Easy Heirloom Tomato Salad

Part of the reason I haven't been around with many recipes is because summer just doesn't require overly complicated dishes. With stunning farmers market ingredients, you can put together a delicious meal without a lot of bells and whistles. 

This summer tomato salad is just one such dish. I've been trying to eat as many tomatoes as humanely possible recently, trying to get my fill before fall comes and the tomatoes disappear. This salad I threw together the other day was just perfect. Easy, no fuss, but delicious. 

Since I've been trying to stay away from dairy as much as possible (one week without dairy and my skin clears right up!), I tossed in some cubed firm tofu for some protein. I was skeptical of how the flavors would meld but tofu is a blank slate and thanks to all the other strong flavors (basil, onions, balsamic), the tofu ended up almost mimicking a mild mozzarella. 

East Heirloom Tomato Salad
Serves 1
2-3 heirloom tomatoes, the more colorful, the better, cubed
1/2 cup firm tofu, cubed
1/4 avocado, cubed 
1/4 red onion, sliced thinly
handful of basil, sliced thinly
handful of spinach, sliced thinly

For the dressing:
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp red wine vinegar

Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together and set aside. Combine all the ingredients for the salad and serve with the dressing. This salad actually tastes better after sitting for a few minutes because the tofu has a chance to absorb all the flavors, so don't hesitate to make ahead of time. 

The Best BBQ Sauce Ever

Honestly, I haven't meant to stay away for so long, from this here blog of mine. Summer was a total whirlwind and before I knew it, I was back in New York City.

It's only been a few days since I've been back and I already miss Istanbul a lot, but I'm trying to embrace being back in the city and thankfully my mama is coming for a visit soon, which always cheers me up.

I didn't get around to cooking a lot this summer, if at all, because we have this wonderful lady who helps out around the house, who also happens to make delicious Turkish food. Between her food and all my going out, I rarely got around to cooking.

And boy did I miss it! I've been cooking up a storm ever since I've been back in my apartment and it feels great. For me, periods of eating out a lot are always followed by a few weeks of cooking the majority of my meals. I guess this is what we'd call balance.

Last night I wanted to make a yummy dinner for myself, but didn't have too much on hand, and was too lazy to pop down to the market. Yes, that lazy. Luckily I had a log of tempeh, some potatoes and some spinach and I came up with a delicious meal, if I must say so myself. And one of my best friends called just as I was finishing up, so she joined me. She has perfect timing, that one- she can feel when I've cooked or baked something and I love her for it.

I ended up making a homemade barbecue sauce that was to die for. It's Kathy's recipe from this blog, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you must. Her blog is one that I visit daily and she never lets me down with her fantastic creations.

You can find the barbecue sauce recipe here, and even though I didn't have a few things on hand (ketchup, for example), the sauce was still perfection. I plan to make a large batch of it soon to keep in the fridge and slather on everything. If any of you are as obsessed with BBQ sauce as I am, you might want to know that most commercial varieties have high-fructose corn syrup or a lot of sugar in them, so making your own is a wonderful way to avoid this. Plus you can make it as spicy as you like.

I slathered it on some tempeh that I had sautéed and we enjoyed it with some oven-roasted garlic potatoes, recipe courtesy of another favorite, The Barefoot Contessa, and a simple spinach salad.

Trust me when I say you should make a double batch of the BBQ sauce. I might or might not have ended up finishing the remaining sauce with a spoon only! Don't judge.

Chipotle Chop Salad

Salads are one of my favorite meals but they can get a bit boring. But with a bit of creativity (and blog or cookbook browsing), you can create unusual but delicious salads that are filling and don't make you want to reach for a burger after. 


One of the best ways to make a filling salad is by incorporating beans and grains. My favorite grain to include is quinoa. It is protein packed and because its light, it sticks to the lettuce in the salad (instead of collecting at the bottom of the bowl like brown rice). Fun fact: quinoa isn't even actually a grain. It's a seed and a complete protein, thus ideal for vegetarians and vegans. 

Today I was in charge of lunch for me, my sister and my dad so I whipped up this simple but colorful salad that tasted much better than it looks. The recipe is adapted from one of Chef Chloe's recipes from her book, 'Chloe's Kitchen', which has become a staple for me. This salad actually tastes better when it has had time to soak just a bit, because the beans and quinoa soak up the dressing, so its a perfect make-ahead meal. 


Chipotle Chop Salad
Serves 4
Adapted from Chloe's Kitchen
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly
1/2 cup red cabbage, sliced thinly
1 carrot, shredded
1 cup quinoa, cooked
1 cup beans of your choice, I used navy beans but black would have been tastier
2 tbsp hemp hearts, optional
2 spring onions, thinly sliced 
handful walnuts, chopped 
handful cilantro, chopped
1 tsp chipotle seasoning


for the dressing:
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp agave or honey
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1 lemon (lime is better but I only had lemons) 
1 garlic clove, minced


Combine all ingredients and serve! Easy peasy and delicious. 

No One Likes A Judgmental Omni

Editor's note: There is no recipe in this post. Skip it if you don't wanna hear me rant! 


I was actually going to title this post, 'No One Likes a Judgmental Omni or Veggie' but it got too long. 


A few weeks ago I was invited to a dinner with a friend, where a bunch of her friends were present. I hadn't met any of them before, and I had a good time. Except for one thing that happened that I haven't been able to stop thinking about.


Enter the judgmental omnivore. 


As anyone who chooses to live life differently realizes, many people are uncomfortable with outliers. 


Vegans and vegetarians, however, really get a shocking amount of judgment for their dietary choices. 


Let me get back to the dinner. There I was, chatting with everyone, minding my own business, when it came time to order. Everyone ordered pasta or meat, and I ordered fish. Somehow it came out that I don't eat meat. I'm pretty sure I was asked, because I don't readily offer up that information. I have learned my lesson from past experiences. 

Yes, that is Dana Carvey, as 'Church Lady'.

What ensued was pretty awful, but unfortunately not as uncommon as you'd think. A guy at the table, who was sufficiently intoxicated to perhaps give him an extra dose of courage, basically started attacking me and my choice to not eat meat. He said he thought vegetarians were stupid. He said he didn't like people that don't eat meat. He laughed at me, when I tried to politely explain my beliefs. He was incredibly rude, for no other reason, than the fact that I don't eat animals. 


Now, this has happened to me a lot before. And it's just something I can't get my head around no matter how much I think about it. 


There are a number of reasons why I don't eat meat and over the last three years, I have learned that these reasons are quite personal. I don't push my beliefs on anyone. 


What gives you the right to judge me and my lifestyle choices? 


What drives me crazy is that people have this misguided belief that vegans and vegetarians are judgmental and try to push their beliefs on other people and I personally have found vegans and vegetarians to be much more understanding and compassionate than meat-eaters. I don't want to generalize- this is just my experience. But for some reason, either because they feel bad about their own meat consumption, or because they think I think I'm better than them, I have been in many, many situations where people have said terrible things to me just because I choose to not eat dead cows. 


This guy was Turkish, and maybe it's a cultural difference, but I doubt it. Aren't we supposed to be accepting of different peoples beliefs and lifestyle choices? 


I can almost always tell when someone is actually curious to learn my reasons for not eating meat, and when someone is just waiting for their chance to talk so they can try to eviscerate me with their own beliefs. At that moment, it was clear this guy didn't want to learn anything, but rather just wanted to be right. 


No matter, it's not about this particular jerk. I'm writing this mostly to vent but also to hopefully allow someone to reconsider their attitude towards people who have different beliefs than them. 


The next time you meet someone who chooses to practice a belief system you don't agree in, or someone who doesn't eat animals, or whatever it may be, stop and think of what a wonderful opportunity that is to learn something new. Stop and think that maybe everything you've been taught isn't 'right'. Just stop and think! (My sister took a class with this title; maybe they teach this stuff there!) 


No one deserves to be judged so cruelly because of the way they live. 


I've learned to accept the fact that some people are just really close-minded. And after all, karma's a bitch. 

A Healthier Alternative to Cheese

I'm not vegan anymore. I was a while ago, and to be honest, I've never felt better than when I was vegan. You feel lighter. Everything works right. You are more focused. Your skin clears up. And you lose weight. 


And even though I'm not vegan anymore, I eat vegan 90% of the time. Just like Dr.Oz;) What this means is that if I'm out at a restaurant, and my friends want to share some dishes that include dairy or fish, I won't make a big fuss. But at home, it's vegan all the way.


Especially if I've got a few lbs. to lose, I focus on eating more plant-based. Just in the past week I've been eating strictly plant-based and shed the 5 lbs. I was struggling with. Veganism works people!


I'm not talking about being a 'junk-food vegan' though. In the world we live in today, especially if you happen to live in a city like New York City, vegan junk food options abound. And there are a lot of overweight vegans. Those who live on mock-meats (vegan sausage, vegan bacon), vegan cupcakes and vegan cheeses. I'm not a fan of this way of eating either. 


When I say vegan, I mean plant-based, which means eating lots of fruits and veggies at every meal, as well as lots of beans and tofu (and nuts for good measure). 


One of the reasons I am no longer vegan is because I love cheese, like most people. But it's really mucus-forming, bad for your skin and full of saturated fat (not to mention loaded with calories!). I made this cashew cream the other day and altered it a bit today for a broccoli and mushroom wrap I was making for lunch. It was so creamy and delicious, I didn't miss dairy cheese at all. 

I'm using an Android at the moment, so photo quality sucks. 

Give it a try, it might surprise you. 


Cashew Cream with Sun-dried Tomatoes
1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder (or chopped onions, I was out)
1/4 cup nutritional yeast 
handful chopped sun-dried tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil


Soak the cashews in enough water to cover them overnight in the fridge. The next day rinse them and place them in a high-speed blender with a cup of fresh water. Blend until a smooth consistency is formed. This is your basic cashew cream. 


Saute the garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the cashew cream and remaining ingredients and cook on low for 10 minutes or until everything is incorporated. 


Use as a base for wraps, in a vegan mac 'n' cheese or really anywhere you would normally use dairy cheese. 

Lemon Zested Broccoli with Parmesan

This broccoli is hands down the best broccoli I've ever had. Don't think I haven't noticed that I've been coming to you with really simple vegetable recipes recently. I think I owe you a dessert sometime soon. Actually, they can hardly be called recipes, because they are more food preparation techniques. But I think summer calls for simplifying. 


Take really fantastic ingredients (which are plenty in the summer) and do very little with them. Play with them just enough to make them shine. That's what I'm all about these days. 


Now, I've always been a fan of broccoli but when something is so good prepared simply, you don't really think to dress it up a lot. Thank goodness I found this recipe, and of course I owe it all to the ever-charming Ina Garten. And as much as I love my Barefoot Contessa, I am a nutrition student at the end of the day, which means I slashed the oil by a lot. 

Yum. 

This recipe is super simple but there's just something in the way all the flavors come together that is beyond. 


Lemon Zested Broccoli with Parmesan
Adapted from The Barefoot Contessa
1 head broccoli, broken into florets
4 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tbsp (or more) grated Parmesan
1 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon, zest and juice*
salt and pepper to taste


Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Separate the broccoli into mini-florets and place on baking sheet (do not wash the broccoli! or if you do, make sure to really dry it. You want the broccoli super dry when it goes into the oven. It roasts better). Slice garlic cloves and add to pan. Pour oil over broccoli and garlic. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mix.


Roast the broccoli for 20 minutes, flipping once halfway through. Once the broccoli has browned a bit, remove from the oven, zest the lemon with a microplane, squeeze the juice of one lemon and add the grated parmesan. Mix, taste and adjust for salt and pepper. 


I think you'll find like I did that it's just something about the combination of the lemon zest and juice and parmesan that just makes the broccoli really sing. 


Best broccoli I've had yet, hands down. 


*Remember to zest the lemon before you squeeze it for its juice. It's impossible to zest a lemon after it's been juiced, which I had to learn the hard way. 

Perfect Sweet Potatoes

I am a huge fan of sweet potatoes as I've mentioned on here before. They are extremely good for you (438% of your daily Vitamin A, 37% of your daily Vitamin C and 15% of your daily fiber needs) and just delicious as well. 


Though I am a fan of sweet potato fries, I try to stay away from fried foods most of the time. I get why normal potatoes need to be fried- they aren't that great prepared simply, so frying them in oil and adding a bunch of salt elevates them to a whole other level. 

How good does that look!?

But sweet potatoes are fantastic prepared simply. You really don't have to do much to make them really amazing. 


My favorite way to prepare them is by roasting them in the oven with some smoked paprika (an obsession), salt, pepper and just a touch of olive oil. A little really does go a long way here. 


The Perfect Sweet Potatoes
3 large sweet potatoes, cut into fourths*, skins on**
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
a few whirls of fresh ground pepper


Heat oven to 425 degrees F. 


Cut the potatoes into fourths, combine oil, paprika, salt and pepper on parchment paper on a pan with the potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes, flip them over and bake for another 20 minutes. 

* I used to always dice my sweet potatoes, but after seeing the Barefoot Contessa cut hers into fourths, I realized leaving them larger allows for more fluffy center to crispy edge ratio in the finished product. So go larger, trust. 


** You really should keep the skins on as that's where all the fiber is. I give them a good scrub with a dish scrubber (sans soap!) and they're good to go. 


Finally, if you haven't noticed, I only used 1.5 teaspoons for all three potatoes! And as you can see in the photos, it was more that enough to get them crusty and delicious. I know a lot of people who are very generous with the oil and it really does add up (1 tablespoon has 120 calories vs. 40 calories for one teaspoon). 


I enjoyed one of these at lunch, on top of a bed of arugula with cannellini beans. Yum!