• Sides & Snacks

    4 Easy Healthy Vegan Snacks in Less Than 5 Minutes: Round Two

    Are you short on time but need something healthy to eat?  Are you looking for an easy snack that you can grab on the way to work or before heading to the gym? It’s Round Two of my easy snack.  Here are 4 healthy snacks that are ready in less than 5 minutes. In Round One, I laid out my standards.  This is more than just peanut butters and bananas.  As a trained chef, my standards are a bit higher than that.  Whether I’m cooking in a fancy restaurant or throwing together a quick breast, the goal is to achieve balance.  If you can incorporate three essential elements into a dish, you’ll be on the road to delicious: Texture – Should include both crunchy and creamy Taste – Should include both sweet and savory (aka salty) Temperature – Ideally, you get a dish that marries something warm with something cold Even with these standards, though, you don’t need fancy food.  Or food that requires a lot of time and fuss. Just because you only have 5 minutes to eat, doesn’t mean you need to compromise flavor. Get snacking! 1) Pineapple Red Chili Edamame Lettuce Cup Diced Pineapple Shelled Edamame 1/2 teaspoon Red chili paste (or a dash of Sriracha) 1/2 teaspoon Tamari or tamari Bibb or Romaine lettuce leaves Combine everything except the lettuce in a small bowl.  Microwave for 1 minute to warm.  Serve inside the cold lettuce leaves. 2) Cold Watermelon with Almonds, Mint, Aged Balsamic 1 small personal

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  • Sides & Snacks

    Quick Whole Wheat Flatbread

      Medium |  Servings: 4  |  Ready In: 25 minutes |  Yield: 8 mini flatbreads Homemade bread in under an hour?  Yes.  What’s even better is the short ingredient list for this whole wheat recipe.  Make this healthy, vegan, oil-free bread and use for personal pizzas or dipping into Roasted Red Pepper Hummus. Ingredients 2 cups (240 grams) whole wheat pastry flour 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup (6 ounces) water How It’s Done To make the Dough: Sift together the flour, salt, and spices into a mixing bowl.   Add the 3/4 cup of water.   Use a fork or whisk to start mixing.   Use your hands to continue combining the water and flour.   Once the two are incorporated, knead another minute or so. Cover dough with plastic and let sit 15 minutes, to allow gluten proteins to soften. To shape and bake the flatbreads: When you’re ready to roll the dough, preheat your oven (or a grill) to 500 degrees. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into a ball. On a well-floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll a ball of dough into a very thin circle. The thinner, the better, but you don’t want any holes in the dough. Do this for 2 balls. Place the 2 thin circles directly on the rack of your 500F oven. Close the door quickly so that heat doesn’t escape! Bake for about 2-4 minutes, until the

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  • Sauces, Dips, & Dressings

    Roasted Eggplant Chickpea Baba Ghanouj

    5 Minute Lemon Tahini Potato Bowl – Healthy, Gluten-Free, Oil-Free, Quick, Easy, Microwave, Vegan, Dinner for One Recipe Easy |  Servings: 8 |  Ready In: 75 minutes |  Yield: about 2 cups Roasted eggplant is the smoky ingredient in healthy, creamy dip.  This easy, oil-free recipe bumps up the protein with chickpeas and iron from tahini.  Serve this vegan, nut-free snack with sliced peppers or Za’atar Spiced Rainbow Carrots. Ingredients 1 globe eggplant (about 1-1.5 pounds) 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, or 1.5 cups cooked chickpeas 1 tablespoon Tahini 1 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon paprika (or a dash of cayenne for some heat) Salt and Pepper How it’s Done Preheat oven to 450F. To Roast the Eggplant: Remove the tops from the eggplant and cut in half. Place face down in a pan and roast for about an hour. Cook the eggplant until it totally collapses. Remove from oven and let cool. To make the Baba Ghanouj:  Drain and rinse the chickpeas.  When the eggplant is cool enough to handle, use a large spoon to scrape out the flesh of the eggplant. Discard the skin.  Combine the eggplant, chickpeas, tahini, and spices in a food processor or blender.  Purée until creamy. Taste to adjust seasoning. Garnish with sesame seeds or parsley and serve. Really fierce when served warm Yield: 2 cups Chef Katie’s Tip: Grilling Flavor: Want more flavor?  You can grill the eggplant to add a nice smoky, flavor. Simply place a whole eggplant on

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  • Healthy Vegan Snack in Less Than 5 Minutes: Currants, Almond Butter, Celery Ants on a Log

    Sides & Snacks

    4 Easy Healthy Vegan Snacks in Less Than 5 Minutes

    Are you short on time but need something healthy to eat?  Are you looking for an easy snack that you can grab on the way to work or before heading to the gym?  Here are 4 healthy snacks that are ready in less than 5 minutes. Don’t be fooled, though, this more than just hummus and carrot sticks. As a trained chef, my standards can be high.  As any episode of a cooking show will teach you, the goal is to achieve balance.  From fine dining to brown-bagging, if you can incorporate three essential elements into a dish, you’ll be on the road to delicious: Texture – Should include both crunchy and creamy Taste – Should include both sweet and savory (aka salty) Temperature – Ideally, you get a dish that marries something warm with something cold Even with these standards, though, you don’t need fancy food.  Or food that requires a lot of time and fuss.Just because you only have 5 minutes to eat, doesn’t mean you need to compromise flavor.Get snacking! 1. Almond Butter and “Curr-ANTS on a Log” Celery Sticks: Cold celery, dried zante currants, room temperature almond butter 2. Avocado Banana Rye Toasts: Warm toasted Rye Bread, Sliced avocado, cool slice (or mashed) banana) 3. Peanut Butter Apple English Muffin: Warm toasted Sprouted English Muffin, natural roasted peanut butter, cold sliced apple 4. Jicama Hummus Chips: Cold Jicama “chips”, room temperature roasted red pepper hummus, sliced cucumber or red pepper garnish Try any of these? Let

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  • Blog

    Letting Go of Perfection: Why Yoga is “Practice”… not “Perfect”

    As the seasons change from summer to fall, the trees shed their leaves.  They let go of bright, colorful life, in the hopes of rejuvenation.  It is a reminder to me to let go of some of the pressure I place on myself: Let go of the things that no longer serve me so that I can make way for new life, for new energy. One of the pressures I am trying to shed is the pressure of PERFECTION.  Most of my life, I have striven for an unrealistic standard of perfection.  This perfect standard has served as a motivator, pushing me to constantly strive for better.  It has likely been one of the main reasons I’ve become a successful business owner and chef.  Yet it has also been a source of self-destructive thought as Perfection often comes with “that wasn’t good enough”.   In the past few years, I’ve taken up Yoga. Yoga reminds me to let go of that PERFECTION and embrace PRACTICE… A few years ago, I was a staunch candidate for the “I don’t do yoga” team. In the past, I’ve gone through waves of yoga – on and off for a few month, maybe a pigeon’s pose after a long run.  It had been years since my last actual class.  One reason I resisted yoga was because of the pressure I felt in taking it:  I would be in a room where others know me as a fitness instructor.  My body would be scrutinized.  I

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  • Salads & Slaw

    Moon and Stars Watermelon Calypso Bean Salad

        Easy |  Servings: 6  |  Ready In: 10 minutes |  Yield: 6-7 cups Watermelon and beans?  Yes! Moon and Stars Watermelon is named for its “celestial” rind, with a design that looks like a star-filled night.  Heirloom Calypso beans add even more beautiful color.  The sweet flavor and crisp texture of the melon balance the rich, hearty flavor of the beans.  A spicy kick from jalapeno and fresh lime give this a Mexican flair.  Enjoy this healthy, gluten-free, oil-free salad as a side dish for any summer party.  Or use as a plant-based filling for vegan tacos and lettuce cups. Ingredients 3 cups Moon and Stars Watermelon, diced* 1 ½  cups cooked Black Calypso Beans* 1 cups corn kernels, fresh or frozen, thawed ½ large red onion, diced 1 jalapeno, seeded and dice 1 bunch cilantro, chopped 2 limes, zest and juice Dash of salt, to taste How it’s Done To make the Watermelon Bean salad:  Combine the Sun and Moon Watermelon, Calypso beans, corn, red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro.  Zest and juice the limes and add to the mix.  Add a dash of salt.  Toss well.  Taste to adjust seasoning, if needed. Serve immediately. Chef Katie’s Tips: Make Ahead Tip: If you’re making this salad ahead of time, combine everything except the watermelon.  If the watermelon sits too long with other ingredients, the salt can draw out too much moisture and make it mushy. Use the Rind:  Retain the beautiful rind of the Sun and Moon Watermelon by

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  • Salads & Slaw

    Big ‘Ole Italian Chickpea Salad

    Easy  |  Servings: 6  |  Ready In: 10minutes |  Yield: 10 Cups Salad Chickpeas, olives, capers, and summer’s garden-fresh vegetables come together in this easy, flavorful salad. This vegan, oil-free, gluten-free recipe is a snap to make, and it gets even better the next day.  Enjoy with Cavolo Nero soup for a healthy dinner or bring to your next party as a healthy side. Ingredients 1/2 medium red onion 1 tablespoon dried oregano 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar 1 jar (3.5 oz) capers 1 seedless cucumber 1 pint grape tomatoes 1 jar (9.5 oz) pitted kalamata olives 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas How it’s Done: To make the Big ‘Ole Italian Chickpea Salad: Thinly slice the red onion.   In a large mixing bowl, combine the red onion, red wine vinegar, and oregano.  Add a dash of salt and pepper. Add a couple tablespoons of the brine from the jar of capers to the bowl with the red onion. Drain off the remaining brine and add the capers to the mixing bowl. Thinly slice the cucumber. Slice the olives. Halve the tomatoes. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.   Add the cucumber, olives, tomatoes, and chickpeas to the mixing bowl.  Stir well to combine. Serve and enjoy. This salad gets even better after it sits for a days. Enjoy at room temperature to really taste all of the flavors. Yield: 10 cups Chef Katie’s Tips: Keep your Pantry Stocked: Keep olives, capers, and canned chickpeas on hand so you can make this salad any time.

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  • Soups & Stews

    Indian Red Lentil Dal

      Easy|  Servings: 6  |  Ready In: 25 minutes |  Yield: 8 cups Dal The aromatic flavors of India come together with the healthy vegan protein and fiber in red lentils.  This vegan, fat-free, gluten-free healthy recipe will brighten up a dreary day and is a must for getting over a cold.  Enjoy plain, top with Dill Avocado Dip or serve with Whole Wheat Flatbread. Ingredients 1 medium onion 1 medium carrot 1 tablespoon minced ginger 1 tablespoon Garam Masala 1 1/2 cup split red lentils 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 bay leaf 6 cups water 2 Roma tomatoes 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper How it’s Done: First, sauté the aromatics: Peel and dice the onion and carrot.  Peel and mince the ginger. Combine the onion, carrot, and ginger in a medium pot. Add the Garam Masala.  Cook over medium heat, covered, until onions soften and Garam becomes aromatic, about 10 minutes. To cook the Lentils: Use a fine-mesh colander, and rinse the lentils to wash off any dust. Add the red lentils, garlic, bay leaf, and water to the pot with the onion and carrot.  Cover, bring to a boil, and simmer until lentils are tender, about 20 minutes. Seed and dice the tomatoes.   When lentils fall apart, your soup is ready. Add in the diced tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Garnish with extra diced tomatoes or cilantro and serve. Yield: 8 cups Watch the Recipe Video: Chef Katie’s

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  • Mains

    Baked Indian Curry Samosa Cakes

    Medium |  Servings: 8  |  Ready In: 60 minutes |  Yield: 24 samosas These gluten-free chickpea and potato cakes take a flavor trip with Indian curry spices.  This healthy, fat-free vegan is loaded with fiber and protein.  Serve with Dill Avocado Dip for your next dinner party…they’re sweet, spicy, and highly addictive. Ingredients 2 cups Yukon potatoes (about 3 large potatoes) 2 cups cauliflower (florets and stalk) 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas 1 tablespoon curry powder 1/4 cup dried apricots 1/4 cup brown rice flour 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup frozen peas 2 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro How it’s Done: Preheat your oven to 350 F. To make Indian Curry Samosa mixture: Wash the potatoes and cauliflower.  Cut into large pieces.  You want about 2 cups of each: cauliflower and potatoes. You want equal portions of each. Combine the cauliflower, potato, and curry powder in a pan.  Add about 1/2 cup water, enough to cover the bottom of the pan.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer. Drain and rinse chickpeas. Add the chickpeas to the potato-cauliflower mixture.  Cover and continue to cook, over medium heat. Cook until potatoes are falling apart. Chop the apricots. Once the potatoes are falling apart, remove the lid.  Add the brown rice flour and chopped apricots to the potato cauliflower mixture. Cook until mixture is very dry and all of the flour has been absorbed, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer cooked mixture to a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.   Transfer pureed potato mixture

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