Healthy "Horchata" Smoothie

OMG this will blow your mind, it is so delicious. I'm declaring it the official drink of summer. While traditional horchata is made from soaking rice in water, adding sugar and cinnamon, then blending and straining through a sieve (you can find a good recipe right here), this horchata-inspired beverage has a banana and cardamom twist, minus the time involved in soaking and whatnot.

Here's the scoop: Put into a blender - or container if you're using a hand blender like me - a good bit of ice, one cut up banana (alternatively you could use a frozen banana and no ice, giving you a thicker result; I like the lightness the ice gives it), a generous shower of both cardamom and cinnamon (don't be shy!), and about a teaspoon of agave for sweetness. Add just enough rice milk to cover, blend away, and prepare to be cooled, quenched, and overwhelmed with delight.

I have to give major props to my dear friend Christy who passed along the recipe from her friend & fellow yoga instuctor Jess. Both can be found teaching regularly at Brooklyn Boulders' 7pm nightly yoga classes (Christy on Wednesdays, Jess on Sundays) so check them out sometime if you're local. Cheers to you, lovely ladies!

Yum.

Thought I would kick the week off with a healthy lunch item today. This simple vegan-friendly dish was inspired by a recent trip to Le Pain Quotidien, where I had the delicious black bean hummus tartine. Instead of using whole wheat bread, I toasted whole wheat pita wedges sprinkled with paprika and a little sea salt. Then I spread a bit of fat free refried black beans on each wedge, sprinkled it with a tiny bit of cheese (obviously this part is optional), then topped with avocado slices. So easy and tasty!

Because it's Friday...

...and because there's the prettiest light dusting of snow on the ground outside. (although I think they may have gotten more snow in my hometown of Savannah, GA last night!) I am craving this amazing confectioner's sugar-dusted breakfast, spotted recently on Frolic. Gah. Well, cinnamon-raisin toast will just have to do!

Best. Cookies. Ever.

I know, it's a bold statement. But inside each of these slightly-flaky-on-the-outside, a-little-chewy-on-the-inside chocolate delights is a melty caramel Rollo candy. My husband's friend's Polish grandmother used to make these (although I don't know that Rollo cookies could be considered a traditional Polish recipe!) and not only was this his first attempt at making these particular cookies, it was his first time making cookies EVER. We brought the cookies to a holiday party, and they were a huge hit. These are the last three. You set the bar high, babe. Here's a link to the recipe.

Warm N' Tasty

I am currently having some frustrations with the comments section of blogspot (why can't I post a comment on my own blog, for heaven's sake??) but I have no doubt that the yummy, healthy, greens-filled soup I'm having for lunch will soothe my cranky spirit.

As the colder weather starts to settle in here, this will become a bit of a staple along with my other favorite soup recipes that I haven't used since last February - like black bean, cauliflower, lentil, yum yum! I love having that big, warm pot simmering on the stove.


This one can easily be a vegetarian soup; I used some spicy sausage in mine but it can be omitted.

Kale and White Bean Soup
------------------------
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 or 5 carrots, chopped
1 bunch kale or swiss chard, washed and chopped, thick stems removed
1 can diced tomato
2 cans white beans
4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cloves garlic

optional:
3 spicy sausage links
1/2 container baby portabello mushrooms, chopped

Drizzle some olive oil in the bottom of your favorite soup pot (any large pot will do) over medium heat, once it gets nice and warm add the sausage, if using, casings removed, breaking the meat up as it begins to brown. Then add your onions and carrots and let that hang out for a bit, 5 minutes or so... Go ahead and pour yourself a glass of wine or put your feet up for a minute. Follow with garlic and mushrooms (if using) until everybody gets soft and friendly, another 3-5 minutes. Then add the beans and tomatoes. Start adding your greens, but you may have to add it in batches, let it reduce a bit and then add more. Follow with your broth, bring it to a simmer, and let it simmer (not boil) for a good 20 minutes or longer on low heat. You can add a little water if it needs more liquid.

This makes a pretty big batch of soup. You can freeze some in individual containers, then bring it to the office and torture your coworkers with the savory scent of your homemade dee-light. I like to have mine with garlic toast. Tasty!

Friday Fun

This week I happened to come across not one but TWO rainbow cake recipes! What are the chances? Aren't they both just awesome? And both have detailed instructions. The first comes from the gorgeously delicious-looking Whisk Kid blog. I can't visit this blog without getting a contact sugar high - the desserts are that beautiful. This lemony tower-of-power is a buttercream-filled layered concoction that would leave Willie Wonka speechless.



The second cake comes to us from the very fun and very new blog 2nd Floor Living - it's a little lighter on the frosting, a bit more psychedelic, and is a more literal interpretation of the rainbow idea. It's created by layering different colors of cake batter in the same pan. How cool!


My favorite thing about these cakes is their quite normal appearance on the outside following by a pow! bam! bang! surprise on the inside. Is it a coincidence that I'm posting these a few days before my birthday? Or is it my secret birthday wish to be presented with a cake as cool as these??? You decide...

This Week's Lunch Item

Veggie wraps! Very tasty and healthy, so I don't feel guilty when I have an afternoon treat.

I used zucchini, tomato, mushrooms, kidney beans and spinach, but you could basically substitute with whatever you like or have around. Saute the zucchini and mushrooms in a bit of olive oil for about 4 minutes, toss in a little salt and pepper and garlic if you like, then add some shopped fresh tomato and let that hang out for a few until the tomato starts to break down. Then add your beans and let them heat through, followed by a good handful of spinach. Take it off the heat once the spinach starts to wilt.

Take your whole wheat tortilla, and add a generous sprinkle of cheddar to the middle. Top with some of your veggie mix (don't worry if there's too much to fit - it's just as tasty leftover so you can make another wrap for the next day's lunch) and wrap it up!

Bon appetit!

Oh-So-Rite

It's a good thing I don't live in San Francisco, because I would probably be about 30 pounds heavier and have to buy a whole new wardrobe. Particularly if I lived in the Mission District, near Dolores Park, home to the makers of best ice cream EVER, Bi-Rite Creamery and Bakeshop. They use local, sustainable and/or organic ingredients and have some hugely creative flavors like Salted Caramel (so yum), Ricanelas (cinnamon with snickerdoodles), Balsamic Strawberry, Creme Fraiche and my personal favorite, Brown Sugar with Ginger Caramel Swirl. It is truly amazing stuff and will forever change your ice cream expectations.

Their cups and spoons are biodegradeable, and they used strictly metal spoons for tasting (because you WILL want to taste a few flavors, at least) to reduce waste. But have they thought about the carbon footprint of desperate New Yorkers flying in to pick up a pint of Roasted Banana (created by roasting organic bananas with brown sugar until tender and caramelized) or Honey Lavender? Have they?!? Clearly this can only be solved by the opening of a New York sister store. Hey, a girl can dream.

Healthy and Tasty

After last weekend's culinary debauchery (jalapeno poppers, anyone?), I've embarked on a week of healthy eating. They make this tasty quinoa salad at Dean and DeLuca's and, after reading the ingredient list, I decided to try recreating it.

Here's the basic recipe. Take 1 cup quinoa + 2 cups water, bring to a boil then reduce heat to very low and simmer until water is absorbed (about 20 minutes). Let it cool off for a bit, while you go do something healthy, like lying around on the yoga mat pretending you're exercising. Next, add about 1 cup baby spinach, chopped a little so there's no big leaves or stems. Add about 1/4 cup each dried cranberries and golden raisins, a handful each of pumpkin seeds, almonds, and pinenuts (I didn't have pinenuts so I used walnuts). Now you want to throw in some scallions (or chives, which is what I had in the fridge) - and if you wanted to get really schnazzy you could substitute sauteed shallots, and wow, is that fancy. Generously season with salt and pepper, add about a tbsp olive oil and a nice drizzle of sherry vinegar. Toss that salad, and you're ready to go!

Makes a LOT, so share it with a few friends or plan on eating it for lunch all week. (which is what I've been doing)

Cheesecake for Your Eyes

A friend gave me this wonderful little book, simply titled Tiny cheesecakes recipe book, full of the most delightful photo styling ever and printed on lush, velvety, slightly ribbed paper. Yum, yum. Best of all, the recipes are entirely in Japanese so there's no pressure to actually produce any of these lovely cakes. Just pure visual enjoyment.

Muffin Madness

We had lots of delicious berries after our farmer's market visit this weekend, so I decided to try a new recipe. The recipe was called "Strawberry Muffins" but I had blueberries too so I just threw caution to the wind and tossed those in the mix. With all the fresh fruit and organic and whole wheat flour, these babies are only about a third the calories of one of those Dunkin Donut sugar bombs. So...that means I can eat three, right?

I topped them with some homemade lavender sugar, made especially for us by our friend Christy. The cute blue and white cupcake papers are from HeyYoYo.

The recipe came from this month's body and soul magazine. I also tried one for a sweet potato and chickpea hummus that made a perfect lunch yesterday. No pictures of that though. I ate it too fast.