The other morning I rushed out of the house only to figure out two things…
1. I did such a good job rushing, that I was actually 30 mins early. (I was on “late” shift!)
2. I was hungry, and hungry for a green smoothie!

Fortunately for me, I recently looked up the fruit & veggie smoothies that Jamba Juice now carries, and there is a Jamba Juice very conveniently located right on my way to work. As it turned out, they’re not all that busy at 7:30 AM. I mean, I’ve never stepped foot inside a JJ before, so I don’t know what their normal wait time is like, but there were just a couple of FAU student types getting their drinks when I came in. (FAU campus is directly across the street.)

I went with the Apple ‘n Greens, because it seemed to me the greenest of the three options. Ingredients: Apple-Strawberry Juice, Green Vegetable Juice (Carrots, Spinach, Bell Pepper, Kale, Spirulina, Lettuce), Peaches, Mangos, Bananas, Ice

It was kind of pricey for such a small cup’s worth, but it really hit the spot. And it wasn’t too sweet, as I’d imagined it would be. So I was thoroughly satisfied. I highly recommend trying one if you find yourself in need of a green smoothie and away from your supplies to get the job done.

They have two other flavors too, if you’re new to the idea of drinking fruits with vegetables…

Berry UpBEET™ Ingredients: Strawberries, Blueberries, Mixed Berry Juice, Red Vegetable Juice (Carrots, Beets, Broccoli, Spinach, Kale, Lettuce), Mangos, Ice

and the least threatening, with NO green at all…

Orange Carrot Karma Ingredients: Orange Juice, Carrot Juice, Mangos, Bananas, Ice

We spent the Mother’s Day weekend in Winter Haven this year, to see Thomas’ mom. Winter Haven is southern feeling town in between Orlando and Tampa, and now home to newest park in the area, LegoLand. It is also a town where you’re likely to find a lot of barbeque, and not a whole lot of people who even know what vegan means. Which is fine, unless you need to eat something.

Being that it was Mother’s Day, I had a couple of factors against me about getting a decent lunch. First, there was a good chance the ladies of honor were not going to pick a vegan friendly establishment, and I could get stuck eating french fries, so I needed a pre-lunch, lunch. Second, because of the holiday, the independently owned safe options were closed.

Our hunt for a chain restaurant that would work landed us at Crispers. They had some vegetarian dishes clearly marked, but I decided to Pick a Pair, and just veganize their Southwest Salad, as their menu “We can make practically any salad meat-free. Just Ask!” encouraged. I chose this one, so I could get some protein from the black beans.

Sidenote: Dear salad places/restaurants, if you’re going to make a vegetarian salad, could you include some protein please? We need it too. Chickpeas, black beans, white beans, lentils, quinoa, etc. would be most appreciated. Kale would be great too. Thanks very much.

Southwest Salad -no chicken, no cheese, no tortilla strips, no ranch, & a cup of Vegetarian Vegetable that came served with saltines, also vegan.

I dressed my salad with some pepper and some lemon juice I squeezed from the lemons at the drink station! And we even got a free fountain drink with my check-in on Foursquare.

I actually ended up having plenty of lunch in the end. We ended up going to Chili’s, where I had a cup of black beans, and some awesome guacamole, along with some free chips & salsa from our check-in on Foursquare. So yah, sometimes you just have to get creative.

I’ve been wearing almost nothing but Danskos and Sanitas for years now. I originally got hooked on them when I was working retail in a uniform shop. Working in retail for years, and then in the medical field, these became the only shoes I’d work in. However, as my feet got spoiled over time, they also became the only shoes I really care to wear. I will occasionally don the requisite heels for fancy dresses and events, but thankfully I’ve even been able to get some decent looking sandals over the years that I can wear to all my less formal outings.Though I’m not sure what I’ll do when those give out. (Thankfully, if I don’t work in them, they seem to last almost forever.)

So now let’s talk vegan. It’s been over 2 years now since I took the plunge into a vegan diet. I wasn’t one of those that became super vegan overnight, though. For a long time it was strictly diet, though it did make me pause when making some other choices. Over time I’ve slowly started to veganize other parts of my life. One of these discoveries was my Urban Decay mascara, which I’m not sure how I lived without. It is by far the best mascara, ever, in my opinion, vegan or not! But I digress…

Both Dansko and Sanita have been making vegan clogs for years. The only problem is up until now they were gaudy, hideous and impractical for medical or kitchen workers. They were using fabrics like felt, flannel, etc. in crazy, colorful patterns. And frankly, some of us are more of the black patent [faux] leather variety. In the last year they both finally made some advances. Sanita made a plain black pleather version of their “professional” which you can get in both men’s & women’s sizing, as both a first quality or much more economically priced factory second at ClogOutlet.com: here! (You’ll also find some not too, too, psychedelic vegan sandals on there on clearance right now!)

And then Dansko came out with a new collection of coated canvas clogs that really answered the call for me. They made 3 different patterns of this clog, and two plain. One in all white, and one that is all black (and shiny!) I couldn’t resist picking up this blue pair for work, even if it was still flowery because it matched my scrubs. Their vegan line has a perforated foamy type liner inside in lieu of the leather liner, which is believe it or not, even more comfortable than the originals. These are literally like walking in house slippers with amazing arch support. The fact that they’re coated canvas is a great idea too for durability’s sake. (Not to mention easy to clean up!) That’s what all those incredibly old Louis Vuitton trunks, as well as modern bags are made of, and they last eternally!

So what’s the difference between the two brands?

Well, there really shouldn’t be much of one since Dansko had the patent from Sanita for years, but the fit IS different. Sanita’s run more narrow than Dansko’s. I’ve always been a true 7.5 (sometimes 7), and these only come in euro sizing. So in Danskos I’ve always worn 38s, but they were pretty loose. Sometimes in Sanitas the 38′s instep is a bit uncomfortably tight for me. So basically, I wear thick socks with Danskos and thin socks with Sanita. The arch hits me just a teensy bit better in the Sanitas, but I think that’s just because it’s a smaller shoe overall, and therefore closer to my true size. So you may need to try both to figure out which one is better for your foot and needs. I like shopping at Zappos.com because you get free shipping both ways, so if it doesn’t work out, you’re not out any shipping or gas. Plus, they usually ship to you in 2 days, and you don’t have to set foot inside a mall! : )

My hope is that if they get enough interest, they’ll start making some other styles, like strappy, black sandals before my current ones wear out! Hope this is useful to some of you out there!

Ty

I miss my Boris.

Hi!
So not a food post. Just checking in.

Some of you may know that I adopted out Boris & Tashi. It was a very difficult decision to make, and it had been a long time in the works. We had kept them out of the bedroom for the last year to help with Thomas’ allergies & asthma symptoms, and it made it very difficult on all of us, but especially for Boris. He’d been with me the longest, and couldn’t understand why he was being shut out. Consequently, we weren’t spending enough time with them anymore, and then we moved to an apartment half the size and it was no longer working. Even my slight allergies to them worsened in the smaller place. In the end I decided to adopt them both out, so they could stay together. They went to a wonderful lady in Naples, Fl who’s mainecoon cat had passed last year, & who loves them like crazy, has lots of time to spend with them, and spoils them rotten.

Recently, we attempted to adopt a greyhound, but it didn’t work out at all. She was a wonderful dog, very sweet and smart, so not her fault in any way. Along with me getting hives, the experience really solidified the fact that I have always been, and will always be a cat person. Her presence only made the separation I felt from Boris even worse, and really a dog was a huge conflict with our lifestyle. So we wish her all the best in her forever home when she finds it! She certainly deserves one!

In order to not have to go through another emotional situation with a pet, I’m attempting to find a more hypoallergenic cat for the future. Even though I would prefer a rescue ethically, I’m trying to find the right breed to make this possible. As a kid we had Balinese cats, because they were the only ones my extremely allergic & asthmatic mother was able to tolerate. Over the years she became a little more tolerant to other cats as well. Balinese cats still come up as one of the top hypoallergenic breeds, but they still shed a lot of hair = so more airborne allergen, especially in a small apartment. So I’ve been researching Devon Rex cats. My friend has 2, and we’re going to pay him a visit to see how Thomas can tolerate being in a Rex home. It would also be great to have my mom be able to come into my house for more than 5 minutes, as well as other allergic people in my life, so that would be a big plus.

bluepoint Devon Rex. same color as some of my ragdolls & balinese cats from the past.

Cross your fingers for us!

I’ll try to get cooking some more again, and slack a little less now that some of this drama has subsided!

xoxo,
Ty

This challenge came about because the basil that I had intended to use for Thursday’s meal was dead in the fridge by Wednesday. Of course, if I had read the instructions on the hydroponic packaging first, I wouldn’t have put it in the fridge, but rather in a glass of water on the counter as suggested, but hindsight is 20/20. RECIPE AT THE END! : )

So… enter Thursday, the weekend approaching and produce that still needed using up. I decided a pasta dish was in order and this is what I had to work with…

I decided to bake the tofu in the 1/2 jar of marinara sauce I had left over. Since I found sprouted, pre-pressed tofu, I’ve been using it almost exclusively as a time saver. I simply cut it into squares, tossed them in the sauce and baked for 20 minutes.

I was out of garlic, so I used some shallots and red onions as my base for a from scratch sauce. I used a little red wine to deglaze the pot.

Here the fresh tomatoes go in with a bunch of spices…

I added some frozen, chopped spinach at the very end of the sauce. Just a few minutes to heat through, but so that it stays nice and bright.

And here is everyone in, and tossed around to thoroughly combine.

Angel Hair w/ Tofu, Spinach & Greenbeans

8 oz package of thin pasta of choice, cooked al dente according to instructions
1/2 lb of green beans, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces, added to cooking pasta for last 6-7 minutes!

1/2 jar of marinara sauce
1 block of pressed tofu, firm or extra firm

Olive oil for misting pot
1 shallot, chopped finely
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
2 large tomatoes, chopped
Splash of red wine, optional (I used some cabernet)

1/2 tsp. of garlic powder (I was out of fresh!)
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. of thyme
pinch of rosemary
pinch of salt
fresh ground pepper
crushed red pepper for heat

~1 c. of crushed tomatoes
1-2 c. of chopped frozen spinach

Directions:

1. Preheat oven or toaster oven to 400*F. Pour half of jar sauce into a baking dish. (An 8×8 or glass pie dish works great!) Add tofu squares and cover with remaining sauce. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20-30 minutes. (I baked for 20 minutes and turned off the toaster oven, and just let it sit until I was ready.)

2. (Set your pasta water to boil!) Mist a medium pot with olive oil and raise to medium heat. Add shallots and onions, and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden and softened. (If you have some garlic, add a clove or two, minced here! I was out!) Pour in a splash of red wine if using, and let it cook off for a minute or two.

3. Add tomatoes and spices of your liking, and cover to simmer for 5 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer until pasta is almost ready. Mix in the frozen chopped spinach a few minutes before the pasta is done.

4. Add green beans to cooking pasta for last 6-7 minutes. Drain, return to pot, add sauce, and tofu and sauce and combine well. Top with nutritional yeast and/or vegan parm. Enjoy!

Result:

This was pretty good! Still got a nice, fresh tasting dish, even with some of the jar sauce mixed in. The baked tofu gave it a nice mozzarella type feel, and the green beans cooked up perfectly. Yum!

Have you tried Evol frozen burritos? They’re pretty good and come in two vegan varieties: Tofu & Spinach Saute, and Veggie Fajita. They’re 80% and 70% organic, respectively, and make a nice snack or light, quick meal. According to their website, they also make a 70% organic, vegan Veggie Curry wrap, which sounds pretty good. I’m always on the lookout for things to stock the freezer with for lazy days or when I’m absolutely famished and need immediate gratification. We ate these back in the old apartment after we had packed up the kitchen! ; )

Don’t let the names fool you, they pack a bunch of stuff in here, including 10-12g of protein and black beans in both!

Tofu & Spinach Saute: Tofu sautéed with spinach, roasted potatoes, black beans and an authentic tomato salsa–All hand rolled together in an insanely tasty whole wheat flour tortilla.

Veggie Fajita: Sautéed red & green bell peppers, black beans, brown rice and an authentic tomato & roasted corn salsa–All hand rolled together in an insanely tasty whole wheat flour tortilla.

Well, by the end of this past weekend I finally had unpacked and organized all of my remaining kitchen items. (A few things had to be returned to their owners or donated.) I made out a meal plan for the week, for what seemed like the first time in ages, and headed to the store. I’ve been favoring AFR lately in an attempt to make my cooking life a little simpler and leaner. And I even managed to make a couple of dishes from it in the midst of being half unpacked the last few weeks.

This ended up being 3 courses of mixed latin fusion inspired goodness.

The Kale salad was of my own invention to use up some ripe mango and avocado I got from my mother. I used kale because I’m addicted to it and crave it all the time, but I snuck in a little chiffonade of basil since I had just bought it and it smelled so good. It made for a very nice, fresh contrast. I added black beans and some super fresh corn to give it a sort of mexi vibe, and dressed it very lightly with lime juice, a tiny mist of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and some fresh ground smoked black pepper.

Mango, Avocado, Kale salad

1 bunch of kale, stems removed, ripped or chopped into tiny pieces
10 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade or chopped finely, optional
1 mango, small dice
1 avocado, small dice
1 can of black beans, well rinsed
1 tbsp. of red onion, chopped finely
fresh corn cut from one ear
lime juice, to taste
olive oil, optional
salt & pepper

I was going to try Isa’s suggested Mashed Yuca with Cilantro & Lime, but both stores I went to were curiously out of cilantro. I was already planning on buying the Goya frozen yuca instead of buying fresh, since that’s all I’ve ever seen my family use, and it was easier. That’s what’s in that pot there below on the right, 2 small bags worth. I had a little red onion left from the salad, so that’s the pink you’ll surely notice in my final result. I used this and 2 big cloves of garlic to make a quickie mojo, because I just can’t imagine eating yuca without it. So I’ll put my little version here as well. It sure tasted good. But honestly, just the yuca straight out of the salted water tasted amazing. I love yuca. I had never made it before. I did use Isa’s suggestion for reserving a cup of the cooking water to mash with.

So I made a double batch of the tofu, because Thomas is a tofu eating machine, and I wanted some leftovers to eat with the leftover salad for lunch the next day. (PS- I did, and they were extremely delicious together!) So that’s me putting fork holes in two bricks of sprouted, prepressed tofu. The only thing I didn’t double in the marinade was the oil. I stuck with just the 1 tsp. and I used less salt in the rub, and not quite double the chili powder.

In the marinade…

With their rub on…

Baked, flipped, baked some more & outta the oven…

Ty’s Mojo Infused Mashed Yuca

2 lbs of frozen yuca chunks (I used the Goya Brand), cooked according to package directions/taste. I like mine a bit “al dente” for lack of a better term. Yuca will get mushy, but for me the perfect texture is still firm on the inside.
1 c. of reserved cooking water
1 tbsp. finely chopped onion
2 large cloves of garlic, very thinly sliced
mist of olive oil
2 tbsp. lime juice, split

Directions:

1. In the last 5-10 minutes of yuca cooking, spray a small skillet with a little olive oil and lightly fry up onion and garlic. As it gets dryer, splash in 1 tbsp. of lime juice, and cook down.

2. Drain yuca and return to pot or to a large bowl you can mash it in. Remove the fibrous little strings in the centers of the chunks, preferably with a fork so you don’t burn your fingers. Add “mojo” mixture, additional lime juice and enough cooking water to get to your desired consistency. Mmm! This made a wonderful bed for the tofu.

Final Thoughts…

So if you’re really cool, you could knock this out in 30 minutes flat. If you make the salad while the other 2 cook. I’m not that cool, so it took me somewhere between 45-60 minutes so that I could include dancing and beer drinking too. If you haven’t checked out Appetite for Reduction, it’s worth checking out. The recipes are a lot simpler than let’s say the Veganomicon, but still packed with plenty of flavor and guiltier items too like corn bread and onion rings, etc. I like it so much I even bought the kindle edition with the intent of selling back or giving away my hard copy, but don’t think I will after all.

So I’ve been on an Italian food kick recently, and I think it all started with this amazing gnocchi from Wave 2700. (I think about it all the time! ) We dined here one other time last year, and the food seems to be consistently excellent. A great place to go when you’re feeling a little fancy, or want to dine with omnis for a special occasion. And if you’re anything like us, you’ll appreciate the small selection of craft beers that they rotate. I’d also like to applaud that they now have vegan dessert options, and that the vegan menu has been given its own section in their regular menu instead of being relegated to the trifold on the table.

Rolls, salad and dressing. All vegan. Yes!

So much deliciousness. This sauce is bursting with fresh basil, tomato, and garlic.

Wave 2700 is inconspicuously located right next to the lobby of the  Best Western hotel at 2700 N. Federal Hwy,  Boca Raton, Fl. 561-361-2700. Reservations accepted.

As you can probably tell, I haven’t been doing a whole lot of cooking since we moved to Fort Lauderdale. Fortunately for us, there are quite a lot of restaurants to choose from in our area, and while most of them aren’t expressly vegetarian, I’ve been able to feed myself just fine from the selections offered. We’ve been hitting up many of the mexican restaurants, and were meaning to try The Whole Enchilada again. We had been here one time last year, on an off day, when the staff was really overwhelmed. Today the service was friendly & quick and the food was good & plentiful. They have seared tofu as a protein option, which I really appreciate for variety’s sake, and both their black beans & pinto beans are vegetarian.

For $7.69 I got a massive Tostada complete with lettuce, rice, black beans, guac, seared tofu, and lots of toppings I picked up at the salsa bar. I ordered this without sour cream (and I said no cheese, but I’m not sure that it came with it?). It also came with a side of chips. So much food that I had to ask for a lid to take it home. Pretty awesome.

Also check out the Tree Hugger without the cheese for a vegan burrito! (I had this last time.)

The Whole Enchilada is located at 4115 N. Federal Hwy, Fort Lauderdale, Fl 33308. 954-561-4040.

Have you had these? They do about the same damage (nutritional stats) as oreos (with slightly healthier ingredients), but they taste like reese’s pieces! Especially good dipped in unsweetened vanilla almond milk!