Eating with friends

As every vegan knows, its hard to find good places to go to with
non-vegan friends that can accommodate you. This weekend while staying
with the lovely Joy Hernon we found an amazing place for brunch that
caters to all! Essex, on the lower east side was amazing. I had the
Vegan Mexican Matzo Brei with tofu scramble & soy cheese. Which also comes with
spinach-shiitake-black bean hash. It was out of this world. Oh and
mimosas or bloody marys all for $20!

Candle 79

Last night I had dinner at my most favorite vegan restaurant, Candle 79 in NYC. It was amazing, we had the seitan piccata with creamed spinach, grilled potato cake, oyster mushrooms, and lemon-caper sauce; the daily pasta, with spinach, garbanzo beans, and corn; sake mojitos and margaritas; and to finish we had the chocolate peanut-butter bliss: chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse, chocolate shell, and berry coulis. This place is a must try when in the big apple.

http://www.candle79.com/

Avi's Watermelon Fig Salad

Dressing: 2 parts olive oil; 1 part orange vinegar; fresh mint and a honey to taste.
Toss with fresh arugula; halved figs, watermelon chunks; and walnuts.

Avi's Amazing Meal

My dear friend, Avi Wolfson, made the most amazing vegan meal for me and some friends tonight- and it was amazing.   Pasta with cherry tomatoes, button mushrooms, and hearts of palm, tossed with truffle oil (straight from Croatia) and minced truffle; watermelon fig salad with arugula, tossed with a orange-mint vinaigrette and walnuts; and berry sorbet with chocolate! The flavors were paired so perfectly...I was in heaven. 

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Wild Mushroom Risotto:
Bring 4 cups vegetable broth to a boil in a saucepan; cover and keep hot.
Melt 1 tbs Earth Balance margarine with 1 tbs olive oil. Add 1 chopped shallot; saute 1 min. Add wild mushrooms of your liking approx 1-2 cups diced; cook until mushrooms are tender and juices are released, about 4 minutes. Add 1/2 cup arborio rice and stir to coat. Add  1/4 cup Sherry and simmer until liquid is absorbed, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Add 3/4 cup hot vegetable broth and simmer until absorbed, stirring frequently. Add remaining hot vegetable broth 3/4 cup at a time, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more and stirring frequently until rice is just tender and mixture is creamy, about 20 minutes. Stir in grated vegan Parmesan or almond mozarella cheese and chopped fresh thyme. Serve warm.

My Go-To Instant Oatmeal

I typically try to make a fresh breakfast every day, however as we all know this isn't always possible. When I'm in a pinch I love this oatmeal. From texture to flavor, Three Sisters is committed to providing consumers with great-tasting instant oatmeal. Some Three Sisters oatmeal varieties utilize old fashioned oats, which are heartier than the instant oats used by the category leader.

Three Sisters also sources quality ingredients, like real berries, premium chocolate, and unique spices, which contribute to the brand’s distinctively bold taste.

Try any of these four flavors at a Whole Foods® near you:

• Cinnamon & Apples
• Brown Sugar & Maple
• Dark Chocolate
• Plain Grain (Organic)

Yummy Kanten

Peach Kanten: fresh peaches, 2 cups fresh juiced apple juice; dash of ginger juice, dash of salt, 1 1/2 tbs agar agar. Boil apple juice, add salt, and agar agar; simmer for 10-15 mins until agar agar is dissolved. Add ginger, pour over peaches. Refrigerate for two hours. To make pudding double the agar agar, once set blend with a tablespoon tahini. Enjoy!

More Amazing NYC Restaurants

Candle Cafe, NYC: Whole wheat tortilla filled with bean purée, grilled vegetables and tapioca cheese, served with homemade guacamole; steamed greens; and a vegan oatmeal chocolate chip cookie!!!! Amazing! http://www.candlecafe.com

Counter, NYC

Counter, NYC: Seasonal Tofu Scramble heirloom cherry tomato, grilled wild red onion, wild arugula; homefires; whole grain toast; side of tempeh bacon; coffee. Equals heaven. (I love NYC restaurants-http://www.counternyc.com/)

Quick and Easy Macrobiotic Meal

Sautéed veggie nori rollups, fried rice and buttercup squash. This is a super easy macrobiotic meal that is great if you are in a hurry. Lightly sautéed your choice of veggies in oil until tender, (I choose green cabbage, shitake mushrooms, kale, carrot) with a dash of SI sea salt, and shoyu to taste. Roll the veggies into a half sheet of nori. For fried rice, simply sauté cooked rice with sesame oil, a dash of rice vinegar and shoyu to taste. Dice squash and steam or cook in a pressure cooker.