Overnight Coconut Chai Oatmeal

Oatmeal has been my favorite breakfast since I was a little girl. But I have grown far away from the instant sugar filled oats. This vegan sweet yet spicy chai oatmeal is a great way to start the day, especially when you don't have to wake up and make it! Throw all the ingredients into a glass bowl with a lid and put it in the fridge over night. When you wake up everything is ready, just heat up and devour!

1 cup steel-cut oats (or which ever oats you prefer)

1 cup rice milk

2 Tbs. chia seeds (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of nutmeg

1/2 Tbs maple syrup

1 Tbs Spectrum Chia and Flax Oil Twister in Coconut flavor

1 Tbs shredded coconut (optional)

Mix oats, milk, chia sees, all the spices, maple syrup, Chia and Flax Twister, in a glass jar/bowl with a lid.  Close jar, and refrigerate overnight.

Open lid and stir and if you want it warm, zap it i the micro or heat it on the stove just to get it warm. Or just eat cold! :) Sprinkle the top with the shredded coconut and whatever else gets your belly happy in the morning! Devour!

Lentil Tacos

Move over refried beans, these lentils will kick your @#S! These lentil tacos are vegan and gluten free and will never make you want foul meat filled tacos ever again. Serve them with fresh avocado, Daiya cheese, White Girl Salsa, lettuce, or just the plain ol' lentils themselves. Dig in world, and you can thank me later!

4 cups water

1 cup lentils

2 Tbs olive oil

3 Tbs tomato paste

3 Tbs onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

dash of cinnamon

Corn tortillas

Salsa (Always using my White Girl Salsa!)

Avocado...etc. (optional)

Bring water to a boil, then add lentils and onion. Return to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes or until lentils are soft. Drain any remaining water. Put 1/2 of the lentils into a food processor and puree while drizzling olive oil into the lentils. Add tomato paste, garlic and cinnamon and process till combined. Mix processed lentils with the remaining lentils. Heat up corn tortillas, and spoon in lentils and top with salsa, avocado, and what ever else tickles your fancy & devour!

Cupcake ATM Machine

At the push of a button, we might soon be able to get cupcakes at any hour of the day; Now I know the Sugar King in the sky is answering my prayers! Rumor has it Sprinkles Cupcakes is making a ATM machine that is going to spit cupcakes out at us, along with cupcake mixes, doggie cupcakes, and apparel. 

 And on top of all this, Sprinkles is going to be opening Sprinkles Ice-cream! Ice cream in cones, ice cream cupcake sandwiches, cookies, brownies, AMEN! Check out the articles below for some more info on this wonderful news. Now we just need to figure out how to get these on every street corner! 

http://www.refinery29.com/nyc-cupcake-machines

http://la.eater.com/archives/2012/02/29/sprinkles_launching_24hour_cupcake_atm_machine_sprinkles_ice_cream_confirmed.php

Red Lentil, Turnip & Kale Soup

Here you go..one more soup for ya. The fact that is has some of the best veggies ever, including my all time fav Kale, it needs no other words. Let you belly tell you the rest! 

1 1/2 cups red lentils

3 cups water

2 Tbs olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 garlic cloves

2 stocks celery, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 1/2 cups tomatoes, chopped

1 turnip, peeled and sliced

1 1/2 great northern beans

4 cups vegetable stock

5-8 pieces of kale, ripped and deveined

Place water and lentils into a pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, and cook partially cooked till soft. Remove from heat. In a larger pot sauté onion, garlic, celery & carrot in oil till soft. Add in tomatoes, turnip and beans. Add cooked lentils and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Add in kale and continue to cook till kale is a bright green. Remove from heat & Devour. 

Vegan Sheperds Pie

3-4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes

Fresh chives to taste, chopped

Splash of rice milk

2 Tbs olive oil

1 tsp curry powder

5 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 cauliflower, cut up into very small "trees"

3 carrots, cut into coins

1 zucchini, chopped

1 yellow squash, chopped

14 oz diced tomatoes

1 cup vegetable broth

1 Tbs balsamic vinegar

14 oz can garbanzo beans

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and boil till potatoes are soft and easy to pierce with a fork. Remove potatoes. With a hand mixer, mash potatoes, splash of milk, pinch of salt till smooth and creamy.

While Potatoes are boiling, preheat oven to 350 degrees and heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the curry & garlic. Then add all the vegetables.  Continue to cook till veggies for about 5 minutes

Add the canned diced tomatoes, vegetable broth and balsamic vinegar. Bring to a simmer and let broth reduce till most is gone and is more of a thicker consistency. Remove from heat and add the garbanzo beans.                                                                                                                                                      Pour the vegetable mixture into a casserole dish. Spoon mashed potatoes on top of the vegetables. Sprinkle with a chives. Bake sheperds pie in the oven for 15-25 minutes or until pie is bubbling and fully heated. Serve & Devour!

The Japanese Food Cuisine Study Hall

Chapter 1

Japanese Cuisine from anime land, Japan

The past 2 weeks I have been lucky to be able to travel the land of sushi, men dressed like popstars, and girls like dolls, and the cleanest city EVER! Well people, I was in Tokyo, Japan. Yes the rumors are true, their 7-11 has better sushi than most high end restaurants in the states. The traditional japanese food was to die for, while some other things I found on my plate, seemed to be more crazy then Heidi Montag. 

And yes I am vegan, but for this trip I had to really indulge in the fish. Because, seriously, when in Japan,  you eat SUSHI. When in Italy, eat a whole pizza smothered in cheese. They are just no brainers!

( One situation that this will never work on, is with meat, (cows, chicken, pigs); no matter where i may be in this world, if they are  known for their meat, I WILL NOT DEVOUR! thanks though.)

Lesson 1: Natto

Video: Me eating Natto my first day in japan, (in our ver nice hotel, hence why I'm whispering). Thank god i was jet lagged!

Most people eat this daily as a breakfast side dish. It is soybeans that are fermented with Bacillus subtilis and contains a rich source of protein and probiotics, so basically its the best thing for you in the whole world. (I try to avoid soy whenever possible, but in this case, I had to try them!) The list of positive things it does for humans is out of control! Natto has crazy amounts of vitamin K, other vitamins that help prevent cancer, it helps reduce blood clots and cholesterol, and helps reduce aging!! But just try...cause there is no way in hell I would ever eat it again...or would I?? It smells like old gym shoes and has the texture of smily beans covered in what looks like melted marshmallows (think rice krispies). 

Vegan Winter Veggie Ragout

Crockpot to the rescue! This colorful soup is so flavorful and delicious, and is so simple a 3 year old could make it. Make this before work (Cook on a lower heat) and come home to dinner already ready, or throw it all in the pot a couple hours before dinner and finally make dinner easy on yourself! 

1.5 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes

2 Tbs grapeseed oil

1 1/2 Tbs garlic, minced

1 onion, chopped

1 bulb fennel, cut into inch pieces

1 red pepper, chopped

1/2 cup white wine 

1 can white kidney beans

2 cup vegetable broth

1 1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped

1 bunch of rainbow chard leaves, de-stemed

1 Tbs oregano

1 Tbs fresh sage, chopped

Throw all of the ingredients into a crock pot, cook on high for about 3-4 hours, or until squash is soft. Serve & devour!