Vegan pizza crust

This post was originally published as Easy Pizza Night by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Using pre-made pizza doughs can be such a huge time saver when you’re craving a pizza night. I bought some gluten-free pizza crusts from a brand called Udi’s. They were in the frozen section at my favorite health food store. I was hoping to find a vegan pizza crust, but was unsuccessful on that grocery trip. I chose Udi’s because the ingredient list was short and I could use them right out of the freezer. No need to defrost and perfect for a busy night!

For my sauce, I used store-bought organic marinara and added some fresh basil and garlic to flavor it up. I used vegan mozzarella alternative from Galaxy Foods for my cheese. So far this is the best tasting cheese alternative I’ve tried. I wouldn’t eat big pieces of it plain, but it works great on pizza or burritos, and I don’t even miss real cheese.

For toppings I used green bell pepper and shiitake mushroom caps. Then I drizzled a little olive oil on top to make things crispy.

One of these days I’m going to get a bread maker and attempt to make my own crust, but these frozen doughs were so easy and convenient for a fast weeknight dinner.

Double Chocolate Chip Giveaways

This post was originally published as Mary’s Gone Crackers Giveaway by Laurel on Health Food blog. 

A few weeks ago I was at Whole Foods doing some grocery shopping and got the chance to try some snacks from Mary’s Gone Crackers. I thought their name was cute, but I was instantly intrigued by their pretzel-type snacks flavored with curry. I love anything curry, so I tried the snacks, and instantly loved them. They were super crunchy and kinda spicy with that great curry flavor I am always craving. Since then I’ve had a chance to try all of the Mary’s Gone Crackers products, and am thrilled to share my review and a giveaway of 3 products.

All Mary’s Gone Crackers products are organic, wheat-free, and gluten-free. They are made with healthy whole grains and seeds such as quinoa, flax seeds, brown rice, sesame seeds, and chia seeds. Sweet!

Cookies
The cookies come in 4 flavors: Chocolate Chip, Ginger Snap, N’Oatmeal Raisin, and Double Chocolate Chip. My favorite is the chocolate chip, because let’s face it, I’m just a sucker for a chocolate chip cookie. My second favorite is the N’Oatmeal Raisin. They are dense, soft, and chewy. The Double Chocolate Chip flavor has a strong cocoa taste (for the dark chocolate lover). The Ginger Snaps were quite a bit crunchier than the other cookies, so I like them best with a glass of almond milk.

Mary's Gone Crackers, assorted cookies

Crackers
The crackers come in 5 flavors: Original, Caraway, Herb, Onion, and Black Pepper. All the crackers look about the same but have subtly different flavors that make each one unique. They are all thin and crunchy and taste great with hummus, bean dips, or mashed avocado and veggies. My favorite flavors are the Caraway and Onion. The caraway tastes like rye bread (yum) and the onion has a sweet roasted onion flavor that makes you want to go back for more.

Mary's Gone Crackers, assorted crackers

Sticks & Twigs
The sticks and twigs come in 3 flavors: Sea Salt, Curry, and Chipotle Tomato. They kind of resemble pretzels but are even crunchier thanks to lots of whole flax seeds and sesame seeds. I went crazy for the curry flavor which I dunked in hummus for afternoon snacks. The sea salt was also a favorite, with just a touch of salty flavor that’s not overbearing. The sticks and twigs are perfect for someone who loves super crunchy snacks.

Mary's Gone Crackers, assorted sticks & twigs

Announcing a giveaway! To submit your entry to win Double Chocolate Cookies, Chipotle Tomato Sticks & Twigs, and Black Pepper crackers from Mary’s Gone Crackers, complete one or all of the following actions (to earn up to 3 entries):

• Leave a comment here telling me which of the Mary’s Gone Crackers products you want to try the most (check out their website for a full list of products).
• Share this giveaway on Twitter and include @LaurelMoll and the link to the giveaway in your tweet. Please leave me a comment to let me know you’ve done it.
• Share this giveaway on Facebook and include a link to this giveaway. Leave me a comment with a link to your FB post.

All entries must be complete by Wednesday April 27th, 2011 at 11:59pm EST. Each entry will be put in a bag, and I’ll pull out a name for the winner. If you win, I’ll contact you by email to ask for your full name and address to ship you the snacks. Open to U.S. residents only. Good luck!

Mary's Gone Crackers Giveaway (Double Chocolate Cookies, Chipotle Tomato Sticks & Twigs, and Black Pepper Crackers)

MAJOR craving for pesto

This post was originally published as Baked Pesto Chicken by Laurel on Health Food blog.

Yesterday I had a MAJOR craving for pesto, so I made some organic chicken thighs with loads of pesto and fresh lemon juice. Wanted to share with you. This one has a super easy preparation because I used store-bought pesto. One of these days I’m gonna make my own pesto again and post the recipe here. But until then, this Baked Pesto Chicken is something you can put together in 5 minutes, stick in the oven, and forget about for an hour. Nice! I like using organic chicken thighs because they’re inexpensive and guaranteed to be moist. But, feel free to use skin-on chicken breast or whatever pieces are your favorite.

Baked Pesto Chicken

4-5 chicken thighs (skin on)
4-5 heaping tsp. prepared pesto
½ lemon
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a glass baking dish. Using your fingers, separate the skin from each thigh and spread 1 tsp. of pesto under the skin, on top of the meat. Replace skin on top of each thigh and drizzle olive oil on top of the skins. Season with salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes. As soon as you take the chicken out of the oven, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top of each thigh and let rest for 5 minutes before eating.

Tip 1: You can find prepared pesto in a jar near the tomato sauces in any grocery store. Look for all natural ingredients. Tip 2: For a comforting, home-style meal, serve these chicken thighs with boiled red potatoes and green beans.

Good food is good food : Eating Vegan

This post was originally published as Day 2: Eating Vegan by Laurel on Health Food blog. 

It’s Day 2 of the “7 Days of Eating Vegan” blogathon, and I’m feeling great so far. Given the light, vegetable-heavy foods I prepare and my high level of physical activity…I feel like I’m eating ALL THE TIME. But, it works for me. I can keep my energy up all day long and the foods are healthy and satisfying. Make sure you do what’s best for you, and listen to your body!

Yesterday I started off the day with granola and fruit again (granola, strawberries, banana, coconut milk, and walnuts). It’s my favorite breakfast these days and is something I can prepare in just a couple minutes.

I was really busy with work during lunch, so I decided on an Amy’s Kitchen organic frozen veggie burger. I ate it on a thin whole wheat sandwich bun and topped it with fresh salad greens, avocado, red bell pepper, and a spoonful of hummus. Frozen foods can be a huge help when you’re busy, and I have always liked Amy’s brand. Adding the fresh vegetables on top of the burger spruced it up and gave it lots of flavor. I got a little hungry again later, so I had a small bowl of leftover pad thai that I made last weekend. (If you’re interested, the Tofu Pad Thai recipe comes from Alex Jamieson’s Living Vegan for Dummies book.)

I went to the gym after work and grabbed a coconut water with tangerine for some healthy hydration before my cardio workout and ate a few pieces of raw (dairy-free) dark chocolateTip: You can stock up on vegan-friendly snacks and drinks like these at your local health food store). when I got home. (

My boyfriend and I had one of our friends over for dinner, and they were both happy to eat my vegan dishes! Good food is good food, right?! I made us personal-pan pizzas using store-bought whole wheat flatbreads, tomato sauce seasoned with garlic and basil, topped with fennel, red onion, and yellow bell pepper. I drizzled olive oil on the veggies and baked the pizzas for about 10-15 minutes in the oven at 400 degrees. Once out of the oven, I added a few slices of avocado before serving. We’re addicted to avocado! I also made black and white sesame tofu (recipe below). They gobbled it up. I was a happy cook.

Black and White Sesame Tofu (Vegan)
(makes about 3-4 servings)

Black & White Sesame Tofu, draining on paper towels

1 package extra firm tofu
2 tbsp. black sesame seeds
2 tbsp. white sesame seeds
2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp. soy sauce
Salt (optional)

Remove the tofu from the package and cut into 1/2 inch thick rectangles. Spread tofu out on a few layers of paper towels and top with more paper towels. Press down firmly to soak up as much excess liquid as you can. Sprinkle the tofu with a little salt (optional). Mix the sesame seeds together in a bowl or on a plate and roll each piece of tofu in the seeds until all sides are covered. Heat up sesame oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan or cast-iron skillet. Place the tofu in the pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove tofu from the pan, and place on a paper-towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Drizzle soy sauce on top and serve warm.

Tip: You may not need the salt if you use regular soy sauce. It’s a good idea to add a little sprinkle, though, if you use the low sodium kind.

Here’s a few more pictures from the day:

Grilled Amy's veggie burger for lunch

Leftover pad thai (recipe by Alex Jamieson, Living Vegan for Dummies book)

Citrus avocado salad in the morning

This post was originally published as Citrus Avocado Salad by Laurel on Health Food blog.

After I wrote the post on lycopene earlier this week, I was in the mood for some pink grapefruit. I found a huge organic pink grapefruit at my favorite health food store, Westerly’s Natural Market, and decided to make a quick fruit salad for breakfast on Wednesday. We have fresh spearmint growing in our indoor herbal planter, so I took the chance to use some up. The smell of fresh mint is heavenly, especially in the morning.

Citrus Avocado Salad

 

1 pink grapefruit
2 oranges
1 avocado
1 handful fresh mint leaves

Chop up the grapefruit, oranges, and avocado into bite-sized pieces. Toss together and garnish with fresh mint leaves. Serve chilled. 

Tip: If you can’t eat grapefruit because of medications (or personal preference), you could substitute extra oranges, tangerines, or mango.

Organic Restaurants in New York City

Check out the  Organic Restaurants in New York City and If you plan to travel, you can go check them out! I know I plan to hit up each of the following spots in NYC. Enjoy!

Note: I featured a limited number of restaurants above for space and time consideration. There’s no way I could include everything in this list, so if you have a favorite organic spot in the city, please leave a comment and let me know!