Toast with Almond Butter & Orange Marmalade

I woke up super hungry this lovely Monday morning to realize that we were so busy having fun all weekend we didn't have time to get groceries! A few slices of veganic lentil grain toast, some fresh ground almond butter, a mini orange marmalade jar from our travels, a couple of clementines and some green tea saved the day! This is a very simple, easy breakfast that you can even take on the run. It kept me going strong for a long time.

Where to Find: This bread is from One Degree Organics. It's my husband's new favorite bread (and he LOVES bread)! If you happen to be in the Detroit area, it is available at Plum Market. The almond butter I ground myself at the Whole Foods market in Rochester Hills, MI. I have also seen these machines at the Whole Foods in Ann Arbor.


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Zaatar Bread & Middle Eastern Food in Detroit

This was listed as a Mediterranean breakfast on the menu at a local restaurant. When I tell other vegans I'm from Detroit, they give me a funny look and ask just how excruciatingly difficult it is to find vegan food. While vegan is still 'abnormal' here, there is definitely a growing movement. In the last week alone, I've heard of a new (almost) vegetarian restaurant (they serve fish too) and a new vegan food cart, but there is still a long way to go. The one thing that I often take for granted though when asked about vegan options here is the fact that there is excellent, authentic Middle Eastern food everywhere in the Metro Detroit area. We are really fortunate and, dare I say, spoiled? Oh yes, we are SPOILED!

In fact, it was only while traveling (and attempting to look for a middle eastern restaurant) that I realized that not only are there just not that many in many other cities, but they often don't even compare to the food you find around here. I actually went to a Mediterranean restaurant in another state that served prepackaged hummus on their sandwiches. Seriously? This experience changed my life. Really. It created the need for a new ritual. So for several years, I had a ritual of going to my favorite middle eastern restaurant the last day before I left for a trip and the day I came back because I just felt so deprived when I was away from home!

Why, you might ask, is there such a plethora of delicious, authentic middle eastern food in a place like . . . Detroit (bad reputation, I know)? Well, there is an extremely large Arab population in the Metro Detroit area. They say around here that we have the greatest number of Arabs outside the Middle East, but I have since read that one other city (outside North America) has more. At any rate, I feel we pretty much love our Arabs here and . . . could it be because they supply us with excellent, healthy food that we just can't get enough of?

Where to Find: This is from Cafe Jole in Warren, MI.



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Dried Apricots

I was looking for a whole food snack with a lot of nutrition. I can't believe I forgot about dried apricots! I used to eat these all the time at work. My husband picked these organic dried apricots up from the bulk food section at Whole Foods market, but they are easy to find at just about any grocery store - usually by the raisins. Happy snacking!




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Love a homemade lazy weekend brunch! Happy Saturday!

Saturday, July 27, 2013 , , , , , 0 Comments







Who says going vegan means you have to skip the meat and potatoes weekend brunches? I just swapped out a meat sausage for spicy veggie sausages in this dish and added spinach for a little extra nutritional boost. Put that together with the poppy seed muffins from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Vegan Brunch (love this book!) & my husband's homemade chai and you have the breakfast of my childhood dreams!


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Making weekend vegan brunch.

Saturday, July 27, 2013 , , 0 Comments



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First Meal on Our New Barbecue Grill

Saturday, July 20, 2013 , , , 0 Comments



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First meal on new BBQ grill. Organic vegan steak, veggies brushed with chili garlic olive oil. Green peppers, asparagus, zucchini, onions, sugar snap peas. Healthy and delicious!

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Spicy Lemon Garlic Broccolette

I was in a local warehouse store and I happened to notice a giant bag of a new-to-me vegetable, Broccolette. It looked like broccoli, but I knew that it must be different somehow or else it would just be called broccoli. I took it home and decided to do a little research on this veggie so that maybe I could figure out what to do with it. I read that it has a slightly sweet, asparagus-like flavor, but I thought it couldn't be true. Nonetheless, I took my inspiration for making it from a favorite asparagus dish I used to get at a local grocery store deli. I have made this several times, but every time using a different amount of EVERYTHING based on how much we have left, the preferences of those eating it, etc. so I'm going to leave it to you to figure out your own measurements. You can't really go wrong here if you know what you like. (And by the way, it really does taste like asparagus!)

Spicy Lemon Garlic Broccolette


Ingredients:
Broccolette
Lemon Infused (or Flavored) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
Garlic, chopped (we use at least 4 large cloves, but we love garlic)
1 lemon
salt

Cooking Time:
Keep in mind that this whole process should take you maybe 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Method:
1. Put a little bit of water at the bottom of a pot - maybe 1/2 inch, depending on how much you're cooking. (I use my stockpot because it's very tall, but not too wide at the bottom and you're essentially going to steam the brocolette, not boil it.) Put your washed brocolette into the pot, turn it on medium-high and put the lid on.
Note: Could you use a steamer? Absolutely, but that means more dishes and this is the quick and easy method so I don't.

2. Check the broccolette after a couple of minutes. You want it to be bright green and just tender crisp. Even if you're making a lot, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes or so. Do not overcook.

3. Once it's bright green and tender crisp, drop it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep it's beautiful color.

4. Rinse out your pot and return it back to the burner.

5. Turn the burner on medium heat and add enough olive oil to almost cover the bottom of the pot.

6. Add crushed red pepper flakes.

7. Add garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.

8. Add broccolette and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. (You are just trying to infuse it with the flavors you have in the pot already and get the broccolette warm again. Do not overcook.)

9. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on, mix.

10. Add salt and serve.

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What a nice surprise!



What a nice surprise! Homemade iced chai on this hot day! It's nice to have an Indian husband!

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