'Treat-Myself' French Toast from Bliss Cafe~Watermelon Frosty/Watermelon Basil Smoothie

When you're feeling down, what do you do? There was a particular day earlier, in the summer, when I was feeling sad. So I did what I could to take care of myself. I talked with close friends who were there for me, and I treated myself to foods I liked. That meant I allowed myself to indulge a bit in the sweet stuff!

I walked over to Bliss Cafe on Bedford Ave. for their Vegan French Toast. Now, Bliss is, as friends of mine have called it, a bit old school with their vegan fare- but I can rely on them for healthy eats, and the place is cozy. And their french toast is awesome.

Bliss generally serves whole wheat bread, but if you ask, they can alternatively give you spelt bread. That's what I went for. They also give you the option of having some maple whip with your toast. Since I was in the mood for some decadence, when they asked if I wanted some I replied, "Yes, please!"

Their maple syrup and maple whip

 

 

Back at home, I made myself a watermelon frosty and enjoyed it on my fire escape.

 

I followed this video's recipe, posted on one of my favorite blogs: Watermelon Frosty Video

 

 

The ingredients are very simple. Just some banana, lemon/lime, frozen watermelon, and maple syrup. Watermelon is currently still in the farmer's markets, so grab them while you can! And enjoy them on a lingering warm day while we transition into fall. My friend Bud and I actually made

our own version of this recipe recently, a Watermelon Basil Smoothie-with basil from his garden, and it came out fantastic!! I highly recommend making one of these for yourself. It's a real treat.

 

Here are the ingredients we used:

 

Watermelon

Handful of Basil

Banana

Lemon Juice

Ice

 

No agave/maple syrup/sugar necessary. A bit of banana (not too much) adds a nice sweetness, and it's all you need. I hope you will try the smoothie. I guarantee you wouldn't regret it!

 

xoxo,

Ellie

 

 

Green Smoothie Recipe: Banana, Lemon and Swiss Chard

I've made two food discoveries recently.

One of them, thanks to my roomie Lauren, is the glory of swiss chard.

The other may sound strange (it did to me at first), but it turns out bananas and lemons in a smoothie are a sweet, refreshing combo!

What I like about the following smoothie recipe I'm about to share is that it satiates a sweet tooth like mine by combining sweet fruit with swiss chard, which also happens have a sweet quality when eaten raw that I really enjoy.

So here it is. Have it for breakfast or a sweet snack. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do! :

Banana, Lemon and Swiss Chard Smoothie:
Take...
2 bananas
1/2 cup "milk" of your choice (hemp, almond, rice, oat, etc.)
1 heaping cup swiss chard leaves and stems
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1/2 heaping teaspoon vanilla extract ( I use Simply Organic brand)
optional: flax oil and/or oats (to make a heavier meal to sustain you in the morning)
..and blend!

A Day in This Vegan Life...

Hey all! Today's post is about a random day in my life, as a vegan living in New York.

So let's start, and what better place to begin than breakfast?

A Quick Tartine for a Quick Breakfast:
On Wednesday I woke up late, feeling tired from recent excesses of drinking and socializing. So I made this tartine (aka open-faced sandwich) in a snap:

I spread some organic red pepper hummus from Yorgo's Foods on Ezekiel toast, then took two raw cauliflower florets and tore them with my hands into crumbly pieces, then tore some spinach leaves and sprinkled them on top with a squeeze of lemon and some cracked black pepper. An easy breakfast with no chopping!

I then headed off to work...Nothing remarkable to mention here (in terms of veganism), though I will have to post sometime about what I do for my midtown, midday lunches..

After work, I went to the Lower East Side to go to my show at Cakeshop with my band, Koshka. I hadn't eaten dinner yet and I was starving. Nearby Cakeshop is a spot called Tiengarden that I'd been meaning to try. So, I figured it was the perfect opportunity to go!

Dinner at Tiengarden:

I ordered the Stirfry Noodle dish, made with broccoli, carrot, cabbage, button mushrooms and veggie ham...

Now, this is not a health dish (though Tiengarden did have healthier choices on the menu), but if you want a flavorful Asian noodle fix, you can find it here. I washed it down with some oolong tea, Chinese style!

I also ordered their freshly made lemon coconut cupcake for dessert. They make their own desserts, and among the choices that night were mango tapioca pudding (with the tapoica just made, still warm), chocolate cake, cookies, and a banana walnut cupcake.

I would definitely come back. The service was very nice and they have root beer and ginger ale floats made with soy ice cream that I'd like to try next time!

After din, I dashed off to Cakeshop for the show..

I saw this sign just outside the door..Drinks, music, and vegan cake?! This is my kind of place!

Here is their cake display, right near the entrance. They also offer tea and other beverages to go with your treats.

The show was really great, and it was so good to see my friends! After the show I hung out a bit with Michelle and my cousin Sam, who enjoyed some cake with his friends. I managed to have a bite of what little was left by the time I sat down with him, and it was delish!

Me and Michelle after the show..

Me and my cousin Sam.

So that's all for now! I will be posting again soon about some other spots I've been to in the last few weeks, and about Veggie Prom, which is happening tonight!
xo,
Ellie

Savory Oatmeal with Shallots and Leeks

Hola! It's been a lil while since my last post (almost two weeks)! But I come now to the page bearing a breakfast recipe for ya'll.  

The other day my roomie Lauren and I were talking about veggies, and how underappreciated leeks are. She shared with me this recipe idea for oatmeal with leeks. I usually enjoy oatmeal with maple syrup, dried or fresh fruit/nuts, and some soy milk poured on top. It's so delish and like a sweet, nourishing sundae!-but being health-conscious, I'm careful not to overdo the sweet. Sooo.. this is a nice savory alternative.

Savory Oatmeal with Shallots and Leeks

Ingredients:

About 1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 shallot, chopped
1 leek (white part only), sliced into thin half moons
3/4 cup organic vegetable stock and 1/4 water
1 cup rolled oats
Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
optional:1/4 teaspoon thyme (recommended!)
optional: sunflower seeds, sprinkled on top


Instructions:

• Heat the oil in a saucepan in medium/low heat
• Add the shallots and leeks
• Stir frequently, add salt and pepper, allow to cook for about 3 mins
• Add the stock and water, raise heat and bring to a simmer
• Add the rolled oats, allow to simmer, then slightly lower heat
• Cook for about 3 min ( or longer, depending on how soft or firm you prefer your oatmeal), adding a little water to keep a moist consistency
• Add salt and pepper to taste, if desired
• Remove from heat and optionally serve with thyme and/or sunflower seeds
• Enjoy!

xo,
Ellie

Vegan Breakfast~Bananas and Tahini

So...what the heck do vegans eat for breakfast? To some, the answer to this question may be obvious. But to many people I've encountered, the answer is not obvious at all! I've had some people ask me: "So you don't eat cereal/pancakes/bread?" And to that I've answered, "Actually, yes I do!"
If you're in the dark about vegan breakfast, let me fill you in!

Vegan breakfast includes and is not limited to: pancakes, french toast, granola/cereal w non-dairy milk, tofu scramble, muffins, soy/almond milk yogurt, oatmeal, grain porridge, shakes and smoothies (including green smoothies).... the list goes on!
You could also have Tofutti cream cheese, Earth Balance butter, a fruit spread or a nut butter on toast, an english muffin, or a bagel. If you wanna go even healthier, you could mash up a banana or avocado.

Three super easy ways to have a satisfying breakfast involve a flavor combo I really enjoy: bananas and tahini. May sound strange, but I think it really works!



1:A simple way to have this combo is by putting tahini and sliced bananas on an english muffin or toast, and sprinkling some cinnamon on top.

2:Another variation of this combo is a Banana Tahini Almond Smoothie:
Take....
2 frozen bananas
2 heaping spoonfuls of tahini
A handful of almonds (non-toasted)
A generous sprinkling of cinnamon
Water
..and blend. sorry, i'll get better about measurements!

3.Lastly, there is a Banana Tortilla Wrap.
I like to use Ezekiel tortillas for this recipe, made from sprouted whole grains:

-Lightly toast the tortilla in a toaster oven or on a frying pan (if you over-toast the Ezekiel tortilla, it will get stiff and it'll be hard to fold).
-Spread a generous amount of tahini on the tortilla.
-Throw in banana slices from 1 banana.
-With a spoon, put a light drizzle of brown rice syrup on top (a little sweetness here will go a long way!).
-Sprinkle cinnamon (as you can tell, I looove cinnamon with breakfast!).
-Wrap it up!
-Enjoy with a knife and fork.

                                                                   Yummmmmmmmmm.


Hope ya'll enjoy! And with that, I leave you with pics from a brunch potluck party I hosted last month for my awesomely fun friends. The food, by the way, was delicious!!:

Have a great weekend, everyone! Till next time.
xo,
Ellie