NYC Adventure - Part 1

This post will begin a series of travel posts.  I will be on the road for 6 of the next 7 weeks, with just one week at home to pack and move out of my apartment (more on that later).  I always try to make the most of my travel opportunities and I plan to share my favorite sights, activities, and eats here.

So NYC... Unlike so many people, I have never longed to live in the Big Apple.  Sure, I love Broadway shows and fashion and Sex and the City, but NYC always seemed too big, too loud, and too money driven.  This trip totally changed my thoughts on the city... I absolutely LOVED it!  Here is why...

I took the train up to NYC on Wednesday morning.  I had to be at the office shortly after arriving, but I found time to grab a fruit and spirulina smoothie from a cart across from my hotel.  Score 1 for for NYC:  Fruits, smoothies, and juices are easy to find and can be cheap! While the afternoon was spent working, I was able to meet up with my friend Kelly for dinner and a run in Central Park.  Central Park is incredible, especially for runners.  There were tons of people walking and running, even on such a hot evening.  Score for NYC:  Green space (i.e. space to RUN).

I had work stuff all day Thursday, but made an early morning stop at Organic Avenue, an NYC organic juice bar chain, to get some breakfast and stock up on snacks.  I got the Jalepiña juice, made with spinach, celery, cucumber, parsley, romaine, jalapeño, pineapple, and cilantro.  This green juice packed a punch and was great for some early morning energy.  Organic Avenue also sells raw food and snacks.  I grabbed a coconut yogurt and cinnamon raisin granola for my breakfast, both of which were really good.  As everything I got was so delicious, not to mention so healthy, I knew I would be back again. Score for NYC:  Organic Avenue. Period.

Coconut yogurt

After work on Thursday I hit up a yoga class at a studio recommended by two friends - Yoga to the People.  YTTP is donation based, which makes it an affordable way to practice while traveling (for comparison, other studios I looked at in NYC had drop in rates of $30 per class - crazy!).  The class was great and it was awesome to see that the studio was thriving.  Score for NYC:  Affordable yoga!

After yoga I stopped by One Lucky Duck - the takeaway raw food shop operated by the folks who own Pure Food and Wine (a super upscale raw food restaurant in NYC).  One Lucky Duck and Pure are known for their amazing desserts, so I splurged and got a 'Mallomar' along with a salad. First, the salad - greens, kale, and herbs topped with hemp seeds and pumpkin seed macadamia "parmesan" and a lemon pumpkin seed dressing.  This salad was everything I could want in a salad - it was huge, fresh, and delicious, filled with nutrient dense ingredients.  The salad could have easily been enough for two meals, but seeing as I was pretty hungry from the yoga class I devoured the whole thing.  The Mallomar was also delicious:  a crunchy, chocolate dipped cookie topped with a cloud of sweet cream.  Again, I knew I would be back to One Lucky Duck to taste more of their amazing raw goodies. Score for NYC:  Yummy and healthy raw food!

Mallomar from One Lucky Duck

Friday started super early, with a 7AM running tour of downtown NYC!  I had read about running tours, but this was my first time trying one, and it was a blast.  By running instead of walking you can cover a lot more territory in a shorter time period, and get a work out in!  Our guide, Karl, was super knowledgeable and friendly and carried water for us.  I would definitely recommend this type of tour to any traveling fitness enthusiasts.

Our guide pointing out some sights

Tall buildings!

Park with a view of the city hall

View of Freedom Tower from Tribeca

Me with the Charging Bull post run!

I then headed back to my hotel, stopping at Organic Avenue along the way to pick up some breakfast.  A mini Cafe Latte to counteract the early morning wake up, a Matcha Chai Glow smoothie, and a SHOT.  What?  A shot for breakfast?  Organic Avenue has all these different "booster shots" you can take - wheatgrass, chlorophyll, lemon, ginger, and other interesting blends, each with a specific health benefit.  I felt like I was coming down with a cold, so they recommended the 'Oregano Candida Cleanse' - garlic, oil of oregano, lemon, and alkaline water.  I was a little hesitant but was reassured that it tasted like pizza.  Sure enough, it did taste like pizza!  If you were to blend pizza up into a liquid... regardless, my head and throat felt much clearer the rest of the day, so I think that the shot helped.

After showering and wrapping up some work things, I packed up and checked out of my hotel.  I had plans to meet my friend Emily for lunch, but had a little time to explore until then.  I walked around the Union Square and Gramercy areas taking in the Friday morning sights, and stumbled upon a fairly large farmer's market.  Before too long, I headed to Murray Hill where I had my lunch date.  This area is affectionately known as 'Curry Hill' due to the large number of Indian restaurants.  That being said, Emily and I dined on some delicious (and cheap) Indian food at Chote Nawab. The lunch special at this place was incredible - for under $20, we each got a dish (palak paneer for Emily, okra for me), plus lentils, rice, and naan.  Also, when the waiter realized that I don't eat dairy (the lentils contain butter), he brought us out another lentil dish at no extra cost.  Score for NYC: Great ethnic food.  We hardly made a dent in all of it!  Besides the good food, it was awesome to catch up with another friend.  She had to get back to work, but we made plans to meet up again later in the weekend.

Stay tuned for Part 2 featuring a great art exhibit, more green juice, phenomenal vegan sushi, and a flea market adventure...

Vegan Coconut Avocado Ice Cream

Big new guys... I recently purchased an ICE CREAM maker.  Summer has made me crave cool sweet treats (more than normal) and I have grown tired of paying $5+ per pint for vegan ice cream (which may or may not contain all sorts of strange ingredients).  So after returning from my June travels, I broke down and purchased this, and have been experimenting with ice cream making ever since.

After much contemplation, I decided on the first flavor I would test out in my new appliance - Coconut Avocado.  While this may sound like a strange combination for ice cream, it was absolutely to die for.  Sweet and refreshing, I will definitely be making this flavor again.

  
















Coconut Avocado Ice Cream - Vegan and Gluten Free
Adapted from this recipe

2 Haas avocadoes
1 (14-ounce) can + 1/2 cup light coconut milk *
1/2 cup agave**
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon lime zest
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted

Cut each avocado in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and scoop out the flesh into a blender or food processor. Add the coconut milk and agave and blend on low until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and zest.

Transfer the mixture to an ice cream machine, and churn according to the manufacturer’s directions. Cover and freeze for at least 2 hours before serving, so the ice cream can become more firm.  Top ice cream with toasted coconut.

*I used light coconut milk and was happy with the results.  Feel free to use full fat coconut milk for a richer taste. 
**Next time I will reduce the amount of agave as the ice cream was a bit sweet for my taste.  Play around with the amount and type of sweetener to find a mix that suits you.

Don't have an ice cream maker?  Fear not!  I used this technique for years:  Pour your mixture into ice cube trays and freeze.  Once frozen, throw into your food processor or Vitamix and blend until soft serve consistency is achieved (you may have to add a little liquid to help the process). 

Superfood Energy Bites

While traveling in Thailand, I discovered a few different places selling raw energy balls with spirulina, which were absolutely delicious.  I have made my own energy bars with spirulina in the past, but was never happy with the taste.  Upon tasting versions that I loved during my travels, I knew I had to try making my own again.  Back in my kitchen and reunited with my food processor, I set out to replicate these tasty treats and the following deliciousness was born:

Super Food Energy Bites - Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free, Raw
Inspired by This Rawsome Vegan Life

1/2 cup raw nuts (I used half walnuts and half cashews)
3/4 cup raw seeds (I used equal parts chia, hemp, and sesame seeds)
3/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

2/3 cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup raisins
1 heaping cup dates
2-3 T spirulina
1 t turmeric
1/4 cup cacao nibs or chopped dark chocolate
Dash sea salt
1-3 T melted coconut oil
Additional sesame seeds for coating (optional)


Throw all ingredients except coconut oil in your food processor and process until well ground and combined.  Add coconut oil, as needed, until mixture begins to stick together.  Form into bite sized balls and roll in sesame seeds (if desired). Store in the fridge for up to one week, or freeze to keep longer. 

These don't taste exactly like my favorite ones from Thailand, but boy are they delicious - sweet gooey bites of chocolatey goodness.  I gave some to my mom who is not always a fan of my healthy desserts and she agreed that they taste like candy, and she could not believe that they were healthy. Chock full of super foods and healthy fats, a few of these bites make the perfect snack that will satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full for hours.

For nutrition nerds like me, here's some fun facts on a few of the superfoods that make these bites so healthy:


- Chia seeds: An excellent source of fiber (which helps you feel full longer). Full of protein, packed with antioxidants, loaded with vitamins and minerals, and are the richest known plant source of omega-3 fatty acids.
- Raw cacao: Raw cacao is the number one source of magnesium of any food on the planet, contains 314% of the US RDA of iron per serving, and contains the highest concentration of antioxidants of any food in the world.
- Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a raw saturated fat containing mostly medium-chain fatty acids that the body can metabolize efficiently and convert to energy quickly, which helps ease digestion and the absorption of vitamins. Coconut oil is also considered to be anti-microbial, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial.
-Spirulina: Spirulina consists of 65-71% protein, the highest concentration of protein found in any food. Each gram of spirulina protein is four times more absorbable than the same gram of protein in beef.  It is considered a complete protein source - contains all eight essential amino acids, and eighteen amino acids in total, as well as lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.  
- Turmeric - In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, turmeric was considered a whole body cleansing herb and has been used for centuries to reduce inflammation. 
- Flax seeds - An excellent source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, flax seed also contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids, "good" fats that have been shown to have heart-healthy effects. 
- Hemp seeds - Also known as hemp hearts, hemp seeds are another complete protein source, and are easily digestible.

 Source of nutritional info (besides what I have collected in my brain over the years): David Wolfe's Longevity Warehouse. 

Backpacker Back in the Kitchen

Hello!  I apologize for the month long hiatus, but as most of you know I was away on an international adventure.  Now that I am back home I am excited to get back in the kitchen!  We ate so many delicious things on our trip - here are just a few pictures to give you an idea:

Mediterranean plate at Mohawk Bend in LA

Raw vegan milkshakes at Kind Kreme in LA

Acai smoothie and raw banana crepe

First meal in Thailand - rice noodle and veggie soup

Seafood smorgasbord in Bangkok's Chinatown

Spring roll fixings

Mango sticky rice

Mangosteen

Grilled prawns and mixed veggies

Green tea and red bean frappucino

Papaya salad, pumpkin curry, pad see ew

Iced ginger tea

Coconut and papaya shakes

Pad Thai tofu

Spirulina energy ball

Khao soi, mango ginger lassi, carrot beet juice

Spring rolls

Mango sticky rice + fruit and museli

Veg lunch buffet mix

Pad see ew

Tofu and rice noodle soup

FRUIT!

Passionfruit and watermelon shakes

Rice and veggie soup

Chow mein

Grilled mushrooms

Banana coconut spirulina shake

Rambutan fruit

Tom Yam soup

Stir fried kale and mushrooms

Passionfruit, fresh off the tree

Green curry with tofu, stir fried veggies

Chowing down in the jungle

Thai punch cocktail

Chinese food feast in Hong Kong

 I hope to recreate some of my favorite things, including:
- Iced tea with lemongrass and cinnamon
- Orange, passion fruit, and lime juice
- Mango sticky rice
- Spirulina energy balls


I also will definitely be making some of the items we made in our veg Thai cooking class, but I didn't include these on the list above since I already have the recipes.

That's all for now - real posts and recipes to come soon!

Banana Bread Soft Serve

Bananas are my favorite fruit, hands down.  They are so versatile, delicious, and healthy -  what is not to love?  I joke that I don't feel comfortable if I don't have a bunch (or three) on my counter at all times.  Except I'm actually pretty serious...

I was out of town this past weekend and I came home to a bunch of very ripe bananas.  Since I am leaving for my MONTH long trip (more on that later) this coming weekend, I needed to use up these bananas ASAP.  I usually use ripe bananas as an excuse to make banana bread, but I didn't feel like turning the oven on.  I also sometimes use extra bananas to make banana soft serve, so I came up with the ingenious idea to blend these two recipes and make BANANA BREAD SOFT SERVE.

Step 1: Make Your Banana Bread - Since I didn't want to go through the trouble of actually baking banana bread, I decided to use homemade banana bread Larabars instead.  Per usual, I didn't follow a recipe when making my Larabars... but there are plenty out there to follow:  Oh She Glows has a recipe that I'm sure would work for this.  You could also just buy a few Larabars.  You will want to use the equivalent of about 3 bars, so if your recipe makes more, save the extras for another time (or eat separately).

Step 2:  Make Your Banana Soft Serve - Slice and freeze 3-5 bananas (or more if you want more soft serve).  Once frozen, add to your food processor with a few tablespoons of non dairy milk (just enough to get the mix going) and blend until smooth.  I also added about two teaspoons of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.

Step 3:  Combine and Consume - Crumble your "banana bread" into your soft serve and pulse until well combined.  Consume immediately!  This is best and most like soft serve when eaten immediately.  You could also stick the mix back in the freezer, but you will want to let it defrost a bit before eating.

This concoction turned out worlds better than I could have imagined.  The larabar gave the soft serve some texture and chew, and the ripe bananas provided sweetness without any added sugars.  Delicious, but healthy enough to have for breakfast (which I did two days in a row).

I know not everyone is as much of a banana lover as I am.  For those of you who are not bananas for bananas, I recommend the following substitutions:

- Use a different homemade Larabar flavor.  I'm definitely going to try this with chocolate and/or peanut butter bars next time.  Chocolate Covered Katie has a whole slew of recipes you can choose from.
- Use less ripe bananas in your banana soft serve.  Green or yellow bananas will still give you a great soft serve consistency but will have less banana flavor than spotted or brown bananas.  Less ripe bananas will also be less sweet, so you may need to add sweetener such as agave or maple syrup depending on your taste buds.
- Get creative with add-ins!  Mix in mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, nut butter, banana chips... the possibilities are endless!

What do you do with overripe bananas?  Have you ever tried banana soft serve?

Weekend in Blacksburg

This past weekend, I headed down to Blacksburg, Virginia for my little brother's graduation from Virginia Tech.  While I give my brother a hard time for going to VT (as I went to UVA), I am extremely proud of him and know that this was the right place for him to go to school.  I've only visited him down at school once before and while Blacksburg will never compare to Charlottesville in my book, I have surprisingly enjoyed both of my visits quite a lot. 

I drove down with my parents Thursday afternoon.  We arrived to (gasp) an extremely clean apartment and visited with my brother for a little while before dinner.  Mark (my bro) and his girlfriend (who also graduated) had whipped up a feast for their families:  whole roast chickens with vegetables, chickpea salad, and a green salad.  I threw together some guacamole from avocados my mom tossed in the car at the last minute.  Tip:  My "secret ingredient" for simple, yet amazing, guacamole is CUMIN.  My foodie friend taught me that adding this common spice to mashed avocados makes for a great guacamole when you may not have fresh garlic, cilantro, tomatoes, or whatever else you normally mix into your guacamole.

I did not partake in the the chicken, but the chickpea salad was fantastic, filled with the flavors of dill and pickles which remind me so much of summer.  I was happy (but not at all surprised) to hear that my brother's girlfriend got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs.  Head over to Oh She Glows for the recipe - I know I will be making this one soon!

After dinner we had Deep Dish Cookie Pie - another one of my go-to dessert recipes.  This dessert, like the Chocolate Fudge Pie, is from the creative Chocolate Covered Katie, and, like the Chocolate Fudge Pie, this is a crowd pleaser that no one will believe is healthy.  Spoiler alert: its made with chick peas and can be completely sugar free!  We all went to bed stuffed but very satisfied.

Coffee + Coconut Milk Creamer

On Friday, I woke up and went for a run, making my way to main campus and the downtown area.  Blacksburg doesn't have a very big "downtown" area, but there are a few streets with cute shops and restaurants.  The forecast was calling for rain, but the skies were clear and the temperature was starting to warm up as I finished my run.  I returned to my brother's apartment (where I stayed) to find freshly made coffee along with coconut milk creamer.  I was touched that he bought this special for me! 


At little before noon we headed to the university-wide graduation ceremony that was held outside at the football stadium.  By this time, it was HOT out.  While I was enjoying the sunshine, I was happy for the graduates' sake that the ceremony did not last very long (I know from experience that it is no fun to be sitting in the direct sun in a black cap and gown with no water).  After the ceremony, we grabbed a late lunch and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing.

Friday night we had dinner reservations at the Blue Apron Restaurant and Red Rooster Bar, located about 45 minutes away in Salem, VA.  I called ahead and explained my dietary preferences, and the chef said that he was more than happy to accommodate me.  When we arrived our waitress had ready the chef's suggestion for me which sounded fantastic: quinoa with spring vegetables plus an Asian-inspired. salad.  The salad was refreshing - crisp butter lettuce with a miso-ginger dressing.  I also tried my brother's salad which was arugula with blueberries, Marcona almonds, and a lemon-honey vinaigrette.  Both were unusual and very tasty.

The Blue Apron offers most of its dishes in both appetizer and entree portions, so you can have a typical meal, or try many small plates.  Since many items on the menu looked good, most everyone else got appetizers (mussels, scallops, shrimp, crab cakes to name a few) and I did not hear one complaint.  Shortly after our entrees came out and I was immediately wow-ed by the beautiful plate placed before me.  It tasted as good (if not better) than it looked - perfectly cooked quinoa with assorted mushrooms, golden peas, asparagus, zucchini, topped with a sun-dried tomato chutney and fresh sprouts.  Although I was not super hungry, I ate every bite.   Everyone else also polished off their entrees and agreed that everything was amazing.

Saturday morning we were up bright and early - Mark graduated from the School of Engineering and the diploma ceremony was at 8 AM that morning.  After the ceremony, we went to check out the Blacksburg farmer's market (you know I was so stoked when my brother suggested this).  While the market was small, we all found some goodies: fresh almond butter and fruit + nut treats (me), cinnamon roll and coffee (mom), burgers with avocado and yam biscuits (Mark and dad).   We also picked up some produce to take back with us.

Farmer's Market treats

My parents were eager to get on the road and get back home, as they are leaving the country this week (my mom's first time to Europe)!  I was also ready to go since I still needed to prepare for my upcoming trip as well.  So we packed up our stuff and our goodies and got on the road.  It was a fun weekend, and I know my brother was happy we could all make it down (although I'm sure he was also happy to see us leave and have so me time to himself).

In the past 6 years I have gone to 5 college graduations (two of which were this past month).  Its always fun to spend time with family and celebrate the graduate, but the ceremonies all start to sound the same!  I think it is safe to say that I am graduated-out, at least for the time being.  Good thing I don't have any close friends or family planning to graduate in the near future... well at least not from college.  I imagine a yoga teacher training graduation is a much different experience.... =)