Zesty Roasted Asparagus

Once again this brilliant recipe comes from my friend Anna. Seriously girl, can't you open up your own restaurant already?? This dish will definitely be a side at our vegan thanksgiving this year! Oh, and Anna, even though I know you'll be spending the holiday in KY with your family, just know my family has extended the offer. Clearly the way into our hearts is with food!

1 bundle asparagus, trimmed and washed

Olive oil

1 teaspoon garlic powder, plus extra for later

Salt

Lemon, cut in half

2-3 tablespoons nutritional yeast

Preheat your oven to 425°F. 

Lightly spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray (I use a coconut oil non-stick). In a bowl drizzle some olive oil (a few teaspoons) over the asparagus, then sprinkle the garlic powder and salt to taste, and the juice from half a lemon, toss to incorporate. Lay your seasoned asparagus out on the prepared baking dish and roast in the oven for 15 minutes. If you're using pencil-thin asparagus adjust your cooking time to 8-10 minutes. 

Once the asparagus are out of the oven allow to cool slightly, then sprinkle the nutritional yeast over top, along with another pinch of garlic powder, extra lemon juice, and salt to taste. Give the asparagus a good toss so the seasoning is well distributed, arrange on a dish and serve.

The Ultimate Chipless Nacho Platter

Let me start out by saying these nachos are freaking awesome. Seriously seriously good. Add this to your football Sunday menu (it is football season, isn't it?), your man will love you for it.

Ingredient List Breakdown: I know this seems daunting, but everything can be done while the potatoes are roasting so it's really nothing to fret about!

Potato wedges:
2 medium Russet (baking) potatoes, sliced into wedges- I used about 6 small potatoes from my weekly co-op box
Olive oil
Smoked paprika
Salt and pepper

Black Beans:
1 can black beans (make sure to get BPA-free lining!)
2 shallots, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 bay leaves

Walnut Taco Meat:
1/2 cup raw walnuts
2 teaspoons canola oil
1-2 tablespoons taco seasoning

Cheeze Sauce: This sauce makes 1 1/2 cups, but you can freeze it and defrost it when you're craving some mac n' cheese
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 tablespoons flour (chickpea flour if you're GF)
1 1/2 cups plant-based milk (coconut, soy, almond- non flavored)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 scant tablespoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
Pinch of tumeric
 
Sour Cream (aka Cashew Cream):
1/4 cup raw cashews, soaked for one hour
1/4-1/2 cup water
Juice from half a lemon
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 

3-minute Guacamole:
1 ripe avocado
1/2 tomato, diced
1 shallot, diced
Juice from a small lime
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 jalepano, diced finely 


Preheat your oven to 425°F.

Make the potatoes: Take your potato wedges and toss them in a drizzle of olive oil, some salt and a heafty pinch of smoked paprika. Spray a baking sheet with non stick spray and roast your potatoes for fifteen minutes, then flip them and pop back in the oven for another fifteen.

Make the beans: While your potatoes are roasting start making your black beans. Rinse and drain a can of black beans. In a saute pan heat some olive oil, then over medium heat toss in your shallots and garlic, saute until they start to brown, then toss in your beans, cumin and bay leaves. Add enough water to cover the beans, another teaspoon of olive oil, and a pinch of salt, and simmer until the water cooks- about 10-15 minutes. Remember to take the bay leaves out before assembling the nacho platter.

Make the walnut meat: Coarsely chop your raw walnuts, then in small pan heat the canola oil and toss in the chopped walnuts and taco seasoning, stir until the walnuts are well coated and saute over medium-low for 4-5 minutes. Set aside in a bowl and rinse out your pan, as you'll be using it to make the cheese sauce in the next step.

Make the Cheeze Sauce: Melt the plant-based butter over medium heat in the pan you just rinsed, once melted whisk in the flour and allow to cook for about a minute while whisking so the 'floury' taste comes out. Add in your plant-based milk, yeast, mustard, garlic and onion powders, paprika, and tumeric, whisk until the sauce thickens, then pour into a freezable container, as you'll have plenty extra.

Make the Sour Cream: In a blender add the drained raw cashews, water, lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar. You want them consitency to be like sour cream, so add more water as needed. Blend until smooth.

Make the Guac: In a bowl add in the tomatoes, shallots, diced jalapenos, cumin, lemon juice. Dice up the avocado and add it to the bowl, mashing the ingredients together with a fork.

Assemble!
Lay your potato wedges on a large platter, like so:

Sprinkle the beans over top:

Add the walnut meat:

Next layer on that homemade guac:

Lastly, drizzle the cheeze sauce and sour cream over top and serve!

Sangria Saturday

This is a quick fridge sangria, nothing fancy but seriously good. I paired this drink with the Ultimate Chipless Nacho Platter and it was a success!

Sorry for the poor quality, remembered to snag a picture of the last glass!

1 bottle of red wine (1.5 liters)
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice- I was lucky enough to find some fresh from the market today!
1/3 cup brandy
3 tablespoons sugar or agave (optional)
2 peaches or nectarines, cut into cubes
1 lemon, sliced
1 pear, cut into cubes
1 apple, cut into cubes
3 cups seltzer, chilled

Pour your wine, orange juice, brandy, and optional sugar into a pitcher and stir to incorporate. Add in your cubed fruit and lemon slices, then place in the fridge for a few hours- ideally overnight. I only had time to leave it in the fridge for 1 1/2 hours and it was still great, but I know the longer it sits the better. Before serving pour the chilled seltzer into the pitcher and give it a good stir. Enjoy!

Roasted Asparagus Soup

The other day our organic co-op delivered us an enormous amount of fresh asparagus. I was at a loss, what could I possibly do with so many? I did a bit of research and asparagus soup seemed to be the way to go. It sounded sort of strange to me, a soup made out of asparagus...? But I rolled with it and oh my it was delicious! It took 30 minutes from start to finish and was beyond good. I mean, this will seriously be a repeat meal in my kitchen.

2 lbs asparagus, ends trimmed
1/2 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
4 heaping tablespoons raw cashews
3 tablespoons nutrional yeast
Lemon juice to taste, I used the juice from half a lemon
Lemon peel, grated- don't skip this! It truly completes the soup.

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place the asparagus on a sprayed cookie sheet, then lightly mist the asparagus with spray (I use coconut oil spray, but olive oil spray or pam will work). Roast for 10 minutes, then flip the asparagus and top with the diced onion and minced garlic. Roast for another 10 minutes. If you have thin asparagus start with 6 minutes, then add the onions and garlic and roast for another 5.

While the asparagus is roasting blend together the cashews and white pepper with 1/2 cup of the vegetable broth- leave in the blender. When the asparagus are done reserve a few heads for garnish. Add the remaining asparagus, onion, garlic, and broth to the blender (you may need to do this in batches), and blend until completely smooth. Pour soup into a stock pot over medium-low heat and stir in the nutritional yeast. Once the soup is hot stir in the lemon juice, then pour it into bowls and grate the lemon peel over top and add the reserved asparagus heads for garnish. Serve.

Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen

Mediterranean Polenta Fries with Roasted Tomato Dipping Sauce

I'm a huge fan on polenta but instead of going the traditional route I decided to switch things up a bit, these little guys are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

2 cups organic polenta corn grits (I really like Bob's Red Mill brand)
2 1/4 cups water
4 tablespoons nutrional yeast
4 tablespoons capers, minced finely
Bundle of basil, minced finely
2 large tomatoes, cut into quarters
1 shallot, diced
3 garlic cloves, smashed with the back of a knife
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Preheat your oven to 375°F, preferably on the convection setting if you have one.  Bring your water to a boil, then remove from heat and stir in polenta, nutritional yeast, capers, and basil. Line a glass baking dish with wax paper, then pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish and pop it in the fridge to set.

Lightly oil a baking dish and toss in your tomatoes, shallot, and garlic, then pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes.  Once your polenta has set, it will be firm to the touch, take it out of the fridge and cut it into 3-inch long by 1-inch wide strips. Spray a cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray, then place the polenta strips on the sheet and give them a light mist of the cooking spray (I use coconut oil spray rather than Pam, but whatever you have will work). Bake them in the oven for 5-8 minutes, just long enough to crisp on the outside without drying out the inside. Once your tomato mixture is out of the oven poor it, along with the juice, into a food processor and pulse, drizzling in olive oil, until desired consistency. Stir in salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm along side the polenta fries.

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Oh My God. This is incredible!!  Hands down one of my favorate mac and cheeses thus far. It is so creamy, rich, cheesy, and filling. And honestly you can't even tell there is squash in this. Feed this to your children! They won't even notice the hidden squash. You can thank me later ;)

1 small butternut squash, peeled and chopped into small cubes
Olive oil
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
3/4 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
8 oz box of (brown rice) macaroni or other small-shaped noodles
Mix-ins of your choice: I added in a handful of raw red kale pieces and some pine nuts which were such great additions. You can also add in some steamed broccoli, pumpkin seeds, peas, etc)

Preheat your oven to 425°F (if you have a convection setting it'll cut the time in half). Toss the squash cubes into a tiny bit of olive oil, then bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until fork-tender. Remove from heat and all to cool. You will only need 1 cup of the squash, if you have extra then save it- it would be a great mix-in at the end.

Cook your pasta according to package directions. While you pasta is cooking make the cheese sauce. In a small sauce pan over medium low heat melt your plant-based butter. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients: milk, cornstarch, yeast, mustard, spices, lemon- until clump free. Then pour into the butter and whisk over low heat until it starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. In a blender blend together 1 cup of the squash and the cheese sauce, then return to the stove to reheat. Pour over your pasta and stir to coat, add in your mix-ins (I used the kale and pine nuts but I wish I had some extra squash to toss in as well), then serve.

Makes four small portions, recipe from Oh She Glows

Sweet Potato and Herb Quinoa Patties

These quinoa patties are very flavorful and they will definitely be a regular in my book! It would be delicious served over sauteed spinach. I served it topped off with Anna's famous 'KFC gravy' alongside a spring mix salad with herbs, edible flowers, and roasted chickpeas.

1/3 cup uncooked quinoa

1/2 cup sunflower seeds
Olive oil

1 medium onion, diced
1garlic loved, minced
3 cups peeled and grated sweet potato

4 tablespoons water


3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves

2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves

2 teaspoons poultry seasoning
 (I recommend making your own by mixing together equal parts of thyme, sage, marjoram, rosemary, and a pinch of black pepper and nutmeg- it's not an exact science but it saves you from purchasing one more premixed seasoning.)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 fifteen-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/4-1/2 cup water

Peheat the oven to 375° F. Rinse the quinoa and add it to a small pot along with 2/3 cup water, bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and pop a lid on it, cook for 15-17 minutes or until ready. In a small pan over medium-low heat toast the sunflower seeds, then set them aside. Careful not to burn them, it can happen in seconds! In a larger saute pan heat a little olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion until translucent, then stir in the garlic, sweet potato, salt and pepper to taste, and the 4 tablespoons of water. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender, then remove from the heat.

In the food processor combine the quinoa, roasted sunflower seeds, chickpeas, rosemary, sage, thyme, poultry seasoning, smoked paprika, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Once combine, you want it to have some texture to it so don't get carried away with processing it, add it to the pan with the sweet potatoes. Fold everything until well incorporated, if it's too dry add in 1/4- 1/2 cup more water. Form into small patties and then place on a lightly sprayed baking sweet. Bake for 30 minutes, flipping half way through.

Top with 'KFC' gravy and serve!

Recipe adapted from Everyday Healthy Everyday Delicious

'KFC' Gravy! Minus the cruelty and unhealthy stuff

This is my friend Anna's recipe and oh my god it actually does taste like KFC gravy! Slather this on some mashed potatoes, colcannon, or herbed quinoa patties and you'll be in heaven.

2 1/2 tablespoons plant-based butter
1/4 cup all purpose or chickpea flour if you're GF
1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
2 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Melt butter in a saute pan over medium-low heat, then whisk in the flour for 30 seconds. Add in your broth and liquid aminos and stir until thick. Serve!

Roasted Chickpeas

I learned to make these delicious little guys back when I was living in San Fransisco and I adore them just as much today as I did when I first made them. They're great to add into salads but honestly I eat these straight from the oven as a snack. They're crunchy on the outside and soft in the inside. Perfectly delicious in every way.

1 can of chickpeas (make sure you buy BPA free lining!)
Drizzle of olive oil
A pinch of salt
A few grinds of black pepper
A couple pinches of smoked paprika

Set your oven to 350°F on the convection setting. In a small baking dish add the chickpeas, drizzle with the olive oil (about a teaspoon) and spices and give them a good toss to coat evenly. Pop them in the oven for 25 minutes until crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside. If you don't have a convection oven, that's fine, they'll probably take a little longer to cook, more like 40 minutes. You can switch up the spices to your liking, they're great with some garlic powder and rosemary- get creative!

To Die For Mushroom Tempura with Truffle Salt

One of my girlfriends and I went out the other night and hit up every hot spot from Boca to Ft. Lauderdale and every place in between. We usually end the night with a burrito, because who doesn't love a good burrito? But instead we somehow came up with the ingenious idea of skipping the burrito and went home to make the worlds best mushroom tempura.

(Sorry in advance for the poor quality pictures).

1 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoons sea salt
1 tablespoons sesame oil
1 1/8 cups ice water (you'll have to eyeball this measurement)
1 box of button mushrooms (plus extra, see recipe below for details)
Canola oil
Truffle Salt, like this one

This makes a ton of batter. We battered one box of button mushrooms and an entire eggplant sliced into half moons and still had extra batter left over. The eggplant was a huge success as well but nothing compares to the mushrooms. You can easily have enough batter for 4 boxes of mushrooms, but clearly that would be excessive!

In a large mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients, then pour the wet ingredients into the mixture and whisk until a forms a thin batter, a few clumps here and there are okay. Set in fridge while your oil heats up. Using a fryer, or a stock pot, add 2-inches of oil and heat to 350°F. Coat your mushrooms in the batter and carefully add a few at a time into the hot oil. Cook for about one minute, turning halfway through, they will be a golden color when ready. Place them on a rack so the excess oil drips off and dust them with a pinch of the truffle salt (seriously, splurge on the salt, it's incredible), allow to cool before eating.

Tempura recipe by Chef Chloe

Broccoli Cheeze Soup

With my three week break from school being officially over you can imagine my enthusiasm of being up since 6am, not getting home until 6pm, and then having to get dinner on the table. I absolutely did not feel like cooking, but this gem of a soup took about 30 minutes from start to finish including the prep and came out so velvety and flavorful! You can thank me later.

Soup:

Olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup celery, chopped

4 cups broccoli florets

2 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

3 cups vegetable broth

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 a lemon, juiced
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional garnishes if you choose to have any: minced parsley, smoked paprika, coconut bacon

Cheeze Sauce:
1 tablespoon plant-based butter
2 tablespoons flour (you can substitute it with GF AP, chickpea, or rice flour as well)
3/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 1/2 cup soy, almond, or coconut milk
1 tablespoon +1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a stock pot heat the oil and add in your onion and garlic, saute for six minutes over medium heat. Next add in your celery, broccoli florets, and potatoes, saute for another five minutes. Add in your vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, and cayenne pepper, stick a lid on the pot and bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

While the soup is simmering make the cheeze sauce: heat the butter in a pan over medium low heat, then add in the flour and milk and whisk until it's almost clump free. Whisk in the remaining ingredients and allow to cook and thicken for another 3 minutes, then set aside.

Carefully pour your soup into the blender in batches and pulverize it until the desired consistency. Mix in the lemon juice and all but 1/3 cup of the cheeze sauce, the remainder will be spooned over each bowl of soup. Ladle your soup into bowls, top it with the remaining cheeze sauce and extra garnishes. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Oh She Glows

Restaurant Review: Darbster, Boca Location

Located: 6299 N Federal Highway, Boca Raton, Florida 33487

Hours: Wednesday - Saturday 5-10 p.m, Sunday 5pm-9pm
Brunch: Sunday 10:30am-3pm (call to confirm: 561-586-2622)

Website: www.darbster.com

My friend Anna and I  have been dying to try Darbster for while now, but making the schlep up to West Palm always seemed impossible. Lucky for us they opened a Boca location! They have a gorgeous bar with drink specials, an outside patio (where you can bring your pooch), and are now serving brunch on Sundays. Also, 100% of all profits from Darbster Food go to Darbster Foundation which assists in animal welfare and animal rights efforts through education, charitable contributions and direct sponsoring of animal care such spaying and neutering.

Perfect for: date night, special occasions, girls night, family dinner, casual dining, brunch, anyone who wants to enjoy fabulous food.
Atmosphere: Don't judge a book for it's cover, it's located in a shopping plaza that could very easily be overlooked, but once inside you are welcomed by a gorgeous serene dining environment. The back patio is a gem! If it's not too hot out I highly recommend sitting out back.
Overall: Highly recommended. I particularly appreciated how they had both raw and gluten-free options marked on the menu, with plenty of options for each.

Click here to check out Darbster's menu!

Reviews of things I've tried: 
Brunch Cocktail, Bellini, $3: Perfectly refreshing in every way! During brunch the mimosas are also $3, and Bloody Marys are $5. 

Brunch, Eggs Benedict with tempeh bacon and home fries, $13: absolutely phenomenal. The portions are extremely generous, so much so that I couldn't even finish it! And you know how much I can eat... I would order this again and again. It wasn't the traditional Benedict, as it was served over a scramble, and it has a béarnaise sauce instead of a hollandaise sauce. The bacon was maple infused and slightly sweet; everything on this plate was to die for.

Appetizer, Palm Cakes, $8: These mini cakes were to die for, and it was astonishing how much they tasted like crab cakes. They come two per order, the perfect little starter. I would definetely say this is a Darbster signature dish.

Appetizer, Nachos, $10: The nacho cheese on these were spot on! My only gripe was there was just not enough, I would definitely ask for an extra side if you order these. They were topped with black beans that were delicious, it was obvious they were home made and well seasoned. The guacamole was nothing special, a little too bland and lemony for my taste, but the beans and cheese are reason enough to reorder this dish!

Appetizer, Fried Green Tomatoes, $10: Traditional with the cornmeal breaded, fried to perfection, very well done in my opinion.

Appetizer, Buffalo Wings, $8: Beyond impressive. I truly don't think a meat eater would be able to tell the difference between these and real boneless wings. The homemade ranch was to die for and it was served alongside Franks RedHot sauce. Fun fact: Franks was the primary ingredient in the first buffalo wing sauce concocted in 1964 in Buffalo, NY.

Appetizer, Seared Scallops, $10: Seared marinated tofu with a citrus agave soy glaze. These were really yummy, the sear was delicious and the glaze was perfect. They tasted nothing like scallops however that wouldn't stop me from ordering them again, I really enjoyed these!

Entree, Rawvioli Zucchini Pasta, $13: So light, flavorful, and delicious! Only complaint is there isn't enough zucchini pasta. Five rounds of zucchini 'ravioli' sandwiched with the most delicious cashew cream and topped off with an insanely good sun-dried tomato marinara. It is served with a small salad.

Entree, Raw Bacon Cheeseburger, $13: Fresh, light, and also very flavorful! No complaints.

Entree (special), Gnocchi with bolonegnse sauce, I can't remember the price- I think it was $15: The gnocchi was out of this world. And I know good gnocchi! I not only grew up eating it, but I grew up making it. Some of my earliest memories are making gnocchi in the kitchen with my grandma. My only complaint was the bolonegnse sauce which was so sweet and cinnamony- which did not compliment the white wine cream sauce and basil oil drizzle the gnocchi was in. If it was a special again I would ask for just the cream sauce.

Dessert, Brownie ala Mode, $7: Dark chocolate brownie served with a soy ice cream. I took my parents out to Darbster as a thank you for being such incredibly supportive parents, and ultimately my biggest cheerleaders. When dessert came around I knew we'd have to go with the brownie, not because I like them (because I really don't) but because my mom is obsessed with them. It was disappointing. The brownie wasn't warm, and you know it should be if it is served with ice cream, it was dense and fudge-like, not ooey and gooey. The ice cream was incredible. I'd say skip the brownie and go for the Sundae instead.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Thanksgiving is just around the corner (says the girl who sent out invites in July)! This is my favorite holiday but lately I've noticed the meaning behind it has gotten lost and muted. Thanksgiving represents loved loves, family, friends, and gratitude. It allows for us a chance to come together and celebrate in good health, with good company. It gives us a time to reflect and count our blessings.

This year we are preparing a strictly plant-based Thanksgiving and our menu is beyond extensive. It's important to me to expose others to gourmet plant-based foods this holiday, and honestly, it is not the end of the world to give up meat for 5 hours for one day of one year. I have about four days of prep work alone for the menu, but with my Dad (not a good cook but great under instruction) as my sous-chef, we will put out the best damn Thanksgiving these 21 guests ever had.

And honestly, it would just be wrong to come together to celebrate these things, talk about irony, at the expensive of others, (ie: intolerable and unacceptable treatment of animals raised for food production, the mass environmental destruction it takes to raise said animals, the rights of the small farmer which have been stripped away to keep up with the demands of the meat industry to keep production high and costs low, must I continue?).

With all that said, this is the sweet potato casserole dish I will be making this year. It's got a sweet crunchy topping with the underneath perfectly spiced.

4 large sweet potatoes, cooked (I baked them, you can boil them if you prefer)
2 tablespoons plant-based butter
1/4 cup soy, almond or coconut milk
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping:
1/4 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup AP flour (I used chickpea flour to make it GF)
3/4 cups chopped pecans
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Cut your sweet potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh, discard the skins. In a bowl whip together the potato flesh, plant-based butter, plant-based milk, orange juice, vanilla extract, maple syrup, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon until smooth. Pour into a greased casserole dish. In a small bowl mix together the topping ingredients and then spoon it over the casserole. Bake for 35 minutes, serve warm. 

For Thanksgiving I always say 1/3 of a sweet potato per person when calculating how much casserole to make. At least that's how I figure, we always have so many dishes that everyone just takes a small scoop of everything.

Recipe adapted from Fat Free Vegan

Coconut Bacon

Sounds strange, huh? If you haven't heard, it's the new hot thing in the Veg world. I was dying to get my hands on some so I ventured out on a limb here and made my own. It was super simple and turned out so yummy. I ate a handful of this straight from the pan.

Then with restraint I put the rest away. It would be great for a BLT sandwich, over a salad, or over a baked/mashed potatoes, really- the options are endless.

3 1/2 cups unsweetened flaked, not shredded, coconut (I bought mine at Whole Foods)
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

Preheat oven to 325° degrees. Combine liquid smoke, braggs, maple syrup, water, and paprika if using, in a large mixing bowl. Pour in flaked coconut, using a wooden spoon to gently toss the coconut in the liquid mixture. You want the coconut to absorb the liquid mixture since that's where the flavor comes from, keep tossing until all the liquid is absorbed and the flakes are well coated. Save yourself from a mess and use a huge mixing bowl. Once the coconut is evenly coated, pour it onto a baking sheet that has been lightly sprayed with non-stick cooking spray and stick it in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, using a spatula to flip the coconut bacon about every 5 minutes so it cooks evenly. Keep your eyes peeled, this will burn if you're not constantly flipping it. Store in a sealed bag or container for up to a week in a cool dry place.

Recipe from Fettle Vegan

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups flaked coconut
2 tablespoons liquid smoke
1 tablespoon Braggs liquid aminos or soy sauce
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional) - See more at: http://www.fettlevegan.com/4/post/2012/07/coconut-bacon.html#sthash.87RCV0YZ.dpuf

Restaurant Review: Sublime Restaurant and Bar

Location: 1431 N. Federal Hwy., Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33304

Hours: 5:30-10:00 p.m Tuesday-Sunday, closed Monday

Happy Hour at the Bar: Tuesday-Friday, 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Website: http://www.sublimerestaurant.com

Quite frankly, to me, Sublime will always be The Mothership of Vegan Fine Dining. It was the first vegan restaurant I ate at and has set the bar very high for all the vegan restaurants that have followed suit. A cool side note: 100% of their profits go towards supporting animal welfare.

Perfect for: date night, special occasions, girls night, family dinners, or for anyone who wants to enjoy fabulous food.
Atmosphere: the restaurant is gorgeous, very 5-star. But let's be honest, this is South Florida, which basically means you can walk in here in jeans and be seated next to someone in a suit and all is well. Personally I think you should get yourself put together for this place, it's too beautiful not to.
Overall: Highly recommended

Click here to check out Sublime's menu

Reviews of things I've tried: 
Complimentary, Pesto Polenta Triangles: These are complimentary and come with every meal. I must admit I had a waitress forget to give me my complimentary polenta once and I was devastated, as I am obsessed with these. If you enjoy poletna you'll really love these. (Pictured below).

Cocktail, Tangito, $9: Made with Flor de Cana 4 year aged white rum, fresh tangerines, mint leaves, and lime juice; this is like a happier, brighter, lighter version of their mojito. Definitely recommended! Don't forget, half-off cocktails during happy hour! (Pictured below).

Cocktail, Sublime Mojito, $9: Made with Flor de Cana 7 year aged dark rum, fresh lime, and mint. You can't go wrong with a mojito, but I do have to ask...where's the sugar cane? Maybe that's a resort thing- but I do appreciate a little sugar cane in my mojitos!
Cocktail, Watermelon Cosmopolitan, $11: Made with American Harvest organic vodka, watermelon, lemon, lime. Clean taste, very pleasant watermelon flavor, not unnaturally sweet- which was a plus! 
Appetizer, Frito Misto, $11: This is a take on General Tso's chicken, and honestly, the flavor is spot on. It would not be a complete dinner at Sublime without ordering this. It's perfectly delicious in every way and a must-try signature sublime dish. (Pictured below).

Appetizer, Fire-Roasted Artichoke, $10: Buttery and garlicky, not my all time favorite appetizer at Sublime, but still very enjoyable. (Pictured below).

Appetizer, Mac 'n' Cheese, $7: Creamy, cheesy, and delicious. They serve it with a panko topping that appears to have been finished off in the oven. If you're into mac 'n' cheese, you won't be disappointed, as it taste just like a 'real' mac 'n' cheese should.
Appetizer, Sliders, $12 for 3: Oh my god I love these sliders. If you like the 'fast-food style' burgers then these babies are for you! They are so juicy and meaty; I adore these. They are offered during happy hour on the bar menu for dirt cheap, a must try if you're making happy hour. 
Entree, Mushroom Ravioli, $19: Currently my favorite entree on the menu. How can you go wrong with fresh homemade pasta stuffed with a mushroom and cashew cream filling, tossed in a basil butter sauce with sundried tomatoes? I'm a huge pasta person and frankly my only vegan pasta options when dining out at local Italian restaurants are pasta and red sauce- borrrinnngg. Sublime, you hit the nail on the head with this one! 
Entree, Sublime Picatta, $18: I give an A for effort on this one. It is a gardein cutlet served with mashed potatoes, sauteed spinach and a lemon-caper sauce- all of which is spot on for me except the gardein cutlet. I normally enjoy gardein products, but I was less than enthused with this one. 
Entree, Reef Tacos, $15: This is always a go to item for me! Lightly battered and fried tofu, which somehow miraculously tastes like cod topped with a delicious Asian slaw, served with freshly made beans and jasmine rice. This is also on the bar menu, one taco for dirt cheap- you can't pass it up! 
Entree, Mushroom Risotto Cake, $16: I adore risotto, but this was a little dense for my liking. With all the other phenomenal entree options, I can't say this is at the top of my list. 
Dessert, Chocolate Nirvana, $9: Let me start out by saying I'm not a chocolate person at all, however, I went to sublime with chocolate lovers and I was out voted on the dessert. With that said, Oh My God- this cake is devine!!! It is a rich chocolate cake, with Kahlua butter creme, and a dark chocolate ganache. You will not regret getting this! 
Dessert, Ice Cream Sundae, $6: Once again I was out voted on the dessert, but this ice cream is phenomenal. It is a homemade vanilla ice cream topped with a creamy chocolate sauce and dusted with peanut pieces.

Is it obvious I go to Sublime a lot?? I seriously love this restaurant. It's truly the gem of South Florida.