Barley Salad with Kalamata Olives and Tomatoes

I found this recipe in the Real Food Daily cookbook by Ann Gentry. I highly recommend the book - it is packed full of amazing, inspiring cooking ideas...

This was my first experience working with barley, which is a great source of fiber and protein and is super simple to prepare. This salad is full of so many fresh, delicious ingredients. It is good warm, room temperature, or cold, and you can literally feel yourself getting healthier as you eat it.

Spicy BBQ Seitan

Hello! Prepare to have your mind blown. I apologize for my cockiness, but seriously... Fellow culinary adventurers - have you ever made something that is so very good that you actually holler out loud with every bite? Okay, okay, enough gloating. I'm just sayin' - this is one of those dishes. What's more is that it is easily one of the simplest dishes I have ever prepared.

Salad with Homemade Vinaigrette & Field Roast

Wow, it's been almost a month since I've posted. I've been doing some traveling for work and pleasure and staying extremely busy! Wanted to share a recipe for an amazing, quick homemade vinaigrette salad dressing that I make on the reg, and also review one of my favorite new faux-meat products - Field Roast!

The inner carnivore in me is always looking for hearty, delicious things to chew on that satisfy my protein cravings and make me wonder, with all the amazing products out there, why I took so long to stop eating meat! Many vegetarians don't take well to the fake meat replacements, and I guess its fair to say that some of the products out there tend to be rubbery and un-appetizing.

Tofu & Broccoli with Israeli Couscous

 
Upon learning that I am a vegetarian, people generally ask me something along the lines of, "Well, if you don't eat meat - then what do you eat?" They scratch their heads with a perplexed look on their face and reveal an ever so commonly held misconception, which goes something like, "I need meat to survive and stay healthy and active." Come to think of it, back in my days as a ravenous carnivore I wondered the very same thing. One of the main reasons I started this blog was to answer that question, and shed a little light on what this vegetarian/vegan prepares on the reg to stay nutritiously hooked up and flavorfully well-fed.

This dish is most definitely a staple of my diet. It is so unbelievably tasty and easy to prepare, as well as being crazy healthy and energizing. I make it again and again and never grow tired of the exciting burst of flavor and the happy tummy it gives me. It is a great one to share with meat eaters, simply because it's friggin' delicious...

Gallie's Shells and "Cheese"

Macaroni and cheese. There's just something about it... I've always loved it. Although it is far from being a gourmet culinary masterpiece, it is one of those things that I have always gotten cravings for from time to time. I believe that lands it in the 'comfort food' category. As I got older and started getting more creative in the kitchen, I began experimenting with variations on the theme. I found that I absolutely love jalapeños in mac n' cheese. Broccoli is also a definite winner.

Belgian City does "Meatless Thursday"

What a rad idea! An entire city sponsoring a meatless day every week to minimize the environmental and health-concerned impact of meat consumption.

Click here to read a post about it by awesome fellow blogger Powered By Produce.

I was recently in Ghent, it is a charming city. Cheers to them, I hope it catches on!

Vegan Huevos con Chorizo

I am finally all settled back at home in Los Angeles after some post-tour leisure travel. I swear - the thing about home that I miss most while on the road is my kitchen! I haven't posted in a while, but I'm back to getting creative in the kitchen and eager to share what's cookin'...