Month: February 2015

Sweetheart Smoothie

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This color. Need I say more? In my Valentine’s Day recipe series, beets have played a primary role. Entranced by their ability to saturate dishes with their emotion-tugging, almost fluorescent hue, I have gone back to them again and again. Thinking of beets within a smoothie, you may wrinkle your nose. I know, pureed beets for breakfast doesn’t exactly sound like the most appetizing way to start the day. What may surprise you is that there is only a very small bit (maybe 1.5 inches) of beet in this tremendously pink bowl. The remainder of the ingredients are all smoothie regulars: raspberries, banana, non-dairy milk (homemade hemp milk), lemon juice, and some unpictured vanilla protein powder (Sunwarrior, but of course). I debated on calling this smoothie the Sweet Tart smoothie because the raspberries and lemon juice give a sharp tang to the blend, which is balanced by the sweetness of the banana and the protein powder. However, in the name of love, I figured I would go with the Sweetheart Smoothie ❤ You can enjoy …

Vegan, Dark, and Handsome Chocolate Pie

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Another (rockin’) recipe in my 2015 Valentine’s Day recipe series. This Vegan, Dark, and Handsome Chocolate Mousse Pie is creamy and decadent, and completely dairy- and gluten-free. It is also no-bake, and comes together in a snap.  I am a confessed choco-holic, while my beau is more of a fruit ‘fficianado. For holidays like this, I admittedly get a bit sad that we won’t be sharing any chocolate-packed desserts. But if I adapt a glass half full approach, I do get this entire little pie all to myself. *cackle, cackle, cackle* And, guys, it’s already gone from my freezer. I ate the entire thing. The ingredients are all things I have in my pantry: oats, cocoa powder,  pecan butter (you can use almond / peanut butter as a sub), maple syrup, a touch of vanilla and sea salt, and some unpictured cashews and cornstarch. First, you make the crust, which is a mixture of pecan butter, oats, cocoa powder, and maple syrup and vanilla and press it into a small dish. My dish is approximately 6 inches …

Love Burgers, or My Favorite Veggie Burger

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These burgers, folks. These burgers. I’ve had a lot of veggie burgers in my day. Those weird, flubby Boca ones, some delicious, but a-bit-soggy Dr. Praeger ones, some bland restaurant-made patties, the list goes on. Then I went to Smorgasbord in NYC last summer, and tasted my first beet burger. My veggie-burger life completely changed. Thank  you, Chickpea and Olive, for introducing me to the wonder that is beet burgers (FYI, I had their Bacon Ranch Cheeseburger, which was topped with eggplant “bacon” and vegan ranch) Moist, savory, and earthy: I closed my eyes and sighed as I devoured each tender, beety morsel. Naturally, I had to make my own. I modified this recipe from The Kitchn, using some pink Sangre de Toro Rancho Gordo beans (because Rancho Gordo makes everything taste better) instead of black beans, adding some sage, using spelt flour instead of oats, and sneaking in a bit more garlic. They are everything I remembered from my first beet burger, and more (sorry, Chickpea and Olive). First of all, they are huge, …