the only cleanse you will ever need!

Lemonade Cleanse, Master Cleanse, Juice Cleanse, Detox Cleanse, Smoothie Cleanse, Raw Food Cleanse, Fasting Cleanse……the list is long and painful to navigate. Which is the right cleanse for you, you may have wondered from time to time, and perhaps have even followed the road down the path of one or more of these diets.

So, why do we subject ourselves to these regiments? Why put ourselves through weeks of relative torture? What are the benefits?  Most of the time, we cleanse because we are feeling tired, run-down, lethargic, foggy, slow and burdened by one thing or another. Maybe the environment we live in or the foods we consume has our plumbing bogged down and we need a roto-rooter, of a sort, to get things moving again.

Very recently, I, too, felt these familiar and most unwelcome side-effects of living and, I, too, wondered how to fix my plumbing. But the more I thought about it, the more it occurred to me that my entire LIFE needed an overhaul, not just my body. What now, I thought? Was there a cleanse for this type of massive spring cleaning? I was crestfallen at the prospect of finding just the right cleanse. I felt doomed to this life of mediocrity and eternal blah-ness.

I felt stuck and hopeless.

Then magic came through the wires of my dial-up and right into my e-mail box: The Taco Cleanse (Amazon, B&N).

I had heard rumors about this miracle cleanse through the air-waves of Vegan Month of Food in 2013, but I didn’t feel the massive oppression in my life then as I had of late and, therefore, just ignored the titillation that surrounded the Taco Cleanse. But now, I recognized that I NEEDED THIS CLEANSE.

I received the book a few weeks ago and immediately dove in.

The first thing the authors presented was an easy self-diagnosis of symptoms to see if, indeed, the Taco Cleanse was for me. Pointed questions, such as “Do I get hungry on a daily basis?” {YES!} “Do you experience a range of emotions? {BOY, DO I EVER!}. Bottom line was, I needed this cleanse!

Then I dove into the research that was presented by the esteemed Taco Scientists. The wealth of knowledge had my head spinning, but I knew that I was on the right track! Taco Cleanse was for me!

Very helpfully, the authors provided a week’s plan for the tacos that I needed to consume right off the boat. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner and Supplement were suggested. I especially enjoyed the Supplement aspect of the cleanse -- such delicious and nutritious elixirs as Avocado Margarita and Everyday Mexican Martini had me sleeping like a baby, something that was sorely lacking during these last few years of my life.

Now that I have been on The Taco Cleanse for more than a few weeks, I have decided to delve further into the book and begin the author’s Life-long Recommendations to further enhance my life using the beneficial flora and fauna of The Taco Cleanse. This includes Taco Yoga, Taco Salutations, Taco Mudras and Planting a Taco Garden.

I have been feeling TACO times better as of late. My energy has been returned TACO fold times and I feel exuberant and joyous at last!

I want to spread the Taco Love far and wide and give everyone the opportunity to partake in the Taco Cleanse, should you be experiencing any of the symptoms I mentioned above. Here is a run-down of one of my days on the cleanse, to show you how well-fed, delicious and decidedly un-cleanse like this cleanse is. Below is an excerpt from my Taco Journal (which the authors whole-heartedly recommend keeping).


December 7, 2015

7 AM
I wake up, feed the kitties, shower and launch into Taco Yoga and Taco Meditation. 

7:30 AM
It’s going to be a fine day; I can already tell!

8 AM
I head downstairs, prepare my daily schedule, drink a cup of tea and prepare my first taco of the day. This morning I decide on the Supreme Bacon, Scramble and Cheese Breakfast Taco. The authors mention to keep it simple and adhere only to the mentioned ingredients in your taco. Difficult to do as I like to add a bunch of toppings; we’ll see!

8:40 AM
I followed directions and they are right (as usual!) and the taco starts my cleanse off on the right hand (you use your hand to eat tacos, folks). I prepared the bacon and the scramble mixture the night before, so this taco took about 20 minutes to cook and assemble. Yum.

10 AM
I spent the last hour planning my Spring Taco Garden. The authors are right again! So much peace and contentment it is to plan the growing of my future food. I’ve ordered some organic seeds for the spring and can’t wait to begin getting dirt under my fingernails. Hmm. That’s making me hungry. I’m going to need a taco soon!

Noon
At last, taco time! For lunch I decide on Frito Pie Tacos. I don’t know what it is about it, but the crunch from the Frito chips sounds really appealing. I think my body is missing in the nutrient “crunch” and I feel the need to oblige it. Incredible that this cleanse even accommodates the crunch factor! 

12:40 PM
This particular taco was supremely satisfying and so, so delicious! Yum and Crunch!

3 PM
After working on my next book, I decide to take a well-deserved break, but I can’t think of what to do! So I pick up my trusty Cleanse book and discover the Taco Crossword in the back! Serendipity! 

3:15 PM
I decided that this was a great way to test how far I had come on my taco cleanse. Educational and Fun. What a relaxing way to spend some time.

5 PM
Grumble, grumble. Tummy is asking for another taco. The possibilities are endless in this taco manual, and after some searching and salivating, I decide on the Infinite Fish Taco. 

5:40 PM
I salted my cabbage, made the slaw and fried up some tofu and threw this easy taco together in no time. In fact, it was ready just in time, as my taco alarm was going off and I needed to supplement with tacos as soon as possible. Truly worth the wait, however, and my taco-senses stopped tingling. 

7 PM 
At this time of night, I like to focus my taco energy and therefore indulge in a half hour of Taco Mudras. Again, the Taco Mudras guide is available in this manual that is dubbed The Taco Cleanse. Thank goodness!

7:30 PM
Normally, after the mudras I like to indulge in a detoxing libation, such as Mind-Limbering Michelada (it does wonders in helping me sleep!), but on this eventide, I have the inexplicable hankering for another taco! Luckily, the taco scientists address this issue, and instruct us to give into the cravings no matter what time of day or night, so, I am throwing caution to the wind and going downstairs to whip up a Tater Tot-cho Taco. 

8:15 PM
This hit the spot! It might not be a delightful brew, but definitely an indulgence that was not really an indulgence at all, but more like a mind-blowing necessity! I am going to sleep like a kitten tonight!



There, see?! The Cleanse has done wonders in my life and I am sure it can do the same for you! The delightful authors (Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly Frisinger and Jessica Morris) and their delightful publisher (The Experiment) have given me the permission to publish a taco recipe from The Taco Cleanse (and what better way to start than with a breakfast taco – although, as the taco scientists point out, breakfast tacos are meant to be eaten at any time of day!)

Not only that, but I have a copy of The Taco Cleanse up for grabs! To enter for your chance to win just leave a comment telling me why you think The Taco Cleanse would help you. If you like me on Facebook or Follow me on Twitter, leave a SECOND comment for another chance to win! Easy as vegan tacos!

Contest ends on Monday, December 21, Midnight. Contest open to US and Canadian residents, courtesy of The Experiment publishing.

All the best and luck to everyone!

Photo Credit: Stephanie Bogdanich

Mighty Migas

What started out as a way to use up leftover corn tortillas has become a staple of brunch tables. Migas tacos are transformational because they contain two superfoods: corn and flour tortillas. If you’ve been afflicted with collywobbles or gripe, try eating at least one migas taco a week. Because your homemade corn tortillas are probably too delicious to leave any leftovers, tortilla chips stand in here.

·         1 tablespoon cooking oil

·         ½ cup (70 g) chopped onion

·         1 jalapeno, sliced into rings

·         14 to 18 ounces (397 to 454 g) firm tofu, drained

·         1 teaspoon salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground cumin

·         1/8 teaspoon black pepper

·         1 cup (37 g) crumbled tortilla chips

·         1 cup (170 g) seeded, chopped tomato

·         ¼ cup (15 g) nutritional yeast

·         ¼ cup (60 ml) unsweetened plant milk or water

·         ½ cup (48 g) vegan cheddar, optional

·         8 Flour Tortillas

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion and jalapeño for 2 minutes, or until the onion starts to soften. Crumble the tofu into the pan and sprinkle with the salt, cumin, and pepper. Cook until the tofu is dry and browned on at least one side, about 10 minutes. Try not to stir too often as this prevents browning. Add the rest of the ingredients, including the cheese if you’re using it, and stir thoroughly. Cook until the tomato softens and the liquid is completely absorbed. Serve in the flour tortillas.

Credit line: Recipe from The Taco Cleanse: The Tortilla-Based Diet Proven to Change Your Life, copyright ©Wes Allison, Stephanie Bogdanich, Molly R. Frisinger, Jessica Morris, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

"jazzy vegetarian classics" + "vegan bowls" giveaway

Earlier this week I was interviewed by the fabulous Laura Theodore, television cooking show host extraordinaire, radio personality, singer and author of the brand new, amazing cookbook Vegan-ease. I wanted to post this with a recipe, but, as more often than not, life gets in the way and I ran out of time.

However, I did not want you all to miss this wonderful opportunity to enter this giveaway: Laura and I have teamed up and we are giving away TWO cookbooks, her Jazzy Vegetarian Classics (Amazon, B&N) AND my Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N).

Isn't that sweet?!? And to enter couldn't be easier! Go to Laura's Jazzy Vegetarian site (HERE) and leave a comment (read the instructions first, of course). Laura will announce the winner on her show THIS WEDNESDAY, and the contest ends MONDAY at 6 PM Eastern time. You've not a moment to lose!!

After you enter the contest, come back here to hear Laura and me discuss bowls and flavors and cooking. Laura is an amazingly fun radio host and if you haven't already, add her podcasts to your list of "must listen to." The shows are fun, funny, insightful and very interesting.

Take a listen below:

"cook the pantry" + chipotle corn chowder + giveaway

Today is the day that Cook the Pantry (Amazon, B&N), by Robin Robertson , is available for sale! Robin does it again! Simple, easy and quick vegan cooking! Cook the Pantry contains over 100 recipes of fast easy and delicious recipes.

Cook the Pantry is based on Vegan Unplugged, a previous book by Robin, that focused on emergency cooking when the power goes out. That guide contained 70 or so recipes and this new book revamps about 30 of those recipes, using fresh ingredients and newer techniques. Even if you have Vegan Unplugged, this book has about 70 new recipes! That is 70 more ideas for making dishes in a snap.

Here are some of the dishes I made using Cook the Pantry:

This bowl meal is full of protein and deliciousness! The sauce is so good that my kid was eating the cheese sauce right out of the container, while she was impatiently waiting for the rest of the meal! We added some leftover tortilla chips and a few slivers of scallions. Why not? Cooking the pantry is about using what you have available.

What a gorgeous salad this turned out to be! Flavored rice, topped with hearts of palm, cucumbers and slivers of nori. A sushi roll turned inside out and assembled right into a bowl. Since I had some green beans that needed to be used up, I figured this would be the perfect place. This dish continues to show the versatility of Cook the Pantry.

Apparently we really were on a Mexican food kick, because we chose this Nacho Pie, which is actually unbaked, so it was a snap to make after soaking the nuts. It is filled with pinto beans, olives and homemade pickled jalapenos and homemade salsa fresca. Simple to throw together and very tasty. Again, I had a few produce items to utilize, the tomatoes and scallions, so onto the pie they went.

I think out of the several dishes we tried this week, this was one of our favorites. It is a Chickpea-Artichoke Cake served with an easy Lemon-Thyme Aioli. So good! I was going to save a few for the lunch box, but nope, it was all gone. Very tasty and, again, easy and quick.

All in all we ate pretty well this week - and dinner was ready in 20 minutes, as promised. There were the occasional soaking of the nuts, but that is something that can be done in the morning, or as Robin suggests, soaking in boiling water for a few minutes.

The book is full of Annie Oliverio's (yes, another book by her!) gorgeous food photography and it is in full color. It is printed by Vegan Heritage Press, which has been making full-color, photo-packed cookbooks over the last few years, which pleases me to no end. The quality of the book is exceptional, making this a wonderful addition to any home.

Easy, delicious, quick recipes, full-color book, beautiful photos and top notch publishing. Robin has written over 20 cookbooks, and this book is another one in a long line of exceptional recipe development by one of the most beloved vegan authors.

Try a recipe for yourself! Vegan Heritage Press is sharing the recipe below from Cook the Pantry, for Chipotle Corn Chowder.

But before you do, let's do a giveaway of Cook the Pantry, Robin style! To enter to have a chance to win, leave a comment below telling me what obscure ingredient you have in your pantry, freezer or fridge. For a second chance to win, like me on Facebook or follow on Pinterest. Once you've done that, come back here and leave a second comment (not in the same comment as before) telling me what you did: facebook or pinterest.

Contest is open to US residents and ends Monday at midnight, October 19. Good luck! I will choose the winner at random and make the announcement in a new blog post soon after the contest is over. It is helpful if  you are following this blog via email or RSS feed (link) to be sure to receive the notification.

Chipotle Corn Chowder
Makes 4 servings

This sweet, satisfying chowder is made with frozen whole kernel corn. The garnish of pimientos and parsley adds a dash of color. (Recipe from Cook the Pantry © 2015 by Robin Robertson. Photo by Annie Oliverio. Used by permission Vegan Heritage Press LLC.)

1 tablespoon safflower oil
1 medium onion, minced or shredded
1 carrot, finely chopped or shredded
1 russet potato, finely chopped or shredded
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 cups vegetable broth
1 (16-ounce) bag frozen corn kernels
Salt and ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup raw cashew pieces, soaked for 3 hours, then drained
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 (2-ounce) jar chopped pimientos, drained

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and potato. Cover and cook for 4 minutes to soften. Stir in the celery salt, broth, corn, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stir in the coriander, liquid smoke, and almond milk, and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, combine the drained cashews and chipotle in a blender with 1 cup of the simmering broth from the soup. Blend until smooth and creamy, then add 1 more cup of the soup and blend until smooth. Stir the mixture back into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with parsley and pimientos.

"vegan-ease" + giveaway

It is the first official day after mofo and to fill the gaping hole that the end of the blogging month brings, I am so excited to be taking part in Laura Theodore's blog tour for her brand-new cookbook, Vegan-ease (Amazon, B&N).

For those that are not familiar with Laura, she is the Jazzy Vegetarian on Public Television, which is currently in its fifth season of bringing easy, delicious vegan cooking to tv-land. Laura is not only a chef, an author, a television personality, a fabulous singer (more goodies on that one below!), but she also hosts a radio show!

I can hardly keep up with the little I do, it is a wonder how Laura manages all that and has any time left over! Well, maybe it's because she makes easy vegan meals! This is her third cookbook, and if you have her other two, you will know that all her recipes are easy and delicious. So, what makes this one different?

Besides the new recipes, new menu plans and new tips, Laura has broken the book into three ease factors, simply denoted as 1, 2, or 3. The lower the number, the easier it is to make and less time it takes in the kitchen.

Although I had heard Laura on radio and got to see her show, I first officially "met" her when she interviewed me (a complete unknown) on her radio show. While I stumbled and stepped all over her words, she was simply graceful and gracious, putting me at ease.

Laura is just as caring and thoughtful with the recipes she creates for the home cook, as her book is full of easy to prepare, healthy and utterly delicious meals, treats and sips.

Besides being gorgeous, full-colored, hardcover, the book is bursting with photos, even some from Annie Oliverio. This book is broken into three parts with the bulk of the book in the second part, The Recipes.

The recipes are further categorized into Appetizers and Beverages, Breakfasts, Quick Breads, Soups, Salads, Pizzas, Mains, Sides, Desserts, Fancy Desserts and Holiday Recipes. So, yeah, you've got everything in this book.

Plus there are the menus! And I love menus! Laura provides 12 different menus.

Since I am such a sucker for menus, I decided to forge right on ahead and see just how easy Laura's recipes are. I chose to follow the Merry Breakfast Buffet, since that is a season we will be falling into very soon.

I did change the option up a bit, because I wanted to try the Spinach-Tomato Vegan Omelet (page 47). Laura promised that this is the definitive vegan omelet. I'm game, I thought. Bring on the magical vegan omelet.

Other than that switch and that we skipped the Easy Rich Hot Chocolate, for reasons having nothing to do with the recipe (it is actually very easy and looks exactly as described - rich), I made the entire menu (almost) as written.

Starting with baked goods, I made the Cranberry Christmas Coffee Cake, but I could not for the life of me find cranberries - fresh or frozen, so I decided on blueberries, thawed and lightly drained. This cake is made with whole wheat flour (as Laura keeps close to whole foods and healthy cooking) and I tell you honestly, it was completely delicious!

Moist and sweet - but not overtly sweet - it hit the spot at the end of our "buffet." It was done about 15 minutes before the recipe indicated, but honestly, once you start swapping things in a recipe, you have to be a bit more careful with timing and results. It just goes to show that these recipes are flexible - even the baked goods (although you should take much more care when messing with baked things as they are more chemistry than cooking.)

On the top, going clockwise is Tempeh Sticks, Spicy Baked Home Fries, Spinach and Tomato Vegan Omelet and Sunshine Salad. for up close inspection, the bottom photos are Sunshine Salad and Tempeh Sticks.

Everything was delicious! And,as the book claims, EASY! Even this complete menu, with 5 dishes (6 with the hot chocolate, which would have taken me another 5 to 8 minutes to make), was a snap to prepare.

Let's discuss that omelet.

She kept it 100. The woman spoke true and this here is the Vegan Omelet that I have been waiting for;  Ms. Theodore has broken the code and she brings to us this really, truly, amazing omelet. I have been making my Fried Vegan Omelet for years (which is more of an ode to my husband's childhood fried egg sandwiches), but this is light and fluffy and, with the addition of black salt, is completely to die for!

I've prattled on enough about the dishes I made; it's your turn. Laura is sharing a recipe for you to make. This is the Hungry Guy Burger and it looks as though it will even feed a hungry girl!

Before you dive into the kitchen, Laura has also graciously allowed me to giveaway an autographed copy of Vegan-ease AND one of Laura's Jazzy CD's. The contest is open to US residents and will end Monday, October 12, midnight.

To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link).

Photo by Annie Oliverio

“Hungry Guy” Burgers
Makes 6 burgers / Ease Factor 1      

My husband always complained that I did not make our veggie burgers BIG enough! So the “Hungry Guy” Burger was born. Packed with hearty black beans, spicy salsa and rolled oats, these five-ingredient wonders are filling and super-quick to prepare. Now everyone’s happy!

1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
2⁄3 cup plus 2 heaping tablespoons prepared salsa, plus more as needed (see note)
3 slices whole-grain bread, torn into chunks
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
2⁄3 cup rolled oats

      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking pan with unbleached parchment paper.
Put the black beans and salsa in a medium-sized bowl and mash using a potato masher or large fork until well combined. Put the bread chunks and cumin in a blender and process into coarse crumbs. Add the bread crumbs to the black bean mixture and stir to combine. Stir in the rolled oats and mix to combine. If the mixture seems dry, stir in another heaping tablespoon of salsa and mix to combine.
Scoop up a generous 1⁄2 cup of the black bean mixture and put it on the prepared pan. Form it into a burger, shaping it with clean hands, then flattening it slightly. Continue in this manner to make five more burgers (see note). Bake for 20 minutes. Flip the burgers and bake for 8 to 12 minutes, or until golden.

Chef’s Notes
- You may use mild, medium or hot salsa in this recipe.
-  Once formed, the burgers may be covered and refrigerated for 2 to 6 hours before cooking. Add 5 to 7 minutes to the baking time.

Recipe from Laura Theodore's Vegan-Ease: An Easy Guide to Enjoying a Plant-Based Diet © Laura Theodore (Jazzy Vegetarian, LLC 2015), reprinted by permission. Photo courtesy of Annie Oliverio.

Amount per serving, based on 6 servings/burgers:  170 Calories; 2g Fat; 0g Saturated fat; 10g Protein; 241mg Sodium; 30g Total Carbohydrate; 1g Sugars; 8g Fiber 


To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link).

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green and white chili bowl from "vegan bowls" + #3 + giveaway

There is a scant seven days left until the release of Vegan Bowls! The excitement is getting more and more real for me! I am super pumped to hear what you guys think of it!

These are a few of my favorite things...about Vegan Bowls:

Over the next few weeks, I will continue share with you my most favorite aspects of my new cookbook, Vegan Bowls (Amazon, B&N).

{#1 is HERE, #2 is HERE, each with a sneak-peak recipe.}

From the Salad chapter.

#3.
My next most favorite aspect of Vegan Bowls is that this book has the option to make any of the bowl recipes within 30 to 40 minutes. How? Multi-tasking. If this generation knows anything better inside and out, it is multi-tasking.

While most other recipe books encourage mice en place (preparing all the ingredients before cooking), this cookbook utilizes chopping and mixing as the recipe progresses. This means that there is no wasted moment in the kitchen and you are never just standing around stirring and waiting for things to cook.

From the Grilled chapter.

You are actually actively cooking for the entire time, but the absolute best part is that at the end of the time you will have prepared a complete meal. 

All you have to do is to first pull all the necessary equipment out (bowls, if needed, pans and pots on the stove, peelers and strainer, if needed, etc.) and all the ingredients out before you start. And then, just follow the recipe as written, with some guidance along the way via the Quick Tips in each recipe.

From the Sauteed chapter.

Of course, if mice en place is where you're at, then by all means follow the recipe as you normally would from any cookbook. The only difference is that I offer you a way to prepare these bowls in the most streamlined way possible.

From the Grains chapter.

Now that Vegan Bowls is so close to release, I thought I'd share another of my favorite recipes with you, Green and White Chili Bowl (in fact, this is what we are having for dinner tonight). This one is in the Soups chapter and that calls for a peak into the chapter contents:

And since I am so excited about Vegan Bowls, let's have a giveaway of the book - winner will be chosen on the release date! Enter below for your chance to win a copy! To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link). Contest is open to US residents only and ends at midnight on Monday, September 14. Good luck!

Now for the recipe of the Green and White Chili I promised earlier.

Green and White Chili Bowl
SERVES 4 TO 6
Red chili is all the rage, but its seldom-made cousin—green and white chili—is just as flavorful, perhaps more so. This chili is full of hominy (dried and treated maize), fresh green chiles, and two kinds of white beans. If you cannot find hominy, use thawed corn kernels instead. (Recipe from Vegan Bowls, copyright © 2015 by Zsu Dever. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press, LLC.)


BEANS
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 cups cooked cannellini beans
2 (15-ounce) cans white hominy, rinsed and drained
2 cups cooked chickpeas

VEGETABLES
4 Anaheim peppers, coarsely chopped
1 jalapeño, coarsely chopped
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
8 ounces fresh spinach, tough stems removed, coarsely chopped
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped (optional)

BEANS: Combine the broth, oregano, salt, cannellini, hominy, and chickpeas in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce to simmer and cook until needed.

VEGETABLES: Add the peppers, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until minced. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the minced vegetables and cumin and cook until the mixture is dry, about 8 minutes, stirring often. Add the broth and beans to the sautéed vegetables and simmer until the flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Serve with the avocado, if using.

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love of "teff love" + giveaway

My love of Teff Love (Amazon, B&N), an Ethiopian cookbook by the fabulous Kittee Berns, of Cake Maker to the Stars blog, runs deep. I know I'm a little late to the festivities, but I can't imagine not gushing, along with everyone else, about the brilliance of this book.

I won't go into the details of the book, as I am sure others have done that quite well in my stead (check out Teff Love's blog tour HERE). I'm just here to give you my take on the dishes.

Having bought and used Papa Tofu Loves Ethiopian Food, Kittee's zine, religiously, I knew that the recipes in this book would be at least equally good, but I wasn't really prepared for just how amazing the dishes in Teff Love turned out to be.

There are a few helpful suggestions to keep in mind before cooking Kittee's incredible food; these will put the recipes into the uppermost tier of fabulousness.

The first step to delicious and authentic Ethiopian is to ensure you have injera, the flat, sourdough bread used as both utensil and a delicious tool to sop up the yummy gravies. Of course, even tortillas or pita is better than not making any of the dishes due to lack of injera.

The second step in making any of Kittee's dishes successfully, is to prepare the seasoned oil, ye'qimem zeyet, page 25. Although Kittee gives you the option to use olive oil instead of the seasoned oil, since the recipe is so easy and returns so much in flavor, I highly, highly recommend it.

The third absolutely necessary component of even the smallest Ethiopian feast is a salad, page 133. As you can tell, each of the platters I made has a simple salad as a component. The salad provides a fresh, cooling accompaniment to the other dishes. The dressing is a simple vinaigrette, page 145 or 146.

We are lucky enough to live near an Ethiopian restaurant in San Diego (albeit, one that serves meat as well), but truly, the recipes within Kittee's volume are heads and shoulders above anything we could ever have here.

All in all, this really is a volume you should own. Period. If you haven't had Ethiopian food before, Teff Love is the most excellent way to get some of this ah-mazing grub on your plate. If you are among the lucky ones already initiated into the club, you can't beat all the creative and downright delicious food Kittee shares with us. And don't you just love the title??

I'm itching to share this wonderful cookbook with someone, so make sure to enter below for your chance to win a copy of Teff Love. To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed (link). Contest is open to US residents only and ends Monday, August 17. Good luck!


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"the abundance diet" + giveaway

After two long years of struggling with an accident, surgery, physical therapy, recipe development and testing, my good friend Somer McCowan, of Vedgedout,  has finally published her long-awaited cookbook, The Abundance Diet (Vegan Heritage Press, Amazon, B&N) and I couldn't be more proud of her achievement.

Somer has been a huge supporter of me and I am very happy to be able to return the love and take part in the kick-off of her amazing book!

The Abundance Diet is not your run-of-the-mill "diet" book, and, in fact, Somer makes the important distinction that this is decidedly not a diet book, but more of a healthier way to eat. Having said that, this book is a different way of eating in the sense that it is a plan with an end goal in mind - your improved health.

Blueberry Vanilla Green Smoothie, page 50.

I've had the pleasure (and benefit) of participating in Somer's Green Smoothie Challenge and I am pleased to see the entire program souped-up with added information, recipe sections, and components, and is now available in one convenient location. It sure beats having a bunch of papers scattered around to keep track of!

More than outlining the bones of the program, Somer teaches us how to best implement it, save time and money in the process, and how best to make it fit into today's busy lifestyle. If you are at all aware of Somer, you will know that she advocates a whole-foods eating habit and everyone knows that when you leave convenience foods behind, you begin making more and more things from scratch.

That's when her genius kicks in and she plans out the first four weeks for us, making it as easy as conveniently possible. Check out the 4-week menu plan and download it. I print out two copies, one I stick in the book and other I adhere magnets to and on the refrigerator they go!

It is a fact that when someone hits on a new way of eating (for some vegans that will be whole-foods, low/no oil, loads of fresh produce), the easiest way to implement it is to rotate meals for ease and happiness. The palate likes meals to roll back around to savor again so that some familiarity comforts us, even if that familiarity is rather new. Of course, you don't have to follow her menu plan; you can switch things up as much as you want.

As for the recipes, Somer obviously knows her way around the kitchen and she shares her abundance of knowledge and expertise. The dishes are delicious! Beginning with the smoothies themselves: I realize that smoothies are just a bunch of ingredients in a jar, but it sure is nice to have someone make smoothies that taste good! Just ask my kids; I happen to not be an ace in that hole.

Another inventive and smart way to organize your day is Somer's way. She breaks up the day into smoothies/breakfast, soup, salad, snack, main and dessert. It is comforting to have your meals organized into such precise categories because you know what to eat and what to look forward to. Of course, you can eat however you please, and there is no order to follow or time to eat to follow. If you like soup for breakfast, why not? Or soup and salad for lunch? or for dinner? Change it up; what to eat when is flexible and personal.

Here is Somer's Falafel Salad with Quinoa Tabbouleh. The freshness is radiating off the meal, and because it is in The Abundance Diet I know it is healthy, but a secret: it didn't taste like healthy food! So good!

Falafel Salad, page 104

As for the Main dishes, they are just as scrumptious. I made the "Cowboy Special" One-pot Pasta and it was so quick and easy to prepare and so tasty. By the way, those chips are homemade tortillas that were baked. Tortillas were from my upcoming, Vegan Bowls, cookbook. I found some really hard to get blue cornmeal and couldn't resist.

"Cowboy Special" One-pot Pasta, page 183.

To sum it up, if you are looking to change the way you eat, or just want to eat more healthfully, would like a one-stop shop for a program to help you achieve it, complete with recipes and ease of implement, this is your book: The Abundance Diet.

The best way to see if you like the recipes, is to try them out. Along Somer's Blog Tour you will find smoothies, salads, soups and snacks to sample. I'm sharing Somer's  BBQ Roasted Chickpea Snacks. Before I forget to mention, the gorgeous photos in the book are by none other than Annie Oliverio, of An Unrefined Vegan and Virtual Vegan Potluck and the new cookbook Crave Eat Heal (Amazon, B&N); another excellent addition to a whole-foods, plant-based, healthy diet.

Before you leave, make sure to get the recipe below and enter the contest to win a copy of The Abundance Diet. To be eligible to win you must be following this blog via email or RSS feed.
Contest is open to US residents only and is courtesy of Vegan Heritage Press. Contest ends on June 22, midnight. Good luck!

Photo by Ann Oliverio. Used with permission from VHP.

BBQ Roasted Chickpea Snack

I was tooling around in the kitchen making versions of chickpea bacon, but multiple people told me these taste like BBQ chickpeas instead of bacon. No loss, eh? These are absolutely fantastic for snacking on. You may want to make a double batch, as these are super addictive! They make a great salad topping. (Recipe from The Abundance Diet, © 2015 by Somer McCowan. Used by permission from Vegan Heritage Press LLC.)

1 tablespoon liquid smoke

1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon nutritional yeast

1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1 (15.5-ounce) can chickpeas, drained, well rinsed and then blotted dry with a clean kitchen towel

Preheat the oven to 450°F. In a medium bowl, stir together the liquid smoke, sesame oil, black pepper, smoked paprika, nutritional yeast, maple syrup, sherry, tamari, onion powder, and garlic powder. This is your marinade. Add the chickpeas to the marinade and stir to coat.

Transfer the chickpeas and marinade into an 8x8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper. Bake the chickpeas for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring once or twice. The chickpeas will get crispier as they cool. Store in a lidded container in the refrigerator. These are even better, if possible, on the second day.

Makes 4 servings

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