Cafe Gratitude Review

Last weekend my mom and I decided to try out Cafe Gratitude on Larchmont Blvd in Los Angeles. Since I have switched to a primarily vegan diet, I have not gone to vegan restaurants in the area. I had heard a lot about this restaurant from various sources and concluded that I must try it out. It sure did not disappoint! We went on a Sunday afternoon after church for lunch and they had a table available for us within about 5 minutes or less. The restaurant is bright, airy, and inviting. They had a sign of the monthly specials on the wall which all looked absolutely delicious. We had a table right by the dessert case (of course, right?!) and saw all the amazing-looking desserts. I probably would have tried them all if I could have! Anyway, back to the restaurant... We looked over the menu and I decided to get their Divine juice with apple, beet, ginger, and lemon. My mom got their Elevated- rose water lemonade on ice, which was a little sweeter than we would have liked, but delicious and refreshing nonetheless. My juice was delicious as well. For an appetizer we got Present, which was their version of a bruschetta served on whole wheat crostini with some arugula. It wasn't your typical bruschetta, but it was so tasty. For our meal we decided to share the Hearty raw pizza served with a Caesar salad. I told my mom, "it is a unique combination of flavors but it works really well." We both really enjoyed it. For dessert we decided to get the strawberry pie with a serving of their ice cream. I thought that the pie was good but the real star was the coconut ice cream. It was absolutely delicious. I want to learn how to make it!

                                                 
I would definitely recommend this restaurant and I can't wait to go back and try what else they have. Everything on the menu looked so delicious and fresh.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Until next time,

Hannah

Veggie and Lentil Coconut Curry

This recipe was a fun one to try because I love curry and have never made it before. I had a can of coconut milk to use up after a failed attempt to make coconut whipped cream, so I decided to use it for this instead. I got inspiration from a few recipes and kind of combined them all into one. It came out really great!

This recipe is inspired by the Oh She Glows cookbook Creamy Vegetable Curry and Angela's coconut curry on the blog a while back.

Serves about 4-5

For this recipe, you will need:
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 sweet potato, chopped
1 large tomato, chopped
1 small onion or half large onion, chopped
1/2 large green pepper (or the whole pepper), chopped
5 cups vegetable stock
1 cup uncooked lentils
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp salt, to taste

1. Place onion, garlic, curry powder, and ginger in pan and heat on medium high heat until onion is translucent.
2. Add in pepper, carrots, sweet potato, and tomato and cook for another five minutes.
3. Add in the coconut milk, salt, cinnamon, turmeric, and half of the vegetable stock.
4. Cook the veggies for about 15 minutes. When the liquid is mostly absorbed and the veggies are mostly cooked, add in the remaining vegetable stock and the lentils and cook on low heat until the lentils and veggies are soft and the flavors have combined. I would say about another 20 minutes, but taste as you go along and cook more or less depending on how soft you want the veggies.
5. Serve and enjoy! I would recommend serving it over some brown rice or with some Mary's Crackers for dipping. It was really good!

Note: You can also cook the lentils in a separate pot using whatever cooking directions are on the packaging and then add the lentils to the cooked vegetable mixture. I did it all in one pot to save some dishes.
If there are other veggies you would like to add, go ahead! This can be custom-made with whatever you like :)
If you need more liquid while cooking the veggies and lentils, add water or more vegetable stock as needed.

P.S. You can still donate to my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer by visiting this page.

Coffee "Frappuccino" and Carrot Cake Oatmeal

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I needed a little rest and yesterday my internet went out! Today I have a couple of recipes I threw together this morning and they turned out really great. I hope you enjoy!

 

Homemade Vegan Coffee "Frappuccino"
Serves 1

1/2 banana
1 cup coffee
1 cup non-dairy milk
3 dates (more or less to taste)
dash cinnamon
dash vanilla extract
4 ice cubes
1 tsp almond butter
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Note: If you would like it sweeter, add a sweetener of your choice. Top with unsweetened coconut and cinnamon.

Carrot Cake Oatmeal
*This recipe is inspired by the Oh She Glows carrot cake oatmeal*

1 carrot, shredded
1/2 cup oats, gluten free is necessary
1 cup non-dairy milk
1 tbsp flax seed meal
1 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
dash cinnamon
dash ginger
dash nutmeg
dash vanilla extract
1/2 cup pear sauce (optional)

1. Place ingredients into a pot and bring to a low boil.
2. Bring the heat down to a simmer and cook until all the liquid is absorbed by the oats.
3. Serve and top with your choice of walnuts, extra cinnamon, unsweetened shredded coconut, and a spoonful of maple syrup.

This was such a delicious breakfast. And so easy!

Happy hump day everyone!

P.S. I also added the coffee frap and my tropical green smoothie I put on Instagram the other day in the Smoothie Archive. Enjoy!

Coming up later this week: My Cafe Gratitude review, homemade granola, vegan "creme brulee", and homemade coconut curry recipe!

Chocolate for Breakfast? Yes please!

While this week wasn't as stressful as previous weeks at my university, I am excited to say that it is the weekend and the beginning of my spring break! Yesterday I was happy I was able to see my friend Christine who I do not get to see very often because she is getting her Master's degree right now. We got pedicures and then went out for Mexican with my mom. It was a really fun night because we ran into my cousin and his wife who were at the same restaurant. Small world!

I think that people may be a little scared to go out to eat while being vegan, but it really is not as bad as it may seem. It may take some more time to look over the menu, but a lot of restaurants now have vegetarian and/or vegan options that are just as tasty as other options. I ordered some vegetarian tacos with black beans, guacamole, shredded carrots, cabbage, and I told them no cheese to make it vegan. I also enjoyed some chips and salsa and a margarita :) It was all very delicious!

I plan to relax for the rest of this weekend, do some new recipe testing, and maybe visit a new vegan restaurant that I want to try as well! I have a few surprises up my sleeve :) I also have to start training for my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer in September! To learn more about the walk, my story, and to donate, you can visit  this post. It contains the link to my personal page.

This morning I was wanting a chocolaty oatmeal and threw together the easiest combination of oats, cocoa powder, and banana to make a sweet and satisfying oatmeal.

Enjoy the recipe!

Chocolaty-Banana Oatmeal
Serves 1

1 really ripe banana, cut into small slices
1 cup almond milk
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup oats
1 tsp almond butter
1 tbsp flax seed meal
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

1. Put oats, milk, flax, salt, cocoa powder, almond butter, and banana into pot and bring to a low boil.
2. When mixture comes to a low boil, turn down the heat to a simmer and stir occasionally until the oats have absorbed all of the almond milk.
3. Take the oats off the heat and stir in the cinnamon and vanilla extract.
4. Serve and top with anything you would like. I used walnuts, a pinch of shredded unsweetened coconut, some grain-sweetened chocolate chips, hulled hemp seeds, a tsp of almond butter, and a drizzle of agave nectar.

This was so delicious and will satisfy any sweet tooth!

Have a great weekend everyone!

Hannah

Thirsty Thursday: 3 Smoothie Recipes!

I tend to have a smoothie just about every day, so I thought I would start a smoothie archive. You can reach the page here. I will add recipes periodically for smoothie inspiration for you all. I hope you enjoy them :)

Happy first day of spring!

Chocolate Surprise Green Smoothie
1 banana
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup mixed berries
1-2 cups mixed greens
1 cup almond milk or water

Banana-Carrot Green Smoothie
1 banana
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
1 cup water
1-2 cups mixed greens
1/4 cup mango

Berry-Banana Smoothie
1 banana
1/4 cup berries
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
1 cup almond milk or water

Sweet Tooth Tuesday: Decadent Chocolate Coconut Truffles

I don't know about you, but I certainly have a sweet tooth. In my first 2 years of college I was known to buy a pint of Ben and Jerry's or a shake and eat the whole thing or share it with a friend. I definitely gained the Freshmen 15 and could not get enough of the cookies at my college, Fordham University. This sweet tooth was definitely in overdrive while I was studying abroad in Germany. There was a new bakery on just about every street corner and I spent a lot of time trying new pastries, gelato, and any other sweets I could get my hands on. I love trying out new recipes and watching shows such as Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel (a definite guilty pleasure).

Now that I have changed my lifestyle a bit, I search for healthier vegan alternatives for my favorite desserts that are still as satisfying as the real thing. These truffles definitely fit the bill.

Decadent Chocolate Coconut Truffles
Makes about 18 truffles
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup goji berries
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp water (as needed to make the mixture stick together)
To make the truffles look extra fancy, roll them in your choice of shredded coconut, unsweetened cocoa, and a chocolate glaze (1 tbsp coconut oil and 1 square of Trader Joe's 72% dark chocolate melted-Easiest glaze ever!)

                                     

1. Place the ingredients into a food processor and process until combined. If the mixture is too dry, add more water until the mix comes together.
2. With a small spoon, spoon the mixture into the palm of your hand and roll into a ball. If you want them to be larger, just add more of the mixture in your hand and make a bigger ball.
3. Roll into your choice of shredded coconut, cocoa, or the chocolate glaze. I made 6 of each kind, with one left for me to snack on at the end :)
3. Repeat this process until there is no more of the mixture left.
4. Keep in the refrigerator or freezer and enjoy!

I think that these are just about the easiest truffles ever, and they were so fun to make! My mom, step-dad, and I could not stop eating them on Sunday. My mom sent me a text yesterday saying that she was craving them! I think you will enjoy these as much as we did.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

Hannah

A Day of Green

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! I have never been a huge celebrator of St. Patrick's Day, but this year I felt inspired to make a menu for the day that included all things green. Usually at this time of year I would be having corned beef and cabbage made by my mom, but since I am vegan now the menu certainly had to change. I had so much fun in the kitchen last weekend coming up with these recipes.

This time last year I was studying abroad in Germany and we all decided to spend the day in Frankfurt drinking beer at the Irish pub by the train station. It was a blast and it was one of the first excursions we took outside of Marburg where we were studying. The pub had these huge towers of beer that we all shared. It was certainly a festive day!

This year I cannot really celebrate because I have school all day so I was inspired to make green recipes over the weekend to make up for my lack of cooking today. I decided to make a delicious green smoothie for breakfast, a raw artichoke and spinach hummus for lunch, and a green-inspired soup with plenty of delicious vegetables for dinner. I love experimenting in the kitchen and these recipes did not disappoint.

Here they are: Banana-Avocado Green Smoothie, Raw Artichoke and Spinach Dip Hummus, and Creamy 3-Veggie Soup. I hope you enjoy!

Banana-Avocado Green Smoothie

Serves 1

1 frozen banana

1 carrot

1 handful spinach

1/2 avocado

1 cup almond milk or water

Place ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. I topped this smoothie with goji berries, cinnamon, and a fresh sprig of mint. It was one of my favorite smoothies to date. Rich and so satisfying, it kept me full throughout the morning.

                                         

Raw Artichoke and Spinach Dip Hummus

Serves 1

1/2 cup chickpeas (I used canned)

4-5 olives

1 tsp olive oil

handful spinach

1/2 avocado

3 artichoke hearts, canned

water, as needed to make mixture smooth

pepper, to taste

salt, to taste

This hummus was easy and so healthy. Feel free to add any additional spices you'd like. What is great about this is that it is a great base for customizing it however you'd like. I enjoyed every bite of this with some green pepper and some Mary's Crackers. 

Creamy 3-Veggie Soup with Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower

This recipe was fairly spontaneous as I didn't really know exactly what I was going to make. I knew I wanted to make some sort of soup or sauce though. This recipe is great because you can eat it as a soup or spoon it over some veggies or pasta as a sauce (I peeled some zucchini to make some "linguini"). Oh so simple and versatile! My mom and step-dad gobbled it up!

Serves 2-3

1 zucchini 

1 head of cauliflower

3 cups broccoli (I used pre-chopped) 

1 cup almond milk

1-2 cups water

2 artichoke hearts

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1 tsp pepper

dash 21 seasoning salute or spice mix of your choice

1/2 tbsp fresh Adobo (a mixture of garlic, oregano, salt, and olive oil- a Puerto Rican staple! I will post the recipe soon :) ) If you don't have fresh Adobo, add about a tsp of chopped garlic into the pot, 1/2 tsp of salt, and a 1/2 tsp dried oregano. 

For the soup:

1. Place sunflower seeds in a bowl of water to soak for a minimum of 2 hours and set aside; you will use these later. 

2. Cut the cauliflower and zucchini into pieces. Save half of the cauliflower for roasting. 

2. Place broccoli, cauliflower, artichoke, and zucchini in a food processor until chopped finely.

3. Place mixture into a pot with the water and the almond milk. 

4. Add the spices and bring to a low boil.

5. When the mixture begins to boil, turn the flame down to a simmer and cook for about a half hour or until the veggies are tender and the flavors have combined (You may need to add more water while the veggies are cooking)

6. Drain and rinse the sunflower seeds and place into a high speed blender with about 1/4 cup of water (you can add more if the mixture is too thick). Stir this into your soup and then heat the mixture until it is heated through. The sunflower seeds add a creaminess and thickness to the soup.  

7. To make the soup extra creamy, I cooled it off a bit and placed it back into the blender to make it extra smooth. 

Notes: To add a cheesy flavor, add nutritional yeast to taste. I didn't have any, so I left it out. This soup can be enjoyed at any temperature. My mom and step-dad ate it at room temperature and loved it. 

For the Roasted Veggies:

1. Put the chopped cauliflower and the broccoli pieces into a large bowl.

2. Add in 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil, 1 tsp pepper, 1 tsp 21 seasoning salute, a pinch of thyme, oregano, and 1 tsp garlic powder.

3. Mix the ingredients until all of the veggies are coated with the oil and the spices.

4. Place in a 350F oven for 15 minutes, mix the veggies around, and roast for another 15 minutes until cooked thoroughly.

Serve the soup and top with a tsp of olive oil, some toasted sunflower seeds, and the roasted veggies for some extra veggie power!

Since this soup does not have a main protein, it can be used as an appetizer or you can top it with some roasted chickpeas to add some protein to make it a full meal.

This soup is so simple, nutritious, and creamy, and it is wonderful to know all the ingredients that are in it. I have noticed that it is hard to find soup in the grocery store that does not have sugar or some type of unnecessary ingredient in the list. Making recipes from scratch is the best way to know what is going into your food, without all the processing and added ingredients, which is definitely something to feel good about!

I hope you enjoy these St. Patrick's Day inspired recipes, good for any day of the year :)

Stay tuned tomorrow for a delicious chocolate truffle recipe. These are a can't miss!

Hannah