ashleyd /

Scrumptious Vegan Coconut Macaroons

Yesterday I had the great honor to meet and get to know Meghann and a number of wonderful fellow NYC bloggers through the NYRR Gridiron 4M race and blogger brunch. This was the perfect excuse to use my KitchenAid mixer that we received as a  wedding gift. I assumed that there would be a mixed bag at the brunch in regards to food preferences (vegetarian, pescatarian, vegan, etc). Therefore, I decided to experiment with vegan baking and agave. After navigating a few different sites and asking Bo for his opinion I opted for macaroons. I had to alter the recipes a bit as I didn’t have white flour and ran short on vanilla. But, based on the feedback Heather and Dori have posted, I think they were a great success. I hope you enjoy these as much as Bo did! This recipe is super easy to double or even triple as I did for Sunday’s occasion.

Scrumptious Vegan Coconut Macaroons
1 1/2 cups finely shredded UNSWEETENED coconut

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
                                                                                     1/4 cup agave nectar
                                                                                     1/2 cup water
                                                                                      1 tsp Vanilla extract
                                                                                     1/2 tsp Almond extract
Directions
Combine dry ingredients in medium bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a large measuring cup, then add to dry and mix well. Use your hands to shape into Tbsp size balls and place on a non-stick cookie sheet or parchment paper with spray. Bake at 350F for 10-13 minutes or till golden brown. The cookies will be slightly crispy out of the oven and will soften after cooling. Serves 12 hungry friends:)
Sorry for the short post tonight but i’m vegging in bed with a bad headache and hitting the sack early!

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A good ol’ Southern recipe

After we each put in more hours at the office than anyone should have to on a Saturday, Bo and I met at Grand Central Market for our weekly Saturday market shopping. I call it market shopping as we tend to shop solely at Grand Central or Chelsea Market on Saturday as we find inspiration and enjoyment that we wouldn’t enjoy at our local grocery store. We were both craving cajun flounder tonight even though it is so easy and simple. (Penzey’s has a great cajun rub!) But, we drew a blank at what vegetable would match the flavor and mood. Our favorite roasted root vegetable recipe quickly went out the door as we knew that wasn’t a fit for tonight. As we glanced at the Greenwich Produce stand I immediately knew tonight’s fish called for a Southern favorite- okra and tomatoes. Instead of sticking with the same recipe we’ve used in the past, Bo used his talents to invent his own recipe. He spiced it up with Framani rosemary ham from Murray’s and added scallions and garlic for flavor. Enjoy!
 
Bo’s Okra and Tomatoes
-1/2 c chopped ham (top quality)
-1/2 c chopped scallions
-1 Tbsp minced garlic
-1 Tbsp evoo
-3 cups chopped fresh okra
-1 28oz can of whole peeled tomatoes
-1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes
-salt & pepper
 
Heat a 4 qt saucepan over medium high heat and add EVOO. Add ham and saute for 1-2 minutes until the ham begins to brown. Add garlic and scallions and saute with ham until aromatic and ham is nicely browned. Add okra, salt, and pepper to taste, before sauteeing for another minute. Deglaze the pan with both cans of tomatoes. Bring them to simmer over high heat, stir a few times, and then turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for an hour or so. The flavor will continue to improve as it simmers. Enjoy!
 
 
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An expensive addiction…

I still can’t believe it. My fiance has a new addiction and it’s 100% healthy and something i’ve been trying to introduce to him for over a year. His $1.99 a day addiction is Fage 0% Plain. Since cutting back on caffeine, artificial foods, and processed foods over the last week he realized he wanted something delicious and protein rich for a mid morning snack or afternoon treat. He has one of these bad boys each day mixed with 1 packet of stevia and some fresh berries. I can’t believe this guy is my fiance! His favorite things about Fage are its’ dense, rich, and creamy texture. He didn’t believe that it was healthy or low fat until he looked at the label because it tasted more like cream. Furthermore, it makes a great afternoon or morning snack due to its high protein content. I’ve started enjoying this for a breakfast alternative with ground flax seeds, berries, and stevia.

This weekend we decided to try Fage in some other ways such as a mayonaise alternative in tuna and chicken salads or as sour cream in Mexican dishes. Sunday we decided to test it with a healthier version of tuna salad.

ENJOY!

Healthier Tuna Salad 

Makes 4 servings

A low-fat/high protein tuna salad using non-fat yogurt.

Ingredients

10 oz. solid white albacore tuna
2 oz (1/4 cup) Fage 0% Greek Plain Yogurt
1 tbsp mayonnaise (Hellmann’s)
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/2 tsp seasoned salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp chopped cilantro

Directions

Mix all ingredients together. Season with pepper to taste.

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