Cacao-Covered Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake

Doesn't it sound devastating?

I assure you, it does a body good.

Energy in a glass. Sandwich in a straw. Cacao in an instant.

This makes 1 large shake (1.5 tall Collins glasses) and is incredibly filling - undoubtedly my most satisfying smoothie/shake yet. I almost couldn't finish. But I persevered.

Cacao-Covered Peanut Butter & Jelly Shake

1.5 cups almond milk

1 cup frozen berries (organic blueberry & organic raspberry here)

1/2 frozen banana

1.5 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

couple drops of stevia extract

Blend, baby, blend. Top with a dollop of PB.

Cold. Creamy. Fruity. Choco-fied. 

South Carolina Barbecue Tofu Sandwich: A Recipe from Spork Foods!

My cravings tend to sway more towards green juice than barbecue sauce, but let me tell you: I am all about the finger-lickin' good right now. That's because I've found a sauce recipe that is worth its salt. This craveable South Carolina-style sauce recipe comes from the Spork-Fed cookbook. We made the oh-so-soulful sandwich last week and then we added leftover sauce to mini tofu tacos over the weekend. Well, I will be making a bigger batch of sauce next time around, because it went FAST.

Lucky day. The Spork Foods sisters were kind enough to give me permission to share the recipe with you.

I highly recommend the book (other fave recipes of mine include the quinoa fennel white bean salad and the glazed tempeh) but if you need more convincing? Give this a whirl...

South Carolina Barbecue Tofu Sandwich

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:


1 tbsp neutral tasting high-heat oil, plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 1/2 small cans (about 3/4 cup) tomato paste
1/2 cup unfiltered apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup evaporated brown sugar
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tbsp vegan Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp sea salt, plus dash
1/2 tsp finely ground black pepper, plus dash
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp celery seed
1 tbsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, plus to taste
1/2 cup water


1 14 oz block extra-firm tofu
4-6 whole grain burger buns or dinner rolls

To make barbecue sauce, put a large (6-quart) pot over medium heat and add 1 tbsp oil, onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.

Add tomato paste, vinegar, brown sugar, brown rice syrup, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, black pepper, allspice, celery seed, mustard powder and cayenne. Add water. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. The longer the sauce is cooked, the better the flavor.

Preheat a large saute pan or grill pan and add remaining oil. Cut tofu into 1/4-inch slices. Place tofu in pan and sprinkle with a dash of sea salt and black pepper. Cook for about 4 minutes on first side until well browned. Flip and coat tofu with barbecue sauce. Cook for additional 5-7 minutes, flipping tofu over gently, until it looks well coated and is heated through.

Serve warm on a toasted whole grain bun or roll with all of the fixin's!

(Posted with permission from Spork Foods)

Spork Foods is a Los Angeles-based gourmet vegan food company owned and operated by sisters Jenny Engel and Heather Goldberg. They offer live cooking classes in Los Angeles at Spork Foods, online vegan cooking classes at www.sporkonline.com, one-on-one in-home healthy pantry makeovers, and recipe development/trainings for chefs, food companies and colleges. Their cookbook, Spork-Fed, is currently in stores, with a foreword by fellow fans and sisters, Emily and Zooey Deschanel.

Party Food.

All of those years of watching my mother prep for parties, lingering over the details, with platters and trays arranged ever so slightly, her beloved folders of clippings from home magazines with table displays and themes for just about any occasion.

Appetizers, canapes, hors d'oeuvres, crudites. There is nothing more I love about a cocktail party than preparing and arranging those little bites. 

These are the days of hummus, which is no stranger to my countertop, but if I have the time, I want to do it right. I want to think that mom and grandma are counting on me to serve a proper spread. Even if it has evolved beyond fancy crackers and cheese and things with toothpicks to reflect a modern vegan influence.

Don't fret, there are still toothpicks.

Teriyaki Tempeh Rollups, Sriracha Mayo, Veggies, Toothpicks!

Here are my tips for party eats that impress:

Big flavor. Since you only get a bite or two to make a statement, make a big one. Spice it up (even people who are sensitive to heat will be okay with just a bite or two of something particularly fierce). Just enough to wake them up, without being overwhelming.

Components. It's all about the details, so flavor-packed slaws, zingy sauces, and crunchy garnishes are what make an appetizer special. You can prep these ahead of time for quick assembly before guests arrive.

Go fresh. While it may take more time to knock out your own mini flax tortillas from scratch (see below), the flavor will justify the work and your guests will appreciate that you sweat a little for them. Not to mention how fun they are to make and how freakishly cute they are. Same thing with spreads. It's fine to serve hummus but make it yourself and make it special. Why pay $5.99 for hummus when your recipe is better? Kimberly Snyder's Zucchini Hummus is a refreshing change. And that homemade BBQ sauce? People will talk about it for years.

Recognizing when shortcuts are okay. There are a few exceptions. If I have time to make my own dehydrated crackers or macaroons for dessert, then fine, but these things can take several hours, so buy them if you must. I like Hail Merry's or Greenwood Kitchen's macaroons for a crowd-pleasing cookie platter. Greenwood Kitchen also makes tasty raw crackers. For tempeh, sometimes only Rhapsody (which is pre-cooked and delicious) will do, and everyone knows that Vegenaise is an incredible sauce base (mix it with Sriracha for a spicy mayo or Dijon mustard for a mustard sauce). I also like tahini mixed with miso and orange juice for a nice dipping sauce.

Finger-friendly. This is a no-brainer, but obviously you want to keep things small and chop things accordingly. This means that you should get a little crazy slicing your veggies because nobody wants giant hunks of carrot in their wrap that get in the way of conversation.

And As Always, Please Don't Serve Food in a Martini Glass. Really. Don't be that person.

BBQ Tofu Tacos, Tex Mex Slaw, Homemade Flax Tortillas

Smoked Mushroom Crostini, White Bean Puree, Sauerkraut, Mustard Cream

(inspired by Vedge's Happy Hour Menu)