I obviously love a baked good, vegan or not. But when a bakery can whip up delicious treats without using butter or eggs, it's pretty impressive. I'd been wanting to try Sweets by Chloe for some time now, and finally stopped by during fashion week on a quick break between shows with a friend. The daily menu consists of several types of cookies, cakes, cupcakes, and breads, all of which are baked from scratch daily. Although the banana cream pie, carrot cake, and cinnamon espresso chocolate chip cookie all looked tempting, we decided on the peanut butter everything cookie and a slice of the matcha chocolate babka. The cookie was super peanut buttery with a nice texture from all the various mix-ins (oats, nuts, raisins), however it could've been baked just a bit less for my taste. The babka, however, was amazing! The subtle hint of matcha paired perfectly with the melted chocolate. I loved pulling it apart layer by layer to reveal more ooey gooey pockets! Doughy and delicious! I can't wait to go back and try the Chill by Chloe ice creams too. How good does coffee ice cream with homemade cinnamon rolls sound, or what about a push pop of salted caramel ice cream with homemade banana bread? Yum!!!
black rice & winter vegetable salad
I know the majority of recipes I post here are sweets, but I promise I do actually eat healthy things too! A lot of them, to be honest! While my husband is obviously the better chef in the family, I love to cook as well, just on a much simpler scale. My go-to savory dishes are easy and nutritious, and I typically prepare a lot of the components ahead of time, and make extra, so that I can just throw everything into a bowl and dig in! These bowls usually involve seasonal vegetables (roasted, shaved, etc.), whole grains of some sort (homemade bread or quinoa), a protein (likely chicken or legumes), and a good dressing (tahini or avocado-based). Various textural components, like nuts or sees, add a nice crunch as well. This one was being served as a side dish to meat and other dishes, so I kept this vegan and gluten free! There are a million ways to mix it up, so feel free to use whatever tastes good and is available to you!
Black Rice & Roasted Winter Vegetable Salad:
- 2 cups black rice, rinsed
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 sprigs thyme, separated
- 1/4 cup chives, chopped
- 2 sweet potatoes, cubed
- 3 cups Brussels Sprouts, rooted & halved
- 1 celery root, peeled & cubed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 blood orange, segmented
Dressing:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp Sriracha
- 1 tsp honey (or agave syrup)
- 1 tsp blood orange zest
- salt & pepper, to taste
Topping:
- 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
- 1 blood orange, segmented
- 2 tbsp chives, chopped
- 1/2 cup micro-greens
Preheat oven to 450 F. Cook rice according to package instructions, seasoning the cooking liquid with salt, pepper, bay leaves and 2 sprigs thyme, until just al dente. Remove bay leaves and thyme stems. Spread out on sheet tray to cool completely, topping with chives and seasoning with salt & pepper to taste.
Drizzle sweet potatoes, 2 cups of Brussels sprouts (reserving one cup), and celery root with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, cumin, paprika, until cooked through, about 20 minutes. Allow to cool. Shave remaining cup of Brussels sprouts on a mandolin, and add to the rice. Add bell pepper, pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, and the cooled roasted veggies to the rice mixture.
Whisk together all dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Add to rice mixture, and stir to combine. Top with extra pumpkin seeds, blood orange segments, chives, and micro-greens. Enjoy!
whip it good
Everyone knows I'm a sugar addict, and while I don't really restrict my sweet tooth (for the most part), I do love finding slightly healthier ways to indulge it from time to time. Let's be real, endless desserts full of processed sugar, flour, and butter do not make you feel great, and are not great for your waistline. I was super pumped to find this gem of a place while vacationing in Sydney, Australia. Whip It Good is a vegan ice cream bar in the heart of Bondi Beach, serving some seriously tasty coconut-based soft serve. Their ice cream and toppings are free of gluten, grains, lactose, and dairy, and most are kosher as well! I know some of you may be thinking- So, what does that leave? How could it still taste creamy and delicious? Trust me when I say both the standard Plain Jane coconut soft serve as well as the seasonally-rotating option are worth your time (and calories)! I fell in love with the turmeric soft serve- the deeply spiced and earthy flavor may not be for everyone, but it was definitely right up my alley. Both my husband and I went for the Banoffee Ya Face sundaes, complete with soft serve (I went turmeric base, while he went with the traditional coconut), toasted banana bread, and caramelized bananas. Oh. My. Gosh. It was literally heaven in a bowl, and I wish I could eat it again right now! Some of their other offerings were just as tempting- think chocolate donuts, caramel sauce, and toasted nuts! Yum! Here's hoping that Whip It Good opens a location stateside soon!
double zero
It's not hard to find good pizza in New York (hello Paulie Gee's and Roberta's!). But vegan pizza?! Now that's another story. My best friend is a registered dietician and vegan chef, so whenever she comes to town, we hit up all the vegan hotspots. Double Zero, a plant-based pizzeria from esteemed chef Matthew Kenney, was at the top of our list on her most recent trip, and after indulging in quite a few pies, I'm so glad that it was. The organic, veggie-heavy pies are unique in their seasonal flavor profiles, and are cooked to perfection in a traditional wood-burning oven. From their innovative take on a farro-fennel "sausage" pie, to a classic spicy marinara arrabbiata pizza with shiitake "bacon", to a white pie with roasted corn and baby kale, all the pies I tried could easily stand up to their more standard meat-and-cheese counterparts. As a non-vegan myself, one of my favorite things about Double Zero (other than the deliciously charred yet chewy crust!) was their delicious take on cheese. None of that gross, gummy, non-melty "cheese" you typically think of, but rather freshly made nut-based cheeses like smoked almond ricotta, cashew mozzarella, garlic or herb macadamia ricotta, and chili cashew cheese. They were all super flavorful, and lent a nice textural component to each pie.
Pizza is not the only thing on the menu, however, and I definitely recommend you try some of their fresh salads or pasta dishes, like the farro bolognese with beet-zucchini spaghetti and mint pesto! Desserts were obviously on the agenda as well, and both the tiramisu and bread pudding were creamy and decadent, as they should be. Feel free to scroll through the slideshows to see more of our delicious meal. Even my extremely omnivorous (read: meat lover) husband was satisfied with this meal, which I consider a great success. I look forward to going back to Double Zero again soon for more tasty, yet healthy plant-based cuisine.
gracias madre
On a recent trip to Los Angeles to visit family and friends, my husband and I got the opportunity to start checking places off my "LA eats" list. Gracias Madre had been on the list for a while, and although neither my husband nor I are vegan, we both thoroughly enjoyed the eats and the environment of this plant-based hot spot! We were joined by my best friend Rachel, and her husband John Luke, and the four of us sat outside in the restaurant's beautiful (and huge!) terrace. Gracias Madre serves cuisine inspired by the kitchens of Mexico, but uses locally sourced, organic ingredients, which makes for some seriously delicious dishes. Bold flavors and seasonally-conscious produce make this fresh take on Mexican food healthier than your average go-to spot, and I promise you won't miss the meat!
We made it in time for the happy hour menu, so we started with margaritas (duh!), nachos, a gordita, and a flauta. The margaritas here are clean, simple, and not super sweet, so thankfully they won't leave you with a headache in the morning. The nachos came with housemade tortilla chips, piled high with fresh toppings like guacamole, salsa verde, and cashew cheese. Our husbands shared the gordita and flauta, which looked tasty, but actually seemed a little small for $6 each. For our entrées, the boys shared a trio of veggie tacos, as well as the enchiladas verde, and from my small sampling, I can give them a definite thumbs up. Rachel and I chose salads, which were full of fresh, healthy ingredients, and I couldn't resist a side of butternut squash with molé. Yum! As you know I can never pass on dessert, so I peer-pressured the table into ordering two: the peanut butter cup and the fudge brownie (a la mode). Both were super rich and decadent, and the perfect ending to a great meal with even better friends. I can see why Gracias Madre attracts both vegans and meat-eaters, alike. The atmosphere alone is reason enough to visit- whether you hang inside at the lively bar, or go outside to lounge by the fire pit- but the high quality, delicious food ensures you'll be planning a return trip soon.
nix
I love that so many restaurants are making vegetables the stars of their menus these days. Instead of simply being a side dish or afterthought, vegetables are the main focus and really getting their time to shine. Nix is following suit with an innovative, seasonal, and vegetable-focused menu by Michelin starred chef John Fraser. Their belief that "eating vegetarian or vegan cuisine should feel more celebration than sacrifice" is truly evident in the unique and flavorful dishes presented. A true highlight of the meal was the acclaimed yukon potato fry bread, which came "highly decorated" with seasonal fixings and was truly satisfying. The cauliflower tempura with steamed buns and house pickles was a delicious vegetarian take on a Chinese classic, the shiitake "cacio e pepe" with heirloom polenta was hearty and comforting, and the freshly baked tandoor bread with Middle Eastern-style dips is not to be missed either. Chef Fraser draws on inspiration from cuisines all around the world, and in doing so creates a highly creative and memorable vegetarian menu that will leave you planning a return trip very soon.