan weekly meals without wasting a lot of food. For example: we bought a bunch of cilantro and used it for 3 different recipes this week! More to come on the other foods we made, but right now I'm sharing the dish(es) we made tonight for dinner: crispy orange tofu and garlicky greens with brown rice. Soo good.

I usually shy away from dishes that are fried because I'm slightly afraid of the hot oil. Do be sure to wear an apron- don't make the same mistake I did. The shirt I was wearing is now spotted with oil and I'm working on getting those stains out sigh. Good thing my mom is coming to visit in a few weeks! Anyways, the only thing I'd do differently than I did tonight was put more oil in the pan and actually let the tofu cook until it was crispy. Even thought I took it out when it was only slightly browned it was still really tasty. The only complaint I have about the recipe is the texture of the cornstarch between my fingers when I was coating the tofu- it elicited a nail-on-chalkboard type of reaction from me. But I'm kind of weird so it was probably just me. Don't let this deter you from making the dish!

Oh and can I talk about the sauce? It is so tasty and much healthier than what you get in the bottle at the store. All natural sugars are a better choice any day over the processed stuff. OK so go make this dish and buy the cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 14-oz package extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1 cup orange juice
peel from 1/4 orange, cu tinto 1/4-inch strips
2 Tbs agave nectar
1 Tbs soy sauce
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp ground coriander*
canola oil for frying
1/4 cup cornstarch or arrowroot
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked rice, for serving

1. After pressing the tofu, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside. In a small bowl, mix orange juice, orange peel, agave, soy sauce, ginger garlic and coriander. Set aside.

2. Fill a large heavy-bottomed skillet with 1/2 inch oil and heat over medium-high heat. While oil is heating whisk together cornstarch and salt in a small bowl. Dredge tofu in the flour mixture by tossing a few cubes at a time in the bowl and removing them onto a plate. Be sure to shake off excess before frying.

3. The oil is hot enough when bubbles form around a wooden spoon inserted in the oil. Carefully place tofu in the oil and let fry until the bottom is golden and crisp. Flip tofu using a spatula or tongs and fry until the other side is golden and crisp. Remove tofu from oil and drain on paper towels.

4. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add fried tofu and orange juice mixture. Let cook until the sauce bubbles down to a thick syrup. Turn off heat and mix in cilantro. Serve over rice.

Our main dish over rice, with a side of garlicky greens.

Since there's coriander in this dish I decided to complement it with a Trippel from New Belgium Brewery. Wonderful choice on such a warm spring-like evening!

Chocolate peanut butter crispy rice treats

I meant to take a picture of these and post about them right after I made them but as you can see, they were devoured pretty quickly. I couldn't come up with a  better picture than this- sorry! These tasty treats are super easy to make and a real crowd pleaser. The recipe comes from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. She recommends taking them on trips with you (they're really filling and are a much better alternative to processed desserts and snacks) and we took some on our really long hike last weekend- a very nice hiking fuel as well! They taste like chocolate peanut butter rice crispy treats- the ones you had as a kid. They're ooey and gooey and taste marshmallowy without any marshmallows. 

I tweaked the original recipe a bit, just to satisfy my own tastes but go buy the book and get the original recipe and its modifications.

Ingredients:

1 box brown rice crisps cereal (check the gluten free section of your grocery store if you can't find them in the regular cereal aisle
1 3/4 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter (I use Justin's - a local for us and a great product!)
1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

1. Pour the cereal out into a large bowl and set aside.

2. In a small to medium sized saucepan, heat rice syrup over low heat until it gets melty. Stir in the peanut butter and mix with a spoon over the heat until it melts together. Add the cocoa powder and stir until this is incorporated.

3. Remove from heat and pour over the cereal. Mix together until evenly coated. Press mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish, wetting your hands or the spoon to help press it down and flatten it out so it doesn't stick to your hands or the spoon.

4. Chill in the fridge for an hour before cutting and serving.

Carrot spice muffins

Another Oh She Glows favorite of mine! These muffins are made with no oils and are full of yummy and good-for-you carrots. I made a batch last week and meant to blog about them but then I ate them all and got really busy and time kind of flew away from me. I made them again today, this time fixing what I did wrong last time and here they are. Angela got the recipe from Fat Free Vegan and I kind of did a combo of both versions, sticking to only the non-white sugar sweeteners. The first time I made them with vegan white sugar (did you know some white sugar is processed with animal bone char?!) the first time and they were lovely but since I recently purchased coconut sugar and have been meaning to experiment with that I went for it. The coconut sugar is so tasty here! It has a brown sugar kind of flavor and really makes this batch of muffins better than the last (even though the last was blog-worthy!).

Ingredients:
Dry:
1 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 cup natural sugar (again, I used coconut sugar)
1 Tbs ground flax seed
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Wet and mix-ins:
1/3 cup agave nectar (or maple syrup- add 2 Tbs)
1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup soy vanilla yogurt
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups grated carrots (about 3 medium carrots)
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in water and drained (I omitted these because Michael and I aren't fans of raisins in baked goods
1/3 cup chopped and toasted walnuts (the toasting step is key!)

1. Toast the walnuts on a baking sheet for about 8 minutes at 300ºF. Remove and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 375ºF and line a muffin pan with liners. If using maple syrup instead of agave, pre-heat oven to 400ºF.

2. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (agave nectar, applesauce, yogurt, water and vanilla). Add the wet to the dry and mix until just incorporated. The batter might be a bit thick.

3. Fold in the carrots, raisins (if using) and walnuts. Scoop batter into the muffin liners, filling batter to the top. Bake for about 18 minutes (but check after 15 to be sure they're not overcooked) until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.

These freeze really well- I froze all but 4 of the ones I made today (this recipe makes 12 muffins). I plan on eating them throughout the week for breakfast with my green smoothie!

Teriyaki wok vegetables

I just bought Chloe Coscarelli's new cookbook Chloe's Kitchen and I have been dying to try out these delicious looking recipes! I settled on her "Teriyaki Wok Vegetables" but made it with tofu and broccoli instead of the snow peas and zucchini which the original recipe called for. Just because I felt like tofu and broccoli! It is such a beautiful, colorful dish and very tasty! I doubled the teriyaki sauce (below is the original sauce, I doubled the ingredients below). We had a lot of leftovers and will enjoy the extra sauce on our leftover brown rice. I can't wait to try more recipes in this book! Go out and buy it!

Ingredients:

Teriyaki sauce:

3/4 cup water

3 Tbs soy sauce

1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs cornstarch or arrowroot

Wok vegetables:

2 Tbs canola oil

1 large carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

1 head bok choy, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

1 small red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 pound mushrooms of choice, stemmed and thinly sliced

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

16 oz browned tofu cubes

1 Tbs sesame oil

To make the sauce:

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together water, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, maple syrup and cornstarch or arrowroot. 

2. Heat the sauce over medium-high heat, whisking frequently until it comes to a boil. 

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking frequently until he mixture has thickened and big syrupy bubbles appear on the surface.

To prepare the veggies:

1. In a large wok or skillet, heat canola oil over medium-high heat and add carrots, bok choy, onions, mushrooms and broccoli. Using tongs, stir-fry vegetables until they begin to soften and turn bright in color, about 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Add the browned tofu to the mix and pour over enough teriyaki sauce to coat the veggie mix and let cook a few minutes more. Once vegetables are fork tender, stir in sesame oil.

3. Remove from heat and serve over brown rice or with soba noodles.

Candied ginger pears

A decadent and healthy dessert! These taste like a fancy dessert you might order at a restaurant. They're light and perfect for a sweet end to a large meal and so easy to make. The recipe comes from Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. Michael and Liz and I all agreed these tasted something like key lime pie. Yes, I know there are no limes in this dish but it totally tastes like it!

Ingredients:

1 cup ground almonds
2 Tbs brown rice syrup (I used agave nectar, as I didn't have any brown rice syrup on hand)
3 large or 4 small pears, halved and core scooped out
1 1/2 cups pear or apple juice
1 tsp ginger juice (grate 1" fresh ginger and use your fingers to squeeze out the juice)
pinch of sea salt
1 Tbs kuzu mixed with 1 Tbs cold pear juice (I used arrowroot powder instead of kuzu- you could use cornstarch instead as it's just something to thicken the sauce)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest
4 tsp maple syrup (optional)

1. Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and toast for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant and golden brown. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. When cool, buzz the almonds in a food processor or blender until very finely ground. Heat the rice syrup (or agave) in a small saucepan. Add the ground almonds and stir over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. Set aside.

2. Arrange the pears in a deep skillet, cut sides up. Add the pear or apple juice to the pan along with the ginger juice and salt. Cover the pan, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 7 to 10 minutes, or until the pear halves are soft. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a serving platter, reserving the cooking liquid. Fill the hollow of each pear with some of the ground almond mixture.

3. Stir the diluted kuzu (or arrowroot) into the reserved cooking liquid and heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour the sauce over the pears and serve. For extra sweetness and some color, drizzle each pear with 1 tsp maple syrup.

Liz and I used some of the leftover ground almond mix as a topping for our rice pancakes for breakfast.

Leaf Restaurant part deux

During our trip to Boulder Liz and I lunched at Leaf, a vegetarian restaurant with wonderful vegan and gluten free options in a quiet and calm setting. I posted about Leaf from Valentine's Day when Michael and I went to try out some of their special menu items. This time it was a different sort of trip, checking out their lunchtime menu, and we enjoyed clean and delicious food. We split the tempura avocado (sans tempura) for an appetizer and it was fantastic without the tempura batter- the sauce really stood by itself. For entrées Liz ordered the Vegan Enchiladas (corn, summer squash, zucchini, black and red beans, marina tortilla, cilantro rice, guacamole, roasted tomatillo and tomato salsas) and I ordered the Jamaican Jerk Tempeh (forbidden black rice, sautéed greens, coconut plantain sauce, fruit salsa). We were very content and too full for dessert.

Me, ready to dig in!

This is what I'm really thinking though:

Rice pancake with vegetable mélange

This simple dish is so nourishing and grounding and tasty for vegans and non-vegans alike. I've been getting more into macrobiotic dishes and this is one of them! The recipe comes from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet which is a fantastic book especially for those deciding whether or note to go vegan. Liz and I made a few of the dishes in here during her visit and everything was fantastic. The original recipe is for rice waffles but we made them as pancakes and they were really yummy and wonderful left over and eaten as sweet pancakes. I'll post about that later.

Ingredients:

Pancakes:
2 cups cooked brown rice
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup water
1 Tbs mellow miso mixed with 3 Tbs water

Vegetable mélange
sesame oil
1 cup half-moon onion slices
1 cup seitan, thinly sliced
1 cup carrots, sliced
1 tsp soy sauce
2 cups broccoli florets
2 tsp dark sesame oil
sliced black olives (original recipes says optional, but I say they are NOT optional, as the dish really comes together with the olives)

1. Stir together the rice, flour, miso and 1 cup of water in a large mixing bowl. Heat a nonstick pan and coat lightly with oil. Pour in about 1/2 cup of batter and cook until browned, flipping as each side cooks. Transfer the cooked pancake to a plate to keep warm, and repeat with the remaining batter.

2. While the pancakes cook, heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 mints. Add the seitan to the skillet and sauté for 1 minute longer. Arrange the carrots on top of the seitan and onions and add 3 Tbs of water to the pan. Cover and simmer for 7 minutes. adding more water if the pan gets too dry. Add the soy sauce and broccoli to the pan and simmer 3 minutes longer. Stir to combine the ingredients and remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the sesame oil.

3. Arrange a pancake on each serving plate and top each one with a heap of sautéed veggies and seitan. Sprinkle with olives and serve warm. Also try topping with toasted sesame seeds mashed with sea salt. Yum!!

Try leftover pancakes the next day with sweet maple syrup. A delicious and nutritious breakfast!

General update

Sorry for the delay in posts! I've been very busy cooking and eating but not blogging. I wasn't sure where to start with my posts so I thought I'd just give a general update. Liz was here! We made lots of yummy food which you will find out about in future posts which will hopefully pop up today and tomorrow on the blog. We explored Fort Collins, Boulder and Denver and my tummy was very happy with all the good food we had. Today my plan is to catch up on episodes CBS Sunday Morning while I do some blogging.

My brother sent me this photo this morning- it's me circa early 1990s. I still get this excited about food!!

My dad circa late 1970s to early 1980s. This is such a bad ass picture!

Michael and I have been enjoying the outdoors- yesterday we went on a 7.5 mile hike with some new friends. We hiked Grey Rock, in the Poudre Canyon near Fort Collins. It was an awesome hike and we are exhausted but so happy we spent all day outside. We made it down the trail just in time for sunset. Phew! The weather forecast for our area says we'll be enjoying sunny days in the 60s and 70s all week. Yes! Welcome spring? We've also been busy watching Game of Thrones which just came out on DVD. So no blogging.

But really, why I wanted to do a general update was because I wanted to share some photos and talk about tea. My new-ish favorite tea, Tulsi Rose is lovely. It's supposed to be a stress reliever. We can all use some of that in our lives:) Happy weekend, everyone!

Also- isn't it wonderful to have a bowl full of fruit on the counter!?

Oh! And I just recently purchased Chloe Coscarelli's new cook book Chloe's Kitchen. I can't wait to try out these recipes!