A Wishlist

There are a lot of things in life that I look forward to. One is getting married (I would like to apologize in advance to whoever my poor future husband is… and my father will want to know: check or cash?). Bridal registries excite me. I think it’s the idea of being able to go into a store and create a giant list of silly things that I’d love to have but never buy for myself.

Exhibit A:

Wafflesicles!

Or maybe I’d put this on my list:

Because everyone needs the latest headlines printed on their toilet paper.

I know I’d have to ask for this.

Snack-curity system!

I have a sneaky feeling that my husband would totally try to steal all my tofu.

But I think number one on my list would have to be this little gem.

Of course, I would also take the opportunity of having a registry to ask for things I actually would put to good use in my house. The whole list wouldn’t be a joke, just the majority of it. 😉

Because if there’s one thing I actually would want and use on a regular basis, it’s this beauty.

That’s a legit panini press. I’d ask for this because I would be able to make what I had for breakfast today, but it would be approximately 239480394x better.

The Best Breakfast Sandwich You’ll Ever Have

2 slices of cinnamon raisin bread (I like Ezekiel brand)

1 banana

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1 t maple syrup

Simply spread some PB on your bread (I used both cinnamon raisin bread and peanut butter in keeping with the theme of deliciousness) and put some banana slices on top of it. Make sure they stick! Top the slices with a little bit of maple syrup, and then slap that sucker onto a panini press… or in my case, an ancient sandwich maker.

Just a side note: make sure you grease/spray that bad boy.

Let your sammich cook for about five minutes, until the banana inside has warmed through and melted, and your bread is nice and toasty. The end result should be THIS epic beast on your plate:

I can’t believe how tasty this was. It was a good change from the usual cereal. I had a lot of fun composing my mental registry list while I ate.

The last thing on my list would be..

Pretend the above steak is actually poor, innocent husband’s booty.

Only not really.

Maybe.

Future husband, whoever you are… you have been warned.

The wonderful thing about bloggers…

…is I’m not the only one!

(:

Last night, I met up with Jen, Kelly, Katie, Jessie, Tiffany, and Brittney. This was actually my first eva blog meetup (!), so I was kind of nervous.  Confession: I arrived mega early and sat in my car, kind of lurking and being an all around creeper, waiting to get out of the car until five before 7, our designated meeting time. I didn’t want to have to sit outside awkwardly for fifteen minutes. I’m always super early for stuff.

We decided to meet up at a legit new burger bar called Big Daddy’s.

This place is very new (they have 2 locations) and very popular. The menu was pretty darn awesome. From regular burgers to turkey burgers to a phenomenal black bean burger (more on that in a minute!), there were so many options. You could really choose anything you want, because you have the option to build your own burger or salad from scratch and customize everything from the bread to the toppings.

Half of me wanted to have a black bean burger and the other half of me realllly wanted a salad. So I compromised and ordered this:

Sorry for the poor quality shot. Dim lighting/high ISO setting. :c

It was epic to, for once, not be the only person taking pictures of their food. Love.

I had strawberries, cucumbers, avocado, and chickpeas on a bed of spinach, topped with a black bean burger. This salad was so delish and so gigantic I couldn’t even finish it. Don’t be fooled by my picture, this was the large sized salad – and when Big Daddy says large, he means large. And he wasn’t stingy with the toppings either! The star of the meal was easily the black bean burger. Everyone at the table who ordered it was raving about the epic deliciousness going on. Crunchy and crisp on the outside, yet soft and warm on the inside, with visible black beans and corn in the burger.  This was without a doubt the best black bean burger I’ve ever had! It was probably fried or cooked in some manner that I would disapprove of to get that crunch, but I’m a-ok with that. The salad part cancels out the fried bits, right? 😉

We stayed and chatted for a while after we’d eaten, and I really had a lot of fun getting to know these beautiful ladies!

I’m really good at hiding behind people and looking like a mega creeper in pictures.

Kelly, Tiffany, Brittney, Jen, Jessie, yours truly, and Katie!

All in all, I had a fantabulous night and I can’t wait to see everyone again! 🙂

And now I am off to do what I do best…… read in bed.

But if I do what I’m even better at, I’ll fall asleep in the above position.

And dream about black bean burgers.

Hello there, deliciousness.

Have you ever heard of Larabars? If not, you should get out of whatever cave you live in, trot down to your local grocer’s, and grab as many different flavors of these suckers in as many flavors as you possibly can.

I say this in complete confidence that just one taste of one will send you over to the dark Larabar loving side. These things are immense. Fabulous. Wonderful. They are, without a doubt, the best bar out there on the market.

A blurry peanut butter cookie explosion!

“LÄRABAR firmly believes that the foundation of a sound mind, body and spirit is derived from what you eat. And what you eat is healthiest and most satisfying when it’s in a whole, natural state.” (from larabar.com)

Well, you know what I believe? I believe in a thing called love that I could eat these things for every meal and not get sick of them. From Banana Bread (my favorite!) to Key Lime Pie to Cocoa Mole to their fabulous new Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough flavors… I’m in love.

The best thing about these bars is that the company really sticks to their word. There’s no added sugar, refined grains, artificial colors or flavors, preservatives, or unpronounceable ingredients. In fact, the ingredients list for Peanut Butter Cookie? Peanuts, dates, and a smidgen of salt.

Simplicity at its finest.

Of course, the main factor for me is the taste. Something that’s gluten, dairy, soy, and GMO free as well as being vegan and kosher? Usually bars like that are bland. Well the Peanut Butter Cookie hits you like BAM, baby! (In the words of Emeril Lagasse, apparently?)

I should have picked a more appropriate background.

The only word I can use to describe the taste of these bars…. EPICyumtasticamazingfabuloustastydeliciousness. Packed full of vitamins, minerals, good-for-you fats, some protein, and carbs, this was fabulous post-workout fuel.

What happened when I told my mum I would need a few snackypoos for my upcoming trip to NYC and Boston.

If my fabulous mother hasn’t bought the entire country’s stock of Larabars, go out and buy some! But then again, if she has, they are so good that I can’t really apologize.

If buying thirty bars at a time is wrong, I don’t want to be right.

Viva Pasta!

What event takes place when the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie?

Freakin’ AMORE, that’s what.

Summer flavors are fabulous. Plain and simple. Tomatoes and basil are best pals, and they just so happen to be in season at the same time. That’s no coincidence, my friends. That’s a sign that these two are meant to ride off into the sunset, hand in hand, and be together forever… in the form of spaghetti.

Droolworthy? I think so.

I’ve decided to do a few posts over the next month or so of dishes from around the world. I’ve got Mexican, Indian, Greek, Japanese, Thai, and British meals planned so far. So what better way to kick start the grand world tour than with a big bowl of fabulous, good-for-you carbs?

This spaghetti is so good, your Italian grandmother would approve of it. Well, she would if she was a vegan and didn’t like to take a lot of time to do things. This sauce is super quick (it took me no longer than it took to cook the pasta) and it’s one of those things that can just sit and sit for hours and only get better. The leftovers are gonna be bangin’.

Not Your Grandma’s (unless she’s a vegan) Spaghetti

Serves 3-4, depending on hunger levels. Yes, I just compared dinner guests to Sims.

You’re gonna need:

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

~1 lb grape tomatoes

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

Meatless meatballs (however many you like)

4 servings of whole wheat spaghetti

3 cups fresh basil, packed

S&P to taste

First, get your onion and garlic working in a pan to soften up. I just realized that all of my recipes seem to start with onion and garlic. I say, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Set your pasta water on to boil. Go ahead and drop your pasta when the water is at a rolling boil. I don’t get it when Rachael Ray says “drop your pasta.” Because if you dropped it on the floor, that’d suck. But if you literally dropped it into the boiling water, that’d suck too, and probably burn you.

Post pasta-dropping, turn up the burner and add your grape tomatoes and tomato paste. You’ll probably need some water to help thin out your tomato paste (add some starchy pasta water at the end, just make sure you reserve it and don’t throw the water away!).

A quick note about the tomato paste: don’t worry about what to do with the rest of the can. Seriously – who uses the entire can of tomato paste in one single recipe (besides me) anyway? On the rare occasion that I don’t use a whole can, I take what I need and chuck the rest of the paste in a ziplock baggie in the freezer and take it out when I need it. I can just cut a hunk of tomato paste off and throw it into a hot pan. Easy as pie. Pizza pie.

The grape tomatoes should start to soften and burst pretty soon due to the heat of the pan. That’s good. You want that. Once they start to burst, they will help the sauce become tomato-y and delicious and sauce-like. Once they do their thing, add in about three quarters of your basil and some meatless meatballs. Or whatever you have. I could have easily made tofu meatballs but I’m a lazy bum, so TJ’s meatless meatballs came to my rescue.

Now just play the waiting game while you wait for your pasta to cook. Once it has, don’t you dare drain it, or you’ll lose all of your Little Italian Grandmother Brownie Points. Use your tongs to take the pasta out of the pot and put those suckers straight into the sauce. Do it like they do it on Discovery Channel in Italy.

Saucy.

Serve it with the rest of your basil for garnish.

Then you are free to move about the aircraft NOM.

Just remember to save some for your grandma.

T is for…

…trips to Trader Joe’s…

…Twitter…

Follow me @ southernbritish !

…touch-ups…

…tomato soup…

Creamy Tomato Soup

2 lbs of tomatoes, chopped

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery ribs, diced (use the leafy green bit!)

1 can of no-salt added White Tuscan beans (or any other soft bean)

1 can of coconut milk

1 cup vegetable broth

S&P to taste

1 cup basil, packed

Saute your onion and add in the garlic. You know how to make soup. In goes the onion, garlic, carrot, and celery. Let them cook down and then add in your tomatoes, about three quarters of your basil, and  the beans. After those have cooked for just a few minutes, toss in your coconut milk and vegetable broth. Let your soup simmer for about an hour, until the beans are very soft and easily fall apart.

Once your soup has cooled, you can put it in a blender and cream it up. You could also use an immersion blender right in your pot, if you have one.

Garnish with the rest of your basil and a little bit more coconut milk if your little heart desires.

T is also for…

…taters…

Sweet potato cheetahs, inspired by the fabulous Kailey!

Sweet potato cheetahs are for reals the best thing eva.

Just take a sweet potato, slice it into half moons. Sprinkle it with S&P and whatever seasonings you like. I use basil for savory and maple syrup and cinnamon for sweet. Spray with non-stick (or use oil) and roast in your oven for about 45 minutes, or until cheetah-ish. I put mine under the broiler for the last few minutes to get them extra crispy.

and, most importantly, T is TGIF!

How did you spend your Friday?

Ahhh! Real Monsters?

Okay, not a real monster… a GREEN monster!

Lookin’ classy in a wine glass.

These have been floating around the blogosphere for a supa long time, and I finally decided to try a Green Monster last December because I saw a picture of it on Caitlin’s blog and she swore you would only taste the banana and not the spinach.

I’ve never looked back.

2 cups baby spinach, packed

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vanilla almond milk

1 banana

1 scoop peanut butter

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)

Whizzed up with ice ice, baby in the blender until smoothie like.

How do you make your Green Monsters?

Also – I’m in search of some protein powder, does anyone have any suggestions? I’m partial to vanilla. : )

Sushi vs Sushi

If I had to pick a last meal other than breakfast (which is, hands down, banana and peanut butter pancakes), I’d pick sushi. End of story. There’s just something about it that makes it a perfect meal. Maybe it’s the cool, crisp veggies, the smooth, creamy avocado, the B vitamins and texture of the nori holding it together, or even the carbohydrates from the rice. Whatever is in that combination, it makes sushi a stellar meal for me.

So while we were at the beach, my dad and I sampled two different sushi joints. Both claimed to be Japanese and Thai. Both claimed to have the best sushi in town. Both had legit, almost novel-like menus. Of course, you can’t really have two favorite sushi places, according to one of my friends. So I present to you…. *drumroll please*

The Great Sushi-off Competition 2010

In the first corner, we have Siam Orchid. An old favorite, a seasoned contender, and a fabulous meal every time. Siam Orchid boasts a full Thai and Japanese menu as well as a sushi bar. It also has ballin’ decor.

In our second corner is Sake, a definite underdog. Unknown until a few weeks ago (though they’ve been open since 2000), Sake claims to serve the best sushi in all of town.

Round one: Menus

At Siam Orchid, the menu, as mentioned above, is extensive. But it’s Barbie pink.  That’s a possible weakness. Plus, the pictures can give the diner the impression that the food is more or less the same quality as those takeaway Chinese places with similar pictures. As if I didn’t know what sweet and sour chicken looked like..

At Sake, the menu is NOT hot pink. Plus. But the menu is a novel to get through and has a ton of good options.

See that strength? It’s in a binder, enough said. The food is also clearly divided into sections by geographical location, and is well organized. Plus it has less typos. Round one goes to Sake.

Round 2: Appetizers

At Siam Orchid, there’s only one appetizer that will satisfy a hungry vegan until sushi arrives. And that is… tofu rolls!

Served on a gorgeous plate with scrumptious peanut sauce. The outside tapioca roll is the perfect compliment to its innards. Inside the rolls are the usual suspects – vermacelli noodles, carrots, cucumber, and tofu. BUT WAIT, what’s this?! Arugula? Some kind of spicy green leafy! Unexpected and definitely a good twist. Sake’s going to have to try hard to recover from that blow.

Sake’s appetizer is a pretty legit bowl of vegetable soup. It might appear to be a plain looking broth with mushy vegetables, but looks can be deceiving! First off, the spoon that’s hiding behind is adorable. Secondly, the broth was tasty without being overly salty like a lot of soups are. And the veggies? Crisp and delicious. But what’s this? Mushrooms?!*puke*

Round 2 definitely goes to Siam Orchid!

The Final Round…

MAKIZUSHI.

The long awaited moment has arrived. We’re all tied up in the last round, whoever wins this is going to take it all.

And just LOOK at that presentation from Siam Orchid! The sauteed vegetables were served in a martini glass, which was “glued” to the plate with hot wasabi paste. Genius. All of the basics are covered – makizushi, wasabi and other assorted hot pastes, tofu, and Nigiri-zushi. Looking good.

What this plate of deliciousness lacks in martini-glass-ness, it certainly makes up for it with flavor. It packs a giant tastebud punch (what a pun, ha ha). The tofu (inzrizushi) is moist yet crunchy without being chewy; the makizushi itself is absolutely divine. Having the rice on the outside and the nori on the inside is just plain awesome, because I don’t like the look of nori that much. This plate of sushi was colossal. Amazing. Delicious. I was actually unable to finish it. Om nom nom.

The winner of round 3 goes to Siam Orchid because I just can’t get over that darn martini glass.

So the winner of the first ever Sushi-Off… is actually both Siam Orchid and Sake!

Because wrestling is silly. And sushi is always a winner.

What’s your favorite restaurant and why?

Taste the Rainbow

My lunch today was just so pretty that I had to share it!

Snack plate to the rescue!

Tomatoes, carrots, corn, green beans, blueberry juice, and grapes!

With a side of Modern European history 😦

I looooove snack plates for lunch.

What’s your favorite type of lunch? Are you a soup & sammie person, or are you a snack plate-r?

Technically speaking

Technically speaking, I should be doing my summer coursework. It starts on Thursday but I’ve already been assigned an essay, two chapters of reading, and two quizzes. Hey, I did the essay…. it was an “about me” paper. 😛

Instead of working hard, I hardly worked. I elliptical-ed my heart out and then did this in the gym’s bathroom:

And left this at the gas station:

Technically speaking, it’s probably vandalism. Encouraging, fabulous, wonderful vandalism.

(If you’re wondering what these post-its are, they’re a part of Operation Beautiful and I highly encourage you to visit the site and help spread the love. You know you want to.)

And then, because it’s Father’s Day and all, I did something nice for mi padre and made him epic banana bread. It’s one thing I can make that both he and I will eat. Because technically, he doesn’t know it’s vegan.

The Best Banana Bread You’ll Ever Have

You’ve probably heard that claim before on other recipe sites, but I’ve got the goods to back it up. Trust. This recipe is not only delicious, it’s fat free (the only fats that occur are natural), whole wheat, dairy free, and contains no refined sugars.

Whatcha gonna need!

The wet ingredients:

5 ripe bananas

1/2 cup maple syrup/agave nectar blend

1/4 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

The dry ingredients:

2 cups of whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

a sprinkle of cinnamon

Sift all of the dry ingredients together until they’re combined. Or if you don’t wanna dirty up a sifter, because it’s a pain to wash, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk or fork.

In another bowl, take out your anger. Mash up all the wet ingredients. I like it to be a kind of chunky consistency so that you can tell it’s banana bread and not unidentifiable loaf.

Next, combine the wet and dry ingredients together and mix until they are just combined. At this point, you could add in anything else you might want. Chocolate chips, walnuts, blueberries, or even peanut butter would be particularly delicious.

If it’s too thick, add a bit more water to the batter – but not too much. You want it thick like pancake batter. You may also want to add more agave or maple syrup if you like it sweet. I felt a little fruity today so I toped my loaf with another banana that was almost on its way out.

Grease a loaf pan and put yo bread into your oven, which you most definitely didn’t forget to preheat to 375 degrees. Let it bake for an hour, checking occasionally. Use the oven light instead of opening the door.

Once it’s done, you’re gonna wanna bust that bad boy outta the pan immediately, but don’t. Let it cool before you transfer it to a plate. It’s hard to resist chowing down on this sucker straight from the oven…. go for a walk while you wait! Come back and your casa will smell like pure deliciousness.

Worth the wait.

Technically speaking, it’s so good it should be illegal.

Becuase 10 out of 10 non-vegans approve of this message dish, It wins this:

Technically speaking, that was the worst pun ever.

PS – bloggers in CLT, wanna have a meetup sometime soon? 🙂

I’m Blue

Check out those bangin’ 90’s graphics!

Yep. That’s stuck in my head now because I made blue food for lunch yesterday.

Blueberry Quinoa with Chickpeas

1/2 cup quinoa, dry

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup blueberry juice (I used Naked brand)

1/4  cup slivered almonds

1/2 pint fresh blueberries

1/3 cup raisins

a dash of vanilla extract

a quirt of agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey to sweeten (to taste)

1/2 t cinnamon (or more , depending on your taste)

a pinch of salt (to taste)

First, toast your quinoa in a pan. It’s like toasting nuts. Don’t add any oil, and just let the quinoa heat up and become golden brown. Just move them around every so often to make sure they’re not burning. When you can smell it getting all toasty, add in your almonds and let them toast for just a moment, too. They may begin to pop like popcorn – if that happens, turn your heat down. After about three more minutes of toasting, add in your water, vanilla, and blueberry juice.

Once your liquid is in, you want to actually cook the quinoa. Cover the pan, bring it up to a boil and then put it down to a steady simmer. You want the quinoa to absorb all of the liquids and become fluffy. Add more liquid if you need to.

When the quinoa is cooked, add in your cinnamon, chickpeas, raisins, and blueberries.

Cover and let it heat through.

Serve, garnished with almond joy.

It sounds like it’s an odd dish, but the flavors really work well together. The chickpeas absorb the blueberry flavor and combined with the quinoa you’ve got a wonderful source of healthy, complete protein. This could be enjoyed warm or cold, as brekkie or not.

Da ba de da ba daaaai.

I remember this song all too well. I used to play it in the car on my supa-awesome handheld CD player over and over again. I was so cool. But now I’ll never look at blueberries the same way again.

What’s your favorite 90’s song?