Vegan Caprese Hors d'ouevres

INGREDIENTS:

-Soya Kaas mozzarella flavored soy cheese
-Sun-dried Tomatoes (not in oil or water, just dry)
-Fresh basil
-Olive Oil
-Fleur de Sel
-Toothpicks

DIRECTIONS:

-Slice soy mozzarella into 50-100 (or however many you think your dinner party will call for) 1" x 1" x 1/4" squares. Place them on a beautiful platter in a way that would make me proud!
-Chop sun-dried tomatoes into fourths and place one upon each soy square.
-Tear (or cut) fresh basil leaves into quarter-sized pieces. Lay one piece atop each tomato-clad square.
-Drizzle E.V.O.O. lightly over the platter.
-Sprinkle a pinch of Fleur de Sel (to taste).
-Stick a toothpick in each one and serve.
-For garnish/variation, add a pitted olive to each toothpick!

Kale Chips

INGREDIENTS

- Bushel of fresh kale

- Tablespoon of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

- A touch of sea salt and freshly ground pepper

- 3 cloves of fresh garlic

(optional)

- Cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes

- Mozzarella: Rice cheese

DIRECTIONS

Ciao! Lara, here-- Alexandra's equally health conscious and culinarily creative counterpart. While our beloved friend travels throughout Europe and shares her phenomenal gourmet discoveries, I am in our home base of Manhattan. I would like to share one of New York's newest obsessions; Kale Chips. A couple that owns a health shop in Brooklyn started marketing their version of these delectable chips and sold them to Gourmet Garage and Whole Foods. These babies are sold at a ridiculous price (hey, it is Manhattan!); $7.99 for a small container. So, I decided to try my hand at it. They are super quick and easy to make and incredibly delicious!

Cut kale into chip-size pieces. Toss pieces in a large bowl with the Olive Oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Place kale on a cookie sheet and cook in oven for 10-15 minutes until the kale becomes crispy and crunchy. Remove and enjoy a guilt-free chip-like snack! Before baking, you have the option of melting rice cheese or adding hot pepper if you feel like a little kick!

Ensalada Catalana

INGREDIENTS

-3 cups romaine lettuce

-1 large carrot (peeled and chopped)

-1/2 ripe avocado (cubed)

-2 tbsp grated manchego cheese

-1 can white albacore tuna (in water)

-4 spears of canned white asparagus

-5 chopped cornichon

-1 cubed tomato

-Dressing: lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Toss up the lettuce, carrot, and tomato. Then, empty the can of tuna into a neat lump on top, squeezing the lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil. Chop up the white asparagus, avocado, and cornichon and sprinkle on top so that the avocado and asparagus spears don't get mushy. Finally, sprinkle on the grated manchego cheese. This salad tastes incredible and makes a great lunch. The recipe was inspired by memories of the two summers I spent living in Barcelona. By the first bite, your taste buds will be instantly transported to a seafront cafe on the Mediterranean!

Macro Steam

INGREDIENTS

-1 10'' x 10'' piece of nori seaweed

-1/4 cup of short-grain brown rice

-half a cup of cubed firm tofu

-2 tsp fresh ginger in very thin, penny-sized slices

DIRECTIONS

First, I'd like to start off by admitting that I had never cooked rice before I made this delicious meal two nights ago. So, if you are like me and are intimidated by the idea of cooking rice, and there are no instructions available to you on the rice packet because they are either in French or label-less because they're from a healthfood-store dispenser, I assure you that it can be done--albeit (maybe) technically incorrectly...

I put about a quarter cup of dry brown rice in a medium-sized pot, filled the pot with a couple inches of water, and let it cook on high heat (almost as if it were stovetop oatmeal). It took a long time, and a lot of experimenting with stirring, not stirring, covering, uncovering, adding more water when too much of it evaporated and the rice still wasn't done...and about 20-something minutes later, it was ready. So, you can do that if you don't know how to cook rice, but if you do, you are one large step ahead of the game!

While cooking the rice, I stirred in about a half-teaspoon of fresh sliced ginger. That gave it a great flavor. Next, I cut the firm tofu into 1/2'' cubes and threw it into a steamer with the other teaspoon-and-a-half of fresh sliced ginger. I'm lucky because my roommate is Chinese, and she has a colossal, double-decker Asian-style steamer that I have the privilege of using daily (anyone who is trying to eat more healthily or lose weight more easily should purchase one of these at your nearest Chinatown or restaurant depot). Lightly sea-salt the tofu and let it steam for about 12 minutes.

-This is where it gets creative: Take out a very shallow bowl (more like a plate-bowl hybrid). Hold the square sheet of nori seaweed with your hands on opposing sides to that it is situated horizontally, 8-10'' above the uncovered, steaming pot of rice (while the rice is still cooking). Hold the seaweed here, allowing it to absorb the steam, until it becomes malleable enough to mold into the shape of the plate/bowl without cracking. Now center the seaweed on the plate/bowl and mold it to its shape, creating a 'seaweed basket'.

Finally, form a neat, round 'baseball-sized' (or slightly smaller) mound of the brown ginger rice and place it in the 'seaweed basket.' Place the steamed ginger tofu cubes around the rice mound in the seaweed basket. Garnish with a barely-there drizzle of light soy sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Pair with a side of steamed baby bok choy, green tea, and/or hot sake.

The 'Go-To' Vegan Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

-1 or 2 slices toasted spelt bread (in case you want open-faced to reduce your bread-carb intake)

-Avocado

-Hummus

-Horseradish

-Dijon Mustard

-Sliced tomato

-Romaine Lettuce

-Vegan bacon substitute (I like the 'Morningstar Farms' brand).

DIRECTIONS

Toast 1 or 2 pieces of spelt bread, and toast 2 pieces of vegan bacon substitute until crispy. Then spread a thin layer of dijon mustard and a thin layer of purple or white horseradish on one slice of the bread.

Next, mash half of a ripe avocado with a fork onto the piece of bread. Spread a thin layer of hummus on top of the mashed avocado.

For the final steps, place a couple of quarter-inch-thick lightly sea-salted tomato slices on top of the hummus, break up the toasted vegan bacon into pieces that will fit comfortably within the sandwich borders, and top with a big green piece of romaine lettuce. Garnish with a little sea salt and crushed black pepper. Close with the other slice of toasted spelt bread, or leave it as-is. Now that is one sexy sandwich. Indulge, mes amis.

Petit-Gourmet Smoked Salmon & Avocado Sandwiches

INGREDIENTS

-2 "deck of cards-sized" pieces of gluten free, multigrain, pumpernickel, spelt...or whatever kind of firm piece of sandwich bread you like. (Note: Bread that 'squishes' in your hand rather than crumbles is not good for you. It's like glue. A squeeze is a good test to see which breads are the healthiest)...

-Lactose-free or low fat emmental cheese

-Smoked salmon

-Dijon Mustard

-1/2 Avocado

DIRECTIONS

Spread a thin layer of dijon mustard on each slice of bread. Then, take the half avocado, and divide it in half again, placing each piece on a mustard-clad bread slice. With a fork, mash the avocado into the bread as to turn it into a hummus-like spread, but not so hard that you're massacring the piece of bread. Place one slice of emmental cheese on top of the avocado, and then a slice of smoked salmon on top of the cheese. (I like to cut the cheese and salmon slices to the size of the bread to create a neater, more beautiful sandwich). Garnish with salt and pepper and serve open-faced. Dejeunez!

Low-Carb Smoked Salmon Appetizer

INGREDIENTS

-1 slice smoked salmon

-1 slice low-fat emmental cheese

-dill

-5 cornichon

-black pepper

-lemon

DIRECTIONS

-Lay the slice of smoked salmon on top of the slice of emmental. Sprinkle dill and black pepper, garnish with parsley sprig and thin slice of lemon....or not, if you're in a rush! Serve on a pretty plate and use fine silverware. This always enhances the gastronomic experience. Bon appetit!

**This will be a hit at dinner parties.

SALAD (lose a)DRESS(size)ING

Most salad dressings are packed with sugar, fat, and calories. Try this instead:

Depending on the size of the salad:

-1 part fresh squeezed lemon juice (suggested 1/2 of a lemon)

-2 parts raw organic apple cider vinegar (suggested 2-3 tbsp)

-pinch of salt

-2 tsp olive oil

Simple Brasserie-Style Salad

INGREDIENTS

-eggs

-lettuce

-tomato

-cornichon

-olive oil

-salt

DIRECTIONS

Rip up 1/4 head of romaine lettuce, slice a tomato into wedges. Put both in a medium salad bowl or plate and add 6-8 cornichon and drizzle 2 tsp olive oil, a pinch of sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Cook 1-3 eggs 'over-medium' in pan lined with a thin layer of olive oil (depending on how many you take). When done, place the eggs atop the salad. Simple, fresh, Parisian brasserie salad easily created at home! Goes well with Baguette and Camembert or 'Fromage Chevre.'

Vegan Caffeine-Free Cafe Creme

1 tsp PIONIER (the company) "Bio-Frucht und Getreidekaffee" / "Cafe aux fruits et cereales bio"

1 cup boiling water

splash of soy/rice/almond milk

I usually wouldn't put a recipe for coffee on a blog; what's easier than making coffee? But, in this case, I found this fruit and grain decaf coffee substitute at Naturalia, a French health food store, that ended up being so good that I had to share it with you! If you are trying to lower your caffeine and/or dairy intake as I am trying to do, or just want a decaf after-dinner espresso equivalent (tres Parisienne!), this is a great substitute. It's like the "Smoking Everywhere" of coffee! And trust me, as both a college student and New Yorker, I have become a black-belt coffee drinker. I love it. But coffee is extremely acidic. It leeches calcium from the bones and stunts growth, dehydrates and overstimulates the heart...and dairy does not agree with me personally...along with the wealth of other problems that accompany dairy consumption...SO, the fact that there is vegan organic caffeine free coffee made of fruit and grain extracts...is a beautiful thing, my friends.

Fish Balls Part Deux: Moins les "Carbs."

INGREDIENTS

-20 fish balls from an asian specialty store (see recipe below)**

-2 cups of soybean sprouts

-3 tbsp olive oil

-3 tbsp light soy sauce

-3 clovesgarlic

-1/2 lemon

-nickel-sized sliver of ginger

**This dish can also be made with sea scallops, or as they say in French, which ALWAYS sounds better: "Coquilles St. Jaques"!

DIRECTIONS

Heat the olive oil on medium in a pan and throw in the fish balls or scallops. Let simmer for a minute or two, then add the soybean sprouts and stir thoroughly while drizzling on the soy sauce. After about 7 minutes of stirring, crush the 3 cloves of garlic directly into the pan, along with a nickel-sized sliver of ginger, chopped into tiny pieces. Squeeze in half of a lemon, and continue to stir everything around for about 5 minutes. C'est fini! Pair it with a buttery Chardonnay or hot sake.

"Boulettes de Poisson Chiu Chow" with Millet Pasta (In other words, this is what you start to cook when you live in the heart of Paris's Chinatown).

INGREDIENTS:

-Tchi Yen "Boulettes de Poisson Chiu Chow" (Basically white fish-cake balls from an Asian specialty supermarket) (There are about 20 balls in the packet)

-2 cups organic millet fettucini

-2-3 tbsp soy sauce

-1/2 lemon

-2-3 tbsp olive oil

-3 cloves garlic

-salt

DIRECTIONS:

First, slice the garlic into small pieces and pan sauté it in the olive oil for a minute (I would tell you a more specific time frame for this step, but I burnt the garlic when I made it the first time so I trust you will do a better job!). Then just throw in all of the fish balls. The pan should remain somewhere between medium and high heat. (Now would be a good time to put the pot of salted water for the pasta on the stove--on high heat.)

Continue to stir the now-sizzling fish balls around constantly in the pan with a wooden spoon for another minute and then squeeze most of the half-lemon on them. Drizzle about 2 tbsp of soy sauce, and continue to stir. The balls should begin to get slightly golden browned.

Once they look slightly browned (and start to smell delicious!), put them on low heat/simmer, still stirring occasionally while you cook the 2 cups of millet pasta in the now boiling water for about 6 minutes. Drain and rinse the pasta, shake out the excess water, and throw it into the pan, tossing it in with the fish balls. Squeeze the rest of the half-lemon onto it and drizzle an extra tbsp of soy sauce. Continue to toss it all together in the pan for about 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat, and serve on a plate. Great with red wine, even though "seafood" usually calls for white.

**The fish balls would be excellent without the pasta as a party hors d'ouvre, with a sprinkle of powdered white pepper to garnish.

Homemade Natural Energy Snack

-1 Wasa Cracker

-Raw Organic Honey

-15 Almonds

- Bee Pollen (optional)

Spread a moderately sized layer of the raw honey on the Wasa cracker, then evenly sprinkle the almonds (whole, chopped or crushed, whatever your preference) on top. Sprinkle 1 tsp bee pollen if you're feeling adventurous! This treat is so good that it might become addictive, so use wisely! Goes PERFECTLY with a hot cup of freshly brewed tea.

(This has been proven in a self-conducted control experiment to help a college student--myself-- stay up later studying! But would probably make a better breakfast or pre-gym snack than a 1 am sugar rush...)

Sinless Deviled Egg

-Laughing Cow Light cheese wedge (any of the flavors will do, personal preference--I like the onion flavor)

-1 hardboiled egg

-salt, pepper, lemon-pepper seasoning and/or paprika

Cut a hard-boiled egg in half, long-ways. Neatly scoop out the yolk and mash it thoroughly in a small bowl with the cheese wedge until it's a whipped looking concoction. Re-dollop the yolk-cheese mixture into the egg-white halves, sprinkle a little salt, fresh ground black pepper, lemon-pepper seasoning, and/or paprika on top. Parsley garnish (if you're feeling fancy). This snack goes well with a sliced fresh tomato.

Broccoli sautéed with garbanzo beans and tofu

-1 medium-large head of broccoli

-4 cloves of garlic

-1/2 cup garbanzo beans

-1 cup extra firm tofu

-Extra Virgin Olive Oil

-cut broccoli and tofu into bite-sized chunks and steam them in a steamer

-simmer olive oil (a few tbsp) with 4 cloves of crushed garlic in a pan for a few minutes until the garlic cooks (but isn't burnt...)

-toss in the broccoli and tofu, add the half cup of cooked (canned or steamed) garbanzo beans and make sure everything is evenly "garlic-and-oiled"

-let it all simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring it around constantly

-Serve. Optional accompaniment: 1/2 cup of either brown rice, quinoa, millet, kamut, buckwheat...or a pasta made out of any of the aforementioned grains.

Soy Smothered Sprouts

-2 cups Brussel Sprouts (fresh or frozen)

-2 slices Veggie Slices caesin-free soy cheese (mozz, provolone, pepper jack all work)

-low sodium soy sauce

-lemon pepper seasoning

Steam the brussel sprouts until they're as soft as you like, then melt the soy cheese on them in the microwave for 30 sec-1 min depending on microwave strength...

Next, stir it all together until you have gooey, soy-cheesey brussel sprouts! Drizzle a little soy sauce on it and sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning (then stir well again). It's so satisfying, flavorful and healthy, and takes about 7 total minutes to make. I usually pair it with a microwaved "Boca original vegan" burger or two... c'est fini, quick healthy meal.

Stevia lemonade

Wanna feel like a kid again?

-1 lemon

-2 pkts Truvia

-water

-Ice

Take a large glass and squeeze an entire lemon's worth of juice into it. Then pour 2 pkts of Truvia in and stir with the lemon juice to create a "concentrate." then add 3-4 ice cubes and fill the glass up with water. It's sugar free and actually, lemon water creates an alkaline/neutral balance in the body which is ideal for staying slim/cleansing/ridding your body of toxins. Drink up!

Low-fat, no carb Macaroni and Cheese

-2 Packages of Tofu Shirataki fettuccini or tube noodles

-1/4 cup or less of skim milk

-2 slices Trader Joe's organic american cheese 

-1 tsp. butter

-Wash the shirataki in a colander in water thoroughly, then pat dry with a paper towel thoroughly, then place in a bowl and microwave for 4 min.

-Then in a pan, place the shirataki in 1 tbsp of olive oil and stir around the pan

-let the noodles "dry out" in the pan a bit, stirring constantly as the water steams out of them

-In a separate pan on low heat melt the butter, milk and cheese together by putting them all in and stirring at a medium pace until it becomes a cheese sauce.  Let it get a little thick by continuing to stir over the heat for a few minutes.
-Toss the dry tofu noodles into the cheese sauce and stir until it looks like the consistency you want it.
-add a little fresh black pepper if you want!

(High-carb) Herb Quinoa Fettucini with Kabocha Squash

-2 cups fresh herbed quinoa fettucini

-1 cup eggplant infused Provencale tomato sauce or some equivalent (jar is fine)

-1 tbsp crushed garlic

-1 tbsp olive oil (if you want)

-1/2 steamed Kabocha squash

PASTA:

-Cook the pasta in water with a tsp of salt added

-Empty pasta from pot and rinse in colander

-Crush 1 tbsp of garlic and olive oil and put back on medium heat in the pot

-Once simmering, add the cup of Provencale eggplant tomato sauce

-Stir until bubbling, then add the Pasta back into the pot with the sauce and mix thoroughly. Keep on warm.

SQUASH:

-Wash a Kabocha squash in bowl of water and white vinegar, soak for 10 min then rinse thoroughly

-fourth the squash and steam it until it's thoroughly steamed (in a steamer or microwave)

-chunk as much as you like of it in 1'' cubes, add a bit of salt, and toss in with the pasta

Voila!

Proscuitto, egg and cheese buckwheat crepe, Paris style!

This is NOT really Veggie-Vixen worthy, but it was so delicious I'm going to add it anyway for those of who (like myself) who don't always adhere strictly to the health regimen...because it was SO delicious!

-2 eggs

-2 tbsp minced or grated Parmagiano Reggiano

-2-3 slices of prosciutto

-1 organic buckwheat savory crepe

-1 pat butter

Take out 2 pans. Put a pat of butter in each and turn stove on medium heat for both. Make sure butter evenly coats (very thin layer) the bottom of both pans. In the first pan, crack the 2 eggs and let them cook sunny side up. In the second pan, place the buckwheat crepe flat. Then dice (or grate) the Parmagiano Reggiano, sprinkle it on the crepe and let it begin to melt. Next, lay the prosciutto on top of the cheese/crepe. By now, the eggs should be about done. Flip them out of their pan and on top of the cheese/prosciutto/crepe. Fold the sides of the round crepe in (all four) just enough so that it looks like a square with an opening revealing some of the innards in the center--Au Boulangerie! Leave cooking for about two minutes, sprinkle a pinch of salt and fresh ground black pepper, and serve.

Soy yogurt with stevia raspberry jam

- Soja fig soy yogurt (1 small container)

-1/2 sliced banana

-1/2 cup frozen raspberries

-1 tbsp warm water

-2 pkts Truvia

Mix frozen raspberries, Truvia and warm water in a small bowl until chunky/syrupy. Add container of "Soja Figue (Yaout Vegetal)", stir thoroughly until completely evenly mixed, add half a sliced banana and stir in. You won't believe this is actually "health food." Try it on your vegan-skeptical friends!