Category Archive

Today was one of the most perfect days, weather wise, that we’ve had in New York this Spring thus far. It was quite hot (it got up to 92!), but the mild breeze offset the extreme temperatures, and made for pure sunny paradise.

I started this unseasonably warm day with a huge bowl of mixed cereal! I combined 365 brand cornflakes, cascadian farms cinnamon crunch, and honey kix, topped the bowl off with a sliced banana and strawberries, and drowned them in a pool of creamy vanilla hempmilk. I also had a small spoonful of peanut butter, just ’cause. This delicious blend kept me going all morning!

Once again, I whipped out the trusty hummus container come lunch time, and came up with this bad boy of a sandwich-

Caramelized Onion Hummus on Whole Grain Nut and Seed Bread stacked with Grilled and Raw Vegetables.

I think this was the best sandwich I’ve ever made, no exaggeration! It was my first time trying Sabra’s Caramelized Onion Hummus, and let me just say that it was one of my favorite sabra flavors yet! The subtle sweet flavor from the onion complemented the rich and creamy texture of the hummus with perfection. As far as the veggies are concerned, I first grilled up some sliced zucchini and tomato which really brought the sandwich alive and added an unexpected exciting twist to it. Aside from the grilled veggies, I piled my hummus-slathered pieces of bread with lots of sprouts, shredded carrot, roasted red pepper, and cucumber slices. The sandwich was hearty, filling, and packed with nutrients! Oh, and it was extremely tasty to boot. ;)

I was going to eat my apple alongside my sandwich as I typically do, but this little guy had bigger and better things in it’s future-

Warm, Sliced Granny Smith topped with Cinnamon, Drizzled Almond Butter, and a Sprinkling of Nature’s Path Granola.

Man, oh MAN was this spectacular! I heated the apple, once topped with the almond butter, in the microwave and once topped with the granola, it tasted like a super decadent, deconstructed apple crisp! In actuality, this snack was extremely healthy and well balanced- fiber from the apple, protein and fat from the almond butter, and carbs from the granola. Perfection!

Of course I had to take advantage of this wondrous weather and take a stroll along Central Park. You know what that means!

Once I got home, I was getting hungry once again (surprise, surprise), so I made myself a delicious and nutritious salad for dinner-

Lemony Chickpea Salad Over Couscous and Arugula

This was SO SIMPLE to assemble, guys. Seriously, it took me about 15 minutes max to put this together. First, I cooked up 1/3 cup dry couscous in veggie broth that I spiked with black pepper, thyme, and lemon juice. Once cooked through, I let it sit while I threw together the chickpea salad. I used about 3/4 can rinsed and drained chickpeas (would’ve loved to use homemade, but I was pressed for time), a roasted pepper, caramelized onions, a handful of plump raisins, and a healthy scoop of toasted pinenuts. I tossed the salad with a simple dressing consisting of olive oil, lemon juice, a pinch of agave, basil, thyme, oregano, S+P. I dumped the cooked couscous and about 1/2 of the chickpea salad on top of a bed of peppery arugula, and voila! Dinner was served. Halfway through, I headed back to the fridge and grabbed the hummus and added a big glob on top, for good measure. Easy and delicious!

After letting my dinner digest for a while, I was finally in the mood to add a little sweetness into my life. I settled on an absolutely fabulous yogurt mess- 3/4 cup fage, 1/4 cup pumpkin, truvia, cinnamon, 1 MASHED banana, and a handful of kashi golean. After I snapped the picture, I proceeded to mix the entire thing up. This was one of the best yogurt bowls to date! The mashed banana really made all the difference in the world- not only did it add extra sweetness, but it lent a rich and creamy texture as well as volume. In a slightly larger portion, this would make for an outstanding breakfast. Especially with some juicy raisins and almond/peanut butter added to the mix!

Although I was basking in the sun today, I must admit that it’s worn me out quite a bit- I’m exhausted at the moment! Plans for tonight consist of- me, my bed, green tea, and a good movie/book. It’s the simple things in life, folks!

I apologize for being a lazy blogger last night; I was just SO incredibly exhausted and couldn’t even begin to think in logical sentences to formulate my thoughts for a blog entry. I’m on my way to Whole Foods (!!), so I’m just going to give you a quick run through of yesterday’s eats and musings.

Yesterday’s breakfast was a delicious and creamy bowl of blueberry banana creme oatbran! In the mix was 1/2 cup oatbran, 1 cup hemp milk, 1 mashed banana, maple syrup, a gluttonous amount of cinnamon, a handful of fresh blueberries, and a big scoop of greek yogurt stirred in at the end. I topped the bowl with a sliced strawberry and the last scoop of cinnamon raisin swirl peanut butter. Just as i had hoped, this combo was both nutrient and flavor packed!

After breakfast, I headed to school for my “it’s too early to be awake” latinos class, and then headed to Central Park during my break. I took an ungodly amount of photos (aka over 200), so it’s going to quite hard to pick which to post. I’ll just show you some personal favorites!

Being that the blogs have been swarmed with tons of amazing salad creations as of late, I decided that a hearty tofu chef salad would be the perfect lunch to throw together once I got home! On a huge bed of arugula, I tossed in whatever I had on hand, basically- leftover lemon baked tofu, shredded carrot, raisins, sprouts, 1/2 red pepper, soy feta, and a generous dollop of guacamole. After taking the picture, I drizzled some blueberry vinaigrette on the salad, and dug in! It was a five star salad, for sure. Full of volume, and oh so filling.

The star of this lunch, however, was my baked sweet potato that I topped with a healthy spoonful of ALMOND BUTTER!! Yes, you heard right! This unlikely collaboration was absolutely spectacular; the nutty, rich almond flavor complemented the creamy sweet potato like no other topping can. It certainly wont be the last time you see this pairing! Try it for yourself!

My afternoon snack was yet another yogurt mess- 3/4 cup fage stirred with a packet of truvia, 1 cup of honey kix, a sliced ripe banana, and a huge drizzle of mighty maple. This was, by far, one of my favorite yogurt bowls yet- the peanut butter took it to a whole other level, and made for an over-the-top snack in terms of richness and flavor.

Last night, I was craving an asian inspired dish for dinner that would somehow involve the use of soba noodles. I headed straight to the lovely heidi swanson and made a tried and true recipe that I knew wouldn’t fail me-

Wasabi Crusted Tofu with Garlic Soba Noodles

I basically followed Heidi’s recipe for her Garlic Soba Noodles to a tee, except that I substituted the parmesan for my raw vegan chipotle cayenne parma, which is possible the greatest stuff since sliced (banana) bread. However, I chose to do my own thing for the tofu portion of the dish and whipped up two delicious slabs of wasabi crusted tofu. The night before, I whipped up a quick marinade consisting of ginger tamari, brown rice vinegar, agave nectar, toasted sesame oil, and a squirt of sriracha and let the tofu bathe in the mixture overnight. Once I started on dinner, I removed the tofu from the fridge, pulsed about 1 cup of fiery hot wasabi peas in the food processor until the texture was similar to that of course sea salt, dredged the tofu in the peas, and fry it up to a golden crisp (this tofu always come out great when baked). I topped the soba noodles with the tofu, and called it dinner. This meal packed in some major flavor! These crunchy little firecrackers fancied up my tofu and took it to a whole other dimension, providing a wonderful texture that took my tastebuds on quite the culinary journey! Amazing, from start to finish.

For dessert, I indulged in this bowl of heaven-

Coconut Milk Ice Cream(!!!) buried underneath layers of sliced banana and warm frozen blueberries topped with juicy, plump raisins.

A holy YUM is certainly in order when describing this beautiful creation. Turtle Mountain’s non-dairy frozen confections have never disappointed, but they’ve totally outdone themselves with this one- the coconut flavor was delicate but apparent, and the texture was so incredibly rich and creamy. It paired perfectly with the blueberries, adding a lovely contrast of warmth and chill.

Off to Whole Foods, and then I’ll probably be spending the day outside in some way or another. It’s going to get up to 85 degrees, after all! See ya!

Edit- I just read about Jenna’s loss, and I am so deeply saddened by the news. Jenna and her family are in my thoughts, prayers, and my heart.