vegan cooking class with chef lauren

eggplant involtini stuffed with cashew cheese plus panzanella salad 

last night i attended a fabulous italian-style vegan cooking demo with my friend, the ever-talented chef lauren at a local boutique olive oil shop. we wined, we dined, and we watched lauren work her culinary wizardry with fresh fruits and veggies. all her recipes were easy to make with a short list of ingredients, and every dish was designed for summer grilling.

fig and carmelized balsamic onion on artisan flatbread

the combination of sweet and savory was present in each course, which i think really helps make vegan dishes extra yummy. cold-press extra virgin olive oils and special vinegars infused with unique flavors added a special touch - like the vinaigrette for our panzanella salad was made with basil olive oil and blackberry pepper vinegar... and bonus! high-quality olive oils are super healthy!

figs are coming into season - i can't wait to grab a bushel and get to grilling. they are so delicious in just about any dish. i also learned how easy it is to make cashew cheese. lauren flavored hers with garlic and it was super rich and creamy - much more flavorful (and healthier) than regular ricotta cheese in the grilled eggplant involtini.

peaches with brown sugar oat crumble

i never knew that you could bake with olive oil instead of butter. lemon-infused olive oil was perfect in this brown sugar oat crumble that topped peach halves for dessert. after grilling, the peaches were drizzled with peach balsamic vinegar - so good! my snap of the peaches on the tray wasn't as crisp and clear as i would have liked, so i fussed with filters and tried to give it a more painterly effect.

i really liked all these vegan dishes - and the wine pairings were pretty awesome, too. great cooking class - cheers!

we olive store in walnut creek

for the love of summer

nothing brightens up the kitchen like a colorful fruit bowl. last night all the organic produce at the grocery store looked really good, but i have to be careful not to buy too much. it's one thing to toss out regular fruits and veggies that go bad before i can eat them, but i really hate wasting the expensive organics.

i haven't blogged here in a really long time, which means i've been eating like crap and gaining weight. a big part of my problem has been sleep apnea. i was finally diagnosed last month and will be getting proper treatment any day now. i have been so tired every single day from the apnea - nothing feeds my appetite or keeps me from exercising like extreme fatigue.

so now that refreshing slumber will be part of my life again, i need to get back in gear with more walking, more plant-based meals, less meat, sugar and dairy and more fish. for example, summer is a really great time to swap out the cookies and ice cream for fresh fruit. i especially love pears, mangoes and nectarines - and a frozen banana blended with a bit of peanut butter and almond milk is just as yummy as anything ben and jerry can whip up.

10-point salmon and quinoa dinner

super deelish dinner last night! i seasoned the salmon with just a little rub of olive oil and basil (5 pts).
near east makes a lovely packaged blend of quinoa and brown rice (4 pts) that also has a bit of olive oil in the preparation.

i added another point or so with a teensy drizzle of ranch dressing on my steamed broccoli and sliced tomatoes. the tiny sprinkle of feta cheese crumbles on the quinoa adds a little more flavor for free.

another thing i liked about this meal was that it took less than 30 minutes to make!

omelette fixin's

sometimes my omelette fixin's are so pretty, i kinda hate to toss them in the pan.

heirloom tomatoes
cilantro
sweet orange pepper
pepperoncini
black olives

pretty produce

i do enjoy waking up to a lovely bowl of fresh produce on the counter, don't you?

just as pretty as a vase of flowers, i think. i totally get why produce is a popular subject for still-life paintings.

slow and steady wins the race

slow and steady wins the race...that's what i have to keep telling myself.

losing weight slowly, like just a pound or two per week is the healthiest way to do it, and hopefully i will develop better habits along the way.

i have lost five pounds so far in the first three weeks of being on weight watchers. i've had good days and bad days, but having this blog and trying new ideas for meals makes it more fun for sure.

now to get off this rock and move it, move it, move it!

6-point waffle and chicken apple sausage breakfast

this is a super quick and easy breakfast with enough protein to get you through 'til lunch - and the fruit keeps it very satisfying for that early morning sweet tooth without needing syrup. But there is maple syrup baked in to the sausage - it's really delicious!

•  1/2 natural, pre-cooked chicken apple sausage link (2 pts), sliced and heated in microwave for about 25 seconds

•  whole grain toaster waffle (3 pts) with 1/2 tspn organic buttery spread (1 pt)

•  nectarine and banana slices

2-point curried cauliflower

so i've been on a bit of a curry kick lately - i just love the flavor so much!

this whole dish is just 8 points - it splits into 4 very generous servings of 2 points each. it's just as good (even better) a side dish as mashed potatoes, i think.

•  1 head cauliflower - chopped, steamed and lightly mashed

•  mix in 1 cup light coconut milk (4 pts) and 2 tbsp melt® organic buttery spread (4 pts)

•  mix in 1+ tspn curry powder to taste, plus a little dried basil and sweet paprika on top to serve