cinco de mayo salsa

Get ready!! Our family has been making this fresh, homemade salsa for years and it has become a staple in our fiesta dinner extravaganza!! We love our mexican food and this just completes us on so many levels. Perfect for creating a massive vegan burrito as well as the ultimate dip for your chips. Get creative with this recipe because we promise you that it is the best way to get your 5 servings of veggies!! All you need to do is chop the following organic veggies + mix:

4 roma tomatoes, 1 red onion, 1 tomatillo, 2 jalapeno peppers, 2 cups fresh corn, 1/2 cup cilantro, 2 avocados. Sprinkle a little sea salt+pepper and go to town!! P.S. Tequila and chips required. . .

{how cute is our dad's hand dipping the first chip??}

Here is the mega vegan burrito made with our salsa, spicy black bean spread (from Trader Joes) and some lettuce shreds!! YUM!! What will you create with this salsa?

vegetarian patchwork pasta salad

By the end of the week, our fridge looks like a patchwork of leftovers! Time to get creative and pull together a fabulous meal to celebrate the weekend. We grabbed all of the fresh veggies that we had straggling around and the last box of pasta noodles that was hiding in the back of the pantry. Mixing them all together turned out to be a very happy medley of flavors and a guiltless night of grubbing! We think that the patchwork pasta is worth adding into our weekly meal plan. . . and it is great for lunch the next day too! Only if you don't eat the whole batch in one sitting like we did!

ONE

 cook and drain whole wheat pasta

TWO

 chop your organic veggies:

carrots

red onion

red bell pepper

fresh corn

peas

edamame

THREE

 saute veggies in a skillet over medium heat

FOUR

 add a little:

garlic

salt + pepper

extra virgin olive oil

FIVE

 toss veggies and pasta together, adding feta cheese (optional) and a little balsamic vinaigrette

enjoy!!

vegan spicy sushi rolls

Sushi is one of our families favorite indulgences. . . so we decided to step up to the challenge of creating our own vegetable rolls. We had been warned, and we were nervous, but we knew we could do it! We pulled out our patience pom-poms and got twirling. With the help of a little Hall and Oats Radio, we were zen masters in no time!  

makes 4 rolls

1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise

1 tablespoon of sriracha

4 sheets of nori

3 cups prepared sushi rice

1 avocado, peeled, pitted, sliced

1/2 cucumber, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced

1/2 carrot, julienned

steamed asparagus

soy sauce

wasabi

pickled ginger

you also need:

bamboo sushi mat

secret heart spicy sauce

In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise with the sriracha. 

Taste and add more if you like it hot and spicy! 

sushi rolls

Place your bamboo sushi mat on a clean surface, with the sticks of the mat parallel to you. Place a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down, shorter edge toward you. Have a shallow bowl of water nearby to save you from a hot sticky mess! Dampen your hands in the water, use your fingers to press about 2/3 cup of Sushi Rice onto the nori, covering 2/3 of the sheet leaving about a one inch border around the edge of the mat. Get creative and place your veggies in a beautiful row about 2 inches from the edge of the mat closest to you. 

Take a deep breath and go for it! Start rolling the mat with a firm grip, enclosing the fillings. Give it a squeeze and continue making a compact roll by raising the end of the mat slightly to avoid rolling it in with the nori. Once you have completely rolled your sushi let it rest for a minute or two. Grab a sharp knife and moisten the blade with some toasted sesame oil. Slice the roll into 8 pieces. 

P.S. We enjoyed ours with some Fuji Apple flavored Saki. Delicious. 

recipe adapted from skinny bitch in the kitch

hipcooks LA

If you enjoy shuffling around the kitchen a little, you should definitely skip over to Hipcooks!  They have urban kitchens all over Southern California. . . get your hands dirty and knife skills sharpened with their hands on cooking classes. Give me alcohol, hand me a torch, and teach me some cutting techniques and I am one happy "chef". The East LA space is surrounded by artists studios and succulents,  I found myself daydreaming during class about how I would turn the kitchen loft into a living space. My favorite part is that they use fresh, organic ingredients and share recipes that are healthy and great for dinner parties or a romantic dinner for two! The perfect spot for a date or girls night out. . . and yes, they serve wine (they even have a cocktails class- yum) . Here is a little sneak peak of my trip. . . 

quick + easy veggie pot pie

Okay. So if you are like me, there are some nights that your belly is just craving something warm and comforting for dinner!  This recipe is super healthy, quick, and will satisfy that dreamy desire to indulge in something beyond the green salad that you have had for the past 3 nights in a row!

2 bags of Trader Joes Frozen Vegetable Melange
1 pie crust

3/4 Cup Canned Chickpeas, Undrained, use entire can of liquid
1/8 Teaspoon Cumin
1/8 Teaspoon Coriander
1/8 Teaspoon Turmeric
1/2 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
1 Tablespoon Corn Starch

Prepare the 2 bags of vegetable melange according to the package. While the veggies are cooking-

in a food processor put chickpeas with liquid, cumin, coriander, turmeric, nutritional yeast and corn starch. Process until liquefied. Pour into the pot with other ingredients and remove from heat.

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.

Spray 8X8 glass casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Pour ingredients from pot into baking dish. 

Place in oven and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until top is lightly brown.

Enjoy!!

Vegan Tip: If you want to try this vegan-style just use a regular frozen veggie mix, add some seasoning salute and a touch of olive oil. You can also make a half whole wheat crust if you have time!! Get the recipe here.

credit: trader joes ,  my vegan cookbook

big fat greek quesadillas

The oufit? A classic one shouldered Halston. The setting? A magical white linen tent on the bewitching sands of Santorini. What are we serving? The most bold and delicious quesadilla that you have ever tasted. Vitamin rich organic vegetables delicately scattered on top of a whole wheat tortilla and toasted to perfection! Enjoy this savory favorite with hummus or spicy red pepper sauce. . . These are getting tagged "husband approved". As the wife of a meat lover, it is hard to pull off a vegetarian meal without complaints. I am satisfied to tell you that he was so overwhelmed with joy from these veggie filled  delights that he didn't make a peep. And the cherry on top?  These babies are just as enjoyable the next day!

Market List

8 whole wheat tortillas {substitute gluten free or wheat free for those with sensitivities}
Fresh organic spinach (about 2 cups) 
One red onion 
Jarred red peppers or sundried tomatoes 
Falafel CrumblesMozzarella cheese, shredded (a handful or so per serving)  {optional}
Feta cheese (a few tablespoons per serving)  {optional}
Fresh Oregano 
Red pepper flakes

Get to Work

1  Chop the spinach. Thinly slice the red onion and red peppers

2  On a plate, place a tortilla. Sprinkle with your desired quantities of spinach, red onion, red pepper, falafel crumbles, mozzarella, feta, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Be careful not to get carried away!

3  Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat for a few minutes. Place the loaded tortilla on the griddle and place another tortilla on top. Cook until browned on the bottom, then flip and cook until browned on the other side (a few minutes per side).

Remove the tortilla and cut into wedges with a pizza cutter. If making several quesadillas at once, you can keep them warm in a 300°F oven.

credit: a couple cooks , fashions most wanted , tourism on the edge