Triangle Earrings

I saw these fabulous triangle hoops on Uncovet and thought to myself " I have to have these". Then I hovered the mouse above them and saw the price of $40. These are fabulous and different so, this was not a huge surprise. But you know what is a surprise, how broke I am after graduating form law school.  So, I went to plan "B" ( the B is for Broke). I ordered some 18 gauge wire form etsy for $4 and made my own. 

Here  is how they came out:

I think they cam out pretty good and for a tenth of the price, I'd say you cant beat em. 

You'll need:

- 18 gauge wire

- Wire cutters

- A little bit of patience

1. Cut used two four-inch strips of wire. 
2. Gently bend the wire into the triangle shape. 
3. Use the wire cutters to shape a small hoop at one end of the wire. Use the wire cutters to shape a small hook on the other end of the wire.  You'll slide the loose hook into the hoop when wearing to clasp the earring shut.
4. Wear them like you paid $40 for them!

Black Bean Chili Casserole with a Corn Bread Crust

      Fall has come to the Valley of the Sun. That means the temperature has reached the mid-seventies during the day and (dare I say) sweaters are being pulled out of dust covered boxes. After a brutal desert summer, I can finally emerge from the safety of my air-conditioned apartment to enjoy outdoor activities like walking to the car and taking out the trash.
      All it took was one night of chilly weather to usher in Chili season. The cornbread crust in this recipe turns this classic stew into a hearty casserole perfect for sharing. As always, this version can be made with or without the cheese for a vegan friendly option.

Yellow Corn Meal

Here's what you gotta have...

Chili Filling:

1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp. crushed garlic

1/2 of a medium yellow onion diced

3/4 cup of vegetarian "ground beef" crumbles (optional)

1 tsp cumin

1 heaping tsp of chili powder

14.5 oz can black beans

1/2 tsp of oregano

generous pinch of salt

8 oz can of tomato sauce

14.5 oz of diced tomatoes

8 oz can of corn (drained)

Corn Bread Crust: 

1/2 cup of whole wheat flour

3/4 cup ground corn meal

1/2 tsp of baking powder

8 oz can of creamed corn

1/2 cup soy milk

1/2 green bell pepper finely diced

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 cup of grated cheddar cheese (optional)

                                                                           2 tbsp grated Asiago cheese or Parmesan. (optional)

Here's whatcha gotta do:

** Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1. In a large skillet warm oil over a medium/high  heat. Add garlic saute for 1 minute then add onions. saute until onions are golden and wilted.
2. Add "beef " crumbles, cumin, chili powder. Stir and cook for 3 minutes.
3. Add black beans oregano, salt, sauce, tomatoes, and corn. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 10 minutes.
4. While chili is cooking mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Once evenly mixed, add cheese.
5. In a small bowl combine cream corn, soy milk, bell pepper and mix.
6. Add wet ingredients to the dry ones in the lager bowl, then set aside the corn bread mixture.
7. Spread chili into the bottom of a 2.5 quart casserole dish.
8. Gently spoon the corn bread mix on top of the chili and spread to cover the chili.
9. Bake for 25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve.


                                  "Life is Delicious...Go Taste it!"

Tangy Kale Salad

  Move over pomegranate, Kale is the superfood de jour.  This leafy green has a crisp nutty taste that lends itself well to stews, stir-fries, and salads. Kale is ripe with antioxidants and is high in vitamins K, C, beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and calcium.  The best part about Kale, besides it's long list of body-do-good stuff, is that it is pretty tasty.

  Usually when a waiter points to the "Salad" section of the menu in response to my vegetarian requests, I have to fight back an eye-roll. But with this salad recipe, the only eye-rolling you'll be doing is in pure delight.

Here’s what you need:

• 1.One large head of Kale (rinsed well, ribs removed, and torn into salad sized pieces)
• ¼ cup of Lemon Juice or the Juice of 1 lemon
• 4 tbsps. of a good extra virgin olive oil.
• 3 cloves of mashed garlic 
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2/3 cup of grated Asiago or Parmesan Cheese (for a vegan version add 2 tbsp of nutritional Yeast at step # 2)
• ½ cup bread crumbs (crushed croutons also work nicely)

Here's what you gotta do:

1. Mix together the lemon juice, oil, garlic, red pepper, salt and pepper.
2. Pour this mixture over the kale in a large bowl. Add half of the cheese and mix well.
3. Let the greens sit for 5 minutes. (this allows the lemon juice & oil time to soften the kale)
4.  Add the remaining cheese and bread crumbs.
5. Toss and Enjoy!

This salad is flavorful "as is", but here are some things you can toss in when your feeling frisky:

• Small marinated mushrooms
• Sliced red or yellow bell peppers
• Tomato slices
• Black olives

                                                         Life is Delicious...Go taste it!

Thai Curry Green Beans

Classes have started again and that means I'm back to cereal for breakfast and lunch (sometimes dinner) but when I have a couple of minutes to spare; greens are king. The recipe below took me about ten minutes to make including prep time. I was able to utilize one of my favorite kitchen tools: the wok. Because stir fries are generally cooked at a high heat it is important that you don't use olive oil, I repeat do not use olive oil here. Olive oil has a low burn temperature and you'll have a kitchen full of smoke in no time. Not that I know personally, but I heard my friend had to crack every window in her one bedroom apartment to get rid of the smoke the first time she test drove her new wok. I mean that's what I heard.

Thai Red Curry Paste

Here's what you need:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 red onion sliced
• 16 oz package of fresh green beans
• 2 tsp tamari or soy sauce
• 2 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 tbsp almonds slices

Here's what  you gotta do:

1. Snap off the tops of the green beans. ( the branch looking parts)
2. Heat oil to medium high  in a wok or large pan. Add onions and stir fry for 1 minute.
3. Add green beans, soy sauce, and curry paste to the wok. 
4. Stir to coat beans with sauce. Stir fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add almonds and cook for and cook for 1 more minute.

Will serve 4 as a side dish*

**Go ahead and make it a meal by adding 8 oz of extra firm tofu seasoned or plain. Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch cubes and add to the wok in the last 2 minutes of cook time. Serves 2.


                                      Life is Delicious...Go Taste it!

Warm Quinoa and Fig salad

The end of summer marks the beginning of school and the end of vacations, but there is something to look forward to. The fleeting days of warmth bring about Fig season. The unique texture and subtle sweetness of a fig almost makes me forget the lingering triple digit weather of the desert. This dish not only looks good, but it's good for you. Quinoa ( pronounced "keen wa") was once refereed to by the ancient Inca as "chisaya mama" ( mother of all grains). Ironically it actually is not a grain, but rather a seed that contains 8 grams of protein per serving along with all eight essential amino acids in other words it is a vegetarian's bff. Since quinoa contains no wheat or gluten this dish also gets green lighted for those with gluten and wheat allergies.




Here's what you need:

• 1 cup quinoa
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup yellow peppers chopped
• 6 large black figs quartered and sliced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves chopped
• 1/4 cup of feta (optional)

Here's what you gotta do:

1. In a medium sauce pan add vegetable broth, quinoa, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over a medium high heat. 
2. Lower heat and let the quinoa simmer for 25 minutes. (Liquid should be gone and you will see the white ring around the grain when it is ready.) Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes
3. Remove Bay leaves and add yellow peppers and cilantro (and feta).
4. Divide to mixture into four serving dishes and top with each dish with 1/4 of figs.

                                                      Life is Delicious...Go Taste it!

Crabby Patties

   A trip to Karyn's on Green inspired these "crab" cakes. Karyn's is an upscale vegetarian resturaunt tucked away in the Greektown area of Chicago. Flanked by tzakki slinging restaurants, this sleek eatery's motto is " making vegan sexy". The Vegan crab cakes at Karyn's mimics the texture and taste in such an unbelievable way I  thought something fishy was going on. The bubbly waitress reassured me that the decadent crab cakes were indeed vegan. Taking a cue from Reverend Brown in Coming to America, I sopped them up with warm vegan buttered biscuits. 
   After doing a little research I found that you can buy veggie crab meat online. I also realized that it costs a lot more than I'm willing to shell out, so I've come up with a cost-effective (see: cheapo) way to make it. Saving money is both smart and sexy.

Here's what you need:

•  1 lb firm tofu
•  3 tbsp crumbled Nori Flakes 
• ½ cup panko bread crumbs
• Juice of ½  of lemon 
• 1 tbsp dried parsley flakes
• 1 heaping tsp of Old Bay Seasoning Mix

Here's what you gotta do: 

1) Preheat oven to broil

2) In a large bowl crumble tofu by hand . Add the nori flakes and set aside for 5 min.

3) Add bread brumbs, tamari, lemon, juice , Old Bay, parsley to the Tofu and mix well. 

4) Shape the mixture into 2 inch patties and place on a lightly oiled baking sheet.  

5) Broil for 5 minutes,  use a spatula to gently turn the patties over and broil the other side for about 3 minutes. ( as with real crab cakes these patties will hold lightly together so gentle spatula work is key) 

6) Let cool for 1 minute before serving.

* Try it with sauce of melted veggie butter , lemon and garlic or with your favorite hot-sauce. 

* For crab cake sandwiches, make the patties larger and serve with dijon mustard and toasted bread. 








                                       Life is Delicious...Go taste it!

When Life Gives You Lemons...Make Lemon Curd

             On lazy afternoon I peeked into the refrigerator and realized the only thing in there, besides condiments, was half a pan of corn bread. I did mention that this was a lazy afternoon, so I warmed up the corn bread and while it was delicious, it needed something. I scoured the jars of exotic marinades and tubes of sauces and came across a half eaten jar of lemon curd. I had never had lemon curd before but my beau seemed to like it. I spread the creamy concoction on the corn bread and took a small bite. It was instant love and I was left wandering how could I not have known about this tart-sweet jar of heaven. 
            When I returned home to my own empty refrigerator I knew that lemon curd would be on my shopping list. Soon after wandering down the baking aisle I spotted the exact same brand of lemon curd that had turned me out and out of habit I picked up the jar and turned to its ingredients list. Ugh, why did I have to go and ruin a good thing, it's true; ignorance is bliss. The decadent spread was made with egg, heavy cream, and the neighboring brands were no better; featuring other undesirable ingredients like animal based gelatin and butter. I knew this could not be the end of my new love affair with lemon curd. There were so many dishes I wanted to slather it on; pancakes, waffles, toast, fresh fruit, and of course, corn bread. I was able to rekindle the food flame by using coconut milk instead of heavy cream and corn starch instead of gelatin or eggs as a thickener. The result was a sweet tooth satiating tryst that only felt naughty. 





Here's what you need:

• ¾ cup coconut milk
• ½ cup fresh lemon juice 
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• ½ cup unbleached organic sugar (or sugar replacer) 
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

 Here's what you gotta do:

1. In a medium sauce pan combine the coconut milk, lemon juice, cornstarch, sugar, and vanilla. 
2. Heat pan at medium heat for 2 minutes, stir occasionally to break up any lumps. Turn heat to low and continue cooking for another 3 minutes or until the mixture is thick and lump free. 
3. Once the mixture has thickened remove from heat and add the zest.
4. Let the lemon curd cool for 2 minutes before serving.


* Store remainder in refrigerator for later use. Tastes good warm or cold!

Snazzy red grater I picked up for $1

Lemon zest can be made by using a zester or a vegetable grater with a fine grating plane (aka little holes). Before juicing the lemons run them across the grater lightly to remove to top yellow layer of lemon peel. You don't want to get to the pith (white layer) of the lemon, this part is bitter and will make your curd bitter rather than tangy. One large lemon will make about a tablespoon of zest.






                   Life is Delicious...Go Taste it!