Tag Archives: one lucky duck

No Cooking In The Kitchen

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Hello, hello my dear friends! First off, I’d like to remind you to enter my Nasoya Tofu giveaway before the end of the day, which you can do right here.

Awhile back I was having the pleasure of consistently going out to eat in the city of New York. I’m telling you… I don’t think there’s a single person that has ever dined at all the restaurants the city has to offer. Especially because there are new ones popping up all the time, literally (i.e. pop-up restaurants).  And before you know it they vanish the same way they seemed to come out of nowhere. On this particular day I did not go to one of those restaurants, but rather an establishment. I say establishment because it’s pretty well-known in the raw foodists community. I think it’s nice to have a place that offers a wide raw-vegan selection in an ambiance beyond bright cafes adorned with shelves of wheat grass and bamboo. Maybe some of you can guess where I went that day.

Pure Food & Wine for lunch with a dear friend

I started out with a 'Hot Pink' juice

It’s made with beet, pineapple, pear, ginger. My parents would make juices regularly with beets, but I had never tried it with pineapple and pear.

Sushi rolls – marinated shiitake, avocado, asparagus, red pepper, jicama rice, nama shoyu

Lisa commented in the last post about not being able to eat rice anymore, which reminded me of this! If you can’t find jicama, cauliflower works as well. It’s got a similar texture, and all you have to do is shred it. I’ve actually been doing that for my deconstructed sushi bowls lately, and even when I recently made a stir-fry. Just make sure it’s shredded!

Taco Salad – romaine lettuce, spicy taco crumble, pico de gallo, guacamole, cashew sour cream, cilantro-lime dressing

I enjoyed this salad a lot! The cashew sour cream had me curious as to how they made it. It was blended to creamy perfection, and tasted reminiscent of sour cream. All of the flavors together made for a lively tasting dish.

Falafel with tabhouli – over whole romaine leaves or tossed with greens, lemon tahini, red pepper hot sauce

My friend is from Israel and says his friend makes the best falafel in town, so he wanted to see if this one was up to par. It was also his first time trying anything raw-vegan so I knew he’d be in for a little surprise.

Portabella and hempseed burger – sprouted manna bread, lapsang tea smoked cashew cheese, house made mustard, pickled pink onions, caraway kraut

It was such a little delight to look at... and eat!

I enjoyed the combination of the fermented, salty taste with the cooling pungency of the mustard, and biting into the incredibly dense bread. This burger is small, but no complaints here. I knew how dense it would be, and anything bigger would just be unnecessary to feel satisfied. And boy was I satisfied. My dining partner also underestimated how filling the food would be.

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Build Me Up Butternut

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The other day I received a package with no return address and a secret admirer was the sender.

My heart leapt with joy because I knew it had finally arrived! My friend–whom I stayed with when I was in New York–had sent me a package awhile ago. I knew it was from her when I read that it was to her chickpea; she’s deathly allergic to them so it was a joke. Isn’t that unfortunate though? To be allergic to chickpeas… Oi!

There was a surprise beneath every layer.

A canister of delicious chai tea and handmade stationary!

I am seriously blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people. Really and truly, every day I am given so many reasons to smile. From random bump-ins on the street, to constant messages from dear friends, and to comments I get from you all. Speaking of comments, my mom finally left her first reply in my last post! Whenever I’m in Florida we sit around the kitchen table and I’ll read my posts out loud to them. This blog makes them smile :)

It just so happened that before I opened the package I turned on the burner to heat some water for a cup of tea.

The chai tea was delicious and flavorful with all its spices. I had it with a warm lemon poppyseed Heart Thrive + coconut oil. After the picture was snapped I decided to spread on some cranberry preserves as well. This is the best way I’ve enjoyed this flavor of Heart Thrive. For some reason, it just tasted better this time around.

Dinner was something I was very much looking forward to... more so than usual.

Not too long ago while blogreading I checked up to see if the lovely Angharad was still alive and kickin’. Indeed she was because I saw a new recipe that I knew I had to recreate! Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the spicy black bean burger. This sounded like an amazing recipe to make on a Sunday night, since it’d be convenient to have these available on busy days. That night I had it in a handmade flour tortilla with bell peppers, homemade salsa verde, cilantro, and since I had no sour cream on hand I just used Greek yogurt. This was actually a surprisingly good substitute since the yogurt is thick and tart. As the patties were baking, my roommate and her boyfriend exclaimed how good it smelled. Well now I can say that they taste even better than they smell! Though the truth is, I don’t think Angharad could ever give us a bad recipe even if she tried.

A new twist on my favorite snack as of late.

Instead of using granola I nuked a crumbled lemon poppyseed Heart Thrive in the microwave with some soymilk till it got nice and soft. Then I added white chocolate chips and cashew butter. I am so glad I opened up this glorious bag of white chocolate chips!

Another surprise in the mail from a very dear friend of mine.

I’ve heard so many praises about this cookbook and now I know why!!! There are so many incredible sounding recipes, where’s a girl to start?! Thanks so much Liz! The ideal situation would be to invite every single one of you over and we’d all choose a bunch of recipes, then hunt and gather, and prepare and enjoy a most glorious feast. Imagine that? Being surrounded by that many awesome people and amazing food.

Breakfast on my critique day.

After having my critique (my piece was the only left to be critiqued) postponed three times–I was ready to get it over with! But I knew I had to start the day on a delicious note and the rest would fall into place. I had a bowl of yogurt, mango bits, pomegranate arils, a warm apricot Heart Thrive + coconut oil, and Sunland’s banana peanut butter.

Yeah, I think a yogurt mess was a great decision!

Oh and the crit went really well!!! It’s always nice to hear other perspectives and suggestions. The class actually answered one of my doubts of whether or not I should’ve made the video longer–they wished it was!

I cut a butternut squash and I left for five minutes and look what happened! Whoa!

More randomness!

I had to have another  spicy black bean burgers! This time I filled the handmade tortilla with butternut squash, avocado, cilantro, manchego cheese, tomato sauce, and red pepper jelly. Can I get a witness?? This was so pleasing to every kind of taste; sweet, savoury, spicy, tangy, straight up delicious.

Tart fro-yo + One Lucky Duck's raw blonde macaroon = A delicious new take on Sweet-tart!

Couldn't get enough of the butternut!

When I was looking for falafel recipes I stumbled upon a few sweet potato ones. So this led me to making a falafel wrap with butternut squash, cucumber slices, tomato slices, avocado, cilantro, fresh tzatziki, onions, and lettuce. Yum yum yum and more yum!

A very productive study date!

Leftover yogurt pancakes

One of them was a banana pancake and I chopped some dark chocolate on top. Coconut oil, cinnamon, and Apple & Maple syrup was spread on all the pancakes. The other two pancakes were topped with diced apples and confectioner’s sugar mixed with nutmeg. On the side I also made a dip for the apples; a mixture of Sunland’s banana peanut butter and yogurt. I’ve seen this done on some blogs so I thought I’d give it a try–and I shall try, try again. This was good!

Sometimes I like to get up close but never too personal.

Speaking of chocolate, this is what the fig, fennel, and almond dark chocolate bar looks like.

Tried something totally new...

I have never had buffalo wings in my life so when I saw that I had one more Gardein freebie coupon left, I thought I’d give their vegan “buffalo wings” a chance. But I had no idea what they were usually served with. After “researching” it I decided to transform my tzatziki sauce into a ranch dressing by adding some extra ingredients. I also made some Old Bay season yam fries; and steamed some kale, seasoned it, massaged it in olive oil, and topped with avocado slices. Spicy!!! I can’t tell you if these were authentic tasting or not, but I can tell you that I liked them! The texture wasn’t too funky (+ no bones!) and you could taste the vinegar in the sauce, which I didn’t mind. Actually, after looking up some buffalo wings recipes, vinegar is a common ingredient.

Crumbled granola nuggets + soymilk + Cacao Bliss; warmed up in the microwave.

Whenever I pull out my personal casserole dish I swear the stars instantly align!

In the dish: roasted butternut squash and yam (tossed in coconut oil and cinnamon) + avocado + kale + homemade falafel balls + tzatziki mixed with tamarind-date chutney + cilantro. Random and flavorful. I love the sweet and spicy combo of the tamarind-date chutney; it brought the tzatziki to whole other level.

After my last post, the rest of the week seemed to fly by. Something or someone out there is listening! It’s Friday and I have no idea what my weekend plans are. My choices are: go up to Charlottesville or stay snowed in the comfort of my own home. We’ll see, we’ll see. Now if only I could stock up on this no matter how my weekend pans out…

I know a few all of you will appreciate this!

Matilda and I wish you a joyous weekend!

Creative Sweets

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First off, I’d like to thank everyone for giving me their input. You’re all right! I also talked about it with some more friends and I’m feeling more confident already. Afterall, people can’t read our minds so it’s up to us to put it out there.

The papaya was extra vibrant because I had frozen it–whoa mama!

I had Oikos plain Greek yogurt, one of my favorite granolas (Hawaiian flavor by Udi’s), and Sunland’s banana peanut butter. This was a creamy yet refreshing breakfast with some tartness from the yogurt and sweetness from all of the above.

Hmm… what could be hiding in one of my favorite dishes?
Voila!

I love making things to put in my casserole dish. In this I just mixed some things together I thought would taste very yummy together. I boiled some kale and rinsed it off then massaged it in olive oil and sea salt. I roasted a sweet potato and butternut squash and tossed it in olive oil, sea salt, and black pepper. Tucked away and nearly forgotten in my lazy Susan was a bag of Bob’s Red Mill 10-grain cereal–love this stuff for savoury things. I finished off the bag since there was a little over a serving left in it. Then I mixed it all in my casserole dish and topped it off with Tofurky’s Kielbasa, sunflower seeds for crunch, and some tamarind-date chutney. This was, to be blunt, amazingly delicious and so satisfying to every square inch of my taste buds. I actually thought of Maya and Eliza when I was eating this because I know they make such wonderful medley dishes!

This breakfast smelled like heaven and tasted like a piece of it too!

I cooked some cream of wheat with a vanilla protein powder I kidnapped from my parents–hey it’s not like they’re using it! I cooked it with half an apple and cinnamon as well. I topped it off with a lot of delicious granola, the rest of the diced apple, Sunland’s caramel peanut butter, and I drizzled it with Apple & Maple syrup. Gosh, I wish I could share the aroma that was wafting through the air from this bowl of comforting goodness. It was a dreary day so this made it a bit brighter and soothed my soul.

My favorite veggie burger plopped happily on a giant bed of kale and corn!

In case you don’t know what my favorite veggie burgers are they’re Sunshine burgers! I still haven’t gotten my hand on the breakfast flavor, but I’ve tried all the others and they all get two thumbs way up. What’s that green gunk?

I made this recipe in forever ago, but I knew this would be perfect for my very ripe avocados.

It’s an avocado-yogurt dip with cumin and it tastes so delicious even by itself… by the spoon full! I put used a little more cilantro than the recipe called for because that’s just how I roll. I love dips, especially if they’re creamy. The first time I made this was for a party we were having at my house and let me tell you–that dip was the first thing to disappear.

I put frozen honeydew melon bits in my tea + more honey.

I love frozen fruits and I am constantly getting them from the freezer throughout the day when I just want something quenching and flavorful. You know what else I love?

Snacking while reading–One Lucky Duck’s Rosemary Quakers are intensely rich in flavor.

That book was actually recommended last semester to me by one of my sculpture professors. Well, I decided to take a class with him again this semester because I think he’s endlessly inspiring and has such a vast amount of knowledge I could just listen to him talk all day. He reminded me of the book and it was funny because I had just glanced at the old post-it note with the book recommendation. Since he didn’t have it on him at the time he said it would be available for me to pick up from his mailbox later in the day. Well I went back later and what’d I find when I cracked the book open? He had written me a note saying that he hopes I enjoy it as much as he did! The book is mine! This means so much to me because I feel like someone sees this potential in me and wants to help me find my direction. When a teacher has faith in you, it’s so encouraging.

Popopop

This time around I tried the original flavor of Popchips. Once again, loved the texture of these chips. They seem like they’re half-way between a crispy thin potato chip and a crunchy rice cracker. This is actually because they neither bake or fry their potatoes. Instead they put enough and heat and pressure to pop them–like popcorn!And these were definitely not too salty.

Dipped in the avocado-yogurt dip of course.

Corn Chowder

I got this recipe from “The Conscious Cook” and I had a feeling it would be delicious because it called for the cashew cream. I love how I can make the cashew cream beforehand and save it for various recipes in the book + my own recipes! Such a versatile thing to have and it gives things a delicious richness, and it’s such a great alternative for making things dairy-free. For instance, with this recipe the cashew cream was used instead of heavy cream. I’ve never had chowder before but I can vouch for this anyway–delectable. This was perfect for my mood because it had been a dreary day and all I wanted was something comforting. I even had barbeque Popchips on the side which actually went really well with the chowder. However, the barbeque Popchips themselves weren’t really that great in flavor. I just wish they were a bit smokier.

I also received a very very very exciting package from a dear friend–can’t thank her enough.

Liz just needs to be a professional surprise party planner or something! These are one of my favorite chocolates and I haven’t been able to try all the flavors out but now I can! Here are the 3400 Phinney flavors (prepare to wipe drool off your mouth in second):

Hazelnut Crunch Milk Chocolate

A generous combination of hazelnut brittle and milk chocolate with just the right touch of salt. Unanimously voted one of our yummiest creations ever by our Theonista tasting panel.

Vanilla Milk Chocolate

A harmonious blend of finely ground Madagascar vanilla bean and milk chocolate.

Chai Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate with a warming blend of chai spices and black tea.

Coconut Curry Milk Chocolate

Milk chocolate with toasted coconut and savory curry spices.

Fig, Fennel & Almond Dark Chocolate

Crunchy slivered almonds, sweet chewy figs, and a touch of fennel in rich dark chocolate. Satisfyingly delicious, and a Vegan dream come true!

Nib Brittle Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate with organic roasted cocoa nibs in sweet and crunchy brittle.

Bread and Chocolate Dark Chocolate

An innovative twist on a traditional pairing, featuring dark chocolate with buttery, toasted artisan breadcrumbs and the perfect amount of salt

Coffee Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate and a robust locally-roasted organic, Fair-Trade-Certified™ coffee from Caffé Vita combine to create a full-bodied flavor.

So… is your mouth watering yet?

Speaking of treats, do any of you have any raw vegan dessert cookbook recommendations? I’m looking at you Averie! Just sayin’ you should make a cookbook hehe. Anyway, I find that raw vegan cooking is very rich in flavor and creativity–I love that!  In my life journey I want just continue to expand my cooking knowledge, abilities, and eat delicious food while I’m at it.

Pinch Me, I Must Be Dreaming

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First week of school and it’s been fun and hectic. My schedule is in a bit of a dilemma and I’m hoping to get that fixed! It’s frustrating to have my classes–or lack of classes–up in the air. I just want a set schedule, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed and doing what I can. On the bright side, I’ve been catching up with friends and having fun!

Vanilla cinnamon oatmeal + mango + pomegranate arils + coconut oil + cashew butter

Deliciously creamy yet refreshing. These past couple of days have been absolutely beautiful. I always feel at my best when the sun is shining and I can go out without piling on layers of clothes. I guess it’s soothing to my clutter-free ways.

I also sampled some dark chocolate.

When the generous folks over at Newman’s Own sent me an incredible package, they also included their various chocolates. That day I decided to try their 54% dark chocolate. This was really very yummy. One thing I’ve come to love about dark chocolate is how you can just let it melt in your mouth and savor it. Life is like a box of chocolates–lots of little moments to savor. What chocolates would be in your box?

After breakfast I did all my morning things like taking Matilda out on her walk and organizing some things around my place. Then I got ready to finally go to the new gym on my campus with my friend. I think she described it perfectly, “it’s like a mecca.” Here are some pictures I took from their site.

Part of the pool area! They also have a hot tub, lap, and vortex pool

The second level has an indoor track field and even more equipment + racquetball courts

There’s also an indoor turf for soccer and other sports, flat screen TVs, different exercise studios, and crazy digital lockers (that you don’t have to pay for woo!). My friend and I went exploring and goofed off a bit on the machines. Then we went into one of the group exercise rooms and stretched. Next time we’re bringing some speakers though so we can dance… until they kick us out.

And get this... in the center of it all is a giant rock climbing wall!

I haven't had chickpeas in awhile!

I cooked these in coconut oil, cinnamon, and garam masala. I also had the rest of my delicious sweet potato mash from “The Conscious Cookbook” (the one made with cashew cream) and boiled rutabaga with cinnamon. I also drizzled the rutabaga and chickpeas with maple syrup.

Let the adventure begin!

Afterwards I met up with my friend and we were on the hunt for a big room I could dance in. I want to find a space bigger than my room and with mirrors. I’m still on the search! But when we went on our search for the room we explored one of the forgotten buildings on my campus. That picture above was the anatomy room.

We also snuck into the old pool which is now shutdown since my school completed the new gym.

After we explored that building we decided to walk down some streets and go into all the places we always passed but never stepped in. It was so  much fun! I came home and cracked open “The Conscious Cook”…

Gardein "steak" sandwich with watercress, red pepper, and horseradish mayonnaise

I got to try another Gardein product. Last time I had steak I could count my age without using all of my ten fingers. So I can’t honestly say if it tasted like steak. My roommate and our friend said that it smelled like it! I must say that it was very flavorful and didn’t have the chewy texture I remember steak having–which is better. Not to mention, I don’t think I’ve seen very many “steak” products around. I would recommend it if you’re an omnivore trying to make some vegetarian meals, or if you’re a veg-head that likes fake meat products. As for the recipe itself–wow! This had a kick but it was complimented by the mild sweetness of the red bell pepper, and savory “steak”. I couldn’t find a small loaf of focaccia so I just went to Panera and got a sourdough bread roll and seasoned it accordingly.

Check it out now!

A great breakfast for the first day of a new semester!

My roommate’s boyfriend had a special wine that he let me have the rest of. Why was it special? Well, have any of you tried chocolate red wine? That’s right! Chocolate red wine. I made my usual bowl of oats with cinnamon and coconut oil. Then I topped it with peach slices, the last of Bekah’s scented almonds, and the last of the Chocovine. I admit, I felt slightly tipsy after this breakfast.

Since it was a warm, sunny day I decided to have a refreshing lunch.

I had my spiced chickpeas + more coconut oil + avocado + shallot + romaine + a most delicious homemade honey-lime dressing.

The weather wasn't the only thing out of the ordinary that day...

Recently, I received a sampler package from the people over at Popchips. So what was unusual here? Well, for some reason I felt compelled to try the sea salt & vinegar flavor first. Let me just note that I do not like salt & vinegar chips. I ate my own words with this bag. I actually liked these a lot! There was no overwhelming acidic aftertaste from the vinegar. I also really enjoyed the texture of these babies. They seemed to be a bit thicker than normal potato chips. Crunch crunch crunch. Yum yum yum.

I also had a couple of these amazing raw blonde macaroons.

I kid you not–these are now one of my favorite things. Thanks so much Liz for sending me these! Like I said, girl’s got incredible taste! I’d also like to congratulate her for making it on one of the Top Health Blog lists. You go girl!

And a blood orange!

Blood orange!

I met up with one my bests at the center of campus for some coffee and tea.

I tried something new! A tomatillo.

Tomatillo dressing with fresh cilantro.

I hope this keeps my cilantro green for longer!

My first attempt at making a timbale--not too shabby.

Quinoa, Avocado, and Sweet Potato Timbale With Roasted Tomatillo Dressing

I am really enjoying attempting to make all the recipes from “The Conscious Cook”. I feel like Julie in the movie Julie & Julia! This was also my first time cooking quinoa. This was incredibly delicious and would make for a perfect summer dish. All the various textures and flavors worked so well with each other; the crunch from the tortilla bits, creaminess of the avocado, and the graininess of the quinoa were such a treat to my mouth. The tomatillo dressing added a wonderful zest to it all! Not to mention, I was proud of myself for making something so gourmet looking that tasted as equally delicious… if not more!

I wasn't the only one to enjoy this dish! Too good not to share, I say!

I also made butternut squash "fries" tossed in coconut oil and cinnamon + tamarind-date chutney for dipping.

What a great way to end the first day of the semester. We had a delicious meal that ended with dark chocolate and a refreshing walk with Matilda.

This is really random but I have a question for you all. Well first let me go off on a bit of a tangent. I have no problem expressing myself and showing who I am… except for when it comes to romance. It’s not that I still cover my eyes at the sight of people kissing. No, not like that. But it’s more so something I just struggle with personally. I really want to get over that and I think I have to start putting a conscious effort into taking down that wall. Brick by brick. So I was wondering if any of you have any advice on how to just be comfortable with expressing yourself romantically. Thanks!