Very berry “green” smoothie

I truly do mourn the fact that I don’t like greens. I just can’t stand the taste or texture of anything leaf-like. I’ve wanted to find a way to incorporate greens into my diet despite my aversion, but I admit that my complacency had me in a state of inertia. Now, however, it’s time I make a move on this desire of mine, and feed my body what I know it’s long hungered for.

You're not going to see me munching on salads or anything like that, but I was inspired by Kati’s post about "green monster" smoothies. I resolved to take the stealth approach, and sneak some greens into me. Reassured by the promise that I wouldn’t detect any leafy taste, I took a deep breath and bought my first ever bag of spinach last Wednesday. Go me! On Thursday and Friday, this was my breakfast.

6-8 strawberries, hulled
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 1/2 cups (2 big handfuls) spinach leaves
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 scoop protein powder
1T ground flaxseed
1/3 cup vanilla or plain soymilk
1/4 cup crushed ice or ice water

Watch out; this’ll go fast. Put all ingredients in a blender.



Pulse to combine, then purée completely. You can add extra water a spoonful at a time if it looks too thick.



Pour into a tall glass, and enjoy! I’m thrilled to report that you cannot, in fact, distinguish one hint of greenery in there. I looove my berries, and all I could taste were their sweet, tart, fresh flavors. And it’s so very healthy—just look at those nutritionals! This made a fantastic post-workout, pre-work meal, and it’s made me eager to find more ways to slip spinach and other greens into my diet. Look forward in the next couple of weeks to a post about how I used the remainder of that bag of spinach to craft a mouthwatering, savory…well, you’ll see.



Yield: 1 serving. Per serving: 252 calories, 4.6g fat (trace sat), 38g carbs, 14g fiber, 20.4g protein.

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Watermelon agua fresca

Rainbow Mexi-quinoa medley

I made a produce-packed trip to the grocery store a couple Thursdays ago, so when I got home after work on Friday, I decided to kick off the weekend with something fresh, light, and healthy. I pretty much improvised this as I went along, and it turned out great. The amounts listed below, especially the dressing ingredients, are low-balled estimates, so feel free to add an extra drizzle of oil or dash of cumin if you feel it needs it.

1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn
1/4 cup chunky salsa
15-oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1 ripe avocado, pitted and diced
1T olive oil
1T lime juice
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Immediately after you cut the avocado, transfer it to a large bowl and toss with 1T lime juice to prevent it from browning. Mix well, but gently; you want the avocado pieces to stay distinct (rather than turning it into guacamole). Add the beans and tomatoes to the avocado.



Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add a pinch of salt, stir in the quinoa, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in the corn and salsa, re-cover, and cook for 2-3 minutes more.



While the quinoa is simmering, whisk the olive oil, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne with 2T warm water in a small bowl. When the quinoa is done, fluff it up with a fork and add to the bean and veggie mixture. Add the dressing mixture and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt, fold in the cilantro, and serve.

It was delicious! I love the snappy consistency of quinoa, but I’m glad that I included little enough that the veggies were the star. The sweet, juicy tomatoes played well off the cilantro and spices. Black beans and corn are a match made in heaven, if you ask me, and the lush and creamy avocado rounded out the dish beautifully. It’s an explosion of textures and flavors, not to mention a nutritional powerhouse. And how great are those colors? Hello, summer!



Yield: 3 servings. Per serving: 343 calories, 10.9g fat (2g sat), 51.8g carbs, 12g fiber, 13.5g protein.

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Dreamy creamy tiramisu cupcakes

This is part II of the cupcake extravaganza of 5/23. I know, I held out on you for awhile, but I wanted to stagger my cupcake posts so you wouldn’t get bored. Not that anything about these could possibly bore you—cake! coffee! cream! chocolate! BOOZE! These cupcakes (also from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World) have it all. It amazed me just how much these taste like real tiramisu straight from an Italian restaurant kitchen. It actually wouldn’t be a bad idea to serve these little gems with forks. They're very caloric, but hey, it was a celebration!

For the cupcakes:
1 cup soymilk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2T cornstarch
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup strong brewed coffee
1/3 cup coffee liqueur (like Kahlúa)
1T cocoa powder

For the frosting:
1/4 cup Earth Balance
1/4 cup vegan cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and coat with cooking spray. Combine the soymilk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to curdle. Beat the oil, sugar, and vanilla into the soymilk. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.



Mix until no large lumps remain.



Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.



Bake for 20-22 minutes for regular cupcakes, or 15-16 minutes for minis. When done, let sit in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer the golden beauties to a wire rack to cool completely.



Meanwhile, make the frosting. Cream together the margarine and cream cheese with a hand mixer until just combined. Keep the mixer on low speed and add the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Mix until smooth and creamy, then add the vanilla. Place in the fridge until a few minutes before you're ready to use it. I should have transferred it to a darker-colored bowl before photographing it; my bad.



In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine the coffee and Kahlúa. Use a small spoon, a paring knife, or (in my case) a melon baller to carve/scoop out a chunk in the center of each cupcake; set those aside. Spoon the Kahlúa mixture into the cavity of each cupcake, making sure that all sides are drenched. You'll use about 2T of the liquid for regular cupcakes and 1T for minis. In the pic below, on the right, you can see what they look like when disemboweled (hehe) and soaked with the liqueur mixture.

Spoon some of the frosting (again about 2T for regular cupcakes and 1T for minis) into the cavity and smooth off the top. Lightly dip the reserved chunks of cupcake into the remaining Kahlúa mixture, and pat back on top of the filling, as you can see on the left.



When all are filled and lidded, top with a layer of the remaining frosting. Put the cocoa powder in a small strainer and dust it over the cakes. I also ended up topping each one with a tiny dollop of the leftover mousse from the hazelnut cupcakes; you could also use chocolate-covered espresso beans, or even just mini chocolate chips, to decorate.



Oh, how I wish I could have gotten a clearer picture! That said, I can quite easily forgive them for being so soft and melt-in-your-mouth. The light, creamy, and very sweet frosting oozes from inside and pairs superbly with the not-too-sugary cupcakes. The coffee-liqueur soak makes them so moist they almost-but-not-quite fall apart. And ooh baby, these are boozy! You can use all coffee if you’re not into that, but the mild bite from the Kahlúa really makes them memorable. I was both touched and thrilled to have multiple friends at that party tell me these were the absolute best thing I’ve ever baked. Wow!



Yield: 12 regular or 24 mini cupcakes. Per cupcake (regular): 312 calories, 11.6g fat (1g sat), 47.2g carbs, 1.4g fiber, 2.5g protein.
Per cupcake (mini): 156 calories, 5.8g fat (.5 sat), 23.6g carbs, .7g fiber, 1.3g protein.

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Roasted potato wraps w/black bean hummus

I'd had this recipe from the Whole Foods site, for black bean "hummus," bookmarked for quite awhile. When I came across this other recipe in Vegetarian Times, for potato tacos, the hummus immediately came to mind. I put my own spin on the "tacos," but the hummus recipe was excellent already. I knew those two would marry perfectly, and they did! Without further ado, I present to you the happy couple.

For the wraps:
2 large potatoes, scrubbed, peeled if desired
1T olive oil
1 tsp salt
1T canola oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2T chopped cilantro
2 tsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
4 whole wheat flour tortillas, warmed
Salsa, for serving

For the hummus:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup tahini
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
2T olive oil
2T warm water
2 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 cup cilantro
Salt to taste

First, you’ll want to get your potatoes going. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Chop the potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle on the olive oil, sprinkle on the salt, and toss to combine. (I lined my baking sheet with foil, but I actually don’t recommend it; there was a lot of “stickage,” despite the oil.)



Roast for 20-25 minutes. Take them out every 6-8 minutes and stir them around so that they brown on all sides. Set aside when done.

While those are cooking, make the hummus. Combine all ingredients except cilantro and salt in a food processor. I threw in a couple slices of pickled jalapeño too; you can improvise however you want.



Pulse a few times to combine, then process until smooth. Scrape down the sides and add the cilantro.



Pulse 10-15 times to combine. Scrape down the sides again and give it a taste. Season with salt to taste, and process one more time, for about 10 seconds. Transfer the hummus to a bowl. Have some tortilla chips handy so you can snack on it as you’re preparing the wraps.



Heat the canola oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and green pepper and cook and stir until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, and cayenne and cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.



Add the potatoes and toss to coat and heat through. Stir in the lemon juice and cilantro and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Now for the assembly: place a tortilla on a plate and spread on a big glop of the hummus.



Pile 1/4 of the potato mixture on top. (You can also add any taco-type fillings you like, be it lettuce, [soy] cheese, chopped tomatoes, etc.)



Fold in the sides of the tortilla, roll it up, and place seam side-down on the plate. Spoon salsa generously on top.



If you've never had potatoes in Mexican food, you are missing out! These wraps are irresistible, and they made a great lunch the rest of the week.



Yield: 4 wraps. Per wrap (without hummus): 219 calories, 9g fat (1g sat), 36g carbs, 11g fiber, 8g protein.
Per 1/4 cup hummus: 127 calories, 7.5g fat (.5g sat), 10.5g carbs, 3.8g fiber, 5.3g protein.

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Hazelnut cupcakes w/chocolate mousse filling

A couple weekends ago, I had an exceedingly busy Saturday. After a 12-mile run, I set out on an ambitious afternoon of cupcake baking. Four hours later, I had four dozen mini cupcakes ready to take to my friends Colby and Sara’s graduation party in Lawrence. Yes, you read right—four hours! I made two types of cupcakes, and each one had multiple components. These were the first batch, and were probably slightly more time-consuming than the other. (This would be a good time to enlist a kitchen helper, people!) Be prepared, these are a lot of work, but just wait until you taste one.

For the mousse:
6 oz. extra-firm silken tofu (half a Mori-Nu pack)
2T soymilk
1T maple syrup
4 tsp instant coffee granules
2 tsp hazelnut liqueur (like Frangelico)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Crumble the tofu into a blender. Add the soymilk, maple syrup, instant coffee, hazelnut liqueur, and vanilla. Purée until completely smooth. I’d like to take just a moment to profess my adoration for Frangelico. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...



Melt the chocolate chips at 50% power in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds (or use a double boiler). Once melted, let cool for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then add the chocolate to the tofu mixture and blend until combined. Transfer the mousse to an airtight container or bowl covered in plastic wrap. Let chill for about an hour to firm. (Remove from the fridge 10 minutes before using.)



For the cupcakes:
1/2 cup + 2T all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup hazelnut meal or almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup soymilk or nut milk
1T ground flaxseed
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1T hazelnut liqueur

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and mist lightly with cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flaxseed and soymilk. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, hazelnut or almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. (Tip: to make nut meal, pulse raw blanched hazelnuts or almonds in a food processor until just ground—it should have a sandy consistency.)



Add the maple syrup, brown sugar, canola oil, vanilla, and hazelnut liqueur to the flax/milk mixture and beat well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine.



Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.



Bake for 22-24 minutes for regular cupcakes, or 16-18 minutes for minis. When done, let sit in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



For the ganache:
1/4 cup soymilk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1T maple syrup
1T hazelnut liqueur

Bring soymilk to a gentle boil in a small saucepan. Immediately remove from heat and add the chocolate chips, maple syrup, and hazelnut liqueur. Stir until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use. Somehow, I forgot to take a picture of this part.

Now for the assembly: put the mousse filling in a piping device fitted with a small tip. Push the tip into each cupcake, and fill with as much mousse as will fit. Scrape any excess off the tops. (If you don't have a frosting piper like mine, use your finger to poke holes in each cake, and a ziploc bag with the corner snipped or a pastry bag to fill.) There will be extra mousse left over; set it aside.



Dip each cupcake upside down into the ganache, just enough to coat the entire top. Twirl it around a little to allow any extra to drip off, then place it right side up on a cutting board. Set the cutting board in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to let the ganache set. You can serve these as is, or garnish as desired. I piped a little dab of the leftover mousse onto each, and topped with a whole hazelnut. Beautiful!



Are you exhausted just reading all that? Call it a labor of love, but it was so worth it. The cupcake is nutty and firm, and not overly sweet. It’s the ideal vehicle for the creamy, velvety mousse inside. The ultra-rich ganache on top really sends it over the edge. There are so many textures and layers of flavor for your tongue to dance upon, it’s just magnificent. These are as impressive to the eye as they are to the palate, and they earned me many an exclamation of delight and gratitude at the party. Stay tuned for the other batch!



Yield: 12 regular or 24 mini cupcakes. Per cupcake (regular): 292 calories, 13.6g fat (4g sat), 39.7g carbs, 3g fiber, 7g protein.
Per cupcake (mini): 146 calories, 6.8g fat (2g sat), 19.8g carbs, 1.5g fiber, 3.5g protein.

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Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes w/cinnamon glaze
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Loquacious May leftovers

I had only eaten at Old Chicago once, years ago, so I didn’t know what to expect going back. I ordered a small thin-crust (which was not thin at all, but that’s ok with me) pizza with garlic, red pepper, and roasted green chiles. I asked for extra sauce and very light cheese. What they gave me wasn’t exactly light on cheese in my eyes, but compared to their regular amount, it was sparse. That’s alright. It was tasty; I especially liked the crust.



I finally got to try Taste, a newish tapas bar in downtown Overland Park. When I hinted that I was looking for vegan fare, they actually had the chef come out to talk to me, and he designed a meal for me on the spot. I started with the hummus.



They kinda sorta forgot to leave off the feta cheese. Oh well; I just picked it off. I liked the olive garnish, and the pita was nice and tender. Next up, I had white bean salad with toasted baguette slices.



The dressing was vinegary and slightly sweet; not my favorite, but still good. Next, they made me a mixed vegetable “curry” of sorts. The veggies were bathed in a spicy-sweet chile peanut sauce. This was the surprise highlight of the meal—the veggies were so nicely cooked, the flavors SO full and savory, that I wished they had given me twice as much.



Mouthwatering! I also had a side of sweet potato fries; can’t go wrong with that. It was a fantastic meal overall, and I’d definitely recommend giving the place a try if you’re local.



Here’s a fast, easy weeknight meal—Boca burgers on whole wheat buns, with oven fries (white potato on the left, sweet potato on the right) and…Kool-Aid! How All-American of me.



I had been craving Bo Ling’s since last September (seriously) and finally went there again. Their spring rolls are good, but their spring roll sauce is AMAZING!—it’s thick, super-sweet, and a little peanutty, but the boldest flavor in there is (I swear) chocolate. Strange but true.



I drank some “king’s oolong” tea, and dined on tofu and mixed vegetables in black bean sauce with brown rice. Exactly what I’d been waiting 8+ months to eat again.



Here’s another odds-defying vegan meal, this one at Ted’s Montana Grill. Green beans, broccoli, asparagus, a baked sweet potato with cinnamon sugar, and a dinner roll, all sans butter or cheese.



Who knew that one of my favorite bars, Velvet Dog, had such a divine hummus plate? My friends and I shared one on a Saturday night out. It had 3 kinds—black bean, roasted red pepper, and original. Everyone agreed the black bean was the best.



Lastly, there’s a new restaurant in Leawood called Pizza Fusion. They’re organic, environmentally conscious, and vegan-friendly; very cool.



I ate a pizza with whole grain crust, red sauce, just a sprinkling of vegan cheese (I like my pizza extra-light on cheese even when it’s vegan!), roasted garlic, and red/yellow/green peppers. It was really good; I loved the sauce especially. It’s a place I definitely hope to revisit.



Past leftovers...
April
March
February

Pumpkin chocolate chip cupcakes w/cinnamon glaze

I haven't really gotten on board with the cupcake trend that's been happening these last couple years. I know they're cute and handheld and all, but so what? I personally prefer a regular cake. I like being able to customize serving size, and visually I just find them more majestic and appealing. That said, a cake is a cake, big or small, so I knew Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World was worth buying. I plan to make the recipes in a variety of forms—sheet cake, layer cake, bundt cake, and yes, the ever-popular cupcake. For this first foray, I stayed true to the book, cake-shape-wise. I did make a few ingredient alterations, though. I replaced some oil with applesauce and some all-purpose flour with whole wheat pastry. I also decreased the amounts of cinnamon and chocolate chips—I wanted the pumpkin flavor to really shine through, and it certainly did.

For the cupcakes:
1 cup canned pumpkin
2T canola oil
2 heaping T unsweetened applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup soymilk
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

For the glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
2T Earth Balance, melted
1T soymilk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin or a 24-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners and mist lightly with cooking spray. In a medium bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, applesauce, sugar, soymilk, and vanilla.



Sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.



Gently mix together with a whisk, fork, or spatula. Once combined, fold in the chocolate chips.



Fill muffin cups 2/3 full.



Bake for 22-24 minutes for regular cupcakes, or 16-18 minutes for minis. When done, let sit in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.



Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and cinnamon. Add the margarine, soymilk, and vanilla...



...and whisk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar, a spoonful at a time, if it looks too thin. Keep at room temperature until ready to use.



Let me take a moment to show off my new toy: Dessert Decorator Pro! It's actually totally unnecessary for these cupcakes, since the topping is a glaze and not an icing per se, but I had to break it out anyway. I'll be getting a great deal of use out of it in the coming weeks and months.



Once the cupcakes have cooled completely, use a spoon, ziploc bag with the corner snipped, pastry bag, or fancy frosting piper like mine to drizzle on the glaze. Check 'em out—adorable and impressive!



These cupcakes bode very well for the remainder of the book. I'll admit I was slightly wary of the chocolate-pumpkin combo, which is not my favorite, but it really works here. They're moist, tender, sweet, dense, and pumpkiny, with just the right amount of chocolate and spice inside and creamy-gooey glaze on top. I chose this recipe because I had all the ingredients already in my pantry, so there's a good chance you do too! By the way, fair warning—prepare yourself for many more cakes and cupcakes on this blog in the weeks to come.



Yield: 12 regular or 24 mini cupcakes. Per cupcake (regular): 210 calories, 6.8g fat (.5g sat), 37g carbs, 1.8g fiber, 2.4g protein.
Per cupcake (mini): 105 calories, 3.4g fat (trace sat), 18.5g carbs, .9g fiber, 1.2g protein.

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Coconut heaven cupcakes
Cookies 'n cream cupcakes, take one and two