Food From the Heart and For the Heart.

Valentine's Day this year was filled with all the things I love: good food and amazing friends. What else could you want on such a holiday?? Nothing!

The day began with breakfast, of course. I had my girls over for a breakfast of heart-shaped biscuits and sage gravy. I made my usual biscuit recipe, but cut them into hearts with cookie cutters my mom gave me as a Valentine's present! Thanks, mom!! Seriously, check out those layers. mmmmmmm yeah.After church a few of us went out to eat at a local restaurant called You Say Tomato. This place is seriously adorable!! There are only a few vegan options, but the staff is really helpful and knowledgeable, and willing to make things vegan for you if you want. So nice! They use mostly local, organic ingredients and serve it all up in a cozy diner setting, which just happens to be my favorite of all time!

I got the Hummus and Pita Plate, which is a big bowl of homemade hummus, topped with a sweet chili sauce, and served with locally-made pita bread and fresh cucumber slices. The sweet, salty, creamy, chewy, crisp combo made for one tasty lunch for sure!
I also got a side of their Roasted Potatoes, which were made with local russet and sweet potatoes! Seriously, potatoes are the best food ever, perhaps.
Dinner was also with my girls (yes, we spend all of our time together!!) spent over candlelight and as a precursor to watching Romeo and Juliet, the Leo DiCaprio version, obviously.

I did the main meal: Rosemary-Walnut Crusted (local) Tofu, Caramelized Onions, Garlic-Roasted (local) Potatoes, and Raw Kale-(local) Beet Salad. Delicious. Raw Kale-Beet Salad (serves 3-4)
1 bunch kale
1 large or 5-6 small beets
1/2 cup red onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs cold-pressed olive oil
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper

In a large bowl, combine the kale and olive oil. Massage the kale with the oil until it softens and takes on a delicate, wilted texture. Add the lemon juice and vinegar, then toss to coat the kale. Add in the onion, garlic, beets, and spices. Stir to combine. Serve immediately or (my favorite) let chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and then serve!

The girls took care of dessert, which was awesome!

Emily made a Chocolate-Balsamic Cake with Raspberry-Balsamic Glaze and Fresh Raspberries. The chocolate-balsamic-berry combination is just sooooo gooooood!!! My mouth waters just writing about it! Chelsea made cupcakes, because cupcakes are absolutely perfect for absolutely any occasion!!! She made Vanilla Cupcakes (from VCTOTW) topped with Berry Jam and Coconut Frosting. Another awesome flavor combination! Perfect way to end a meal!

I was so blessed this Valentine's Day with love!!! Thanks everybody!!

Valentine's Food, Of Course!

First off, Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone! I had a great day with Steven, and we celebrated by taking a walk together, getting a couple's massage together, cooking dinner together, then watching a movie together...it was perfect! I can't imagine a better way to celebrate a holiday than making a meal with people you love. We had a Jamaican-inspired meal...I guess you could say the theme was "One Love," but only if you're super cheezy.
Here's what we had!

Appetizer: Fried Plantains with Agave Nectar

Main Course: Jamaican Jerk Tempeh, Mango-Coconut Sticky Rice, Garlic Sauteed GreensDessert: Peanut-Yam Empanadas

In addition to being happy about the great Valentine's Day events, I am also excited to be living in Columbia again! Kansas City was nice, but it is good to be with my friends and Steven. To celebrate my first night back, we went to dinner at my old ball and chain, Main Squeeze! I miss working there a whole lot, but it is also kinda nice to go there and eat and not have to worry about customers and other stresses! I got one of my all-time favorites, the Good Fortune Wrap. It is seasoned tofu, brown rice, homemade sesame-ginger sauce, carrots, spinach, cabbage, scallions, and sesame seeds all rolled up and toasted in a whole wheat tortilla...how could you say no?? The sesame-ginger sauce makes this a wrap I come back to often!

Good Fortune Wrap

On another note, I think I have perfected my Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich recipe! woohoo! You should try it out and lemme know what you think...

Vegan Monte Cristo Sandwich (serves 2)
4 slices whole grain bread
4 slices veggie "ham"
2 slices vegan cheeze
2 Tablespoons jam, such as raspberry or blackberry
2 Tablespoons dijon or creole mustard
Nonstick cooking spray, as needed
Bread Batter:
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup water
2 Tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 Tbs maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbs nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Set our four slices of bread. Spread 1 Tbs jam on two of the slices and 1 Tbs spicy mustard on the other two slices. Place half of a slice of cheeze, broken up or shredded, onto each slice of slathered bread. Place slices of veggie "ham" on top of the cheeze, and top with the other slice of bread (so each sandwich has one jam slice and one mustard slice). In a wide bowl or pie pan, whisk together the batter ingredients until well-combined. Heat a skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick cooking spray. When pan is hot, dip one sandwich in batter and flip to coat completely. Place battered sandwich in hot pan and cook on both sides until the bread is browned and toasted, and the batter has mostly cooked off...you don't want a soggy sandwich!
Repeat with the second sandwich and serve hot, drizzled with maple syrup and dusted with a little cinnamon or powdered sugar!
Note: If the cheeze doesn't melt with cooking in the skillet, place cooked sandwiches on a cookie sheet and bake at 350F for 10 or so minutes until it is more melty!!

This makes a perfect brunch entree!