I came across this recipe in March 2010 Food and Wine magazine.

Chef Mehmet Gurs has created a nice twist on traditional chick pea hummus.

I went crazy with the cilantro and added avocado, also, I substituted vegetable stock for the chicken stock to make this a vegan treat.

I used a whole wheat tortilla to create a balanced hot meal for Meatless Monday!

INGREDIENTS

3 Cups water of vegetable stock
1 cup green lentils (about 6 ounces)
1 bay leaf
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
Salt
Cayenne pepper
Sweet paprika, for sprinkling
Pita chips, sliced fennel and red bell pepper strips, for serving

DIRECTIONS

In a medium saucepan, combine the water/ stock, green lentils and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover and boil the lentils over high heat until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and let the lentils cool slightly.
Transfer the cooked lentils to a food processor. Add the chopped garlic, tahini, olive oil and lemon juice and puree until smooth. Scrape the hummus into a bowl, stir in the cumin and 2 tablespoons of the chopped cilantro and season with salt and cayenne. Garnish the hummus with paprika and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro. Serve the lentil hummus warm or at room temperature with pita chips and vegetable crudités.

MAKE AHEAD
The lentil hummus can be refrigerated overnight. Let return to room temperature before serving.

This dish is easy, inexpensive and full of vegetable protein and nutrients.

This was filling and truly delicious. It is definitely something to keep in the fridge for a snack or meal.

Vento, in Bay Village Ohio is like a visit to Paris.

Liquid Luminance; Romance in Glass

Di DeRubba, proprietor; gracious and lovely…

Fig and Clementine Cheesecake is ambrosia…! Chef Meg Armour is inspired. “Welcome Cheesecake Du Jour!”

Jacques is a wonderful host; knowledgeable and indulgent…!

It will be easy to wile away the afternoons here.

Level: Medium
Serves: 2

Ingredients
4 cups spinach fettucini, boiled
10-12 medium baby bella mushrooms
1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, bottled in olive oil and italian herbs
1 garlic bulb, baked
1 tsp agave nectar
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
2 tablespoon panko crust
1/4 tsp substitute salt
1/2 tsp cracked pepper
1/2 fresh fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp olive/canola oil
1 tsp dried oregano

Method
Pre-soak mushrooms in a plastic bowl with water and Worchestershire sauce for 30 min.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut off top of garlic bulb and drizzle agave nectar over garlic.

Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Set aside.

In a plastic bowl mix 1tsp. oil, parsley, garlic, capers, oregano, capers, salt and pepper.

Wash and twist off mushroom stems evenly.

Brush or rub 1 tsp oil on mushrooms and stuff with mixture.

In a medium sauce pan bring water to a boil and add pasta until tender.

Sprinkle oregano herbs and serve.

This recipe comes from Isa Chandra Moskowitz of the Post Punk Kitchen who has a new vegan cookbook out; Vegan With a Vengence which features 150 vegan recipes including desserts, cookies, main dishes and snacks.

These look amazing to me and I am anxious to try this recipe.

Recipe courtesy of Isa Chandra Moskowitz

These bars require a good overnight chilling to really firm them up before slicing, so plan accordingly.

Tip: You’ll want to use only sweetened, fluffy white flaked coconut for these. Save the natural shredded stuff for a healthy curry.

Tip: Press the graham cracker crumb crust like crazy into the pan; the more you pat it down the firmer the resulting crust will be.

Ingredients

One 14 oz can (regular or lite) coconut milk (about 1 3/4 cups)
2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups vegan graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted margarine
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
2 cups flaked, sweetened coconut
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped

Method

In a large saucepan whisk together coconut milk and brown sugar over medium high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Mixture may form a thin skin on the surface; just stir it back into the liquid. Remove from heat and let cool while preparing the crust.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine graham cracker crumbs, melted margarine and sugar; mix well to moisten crumbs completely. Firmly press mixture into prepared pan, pressing evenly from center to sides of pan.

Pour warm coconut milk mixture evenly over crumb base. Top with an even layer of chocolate chips, flaked coconut and nuts, in that order. Firmly pat everything down until coconut milk mixture soaks upward into the toppings. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until coconut is deeply golden and filling is bubbling, remove from oven and let entire pan cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Transfer pan to the refrigerator to completely cool and firm up for at least 4 hours, even better overnight or until very firm. Use a sharp, heavy knife to run along the edges of bars, slide bars on parchment paper out of pan onto a cutting board then to slice into 24 squares.

Store in a covered container in the refrigerator. These also freeze well, tightly wrapped and allowed to thaw for 20 minutes before serving.

A little bit about Carmen…

Carmen Garcia is an internationally recognized fitness celebrity, proactive in all levels of nutrition, health, wellness, and yoga principles.

An all around athlete with a competitive nature and a zest for healthy living, Carmen’s philosophy: spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental well being are the inseparable ingredients to a healthy life.

Carmen has worked hard to become one of America’s most popular fitness models, appearing in numerous publications, commercials, seminars and workshops. As a world class chef and entrepreneur, Ms. Garcia continues to re-invent herself via new challenges and accomplishments.

Carmen is a proud member and spokesperson for PETA (People for Ethical Treatment of Animals), a fitness instructor and nutritional consultant certified by the Professional Personal Trainer’s Association (USPTA); and a member of IDEAfit, having studied with the International Sports and Science Association.

Leaving the old paradigms behind of stressing the body with strenuous workouts and hardcore weight training trends, moderation is the key for this femme-fit guru. Not only does she speak four languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and English), her company, Fitbody Star offers live and online education to an ever-growing international audience.

A world traveler and true “foodie” at heart, Carmen’s mantra is to achieve balance through proper nutrition from plant (protein) sources, supplementation, and variations on classic exercise techniques, to achieve homeostasis and improve overall quality of life through a sound mind, body, and spirit.

Promoting her unique style of vegan cooking as the “Turista Chef”, she writes with signature joie de vivre about a hidden world of exotic destinations and cultures through the lens of the traditional and not so traditional regional cuisine.

Fitbody Star offers instruction in: nutrition, indoor/outdoor activity, yoga movement and stretching, dance form, body and weight strengthening, interval training, outdoor circuit training, boot camp, kickboxing techniques, plyometrics, meditation, core training and overall functional training for better sports & daily task performance.

Learn more about Carmen Garcia, and visit her at:
Twitter

Color vibrancy, rich and nutritious flavors is what makes this dish so deLIGHTfully tasty. Inspired by roots of Jamaica, I’ve prepared this easy vegan dish with an array of spices that burst into tropical flavors.

Recipe courtesy of Carmen Garcia

Jamaican Jerk Portabello

Serves 2
1 cup brown basmati rice, steamed
2 large portabello mushrooms, sliced
1 small banana squash, steamed/seeded and chopped into medium size cubes.
1 small red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1 small green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 cups of organic black beans, drained (canned for quick and easy)

Jerk Pineapple Marinade

1 small red onion, chopped
1 small serrano green chili, minced (seeds removed)
1 cup pineapple, cubed
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 small lime juice
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp Pompeian olive/canola oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp sea salt or substitute salt

Steam rice in a slow cooker or rice cooker before you begin to prep and cook the Portabello mushrooms and marinade.

Mix all marinade ingredients and set aside in a plastic or glass bowl. Slice Portabello mushrooms and mix into marinade bowl.

Store in fridge over night or for a minimum of 1-2 hours before cooking. When ready to cook, pre-heat large wok on high/med by lubricating the wok with the canola/olive oil.

Stir in all of the ingredients of the marinade and mushrooms only.

Lower heat and cover allowing steam to soften the mushrooms for about 5-8 minutes depending on how tender you wish as they tend to shrink with prolonged heat.

In a separate medium sized pan, steam banana squash for 12 minutes or until tender. Toss in the bell peppers during the last 4- 5 minutes.

If they lose their color vibrancy, you have over cooked them. In another small sauce pan heat black beans on low.

Find a beautiful plate and pack the rice into a small bowl and onto the center of the plate.

Carefully arrange and assort all of the ingredients as you wish and top with sprinkled coconut shreds and slivered raw almonds.

Almonds, beans and Portabello mushrooms are loaded with protein, fiber and nutrients. The steamy fragrant rice and fibrous vegetables are delicious as a low GI (glycemic index) food topped with an unforgettable pineapple chutney sauce and a spicy jerk marinade. This dish is low in fat and moderate in carbohydrates. High in protein, fiber and nutrients.

Certified Fitness Trainer, Life Fit Coach and Veg-Chef writer, Carmen Garcia has contributed her Beet Cucumber Appetizer Salad today.

Carmen is passionate about fitness, vegan diet and nutrition and it shows in her vitality and excitement for sharing her experiences and recipes with others.

Beet Cucumber Salad Appetizer

Easy Recipe, Serves 4

Ingredients

2 medium beets, chopped
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1/2 cup organic sauerkraut
2 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
4 leaves, savoy cabbage, raw or lightly steamed
1 tsp dried dill weed herb
20 raw almonds (pre-soaked for tenderness)
sea salt, dash
raw sugar, dash

Method

Steam beets for 15-20 minutes (depending on how tender you prefer).
Rinse with cold water.

Set aside. Mix cucumber, sauerkraut, dill and rice
wine vinegar in a bowl.

Add a dash of raw sugar and sea salt is optional for
taste.

Chill all of the ingredients scoop ingredients into cabbage leaf cups.

Garnish with a small portion of almonds in the center of dish for extra crunch.

You may add slivered or whole (raw or roasted) almonds over cabbage cups.

Tip: If you prefer a bit more tender veggies vs. raw and crunchy, lightly steam each appetizer to serve warm.

I have never understood all the fuss around sweet potato pie.

It wasn’t something that we ate in my home growing up in Ohio.

But with my eldest daughter in the kitchen with me I have the pleasure of her adventurous spirit and youthful energy!

She loves sweet potatoes and suggested that we try a sweet potato pie. I set her loose with some recipes I’ve collected over the years and I now suspect that genius lies in this child.

Her ability to cull out the most fantastic collection of ingredients and method to develop the optimum of flavor, texture, and consistency astounded us all.

Here is the recipe below, courtesy of Paula Deen, and my daughter, a girl after my own heart, who substituted half and half for the milk. Genius, I tell you! I am now a sweet potato pie fanatic! I get it, I get it!

Old Fashioned Sweet Potato Pie
Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

Prep Time:
20 min
Inactive Prep Time:
–
Cook Time:
1 hr 55 min
Level:
Easy
Serves:
6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 cups peeled, cooked sweet potatoes
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 stick melted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 to 2 tablespoons bourbon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 cup milk (we used half and half)
• 9-inch unbaked pie crust
• 3 egg whites

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the filling, using an electric hand mixer, combine the potatoes, 1 cup of the sugar, the butter, eggs, vanilla, salt, and spices. Mix thoroughly. Add the milk and continue to mix. Pour the filling into the pie crust and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Place the pie on a rack and cool to room temperature before covering with meringue. (We skipped the meringue)

For the meringue, using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form; beat in the remaining 1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is glossy and stiff, but not dry. With a rubber spatula, spoon the meringue onto the pie, forming peaks. Make sure the meringue touches the crust all around. Sprinkle with a pinch of granulated sugar. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until delicately browned. Cool and serve.

Note: I used my Martha Stewart Perfect Pie Crust.

The food and drink debauchery which was my “Birthdaypalooza” has finally ended. I never thought that I would say such a thing; however, I don’t think that I could’ve gone on much longer and survived.

Thanks to my bff M I had a birthday to remember with all of the trimmings.
The big day was Saturday the 24th, however, we started at Lilly Chocolates on Thursday, then we head over to Athen’s Pastries then to M’s for wine.

Friday night he entertained me and some friends in grand style at his beautiful home, fireside with fancy cocktails from his wickedly creative mind! J suprised me with a beautiful bracelet and made me feel like a princess. We all went to Luxe for a fantastic dinner. I had the tuna and far too many champagne cocktails!

Saturday was an afternoon of lunch and shopping with mom, (More on her in another post!) an early supper with D at Tartine then off for cocktails with C, G and D at the Market Avenue Wine Bar. Again, far too much wine.

Sunday, my daughters thought that it would be nice to have a family dinner; lobsters, shrimp, scallops, mashed potatoes, two bottles of wine and one bottle of champagne later I officially surrendered.

Just when you thought there was nothing new in cupcakes! Red Velvet Lounge is opening in New York’s Lower East side.

The lounge will feature alcohol infused confections with specialty cocktails to compliment the dainty desserts!

Potatoes fried in Duck fat with garlic and rosemary. These are quite possibly the best French fries ever.

These fries are hardy food. They come with spicy mayo dipping sauces and stand alone with rich Cabernets or Belgian wheats.

Be forewarned; these fries are addictive and will leave you craving more, every time!

The wine and beer list at Bar Cento in Cleveland, OH is excellent and is rivaled by few.

Come for the fries and beer and stay for an inspired menu of ecclectic, innovative comfort food with a sophistcated twist.