The Great Pretender: Cacao Chip Smoothie.

Whenever I wish there was an Organic Avenue here in Philly (most of the time), I unearth this glass bottle from the cupboard and get to blending.

My version of  Organic Avenue's Mint Chip Smoothie (Mr. Vedge likes it even more than the original)

Cacao Chip Smoothie

1 cup almond milk (or coconut water)

1 frozen banana

3 tbsp hempseed powder (I use Navita Naturals)

1 tbsp cacao nibs

1 tbsp cacao powder

1/4 tsp vanilla

dash of cinnamon

dash of Himalayan salt

For Mint Chip version:

Add a handful of mint leaves

1/4 tsp mint extract

Blend all ingredients until desired consistency. I halved my recipe for part 1 of my breakfast, but the above recipe gets you pretty close to a full bottle's worth. 

It's an on-the-go breakfast - that'll truly convince your co-workers that you share the same level of etherealness as Gwyneth.  For the full effect, don't forget your metal or glass straw. 

Sip. Cue glow. Serenity slips over you and creates a tight seal between you and America-Runs-on-Dunkin. You've made it, at least for the morning.

Cooking with Mavea: Vegan Banana Shortcake with Cashew Cream.

Today we continue with my filtered water obsession. A few months ago, I filmed some cooking videos with Mavea, the makers of the water filter pitcher that I use at home. Naturally, each recipe called for filtered water.

In this video, I prepared my Vegan Banana Shortcake with Cashew Cream. Now if only I had remembered to smile or lighten up a little...



Since then, I've changed my hair color back to blonde (brings out my lighter side) and started welcoming berries back into the kitchen. So feel free to substitute the bananas in this recipe (it was the frigid death grip of January) for berries, peaches, or other fruit as it comes into season.

And always, always feed your videographer.

I hope you enjoy one of my classic vegan desserts, thanks to Mavea! Check back here or Mavea’s blog Inspiredwater.org to view more of my upcoming culinary videos.

Caramelized Banana Shortcake

2 cups spelt flour

¼ cup raw sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

½ tbsp. vanilla

1/3 cup coconut oil

¾ cup hot water

3 inch round biscuit cutter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together dry ingredients, and then pour hot water, vanilla, and oil on top. Combine until mixture is sticky.

Dust surface with spelt flour. Roll out dough on until it is 1 inch thick. Cut out biscuits with biscuit cutter and then place on cookie sheet, about an inch apart.

Brush tops of biscuits with oil and agave nectar. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden. Let cool.

Caramelized Bananas:

2 bananas, sliced

¼ cup raw sugar

1 tbsp margarine

½ lemon

Melt margarine in saucepan over medium high heat. Add bananas and sugar, squeeze of lemon over top, let cook for 5 minutes, stirring until caramelized.

Sweet Cashew Cream

1 cup raw cashews

Filtered water

½ tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

¼ cup agave nectar

Soak cashews 8 hours or overnight with enough filtered water to cover.  Drain and rinse cashews. Add cashews to blender with fresh filtered water, covering by an inch. Blend until creamy, and then add cinnamon, vanilla and agave nectar. Blend until combined and then strain through a mesh sieve.  Chill for 2 hours.

Assemble biscuit with banana slices and top with dollop of cashew cream.  Garnish with mint and chopped cashews.

Serves 4.

Vegan Royal Tea.

Oh, Kate and William. After the excitement of my own wedding last year, I quickly got caught up in the courtship of Prince William and his bride-to-be.

I've always been an Anglophile - Burberry, Kate Moss, high tea, the Kinks, Bertrand Russell, badminton, and the best Indian food in the world. The term "veganism" was even coined by Donald Watson of the British Vegan Society.

What's to argue? Of course I'll be tuning in to the broadcast of the wedding on April 29th.

But I'll do it in style.

This Vegan Tea Party spread is fit for fashion icon and soon-to-be Royal Highness, Kate Middleton, and anyone who is looking for any excuse for buttery vegan scones and a good English romance.

One of my most memorable teas was at the Four Seasons in Philadelphia. I'm sure they'd do Vegan Tea with advance notice - although I have only had the regular tea service there in the past. It's pretty enchanting.

However, it's much more fun to have your own.  For my Royal Wedding Tea Party, Vegan-Style, I planned the following:

Babycakes Lemon Poppy Teacake (from the first cookbook) - For a vegan teacake, this is moist, bright, and perfect for a cuppa.

Ginger Scones (I make scones based on the Babycakes recipe)

Earl Grey or English Breakfast Tea (I love Harney & Sons Earl Grey Supreme)

Cucumber-Dill Cream Cheese-Watercress Tea Sandwiches on Pumpernickel

Mix softened vegan cream cheese with chopped dill and fresh ground pepper, spread on soft pumpernickel bread with the crusts sliced off, and layer with cucumber slices and watercress. Cut in even rectangles, trinagles, or use biscuit cutters for rounds.

Pickled Radish & Butter Tea Sandwiches on Spelt

We cheated and use leftover pickled radish from our pickle plate at local vegan restaurant Horizons. But you can either make your own pickling liquid or save the pickling liquid from a jar of pickles. Try this easy recipe. We used Earth Balance Vegan Margarine to "butter" our sandwiches and a different bread, a spelt loaf, for some contrast on the tea sandwich plate.

One of Kate's favorite desserts, Sticky Toffee Pudding, is often on the dessert menu at Horizons (made by pastry chef also named Kate). You can find the recipe for the pudding in the book if you want to try your hand at it.

Maybe you care for something a little harder than tea? Break out a real martini. The Brits would approve.

Martini

1 1/2 oz. Cadenhead's Old Raj Dry Gin
3/4 oz. Dolin Dry Vermouth
2 dashes orange bitters

Stirred over ice, garnished with a lemon peel.

As for setting the table, the Bright Morning Teacups and Teapot from artist Samantha Robinson (available at Anthropologie) are zen-like and interesting without being too feminine and fussy.

Are you watching the Royal Wedding broadcast? Or do you think it's silly that all of the world is so fascinated by it?

Either way, who doesn't love a good tea?  Let me know what your favorite tea party element is. You can't be that soulless.

Hydros: A Filtered Water Bottle Review.

What's in your water? We shudder to think. I will only drink purified water at this point, unless I am at a restaurant, and even them I am kind of paranoid about it and briefly consider ordering bottled or sparkling (the way I do when I'm traveling outside of the country). Water snob? Me? All the way.

But even bottled water doesn't always measure up - Just check out the 2011 Bottled Water Scorecard from the Environmental Working Group.

And tap water is better than no water, right? How's a girl to stay super hydrated? At home I filter the water for our coffee, nut milks, even the water we use on our plant. I fill my water bottle with filtered water for on the go.

Well, that last part just got a little easier with this Extremely Portable, Instant Filter Water Bottle from Hydros, which they sent to me to check out. Thanks guys!

Two tastes that taste great together...faux leather and filtered water

Even better? Each purchase of a Hydros Bottle helps fight the Global Water Crisis. $1 from each Hydros Bottle will go towards a water infrastructure project designed to be socially, economically, and environmentally viable. I will drink to that.

Vegan Cacio e Pepe...with Green Tea Soba.

Cacio e Pepe (Spaghetti with Pecorino Romana and Fresh Ground Pepper) is a Roman pasta specialty that is one seductive plate of spaghetti. It trumps the romance from Lady and the Tramp and doesn't look back.

My spin includes Organic Green Tea Soba Noodles, Olive Oil, Fresh Ground Black Pepper, Parmesan, wait, Vegan Parmesan (or Nutritional Yeast) and Vegan Margarine -- and is every bit as delizioso as the original.

And much cooler, too, because Green Tea Soba (Cha Soba) rocks. It is nutritionally superior to most noodles, such a beautiful spring color, and is considered a delicacy in Japan - my thoughts are with this honorable country through the earthquake crisis - and I fully understand why.

So before you enjoy this dish, find out what you can do to help Japan here.

Vegan Cacio e Pepe

 6 oz of spaghetti or soba noodles

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp Earth Balance margarine 

1 tbsp vegan parmesan or nutritional yeast

1 tsp of black peppercorns, freshly cracked

Cook your noodles according to package, drain, and then place in saucepan with oil and margarine. Stir the butter and oil through the noodles for 1 - 2 minutes, then mix in pepper and parmesan. Painfully simple!

Makes 3 servings.

For lunch, I topped my cheesy, pepper-y noodles with leftover orange seared  pesto tofu from last night's supper. It was the stuff of pure amore...now you're left with a big decision: Chopsticks or fork?

Vegan Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes with Luscious Island Cream

Nothing transports you to the islands faster than this instant-sandy-beach breakfast recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes. They're unbelievably airy and blonde, but bring something special to your day...kind of like Brittany from Glee.

This tropical spin on pancakes is miles away from your ordinary chocolate chip or blueberry stacks. Reach for these sunny Vitamin-C cakes instead, boosted with a Choose-Your-Citrus Cream.

I chose lime, because I know it pairs so well with pineapple. I am obsessed with this lime cream and you will be, too. All of your spoons will disappear, it's that good.

You could even pour the lime cream over a pie crust and let chill until firm for Vegan Lime Cream Pie...

Orange, grapefruit, or lemon cream would be fantastic with these pancakes, too. Try passionfruit or mango juice to flavor your cream. 1 - 2 tbsp of juice is all you need...I've made the lemon cream for dessert, topped with blackberries, and it is ridiculously rich and light at the same time...

Pineapple Upside Down Pancakes with Luscious Island Cream

1 1/4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt

1 cup coconut milk 

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

rum extract, optional

1/4 of large pineapple, cut into thin 1/4 inch rings or slices

Vegan margarine for cooking

Combine dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients and add to dry. Spoon 1/4 cup of pancake batter onto sizzling pan, top with 2 pineapple rings. Cook over medium high heat until bubbles appear, then flip. Serve upside-down, of course, with Luscious Island Cream below.

Juice of 2 limes
1 12 oz package of silken tofu 
1/4 cup agave syrup
1 tsp of lime zest

For cream, blend lime juice, lime zest, tofu, and agave syrup until very smooth. Refrigerate leftover cream, it makes a lovely creamy pudding or pie filling as mentioned above. Try dipping fruit in it, topping shortcakes or scones, layering with granola for a parfait, and so on.

*Allergic to soy? Try blending a cup of soaked cashews with 1/4 cup of water, 1/4 cup agave nectar, and citrus. Add more water if needed.

Makes 6 pancakes.

This recipe is linked to Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Cashew Milk & Cookie Cake.

You can have a complete breakfast of vegan milk and oatmeal cookie cake...without being hungry an hour later. This is my Power Breakfast Combo.

Oatmeal Cookie Cake (goji, cacao nibs, coconut, banana) + Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk (blended cashews, strained, with cinnamon, vanilla, and agave syrup).

For a simple cashew milk recipe, head to Elana's Pantry.

For the Oatmeal Cake recipe, check out Chocolate Covered Katie's post. I used half a banana in mine instead of oil, because I had some super ripe bananas just hanging out.

The Taim Mobile Experience.

Last week, while I was doing my thing elsewhere in NYC, Mr. Vedge was in Midtown braving the wait for lunch from Taim Mobile Falafel Truck. You would think they were giving away an  iPad 2 with each order based on the length of this line.

Taim Mobile was recently chosen as the best Food Truck in New York, but how would it fly with Mr. Vedge's impressive falafel palate?

Some of us are suckers for a good falafel. He somehow convinced his co-workers to stand by him for this lunch challenge.

After waiting for nearly an hour and snapping pics the entire time, he shot me a quick text to let me know that it was really good and fresh, but not quite the Falafel Nazi (of Philadelphia fame).

The upside? Quinoa salad. pickles & spicy peppers, and those Thai basil smoothies.

Getting closer...

Almost there...

To the victor go the spoils

I still can't wait to try Taim Mobile myself, but I'm hoping for a much warmer day so that I can enjoy it outside...Have you ever tried Taim? What is your go-to falafel spot?

What Vegan Ireland Tastes Like.

Or so imagined by Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby of vegan mecca Horizons...Available Tuesday, March 15 - Thursday, March 17.

Probably the best thing you could do to your body in celebration of St. Patrick's Day. 

Horizons Emerald Isle Tasting Menu

3/15 - 3/17
5 courses
$45
Beer pairing
$20
We request that the entire table participate

Coal Roasted Leek and Salsify Puree braised barley and pickled rutabaga
Righteous Rye Pale Ale, Sixpoint, Brooklyn, NY　

Emerald Salad baby farm leaves and herbs, capers, cucumbers, english peas,smoked tofu, brown bread croutons & walnut-onion dressing
*Ballast Point Big Eye IPA, San Diego, CA

Variation on Colcannon beer battered potato-turnip fritters, wilted kales and cabbages, smoked grain mustard sauce
Kelpie Seaweed Ale, Heather Brewing, Scotland　

Seitan, Porcini & Ale Pie roots and branches, truffled celery root crust
Satin Solstice Imperial Stout, Central Waters, WI　

Sticky Toffee Pudding vanilla bean ice cream, salted brown caramel
Housemade Jameson Irish Coffee


*Ed. Note: Ballast Point is in the process of eliminating gelatin from their beer, and may or may not be vegan as of this time. Thanks to reader Kevin Mudrick for the heads up. If anyone has any updates, please let me know. Details from Barnivore.com: http://www.barnivore.com/beer/1189/Ballast-Point-Brewing-Distilling?keyword=ballast

Pumped Up Pancakes.

I rarely worry about protein in my legume-and-nut high diet. 

But Hemp Protein Powder happens to be rich in Omega Fatty Acids and Iron - all the more reason to add a scoop to my smoothies or even...my pancakes.

I use the Healthy Spelt Pancakes for One recipe from Oh She Glows with a heaping tablespoon of the greenish powder. Don't let the green scare you off...just mix until it blends in and add a bunch of cinnamon. Your pancake batter will maintain a normal hue. 

But, really, what's wrong with Green Pancakes? I can't find any fault.

You can lightly taste the nuttiness of the powder, and it does result in a heartier pancake. I like to drizzle some nut butter or coconut oil on my pancakes in addition to agave syrup. Top with coconut.

You could also make a really giant protein pancake and then flex and grunt while you eat the whole thing.  Yeah.

It's a few bucks cheaper on Amazon, but many health food stores also carry the Navitas Naturals brand.

Another protein-rich pancake recipe that I love? This one is a brunch crowd pleaser...the Pecan Pancakes from the Power Foods Cookbook, prepared vegan-style (with flaxmeal/water to replace egg, canned pumpkin to replace yogurt, and nondairy milk) packs 12 grams of protein per serving.  The flax provides the fatty acids and the pumpkin kicks in iron. 

Previously...

Vegan Power Food in Rittenhouse Square.

Sweat First, Then Shop? Exhale MindBodySpa.

Yoga on the road? I could not crave it more. It helps me stay grounded wherever I go and unwind after a busy day of wandering.

I pulled up all of the nearby yoga studios on my phone and determined that Exhale MindBodySpa on the Upper East Side was the closest option with the most convenient schedule. 

I did not realize that it was located in the very same building that I had my wedding dress fittings last year. Oh, if only I had known about the spa at that time.

Exhale Spa has everything...including an on-site boutique.

Yoga is good for me. Shopping is, well, not quite. But yoga and shopping? Well, sometimes I'm the Vegan Cher from Clueless, but it could be the best of both worlds.

And then of course, I was hungry for more yoga, and checked out Strala Yoga in Soho. I was hoping to take a class with badass yogi Tara Stiles, but my timing put me there a bit on the early side. The studio is large and the "Strong" class was a nice way to recharge for my evening.

I call this "yogi jedi"

How do you feel about shopping at fitness studios? A convenient place to shop for new gear? Or No, thanks, I'm here to build discipline?

Either way, I spent most of my week learning to exhale and appreciating every second of it. 

Raw Days in NYC.

Mint Chip Smoothie for Two...this is officially the most delicious and filling smoothie I have ever had for breakfast. It's from Organic Avenue. The petite location that recently opened on the Upper East Side was such a relief to discover during our stay in NYC earlier this week.

We split this with a fruit bowl for breakfast and I cleaned out the jar to bring home. I'm going to re-create the smoothie for breakfast. At least until they open a Philly location...

I'll be taking the Advanced Raw Cuisine Class at Organic Avenue on April 17th. Hope to see some fellow bloggers there.

I ate mostly salads during the stay. I could feel spring leaning towards us. The Grilled Kale Salad at Candle 79 was fantastic and I found a nice Winter Chopped Salad at a new-ish spot near Soho called Hundred Acres (with family).

But the highlight of the trip was Quintessence, of course.

If you are curious about raw cuisine, at all, this is the place you NEED to get to.

NEED, people. This place is such a slept on restaurant. I never hear anyone mention it or recommend it, so when VKO from Lifestyles of the Chic & Vegan told me how great Quintessence was, I knew that I would be sitting across from her eating this one day:

VKO recommended the Mexican Platter, so that's what I went for. But I was so tempted by everything else on the menu - especially the lunch specials and the brunch menu. I will be coming back here immediately!

The platter consisted of:  A golden flax and corn tortilla filled with "refried beans", "cheese", tomato and lettuce drenched with mole sauce and finished with a dollop of "sour crème" paired with our new amazing tostada. Served with Guajillo chili sauce and garlic scallion wild rice.

Plus, a side salad with a delicious green wasabi dressing. A generous portion of fresh and expertly prepared Raw Goddess Food. There were so many layers to this dish that all fit together. I loved everything from the "nut meat" to the mole sauce.

It was such a value, too. Raw food tends to be much pricier because it's time consuming to process the dishes - soaking nuts for nutmilks, cheeses, and sauces, dehydrating breads, wraps, veggies...this all can take hours to days to end up with a complete dish. But this lunch was a steal....

The cafe was tinier than expected and very relaxed and casual - no pretenses and lots of sun. And they have fun things like:

Bagel with Creme Cheese 

2 Slices of our tasty kamut bread topped with plain or scallion cashew cheese, a slice of tomato and black pepper. Add Caramelized Onions 

Nut Milk 

"Got nut milk?" A great discovery for those who are lactose intolerant. A simple, silky blend of soaked cashew (for easy digestion),vanilla and coco butter.

Mock Tuna Sahimi Ceviche - NEW! 

Topped with guacamole and nori chia caviar on a slice of tomato served with zucchini paprika toast.

In case you were wondering what I am having next time I go...

Lunch with other vegan bloggers always feels right. So thanks, VKO, for inspiring me to check out Quintessence.

True Colors.

Vegan Vanity. Blonde is not my true color, but in a way, I think it is. Animal-friendly organic color gently gets me to whichever side I'm feeling without stressing out my hair.

I like this in-between shade for now.

Before and After.

Some day my prints will come.

Cuckoo for Cacao.

Raw cacao bar samples are the best Friday surprise.

These little packets of luscious arrived from Earthsource Organics the other day. And what a stash...

Righteously Raw Organic Cacao Bars: Goji, Acai, Caramel, Maqui (Rose), Chocolate Maca.

Shortly after wine bars, cacao bars are high on my list of bars to spend time in. This Cacao Barfly loves 'em all, but it was my first time saddling up for Righteously Raw.

So far, I've tried the Caramel Bar. There's no caramel here but a combination of dates, lucuma, and agave, nature's caramel. It's still rich and decadent, without the toothache. And the health benefits for this and each of the bars far outweigh those of your typical chocolate bar.

I'm looking forward to the other flavors. If you really want to add something special to your treat arsenal (we all have one), this is a fine choice.

Plus, they look like raw vegan Kit-Kats...three sticks, perfect for breaking off a piece 'o that.