Heart of Palm Ceviche WFPB Oil Free

I made this WFPB and oil free ceviche today and it’ll definitely be a regular chez Hickman! I added some diced jicama and thinly sliced radish. Delicious! 

Original recipe here:

The Yummy Vegan Blog

Jicama and Radish Salad

This is so, so yummy! So light and refreshing.
I think I found this recipe in Food Network magazine.

Jicama and Radish Salad

1 jicama, peeled and cut into matchsticks

about an equal amount of radishes, cut into matchsticks or shredded

3 or so scallions, sliced into tiny rounds

cilantro and mint, both chopped fine - about 1/4 cup each

Dressing:

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons agave nectar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

pinch of cayenne pepper

Method:
Whisk together dressing ingredients and pour over jicama, radish, scallion, mint, cilantro mixture in a big bowl. Mix well. 

Napa, CA and yummy things ...

I just got back from a lovely trip to Napa, CA. Pictured above is Chimney Rock Vineyard; I loved all their wines! A shout out to Lava Vine is also essential (pictured below). They run a very fun tasting room in Calistoga, CA and also have amazing wines. They let some chickens roam around too.

I was up late last night since I was on California time, so I caught up on my Housewives episodes. This morning, I had to drive out to Long Island to pick up my sweet Chewie from his doggie hotel.

If you need help training your dog, or have a little dog that needs a very posh in-home daycare or boarding, check out Little Paws of Hope in Levittown, NY. Hope has converted her dining room into a play room for the doggies! She has leopard print chaise lounges for the pooches! Only the best for Chewie. ;)

Reunited and it feels so good ... xoxo

 

Today, I made some no-crabby salad as I like to call it (it's from the Crazy Sexy Kitchen cookbook - it's the crab cakes mix minus molding them into crab cakes and frying them). It's just hearts of palm (which shockingly taste much like crab meat when pulsed in the food processor and tossed with Old Bay Seasoning) ... diced red bell pepper ... some nooch ... vegenaise ... and pepper. Yum!

 

I also made my Sweet Potato Curry with Spinach and Chickpeas and basmati rice for dinner. Mmmm.

I like to put a smidge of tofu sour cream on top.

 

 

Yummy things of the week ...

I went to see BLONDIE and MORRISSEY at Madison Square Garden on Saturday! I had general admission floor and I got all the way up front! I was THIS CLOSE! AHHHHHH! *swoon*

In other good news ... Figs are in season! Yes! (strawberries also)

Also, Vegan Chao is everything. I made the best breakfast sandwich ever with it this week: 1 slice tomato cayenne vegan chao cheese, 1/4 avocado, and roasted garlic hummus on toast. Mmmm

Quick White Bean Salad

Quick White Bean Salad

Ingredients:
2 (14.5oz) cans large white beans (such as butter beans)
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and diced
a couple handfuls of parsley, chopped fine
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Stir together the EVOO, red wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Pour over remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss. Yum.

I also made some muhammara today and raw spaghetti with veggie meatless balls for dinner. yum!

Chewie made his second trip on the subway yesterday. He held up better than last time. He's a shy pooch and the subway is a big scary loud thing.

 

Vegan Soy Free Caesar Salad

Vegan Soy Free Caesar Salad

Ingredients:
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight, drained, and rinsed
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon capers
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon (*optional: I don't like mustard in my dressings, so I left it out.)
1 tablespoon vegan Worcestershire (or make your own: Cookin' Crunk has a good recipe, but it's not soy free)
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth.
Pour over your favorite greens.

I served mine with some roasted sweet potatoes and a Field Roast vegan sausage. Mmmmm

*recipe based on that found here:
http://myvega.com/vega-life/recipe-center/superfood-kale-caesar-salad/

Fancy Raw Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream and a Summer Salad

Fancy Chia Pudding with Cashew Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup raw cashews, soaked in filtered water overnight (or at least for 10 hours), drained, and rinsed
2 cups almond mylk
2 tablespoons maple syrup
seeds from one vanilla bean (I just throw the whole bean in my Vitamix)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of sea salt
1/3 cup chia seeds

Method:
Place all ingredients except the chia seeds in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and stir in the chia seeds. Cover the bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 4 - 10 hours. Serve chilled with fresh organic fruit. Makes 6 servings.

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Mango and Spinach Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

(I think this is my favorite salad - ever!)

Dressing:
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salad:
6 cups fresh spinach
2 cups arugula
2 large mangos, peeled and cubed
2 cucumbers, peeled, deseeded, and sliced
1/2 cup raw pistachios, chopped
Method:
Whisk together the balsamic, agave, thyme, salt, and pepper and add olive oil while whisking. Toss the salad with the dressing and serve topped with pistachios.

**Both of these recipes are from RAW FOOD COOKBOOK & DIET: 75 Easy, Delicious, and Flexible Recipes for a Raw Food Diet (by Rockridge Press) [Available on Amazon to download to your Kindle!]

Raw Tomato Sauce

Raw Tomato Sauce

Our CSA also yielded some awesome organic tomatoes this week, so I threw together a sauce for dinner. It was so yummy! (I served it over some Trader Joe's vegan meatless balls (which certainly aren't raw, but they're also yummy. heh.)

Method:
Roughly chop tomatoes and throw in blender with a large handful of fresh basil. Blend until smooth. I made enough so that I had about 3/4 of a blender full when done. You could throw any other spices into the blender to process them to make this completely raw, but I sautéed a little minced garlic in olive oil in a saucepan and then added the tomato mixture to heat it a bit. I also threw in some red pepper flake, oregano, salt & pepper to taste. :)

More on Vegan Bagel Spreads ...

Ok. So, I tried the Cashew Cream Cheese recipe in Crazy Sexy Kitchen and it's a pretty damn good raw vegan soy free alternative to cream cheese. It beats the smashed avocado. I also made the Tofu Ricotta from Veganomicon which is a good one too. I'm thinking the Cashew Ricotta from Veganomicon will probably be the winner. I'll try that next week. ;)

Here are some pictures of delicious wraps I've had over the past week or so. The first one is a veggie wrap from Strokos in Washington Heights (St. Nicholas Ave at 166th St.) and the second is the Smoky Avocado wrap from Blossom du Jour (three locations in Manhattan). Blossom du Jour is a 100% vegan takeaway. They also deliver and cater events. It was so yummy that it'll be my new Friday afternoon lunch after my yoga class. ;)

Lemon-Herb Orzo

Lemon-Herb Orzo
Ingredients:
1 box orzo pasta
3 tablespoons vegan butter (such as earth balance)
1/3 cup each chopped fresh chives, dill, and parsley
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (or more to taste)
salt and pepper (to taste)
Method: Cook orzo according to package directions, drain, and toss in a large bowl with the remaining ingredients.

This was so yummy! I served it with some roasted carrots. Mmmmmmm ...

(Recipe adapted from one found in Food Network Magazine, July 2013.)

Chewie is enjoying his summer ...

 

Chewie, my extra adorable yorkie, has been making the most of summer.
Here he is enjoying Prospect Park and on beach patrol at the Jersey shore. ;)

Chewie is a healthy, happy, spoiled vegan doggie; he eats Natural Balance dog food, all sorts of veggies, and many great treats by Fruitables!

Going green ... and a Quick Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad ... yum!

 
 


So, I've been really sick this year and I credit that, in large part, to my eating a lot of dairy and some processed food again. After my latest bout with illness, I'm trying to be done with dairy again and eat much more clean. Since I was feeling miserable anyway, I managed to quit coffee while I was sick two weeks ago. I start the day with water or a fresh raw juice which makes a lot more sense! I'm sure my immune system is thanking me already.


I also quit dairy. My biggest weakness is a toasted bagel with cream cheese. Hey ... I'm raised in Jersey and I live in Brooklyn. This is, like, essential to life as, say, sunshine. So, I'm trying some alternatives. I don't like the Tofutti cream cheese style spread and so I tried the Daiya version. Sorry to say that the Daiya is not a tasty substitute in my opinion either. :(

So, I smeared some avocado on my bagel and that was better than any vegan cream cheese-like spread I've ever had. Hummus won't do the trick; it's got to be creamy. So, I think I'm going to try the tofu ricotta from Veganomicon next.


I also love provolone subs (a la the Jersey Shore style). This would be my last meal. Seriously. So, I tried the Daiya Provolone slices. I ordered a sub with no meat or cheese and then added the Daiya to it. No deal. Good try my friends at Daiya, but it can't really replace provolone for me. I put a few slices of avocado on the other half of my sub and that tasted pretty good. *sigh* ... but not as good as provolone. *sigh*

While I was at the Jersey shore for the weekend, I cooked up some yummy things ... Here are a few:

Roasted Red Pepper and Chickpea Salad with Parsley and Olives
Ingredients:
1 can chickpeas
1 jar roasted red peppers
1 bunch curly leaf Italian parsley
1 small can sliced black olives
1 shallot, diced
red wine vinegar and olive oil (I do half vinegar and half oil)
salt and pepper to taste
Method: combine all veggies in a bowl and drizzle with vinegar and oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
I served this with some couscous with toasted pine nuts and steamed kale as well as some roasted fennel, roasted eggplant, and a green salad.

Lillet Rose Cocktail

This might be the best cocktail ... ever.

Lillet Rose Cocktail
(recipe based on one from Martha Stewart Living magazine April 2012)

2 parts Lillet Rose aperitif
2 parts Ruby Red grapefruit juice
1 part gin

Shake in a cocktail shaker with some ice and serve up (picture above)
... or ...
Muddle some fresh basil leaves in a rocks glass, add ice, shake ingredients in a cocktail shaker with some ice and pour over ice and basil (picture below) (optional: add some seltzer on top)

Vegan Summer Rolls

I finally made summer rolls! They were far easier than I thought they'd be! I thought I'd be wrestling with broken rice paper wrappers and unable to actually make a neat roll. Not shabby for my first attempt ...

The lovely filling stuffs ... some avocado, sprouts, basil, julienned orange pepper, sliced cucumber ... I also put some shredded carrots and cellophane noodles in these rolls.


To make cellophane noodles: The package should have the instructions, but all you do is drop them in boiling water, turn off the heat, let them sit for about 10 minutes, and drain.
To make summer rolls: Just dip rice paper wrapper quickly in room temperature water until it becomes pliable. Lay on a cutting board and put in some of the ingredients you've chosen to stuff them with. Roll wrapper over ingredients, tuck ends in (like a burrito), and finish rolling up.
Voila! So healthy ... so delicious! 

I like to dip these in peanut sauce or sweet and sour sauce (both of which you can buy over the counter).

Summer Tomato Salad (thanks to my local CSA)

Summer Tomato Salad

My CSA delivered some delish local organic tomatoes this week, so I made this simple salad that was out of this world. It's just fresh sliced tomatoes, roasted red pepper, pitted kalamata olives (capers would also be nice here), and some homemade pesto dotted on top. Yum!

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Garlic Scape Pesto with Orecchiette, Roasted Tomatoes, and Roasted Eggplant (one of those rare recipes that are not vegan)

Garlic Scape Pesto with Orecchiette, Roasted Tomatoes, and Roasted Eggplant

Garlic scapes are usually only available in June from your local farmer's market, so take advantage and enjoy these summer treats!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
11 garlic scapes, green parts chopped into 1" pieces
2.5oz (70 grams) of fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 to 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano cheese (grana padano would also work nicely)
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup water
3/4 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half and roasted at 400F for about 20 mins
1 large eggplant, roasted at 400F for about 1 hour (i'd say this is optional ...)
1 pound orecchiette pasta

Method:
1. Roast eggplant: Coat eggplant in olive oil and prick with a knife on all sides. Roast at 400F for about an hour.
2. While the eggplant is roasting, make the pesto. Place pine nuts, chopped garlic scapes, basil leaves, lemon juice, and grated cheese in food processor and add olive oil as you are processing and then add water if you want the pesto to be a little thinner.
3. After the eggplant is done roasting, remove from oven and scoop out the flesh and place in a separate bowl. Discard the skin.
4. Roast the tomato halves: Place cut side up on the same pan that you roasted the eggplant on. Spray with a coating of olive oil spray. Sprinkle with fresh black pepper. Roast at 400F for about 20 minutes - until withered and slightly brown on underside.
5. While the tomatoes are roasting, cook the pasta. Boil orecchiette for about 10-12 minutes (until al dente).
6. When pasta is done, drain and combine in a large bowl with pesto, eggplant flesh, and roasted tomatoes.

The Perfect Limeade

I don't have a big sweet tooth and I much prefer savory treats, but this is quite yummy when you are craving something sweet and refreshing ... as long as you're not diabetic. ;)

The Perfect Limeade

2 cups simple syrup (2 cups vegan sugar, 2 cups water)
2 cups fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt

This recipe makes a half pitcher. *Just substitute lemon juice for lime juice for the perfect lemonade.

First, make your simple syrup. Pour two cups water and two cups sugar into a saucepan and heat until the sugar is dissolved. Chill in fridge. Pour two cups fresh squeezed lime juice into pitcher. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 cup water. Add 2 cups of the simple syrup once it's chilled and stir well. Add some thin slices of lime to make it look pretty.
Serve over ice.

This also makes a great margarita base; just add tequila and a smidge of orange liqueur to your glass and stir. Mmmm.