i’m going to bet not many of you have seen these little guys. in all my 9 years of being around specialty produce, this was a first for me. i like to look over the produce section this time of year and see “what’s new.” that’s how i discovered kohlrabi…
once upon a time not long ago – for like four months, i was a pretty strict vegan. i just wanted to try it out… see how i felt. i will do it again, for sure – but for the most part, i just eat what my body tells me to and sometimes that includes organic, humane animal products.
when i was eating vegan i wondered how to get my omegas in my diet because i noticed when i took fish oil it gave me heartburn and i didn’t like the way it tasted. i haven’t gone back to fish oil since discovering flax oil. now – it’s not anything new to me, i’ve always known about flax… i just didn’t supplement with it until recently when it was suggested to me that i take it versus the fish oil.
omegas are good for our hair, skin, nails, heart, blood, and brain… among many other things. they help us stay “lubricated” and give our skin a lovely glow. i take flax oil by the capsule daily, but i love being able to buy the whole seeds in bulk such as this…. Continue reading
a co-worker suggested i try this recipe when i said, “what should i do with the delicious english peas i bought today?”
it’s a pretty basic recipe – with a special ingredient of cinnamon… which i must admit, i don’t really ever use in my cooking – unless a recipe specifically calls for it. i don’t keep in the pantry or anything… although, i am really wanting an organic spice rack – should anyone be wondering what to randomly gift me 🙂
what i love about this recipe is the simplicity – and i was surprised at how nicely the cinnamon complimented the overall dish. the key is always adding a little at a time… the rice also brought the dish together – i used simple jasmine rice for this dish. i like the texture and flavour.
ingredients :
– organic authentic san marzano tomatoes {canned}
– fresh garlic
– olive oil
– ground cinnamon
– basmati or jasmine rice Continue reading
this one is SUPER yum and i just love the colour!!! another great post-workout drink!
– frozen mangos {about 1/4 cup}
– frozen pineapple {about 1/4 cup}
– frozen bananas {about 1/4 cup}
– coconut milk {about 1 cup}
– splash of orange juice
– handful of fresh spinach
– a couple pitted dates
– sprinkle in some golden flax seeds
i’ve somehow almost got it down to a magical science now- that whatever i put in my vitamix makes *just enough* for this glass jar i drink out of {which i believe is about 12 ounces}:
isn’t that colour awesome?!?!
nothing says “spring” quite like fresh eggs.
i feel like the luckiest girl in the world to have eggs “gifted” to me from time to time…
one of my co-workers has chickens… and she shares her eggs with some of us when she has a bounty…
she’s given them to me several times now… Continue reading
meet kohlrabi. i tried this yummy vegetable about a year ago when it first showed up in the produce department. it’s super-cool-looking for one, and it turns out it’s rather delicious and good for you! kohlrabi contains loads of vitamin c as well as some fiber and potassium. mostly i love the fun texture and the leaves are actually really good as well, so i saute them as a side… Continue reading
this is super delicious, as you can imagine!!
my only issue with this drink right now is that i want one, and yet it’s snowing outside, so it’s just kinda weird… have i mentioned how i’m so beyond ready for spring?!? – even though technically it ought to be here by now…! sigh…
for this creation, i used some clementines i bought in a bag and just pre-peeled some for smoothies and snacking…
– clementines {about 3/4 cup}
– coconut milk {about 3/4 cup}
– ice
blend on high until desired consistency is reached and ENJOY!
coconut milk is wonderfully creamy and makes drinks like this extra delicious and frothy.
happy {meatless} monday everyone!
these are SO SO SO SO SO GOOD! i planned on just eating a few and saving some for lunch the next day, but i ended up devouring the whole batch in under 5 minutes! so delicious!
i’ve introduced you to kaniwa a few times now… and this is one of my new favourite things to do with it!
i am all about texture – i love it in both food and foto. kaniwa has plenty of texture and the most fun little crunch. you know how quinoa has that little “pop” kind of crunch going on?! – well kaniwa is like that but it’s much smaller and it’s just so fun to eat! i also love belgian endive for that reason – fun to eat and TEXTURE! so, when i combined the two in this recipe, my taste buds and senses were dancing because it was just so completely delicious and enjoyable! and healthy and simple and easy and all of those things i like to promote here at food and foto dot com!
so without further ado, here is a recipe that’s great as an hors d’oeuvres, snack, light dinner, fun brunch… or blog-worthy dish 😉
another amazing item i will have to blog about again soon – english peas. there are only a few other produce items that make me think of spring like english peas do. i’m trying to encourage it to hurry and get here – we are due for more snow this week, blast! i know we need the moisture, but i just wanna wear flip flops and t-shirts already!
i digress –
ingredients {makes about 8-10 “boats”}:
– 1 medium-sized belgian endive
– 1/4 cup tomato, chopped
– handful of fresh english peas, shelled
– 1 cup kaniwa {you do not need to rinse it}
– about 2 tablespoons honey {preferably local}
– pat of your favourite butter {or substitute} Continue reading
as we know, i’m all about DIY in the kitchen.
between skyrocketing food prices and the need for healthy, organic, fresh food – i have to find a balance so that i can still continue eating well, but also still afford to pay rent 😉 – and honestly, owning a vitamix has helped tremendously in that arena. even though it was a steep investment initially – it’s actually helping me save money by making a lot of things at home!
for example, this homemade applesauce. i did make some once a while back with my potato latkes. but i hadn’t tried it with the vitamix, yet.
applesauce isn’t something i just go out and buy. in fact, i’m not actually much of a fan of apples. i love the flavour and i love apple juice, but i just have never been one to eat handheld fruits. i’m more apt to eat grapes, mangos, berries, and bite-size typed fruits. it’s just one of those idiosyncrasies of mine… i’ll eat apple slices with some nut butter, that’s more my style 😉 oorrrrr, this delicious applesauce…
and whoa – was it easy to make!
step 1. buy some apples.
i opted for honeycrisp because they were on sale and approaching the end of their season… plus, these were super cute and smaller than most. have you noticed how BIG apples are getting lately?! it’s just not natural… i’m like “i can’t eat that in one sitting!” haha. these honeycrisps were perfectly-sized and came in a 3-pound bag. Continue reading
have you ever had a champagne mango?
not quite the same as your common mango, which are typically more oval-shaped with green and red hues to the skin. champagne mangos start off green, but are yellow when ripe…
the champagne mango is shaped almost like a tear-drop or in some ways to me it is shaped more like a nut…
fun with shapes… 😉
champagne mangos originate from mexico… and they are just heavenly. Continue reading
happy first day of spring! i got the fever, do you?!
it seems like everywhere i look, i read and hear more about gluten-free products. i have opinions about wheat and gluten and the heightened sensitivity sweeping our nation, but i’ll save them for a day when i decide to get on my soapbox again…
while i am not aware of any sensitivity to gluten personally, i have to admit i like eating gluten-free pasta a lot these days. it’s much lighter compared to regular pasta and i just find it to be a great any-time food because of that. excellent for the spring season, as it’s waist-line approved!
i am in love with this pasta from ancient harvest. it’s made mostly from quinoa and corn. i love their products – i also buy their polenta. they use non-gmo corn and it’s also organic… and as i mentioned, gluten-free! those are three big pluses in a packaged product for me! Continue reading
this juice may help with any post-st-paddys-day feelings of lethargy… hey – no judgement, but if you had maybe one too many green beers to celebrate, this drink will help you recover and feel replenished! 🙂
– 1/2 apple
– 1/2 pear
– 1/2 frozen banana
– few frozen pineapple chunks
– one or two dates to sweeten {or honey}
– almond milk
– orange juice
– LOADS of spinach – gives it that pretty colour, but you can hardly taste it.
i also put a smidgen of my green powder mix in to boost the nutrients…
throw in the blender {vitamix is my bff} for a minute or so and chug it down!
and it feels so good to be back! taking even a week or two off from blogging felt so weird. but it gave me time to adjust to my new apartment and learn my way around my new kitchen. i can’t wait to show you guys my new stove/oven… it’s so retro! i’m switching things up a bit too – no more rigid monday through friday titled posts – just blogs about things i love to eat, things i see, and things i feel. i will still share recipes and photos, but the format will be different. i found myself getting a little too obsessed with coming up with new recipes all the time… food and foto will be more like a diary of some of my favourite things – to include recipes, photos, and life experiences. PLUS – i’m going to have a small garden this year – so watch for info on that! i also want to talk about astrology and energy. things are changing, a shift is happening and i believe it’s vital to talk about what we are experiencing, as it continues to unfold rapidly!
thank you as always for reading and for your dedication and support!
have a wonderful day!
super healthy drink with fiber, vitamin c, iron, calcium, antioxidants, and loads of other goodness!
– frozen mixed berries
– whole apple {honeycrisp is my pick, seeds and stems included}
– baby spinach
– grapefruit
– grape juice
– orange juice
– almond milk
and i always add in a little protein powder and ground flax seeds.
then let the amazing vitamix do its thing – amaze.
i was super lazy this weekend – we got about 14 inches of snow here in colorado. all i have been doing is eating comfort food and watching a felicity marathon. so i admit i didn’t prepare a meatless monday recipe for today… though, i really want to make some of these soon…
i’ve posted about these yummy zucchini pizza strips before… but i’ve been craving them, so i wanted to {re}share… they are SO GOOD!
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i had no idea there were so many varieties of apples.
autumn glory is my new favourite kind of apple. ever heard of it?! better yet, have you tried one?!?!
i love the colour… Continue reading
avocados are an amazing superfood. packed full of nutrients like potassium, vitamin e, and health fats – avocados also are helpful at maintaining a healthy cholesterol. they go great with tuna like in my tunacado sammy… i had heard about making chocolate avocado pudding but had never tried it…
until now 🙂
there are lots of variations and i plan to try another soon – but this one is about as simple and delicious as you can get.
so simple. so delicious.
– avocado
– cocoa powder
– sugar
agave works well as a sweetener, also. i used a mix of cane sugar and agave. Continue reading
happy thirsty thursday! oh, and valentine’s day…
remember this?!
well this is the same stuff!
they are chia seeds.
these tiny amazing protein-packed seeds are full of awesome nutrients including fiber, antioxidants, and heart-healthy omega-3. and while they make excellent “pet plants,” they also make fun drinks when added to liquid!
you may have started to notice chia drinks pop up all around your favourite health food stores. you can purchase the seeds in bulk or in packages online and i know you can pick them up at whole foods market. Continue reading
honey drizzled kaniwa with mushrooms and red peppers
i’ve written about kaniwa – i’ve only eaten it once before but i totally loved it and wanted to try it again. you can read a little about my first experience here. i really love the stuff. it’s similar to quinoa but with a little more “crunch” and it’s much smaller in size – so tiny!
there’s not a lot of nutritional information available in the US about this great ancient grain just yet – but it is loaded with protein and fiber, so it’s great for vegans, and it is naturally gluten-free. there’s talk of it being a superfood. keep your eyes and ears open for more information as it surfaces on this amazing little grain… Continue reading
when i tell people i have a vitamix they usually ask two questions :
1. do you love it?
2. how often do you use it?
and i always say, “yes. and every day!”
and i really do. i use it at least once a day to make a smoothie. usually for breakfast or with it or before i head to work in the afternoon. i use my vitamix every single day. and i love it! i’m working on perfecting recipes to share on the blog of other amazing things it does. for example : nut butters, soups, flours, and sorbet to name a few.
but it was still love at first sight and i’ve been falling in love more every day. how can i not?! heavy duty, all one-piece, little to no food waste, easy cleanup – what more can you ask for in an all-purpose kitchen appliance?!
this creation was one of my favourites to date :
hA! i’m still sort of giggling from the comment one of my friend’s made at the superbowl gathering my former roomie had this weekend. and what a game! way to go, ravens – so well-deserved!!
since going pretty much 100% vegan recently, it’s hard to eat out or even go to a friend’s house to eat, because basically everything that is prepared has some form of dairy or animal product in it. so i brought over my own food and made something easy to munch on for the big game. it was a hit!
i also toasted some falafel in the oven and chopped up some celery, carrots, and mixed sweet peppers as well as some fruit. one healthy spread, indeed. and all 3 dudes gobbled it up!
“this is the healthiest superbowl party i’ve ever been to” – one of them exclaimed. i laughed so hard, it was so great.
food & foto 