Hi all!

I’m currently on my way into the city, so I’ll have to keep this relatively short. I’ll be back later today with a recap of today’s eats, of course, but let’s backtrack to yesterday, yes?

As always, I woke up craving a warm and comforting bowl of oatbran! I had bought a bag of frozen blueberries the other day at whole foods, so I decided to incorporate them in yesterday’s breakfast! I basically just tossed everything into the pot that sounded and looked appealing to me, and came up with a creamy and delicious bowl of Blueberry Crisp Oatbran! I used the usual 1/2 oatbran and 1 cup almond milk, 1 mashed banana, maple syrup, a ton of cinnamon, 2-3 tbsp chopped walnuts, and a container of fage that I stirred in at the end. My bowl was dressed with some heated frozen blueberries and a sprinkling of flaxplus granola. This combination was terrific! I especially loved the creaminess, volume, and protein that the fage added to the bowl. This will definitely be in my regular breakfast rotation from now on!

I was in the mood for a simple, yet comforting lunch, so what better than to whip out my new container of supremely spicy sabra? I decided on an old classic; hummus and veggies! On a perfectly doughy ezekiel english muffin, I spread it with a thick layer of sabra, some shredded carrot, and sprouts all accompanied by a deliciously ripe pear and a creamy, dreamy fage drizzled with agave (not pictured). After being reintroduced to sabra’s supremely spicy hummus (it’s been quite a while since I’ve bought it), I can proudly say that I will no longer be purchasing any other brand or flavor of hummus; none compare to the amazingness that is supremely spicy! This lunch was exactly what my body was craving, and went on to fill me up perfectly!

In the afternoon, however, I was craving something sweet and decided it’s been way too long (uhhh yes, two days without baking is way too long!) since I’ve made cookies. Obviously, I ripped open my trusty vegan cookbooks and went on to pick two eye-catching recipes to bake up.

As soon as I laid my eyes on Vegan With A Vengeance’s Pumpkin Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, I knew they’d be the perfect candidates. Not only was the recipe extremely simple to compile, but the end result was absolutely sensational! They looked, smelled, and tasted almost identical to those infamous archway cookies in the red packaging that I was oh so addicted to in my youth; only better of course! I loved how chewy the cookies were, still managing to hold their shape, and especially enjoyed the added crunch from the walnuts which contrasted the chewy texture of both the raisins and the cookie itself. The pumpkin flavor, although subtle, was certainly present and worked beautifully alongside the molasses which gave the cookie an intense richness that otherwise wouldn’t have been there without it. These cookies are definitely crowd pleasers, and have surely not seen the last of my oven!

Once again, I was like the energizer bunny in the kitchen yesterday, and therefore decided to whip up another batch of cookies. For the first time, I used a recipe from You Won’t Believe It’s Vegan for their alluring “Magic” Cookies! The recipe immediately stood out to me with it’s amazing list of ingredients such as coconut, shredded carrot, raisins, pecans, AND chocolate chips! Being that these add-ins were reminiscent of my favorite cake ever, Carrot Cake, I knew these would be a wise choice! The recipe yielded 11 mammoth sized cookies, each of which were literally dripping in melty chocolate chip decadence when removed from the oven. One bite, and I was totally sold- these cookies were every bit as delicious as I expected them to be! They had a crispy exterior with a chewy center, and the coconut flavor was wonderfully prominent which I loved! All of the different add-in’s managed to work in perfect harmony, none overpowering the other. For the true coconut lover in your life, these cookies will not disappoint!

In the afternoon, I splurged and had one of my favorite naughty snacks- cookie crisp cereal! Believe it or not, this cereal is vegan and I do buy it every once and a while to delve back into my childhood! It was goooood.

My wonderful day of eats continued with an equally wonderful dinner! I was craving tofu (yes, I crave tofu!), so I came up with this plate of beauty-

Ginger-Pear Mustard Grilled Tofu with a baked Sweet Potato and sauteed Broccoli Raab with garlic.

The tofu marinade was my own creation, and it just might have been the best grilled tofu I’ve made to date! If you’d like to replicate it, here’s my recipe!

Ginger-Pear Mustard Grilled Tofu

1/4 cup bone suckin’ sweet hot mustard
2-3 tbsp ginger-pear butter (American Spoon brand)
a generous squirt of agave (maple syrup would work, too)
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp water

1. In a large enough container to fit your tofu triangles or rectangles, whisk together all ingredients until well incorporated.
2. Drench tofu in the mixture so it completely envelopes. Cover the container and marinate for as long as possible (24 hours would be ideal).
3. Spray grill pan with non-stick spray, and wait until the pan is hot.
4. Place tofu onto the grill pan, and grill each side for about 5 minutes. Contain to baste the tofu with the marinade after each flip.
5. Plate and Enjoy! You can baste the tofu with extra marinade once on served for an extra kick.

This meal was absolutely divine! Needless to say, the tofu was grilled to perfection, and it retained so much of the flavor of the marinade which I was extremely proud of! The marinade balances the sweet and spicy flavors flawlessly to produce a terrific end product! The sweet potato was perfectly creamy, and I was loving every bite of the sauteed broccoli raab. The perfect dinner, in terms of both flavor and nutrition!

Of course, I couldn’t help but have another one of my “Magic” Cookies for dessert! I served this monster sized confection alongside a tall glass of vanilla hempmilk, and savored every single crumb! Yes, this my third cookie of the day! But there was absolutely no guilt involved in the slightest; after all, they have carrots in them which automatically makes them healthy, obviously. ;)

Off to do some grocery shopping and wandering around the city! See you all later tonight! I’ll leave you all with some spring beauty courtesy of mother nature to feast your eyes upon.