Kale Beet Salad
Kale is one of those greens that I am always struggling to get more of because this dark green leafy nutrient-dense vegetable is just so good for our bodies. So, when I received my box from the Purple Carrot this week, I zeroed in on the recipe for “Cajun Roasted Broccoli Bowls.”
After quickly scanning the recipe (I am never one to follow a recipe), I decided to make a variation (from a bowl to a salad) by eliminating the added oils, the Cajun blackened seasoning and a few other ingredients while adding avocado, pumpkin seeds, and a seasoning called Salad Sprinkle by Frontier Co-op – a blend of sesame seeds, bell pepper, black pepper, lemon peel, green onion, celery flakes, and chervil, but you can use any seasoning (salt, pepper, fresh herbs, chopped parsley). Just make sure to add some type of seasoning to enhance the flavor of the vegetables. Read more 
Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites
Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites are a new snack option for kids and adults who want something sweet and tangy without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup.
Made of fruit that has been picked, puréed, and pressed into bite-sized pieces, Nothing But The Fruit™ Real Fruit Bites are vegan, gluten-free, and non-GMO. There are no added preservatives, refined sweeteners, waxes, or colors, and yes, the little squares taste great…chewy, sweet, and delicious. Read more
When in NY, Go To Divya’s Kitchen
New York is a culinary destination for everyone including the plant-based devotee whose toughest decision may very well be where to eat (this hasn’t always been the case for vegans). There’s fast food (By Chloe, Beyond Sushi, Plantmade, Peacefood, Cinnamon Snail at the Pennsy, Superiority Burger), fancy food (Dovetail, abcV), pizza (Double Zero), really good food (Candle Cafe, Candle 79, Candle West, Dirt Candy, Blossom, Franchia, Bodhi, The Organic Grill, Nix, Avant Garden, Urban Vegan Kitchen, Arata) and then there is Divya’s Kitchen – an East Village restaurant that is technically vegetarian although most of the selections are deliriously delicious plant-based.
Divya’s Kitchen is well-known for its culinary creations, but there is also the ambiance, and a special something for which there isn’t a word – casual and comfortable but also elegant in a Provence type of way – that makes Divya’s Kitchen my favorite place to eat in New York. Read more
Best Bagels in NY: Tompkins Square Bagels
Everyone in New York and beyond has an opinion about bagels so I’m just going to put my two cents out there. Tompkins Square Bagels makes the best bagels, period. A great bagel has to be big and round, golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside – and that’s what Thompkins Square Bagels are.
With two locations (the original location at 165 Avenue A by Tompkins Square Park and 184 2nd Avenue between 11th and 12th Street) in the East Village, Tompkins Square Bagels is a neighborhood bagel shop but also a destination spot for many New Yorkers who know a good bagel when they taste one. Read more
Himalania Organic Dark Chocolate Covered Chia Seeds
Rich in Omega 3’s, fiber, and magnesium, organic and fair-trade Himalania chia seeds are grown in Peru. A popular seed used in cereals, chia seeds are also used as an egg replacement because the seeds when moistened expand into a gel-like texture that helps bind and elevate foods together. But beyond using chia seeds as a nutritional boost, leavening agent, or binder for cereals, puddings and baked goods, chia seeds are also a great tasting snack food, especially when they are covered in rich, dark chocolate. Read more
The Rainbow Spinach Salad
Rainbows are in short supply in the wintertime so instead of looking outside turn to the kitchen for an updated version of the spinach salad. I call this salad a Rainbow Spinach Salad because of the array of colors: red, yellow, light green, orange dark green, and deep purplish black. Although beautiful to look at, the Rainbow Spinach Salad is a feast to savor with only one caveat: you must like fresh beets because there are two types (both yellow and red) and they are a substantial part of this easy-to-make salad. Read more
Vegetable Bean Soup Revisited
Making soup is super easy, especially if you start with Frontier Minnesota Heartland 11-Bean Soup Mix: a blend of dried beans, peas, and lentils along with parsley and a spice packet that contains no added salt, preservatives, or MSG. The mix provides a great foundation for a thick, hearty soup filled with legumes, lots of vegetables (carrots, tomatoes, onion, and spinach), herbs and spices to add flavor, and pasta to make the soup more substantial.
Consider making this soup on a cold afternoon when the wind is blowing and the temperatures are low. Somehow a big bowl of steaming, hot soup is the perfect answer.
Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries
With the holidays behind us, we all strive to make healthier choices in the new year although our cravings don’t just magically go away when the calendar flips from December to January.
We still want sweet, delicious, crunchy snacks but instead of eating that whole bag of kettlecorn that keeps staring at you from the pantry, consider Organic Freeze-Dried Blueberries by Homegrown Organic Farms (HGO) – part of a family of companies representing 80 different organic growers farming more than 4,000 acres in California. Read more
Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna
Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna is a hearty main dish filled with an assortment of roasted vegetables, greens, and cannellini beans in between layers of noodles and sauce. Inspired by the recipe for Roasted Vegetable Lasagna in The How Not To Die Cookbook by Dr. Michael Greger, MD, the following recipe uses lots of Portobello mushrooms (instead of eggplant) to give the dish a meaty texture (but use whatever vegetables you prefer).
Delicious out of the oven, Roasted Vegetable Cannellini Lasagna is even better the next day (just like the traditional dish). Somehow that day of settling brings out the flavor of the vegetables and beans in this variation of the classic Italian dish. Read more
Chocolate Almond Butter Buckleberry Truffles
The Chocolate Almond Butter Buckleberry Truffle by Buckleberry Foods is a sinfully delicious plant-based and gluten-free dessert truffle made of almonds, maple syrup, coconut oil, oats, cocoa and sea salt.
Made by Buckleberry Foods of Warren, Rhode Island, Chocolate Almond Butter Buckleberry Truffles look like mini cupcakes and taste like a cross between an almond butter “peanut butter cup” and a chocolate truffle. Rich, nutty, and bursting with chocolate, the Chocolate Almond Butter Buckleberry Truffle is, as the company says “indulgence in its purest form.” Read more
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