From Scratch Hot Sauce

Getting used to having a "real job" is weird. I've been so used to being able to pull either 12 hour days working on websites, this blog and taking courses, or just vedging out that getting used to have to be doing a certain task 5 days a week that isn't working towards total independence is just odd.

BUT I havent wavered on my true passion, I've found that even after an 8 hour day of training on the phone and on the computer, I still look forward to making dinner. It's one of the bestparts of my day (although the dishes are a whole other story!) 

Making things like hot sauce and salsa from scratch is something that I picked up in Costa Rica, mostly because the ones available there we're both very expensive AND full of nasties. I've found that although I have a serious Sriracha food fetish, making my own hot sauce is just too awesome to stop doing.

I made two versions so far, one with jalapeños and one with habanero peppers, but in this recipe you can use whatever hot pepper you want or have access to. Don't be shy to whip out those scotch bonnets if you love heat!

I've found that hot sauce is one of those things that people LOVE and put on everything (me!) or something that is occasional or avoided at all costs. I made 2 liters of this stuff one week and it lasted about 2 weeks. I think we may have an addiction...

Use the freshest produce available to get the best results. You can also change up the vinegars you use. I only had access to regular white vinegar, but to make this even healthier you could use apple cider vinegar instead.

Basic Hot Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1 lb hot peppers of choice

- 1 large roasted tomato

- 3 large roasted red peppers

- 1 cup vinegar

- 1 tsp salt

To mellow the sauce a little, or create a more smokey flavor, you can roast the peppers. I roasted them for both the recipes pictured (jalapeño and habanero). Stem and seed them, unless you want an extra hot sauce in which case keep the seeds.

In a blender, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Can be used right away but it gets even better overnight.

Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

As our adventure time here in Costa Rica is fast coming to a close (only 5 weeks left!), I'm attempting to take advantage of this place to the best of my ability. Waterfalls, beaches and fruit will be through-fully experienced and enjoyed.

Another thing that I am going to miss is freshly made tortillas, that are pre-made for you. Although I've learned to make them from scratch, they are a tad time consuming to make.

This dish is definitely rated in my top ten favorites on the blog so far. The layers of flavor of this Mexican inspired lasagna make me smile in delight when I take a bite. The spicyness level depends on a few things: how hot your jalapenos are and how many you use. As you can see, I went a little overboard...

Mexican lasagna is like a taco casserole, or a layered soft taco. You can change up the fillings layers to anything you want. As you know I do like keeping it pretty simple most of the time. Although I did whip up the sauce portion from scratch, it doesn't take much time to assemble and bake.

I really recommend going with the corn tortillas here though, they lend a flaky-ness that won't be present if you use anything else. That being said, it would still be delicious with a brown rice tortilla or anything you can find at your local grocer.

If you do decide to make a variation of this, please share it with me. You can link below in the comments, share with our Facebook page or our twitter account. I'll be starting on Instagram soon as well, just have to remember to take pics with the Ipad too...

Mexican Lasagna

Ingredients:

- 10 corn tortillas

- 1 cup "refried" beans

- 3 tomatoes, diced

- 1 medium onion, sliced

- 1 red pepper, sliced

- 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup jalapeno slices

- Oregano

- Red Pepper flakes

- S/P

- 1 avocado

- Hot sauce

Pre-heat oven to 350F.

In a large pan, water sauté the onions on medium/high heat until translucent, about 3 minutes. Mince 1/4 cup of the jalapeños. Add in the tomatoes, red pepper, minced jalapeño and spices.

In a casserole dish or oven safe plate, add a little sauce in the bottom then layer a tortilla, some beans and sauce and keep layering until none is left. 

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Top with jalapeños, avocado and hot sauce as desired.

Enjoy!

Meatless Monday: Tortilla Pizza from Scratch

I have been lazy these past few days.

I'm making excuses to not do much work and read my days away (or watch season 5 of Grey's Anatomy) because it's my "birthday week" and all. But then again, I'm making massive amounts of banana ice cream that could count as testing for my next ebook...

On the other hand, I really don't think having a few days "off" is a bad idea at all. We all have this mentality drilled into us that always being busy is good and means we're being productive. Down time is a necessity and I have been working 6-7 days a week lately. Off days usually involve going to the market and the odd beach day. I'm definitely planning on taking more days to enjoy this amazing country.

What do you do to unwind?

I like to sleep in (which now means anytime past 7) and take my sweeeet time getting out of bed. An easy breakfast before a short yoga session, then either reading a book, taking a walk or lazing around watching a movie. The day just continues this way. I make easy simple meals, or if I feel like it's an "indulge" day, I'll make 3 recipes in a day. Sometimes my lazy days mean eating days. In comes the tortilla pizza.

This is one recipe that would fit in nicely between either of my favorite lazy days. It isn't too complex and doesn't take very long, but it tastes indulgent and makes for a great movie meal. I can easily eat 5-6 of them... Pizza doesn't have to be junk food! Make it in a  tortilla and it becomes an easy meal to whip up any day of the week.

I made this one south-american themed, but you can easily make it more traditional with your toppings of choice.

Tortilla Pizza

Fixings:

-       Crust:

o   1 cup masa harina

o   ½ cup water

-       Toppings:

o   Steamed kale

o   Roasted red peppers

o   Fresh tomatoes

o   Refried Beans

Mix the crust ingredients together until a firm dough is formed. Separate the ball into two roughly even ones and roll them out with the method detailed here, but thicker and with a tiny crust if desired. Also, leave it on until crisp instead of still soft, you want that crunch for your pizza.

You can also use store bought tortillas to make this extra fast and convenient.

Add on your toppings of choice, I used refried beans topped with sautéed kale and red peppers plus fresh tomatoes and a sprinkle of nooch.

Put the assembled deliciousness back into the pan or into the over to crisp up and heat the toppings up.

*** SIDENOTE***

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Meatless Monday's: Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

I think that the food group people worry about missing the most when going plant-based is dairy. Which isn't surprising because not only is it actually addictive, the taste and texture is seen as hard to mimic.

Nowadays, this couldn't be further from the truth.

With the development of nut cheeses as well as the soy and tapioca based ones, there is a wide array to choose from on that end. They are great transition foods, and a treat now and again.

There are some things that can make creamy delicious dishes without any of them AND be low-fat. The magic is in the potatoes! (or cauliflower, but that's for another post)

I also used a little homemade coconut milk to make it even more decadent, but it isn't essential if you want to keep this meal fat-free.

You can choose to top this with any vegetables, but I found that roasted broccoli was the perfect compliment. Any wilted greens would also work very well.

Creamy Chipotle Potato Soup

-       10-12 medium potatoes (I used a mix of red and yellow)

-       2-3 cup of water or veggie broth

-       1 onion, diced.

-       ¾ cup nutritional yeast

-       1 tbsp chipotle flakes (or more depending on how spicy you like it)

-       1 cup coconut milk (I used homemade)

-       S/P

Toppings:

-       1 head broccoli, cut into florets

-       1 onion, sliced

Pre-heat the oven to 400F.

On a cookie sheet, spread out the toppings and roast for 20-25 minutes, until cooked through.

In a large pot, boil the potatoes until tender. I always slice them into smaller pieces to speed up the process. Whole potatoes take an eternity.

Drain the cooking water and in batches, blend the potatoes with the rest of the ingredients, making sure to use enough liquid for each batch to get super smooth and creamy. Put it all back in the same pot, or soup container thing (see pictures, I can’t think of the proper name…). Either top the serving bowl with the broccoli mix, or each individual bowl.

Serve hot, with a simple salad.

Enjoy!!

ALSO: as I have mentioned I have some plans to grow the blog. I would LOVE your input and have put together a short 2 minute survey. I would be eternally grateful if you could fill it out.
Here's the link. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/YJ6PH75

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Top Ten Foods To use on Your Body

I love food.

Which is pretty obvious I know.

But I don't only love eating food, I also love slathering it on various parts of my body to make them smooth, soft, heal and smell nice. There are so many benefits to doing this.

You have most of these items in your kitchen, so it's very accessible. It's also much much more affordable than those thousand dollar high-end products that are so full of chemicals and are mostly plant-derived anyways. So hey, just make 'em fresh in your kitchen instead and get amaazing results!

1. Coconut Oil:

Pretty much everyone has heard of the trendy coconut oil. It has amazing properties that help dry or irritated skin regain vitality and gets rid of itchiness. I love using it on my hair daily, on sunburns or rashes.

2. Fresh Aloe

This one is truly a lifesaver. When I get a bit too much sun, this in combination with coconut oil relieves the pain and tenderness overnight. It's also a great thing to add to your daily regiment for both face and body, leaving skin super soft.

3. Bananas

Bananas are an amazing hair mask, just mash one up very well, or give it a good whirl in the blender, and spread it out in your hair evenly. Leave it in for 10 minutes and rinse well. It cleanses and refreshes your hair while adding shine and softness.

4. Avocado

This powerhouse is great in a multitude of ways. Spread it through your hair for one of the deepest treatments, or as a facial mask.

5. Papaya

This fruit is great to tighten up skin, just mash it up and leave it on until dry. Rinse off with cold water and feel your skin getting tighter and vibrant.

6. Lemons

A great addition to the previous three treatments, lemons are also a great astringent used to clean your face of impurities. Start using it diluted with water first, using it pure can cause reactions to sensitive skins.

7. Oats

Combining oats with lemon, coconut oil or avocado and sugar gives you a great exfolliant that is gentle enough for both face and body. Use it once a week to gently but effectively cleanse your pores.

8. Mango

One of my favorite fruits, mango is a great toner and rejuvenator. Alternate it's use with papaya and have forever young looking skin.

9. Strawberries

The high levels of antioxidants in berries or any dark red fruits help protect your skin from the daily damage it is subjected to.


10. Watermelon

While eating the fruit is amazingly hydrating, if you need an extra boost in moisture, rub some on your face as you feast. It will help lock in moisture and keep your face fresh and flake free.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Baking and I haven't been the closest of friends in the past year or so. We used to be bffs, I'd make cupcakes for nay reason. Happy event? Chai cupcakes. Sad event? Cookie crumble cupcakes. Small informal gathering? Cupcakes. You get the drift.

I even once made treats for people while I was on a juice fast.

The fun thing is, these treats really open up people's eyes to vegan or gluten free food not tasting like cardboard. They bring the possibility that hey, this might be doable! Thats really what I thrive to do with food, is open people's eyes to the vast array of amazing delicious food, that is both good for you and everything else.

That being said, I also now thrive to eat a very clean, whole foods and high raw diet with little processed anything. Flour isn't something that I use very often. I even buy the made-from-grain pastas and occasionally breads. So baking anything becomes a tad bit complicated.

But, there is always a way! Black bean brownies are number one on my list now for several reasons: they are entirely whole foods based, I can make them low fat, there's no flour and I can use any sweetener I want.

These also come out the way I like em, soft, gooey,fudge like and decadent.

Fudgy Black Bean Brownies

Ingredients:

-  1 can black bean, or equivalent (about 1 1/2 cups)

- 3/4 cup cacao or carob

- 1/2 cup apple sauce

- 1 cup coconut sugar or sweetener of choice

- 1 tsp vanilla

- pinch salt

- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Pre-heat oven to 350F

Put all ingredients into a blender, and blenddd until smooth.

Line a 8x8 baking pan with parchment paper and pour it in. 

Bake for 40 mins, or until the edges start coming away from the sides of the parchment paper.

The middle will still be very fudgy, kinda like half baked brownies, which is what I always used to do when I made them regardless of with what mixture. 

 Top with your fave toppings, I used coconut.

Enjoy!!

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Vegan MoFo 2013: Web Wednesday's: Spicy Peanut Sauce

Words for today's Web Wednesday's were peanut butter and broccoli. Mainly because the broccoli was needing to be used and I had a random craving for peanut butter, although I never usually buy the stuff I found an awesome new one at Veg Fest that I felt the need to test out. I might talk a bit more about when I've used it more.

Now broccolli and peanutd together automatically got me thinking something spicy and asian. So of course the simplest recipe came to mind, spicy peanut sauce served over broccoli and rice noodles. Off to the kitchen I went and with a few simple steps and less than 30 minutes, diner was served!

Quick and easy meals are somewhat of an essential in the society that we live in and making sure that they are healthy, plant based and whole really isn't complicated. Following KISS(keep is simple sweetheart) is a core foundation of how I eat and cook on a daily basis. I do love making a complex meal, but realistically it;s something thats done once in a while. I want good tasting nutritious awesome food without to much effort and within budget. Most of the recipes I post are exactly that!

Onto the sauce...

Spicy Peanut Sauce

Ingredients:

- 1 cup peanut butter.
- 1-2 cups water
- 1/3 cup tamari
- 1-3 tbsp hot sauce
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1tbsp minced ginger

In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together. You want the consistency to be much more liquid han you want the final product to be, I used about 2 cups of water total.  Transfer to a pot or pan and heat on medium until thickened and ginger is fragrant, about 5-6 minutes.

Serve over steamed veggies and rice noodles or rice.

Enjoy!

Vegan MoFo 2013: TV Tueday's: Dexter's Kill Room Lettuce Wraps

Although TV and I have a on again, off again relationship (Let's just say I prefer the version without all the commercials), Dexter is definitely one of those shows that caught my eye. It's soon over though! Which is probably a good thing for me, since I have no clue and have no desire to know what's new out there, it means less time spent in front of a screen!

One of the most iconic foods, after doughnuts and breakfast, on the show is Cuban food. The culture is clearly present and they are often seen munching on sandwiches from the food truck. I decided to put a whole food raw twist on those and came up with a pretty darn good lettuce wrap (which totally appeals to my geek side and ties into the whole plastic wrap kill room deal)

Now that I think of it, a drizzle of hot sauce would have brought these to the next level visually...

There are also a few things I would do differently, like adding avocado slices and more mushroom, perhaps some cilantro if that floats your boat.

I actually never enjoyed raw mushrooms until I learned how to marinate them properly. With this technique, they transform and have a cooked texture and tons of flavor.

Somebody just couldn't wait until I was done taking pictures. 

Dexter's Kill Room Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients:

Mushrooms:

- 3-4 portobella mushroom caps, sliced thickly.

- 1/3 cup orange juice

- 1 lime, juiced

- 1/4 cup tamari

- Cumin, oregano, cayenne, pepper.

Marinate mushrooms for at least 1 hour, preferably 4-6 hours or overnight.

Wraps:

- Romaine lettuce leaves

- Shredded carrot

- Thinly sliced celery

- Diced tomatoes

- Chopped cilantro

- Sliced avocado

- Mushroom slices

Assemble lettuce wraps and devour!