Summer Lovin'. Summer Grillin'.

Grilled flat breads are an easy way to utilize yummy ingredients from the farmers markets in a simple and healthy way. This summer I have made these quite frequently. It's a great throw-together appetizer when you have company and it makes for a lovely entree served with a salad. Here are two recipes made with less than five ingredients to serve at your next barbecue or with after-work cocktails...

Tomato and Basil Flat Bread

Ingredients
whole wheat pita bread, 4 small discs
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
handful fresh basil, sliced
splash extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

In a small bowl, toss the tomatoes and basil with the olive oil, salt and pepper and set aside. Place the pita discs on the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes until they start to toast. Top the pita discs with the tomato mixture, piled high, and continue to grill until just warm. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using, and quarter the pitas with a pizza slicer. Serve immediately.

Truffle Radicchio Flat Bread

This recipe was inspired by Alicia Silverstone's Truffle Radicchio Pizza recipe. The flavor combination of the poignant truffle and peppery radicchio is incredibly addicting. I like to serve this as an appetizer with a good creamy cheese (for the non-vegans) and sliced fresh fig.

Ingredients

whole wheat pita bread, 4 small discs
1/2 head of radicchio, sliced
splash of truffle oil
splash extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, toss the radicchio with the olive oil, truffle oil, salt and pepper and set aside. Place the pita discs on the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes until they start to toast. Top the pita discs with the radicchio mixture, piled high (as it will wilt down), and continue to grill for about 7 minutes until just warm and slightly wilted. Sprinkle with addition sea salt to taste and quarter the pitas with a pizza slicer. Serve immediately.

I [heart] Coconut Macarons

Stay tuned...coming soon to the O'Cookies family...

Raw. Vegan. Gluten-free. Sugar-free. You will never believe it....

Summer Test Kitchen!

In the kitch testing some new recipes last week, my girls and I came up with some fun creations...not much to say just yet but I thought I'd share some pics. Think of this post as a "food for thought" blog. Made with all natural ingredients, these cutie-pie cupcakes are vegan, gluten-free and sugar-free! Perhaps a recipe will be soon to come? One hint: the icing base is made with avocados! Yep, and sweet coconut lime cakes packed with nutrition!

ThinkFood Cookbook Campaign

ThinkFood Cookbook has officially launched their Recipe of the Week campaign and I am excited to be a part of it as a contributor! The cookbook brings together 50 passionate food bloggers - each bringing to the table one recipe highlighting a brain-food-healthy ingredient. Sign up to receive the 50 ThinkFood recipes for free as part of the Recipe of the Week campaign.

About ThinkFood Cookbook...

*ThinkFood features 50 brain-healthy recipes from bloggers around the globe
*Thinkfood cookbook has snacks, appetizers, sides, salads, entrees and desserts
*The goal of this project is to take an integrated approach to brain health that includes brain training and brain healthy eating
*ThinkFood cookbook is sponsored/published by Posit Science. Posit Science's Mission is to apply breakthroughs in brain research to enhance human performance and to promote brain health.

Find Posit Science here:
Twitter Handle: @PositScience
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/positscience
More About Posit Science.

Join the Free Recipe of the Week Campaign! Sign up here: www.thinkfoodcookbook.com... It's free!

Beginning on June 16, one recipe will be distributed every Wednesday for the next 50 weeks. When you sign up, you will have access to the print version of the recipe, which includes more information about the brain healthy ingredient - plus additional cooking tips!

Check out the 50 Contributors to the ThinkFood cookbook. Their blogs are all incredible and worth following for future recipes as well!

ThinkFood Contributors

Posit Science
www.positscience.com
@positscience

Ambitious Deliciousness
www.ambitiousdeliciousness.com
Esther Chai
@ambitiousdelish

Shelterrific
http://www.shelterrific.com
Erica Policow

Carrots ‘N' Cake
http://carrotsncake.com
Tina Haupert
@CarrotsNCake

Food Loves Writing
http://foodloveswriting.com/
Shannalee T'Koy
@foodloves

Cooking with Amy
http://cookingwithamy.blogspot.com/
Amy Sherman
@cookingwithamy

Super Healthy Kids
http://blog.superhealthykids.com
Amy Roskelley
@Healthykids

Healthy Everythingtarian
http://www.thehealthyeverythingtarian.com/
Holly Whittlef

A Southern Fairytale
http://asouthernfairytale.com/
Rachel Matthews
@sthrnfairytale

Local Appetite New York
http://www.localappetiteny.com/
Jen Bernstein
@LocalAppetite

Dixie Caviar
http://dixiecaviar.com/
Nealey Dozier

Dine & Dish
www.dineanddish.net
Kristen Doyle
@DineandDish

Brown Eyed Baker
www.browneyedbaker.com
Michelle Norris
@browneyedbaker

Hangry Pants
www.hangrypants.com
Heather Pare
@hangrypants

Fake Food Free
www.fakefoodfree.com
Lori Rice
@lori1329

Food Blogga
www.foodblogga.com
Susan Russo
@FoodBlogga

Project Foodie
www.projectfoodie.com
Pam Thuman-Commike
@projectfoodie

Chocolate Shavings
http://ourchocolateshavings.blogspot.com/
Jennifer Bartoli
@ChocShavings

The Lunchbox Bunch, Healthy Happy Life
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/
Kathy Patalsky
@LunchBoxBunch

eCurry
http://www.ecurry.com/blog/
Soma Rathore
@soma_R

Gourmet Fury
www.gourmetfury.com
Melody Fury
@GourmetFury

O'Cookies Wholesome Bites
http://www.o-cookies.blogspot.com/
Erin O'Leary Stewart
@erinocookies

Best Fruit Now
www.bestfruitnow.com
Tom Kovacevich
@BestFruitNow

Off The Broiler
www.offthebroiler.com
Jason Perlow
@jperlow

Stone Soup
http://thestonesoup.com/blog/
Jules Clancy
@jules_stonesoup

Anne's Food Blog
http://annesfood.blogspot.com/
Anne Skoogh
@annesfood

Eclectic Recipes
www.eclecticrecipes.com
Angelia McGowan
@EclecticRecipes

Seriously Good
http://seriouslygood.kdweeks.com
Kevin Weeks
@KDWeeks

Laurel On HealthFood
www.laurelonhealthfood.com
Laurel Moll
@LaurelMoll

Make Life Sweeter
http://linda.kovacevic.nl/
Linda Kovacevic

Herbivoracious
www.herbivoracious.com
Michael Natkin
@michaelnatkin

Wild Yeast Blog
www.wildyeastblog.com
Susan Tenney
@wildyeast

My Sweet Vegan
http://www.MySweetVegan.com
Hannah Kaminskly

The Arugula Files
http://arugulafiles.typepad.com
Mary Cunningham
@arugulafiles

Napa Farm House 1885
www.napafarmhouse1885.blogspot.com
Diane Padoven
@napafarmhouse

Lisa's Kitchen
http://foodandspice.blogspot.com/
Lisa Turner

Pink Bites
http://www.pinkbites.com/
Rita Turner

Katie Cakes
http://iheartkatiecakes.blogspot.com/
Katie Deacon
@Katie_Cakes

Tastes Like Home
http://www.tasteslikehome.org/
Cynthia Nelson

Dash & Bella
http://www.dashandbella.blogspot.com/
Phyllis Grant
@dashandbella

Greedy Gourmet
www.greedygourmet.com
Michelle Minnaar
@tweetygourmet

Daily Unadventures In Cooking
http://www.dailyunadventuresincooking.com/KKaterina Wright
@dailyuncooking

Sugar Bar
http://www.sugarbar.org/
Davina Lim
@sugarbardiva

For The Love Of Cooking
http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/
Pam Nelson

My Cooking Hut
www.mycookinghut.com
Leemei Tan

Closet Cooking
http://closetcooking.blogspot.com/
Kevin Lynch
@ClosetCooking

The Leftover Queen
http://www.leftoverqueen.com/
Jenn DiPiazza Campus
@leftoverqueen

Apples and Butter
http://www.applesandbutter.com/
Jessica Durff
@ApplesandButter

Sassy Radish
www.sassyradish.com
Olga Massov
@sassyradish

Off The (Meat)Hook
http://offthemeathook.com/
Karen Merzenich
@offthemeathook

La Note Restaurant
www.lanoterestaurant.com
Denise Ravizza

Stay tuned for my recipe of the week...I'll be posting it here when they launch it!

Summer Baja Tacos

It's officially summer and Sunday Night Taco Night is a staple for us. Simple, fresh, quick and easy, it's the ultimate "get-ready-for-your-week" yet still feel like you're enjoying yourself kinda meal. You can make it your own, which is ideal for James and I. He adds the cheese and the shrimp and I usually keep things vegan-ized. Left-over tomato salsa can be used to top salads later in the week or used as the base of a quick tomato sauce. Great to have in the fridge for weeknight dinners.

Ingredients
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
extra virgin olive oil
juice of one lime
course sea salt
corn tortillas
fresh guacamole
1 can black beans
1 garlic clove
Fresh Tomato Salsa (see recipe)
crumbed cotija cheese (optional)
hot sauce (Cholula is my fav)

Start with preparing the black beans by simply pouring into a small saucepan with one crushed garlic clove and a pinch of sea salt. Simmer over low heat for 15-20 minutes, or as long as it takes to prepare the rest of the meal.

Fresh Tomato Salsa
1 pint grape tomatoes, quartered
3 Tbsp finely chopped white onion
course sea salt
squeeze of a lime
finely chopped jalapenos, depending on how hot you like it

Combine the tomatoes and onion in a bowl and season with salt and lime. Add the jalapeno in small amounts until it reaches the heat of your liking.

Preheat your grill over high heat. Toss shrimp with a splash of olive oil, lime juice and pinch of salt. Grill until cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side.

To serve, heat the tortillas in a dry frying pan and wrap in a kitchen towel to keep warm. Pile a few shrimp on top of each tortilla and serve with the tomato salsa, squeeze of a lime, guacamole, black beans, dash of hot sauce and an optional crumble of cojita cheese on top. Easy as pie!

James Beard Foundation- Vegan Summer Dinner!

Last week I had the opportunity to attend a summer vegan event at the James Beard Foundation – a nonprofit organization that aims to preserve America’s diverse culinary heritage and future. They invited Philadelphia-based vegan restaurant Horizons for the second time to host a dinner at the legendary Beard House in New York City. This was the first time in 23 years that the James Beard Foundation was recognizing vegan cuisine as just that, a cuisine. Definitely something to celebrate!

Hors d’oeuvres were being prepped as I walked in the kitchen and I couldn't help but take my camera out. They were almost too beautiful to eat! My favorites included fritters of hearts of palm with pickled asparagus rémoulade and a bruschetta with tofu, pickled daikon and charred shishito peppers. Incredible! My non-vegan friend who came with me was in awe that no dairy was used in any of these recipes.



Grilled seitan and horseradish crèpes with braised butter lettuce also set the tone for the evening...


We were escorted to the dining room to be seated for what was to be the most incredible 5-course meal. An amuse of an silky asparagus soup came first. Salt-Roasted Golden Beet Carpaccio and Tartare then kicked off the meal with applewood-smoked tofu, avocado capers, pumpernickel and cucumber-dill cream that delightfully surprised my non-veg friend, once again, for a dairy cream! Paired with a Handley Gewurztraminer, the presentation was exquisite. The flavors, perfection.


Next, a shallow bowl of mustard croutons bursting with flavor and upland cress was filled with warm, savory Sunchoke and Horseradish Bisque. Paired nicely with a 2008 Pfaffenheim Pinot Blanc. Mouth-watering just thinking about it...

A third course of Glazed Nebrodini Mushroom with Seaweed Caramel, Chinese Broccoli Puree, Smoked Miso and Cucumber Sashimi. The Tozai Snow Maiden Junmai Nigori Sake boasted a light and airy composition and harmonized quite well with the earthy flavors of the mushrooms and miso. At this point I was trying not to finish each plate, as I knew there was more to come, but it was seeming to be impossible.
The fourth course, an entrée of Catalan Grilled Tofu, sent us into a tangy world of garlic salsa verde, dried olives and raw ratatouille. The gigantic bean puree and pioppini mushrooms that accompanied the protein had an exceptional taste and texture. I am not usually a fan of grilled tofu as a main component but this dish was hearty, flavorful and I could not get enough of the bean puree.


Save room for dessert? Not at all, but a vegan dessert is not something I ever pass up. The final course of Strawberry-Sorrel Bread Pudding with Saffron Ice Cream and Rhubarb Nectar might have stolen the show for me. It would have been easy, I imagine, for the complex flavors of the bread pudding to upstage the strawberries or overpower the bashful hints of saffron in terrible and unjust ways, and yet it did not. Instead, the delicate pudding served as a sponge of taste, soaking in each ingredient and delivering bite after bite of perfect synchronicity. I almost ate the leftovers at the table...along with the last drops of 2008 Rivetto Moscato d’Asti that was served as an accompaniment.

A memorable night at the Beard House and such an honor to be a part of something so relevant. James Beard himself would have been surprised and yet impressed to see an incredible vegan event hosted in his home.

Vegan Baked

Just completed Fran Costigan's 5-day intensive Vegan Baking Boot Camp at the Natural Gourmet Institute and man did I learned a lot! I was completely inspired that I had to share this with you all. Here are just a few of the many fabulously delicious dairy-free, egg-free desserts that we created. All to die for!

(Chocolate Cake to Live For with Chocolate Frosting)

(Vanilla Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Frosting and Luster Dust)

(Fran discussing Cake Day)

(Vanilla Cake with Pecan Coconut Filling and Chocolate Ganache)

(Carrot Cake)

(Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie)

Vegan Baking Boot Camp Grads 2010

VOTE FOR O'COOKIES!

O'Cookies Wholesome Bites nominated: Best Baked Sweets, Vegetarian Times' 2010 Foodie Awards!!! Please vote!

This is a very exciting endorsement from the premier vegetarian publication in the country! And we need your help to win! Please help by voting today:http://staging.vegetariantimes.com/community/sweepstakes/55

Thank you so much,Vegetarian Times , for recognizing O'Cookies Wholesome Bites and thank you to all of our clients, family, friends and followers. I have truly appreciated all of your support over the past couple of years and could not have made it this far without you all.

So if you have a minute, you can take a look at all of the Vegetarian Times 2010 Foodie Award Nominees HERE, and vote for O'Cookies Wholesome Bites Vegan Dark Chocolate Raisin Oat! We are in category #13, “Baked Sweets”. 



Even if you haven't had a chance to try Vegan Dark Chocolate Raisin Oat, take it from VT and our happy customers - they rock! A seemingly sinful treat free of animal products - all natural, organic and healthy! All O'Cookies are available online for purchase at www.o-cookies.com or at Cafe Angelique in Manhattan, NY; La Casita Yarn Shop Cafe in Brooklyn, NY; and Smoothie King in Richardson, TX (Dallas area).

With thanks to Vegetarian Times and to you all for your continued support,

Erin O'Leary Stewart
Founder, President

Raw. Real. Radiant.

Fresh and vibrant, stacked high with seasonal elements, this is one of my all-time favorite dishes. Call it a vegetable napoleon or vegan lasagna, I have tried several versions from restaurants and delivery services around the city. I decided to attempt Pure Food and Wine's version from their "Raw Food, Real World" cookbook. Layered with basil-pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato sauce and pignoli ricotta, their "Zucchini and Green Zebra Tomato Lasagna" is one of their best-selling entrees, not to mention, my very first raw dish ever tried and thoroughly tasted!

Vegetable Lasagna
with basil-pistachio pesto, sun-dried tomato sauce and pignoli ricotta

pignoli ricotta:
1 cups raw pignoli (pine) nuts, soaked for 1 hour or more
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sea salt
6 Tbsp filtered water

Place the pignoli nuts, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times, until thoroughly combined. Gradually add the water and process until the texture becomes fluffy, like ricotta.

tomato sauce
2 cups sun-dried tomatoes, soaked for 2 hours or more
1 small to medium tomato, diced
1/4 small onion, chopped
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp agave nectar
2 tsp sea salt
Pinch red pepper flakes

Squeeze and drain as much of the water out of the soaked sun-dried tomatoes as you can. Add the drained tomatoes to a high-speed blender with the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.

basil-pistachio pesto
2 cups packed basil leaves
1/2 cup pistachios
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp sea salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until well combined but still chunky.

assembly
3 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 Tbsp fresh thyme
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper
3 medium heirloom tomatoes, cut in half and then sliced
basil leaves for garnish, sliced

Cut the zucchini crosswise in half. Using a mandoline, cut the zucchini lengthwise into very thin slices. In a medium bowl, toss the zucchini slices with the olive oil, oregano, thyme, salt and pepper.

For individual servings, place about 3 zucchini slices, slightly overlapping on each serving plate, creating a square shape. Spread tomato sauce over the zucchini, top with small dollops of "ricotta" and pesto and a few small tomato slices. Repeat twice more. Serve immediately, or cover with plastic and let sit at room temperature for a few hours. Garnish with basil leaves.

Leftover lasagna should last in the refrigerator for at least a day or two, though it wont look as brightly colored.

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

I guess you can say that I've been on a stir-fry kick but I can't help but share this with you- definitely a dinner worth trying for yourselves. I caught a glimpse of Mario Batali this morning on the Today Show making a raw asparagus salad that looked fresh and appropriate for the season. I thought I'd try something similar instead of the usual green salad to start. The Parmesan really adds an bold taste to the dish but it is also wonderful without it if you're doing the vegan thing.

This Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry recipe is taken from the The Candle Cafe Cookbook, one of New York's renowned and one of my favorite vegan restaurants in the city. I actually introduced my husband to tempeh tonight and, let's just say, this is the perfect dish for a meat-eating Texan, "no tofu please" guy to try it. Not only did he enjoy it, he officially approved the dish and has added Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry to our ultimate "dinner rotation". I did some of the prep work ahead of time (the peanut sauce can be made well in advance and Whole Foods does a great job of having prepped vegetables in their refrigerator section!). Don't be intimidated by the amount of ingredients. It really is an easy recipe to follow.

Shaved Asparagus with Parmesan

Asparagus bunch, ends snapped off
Parmigiano-Reggiano, shaved
Juice of a lemon
splash of olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a mandolin or vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus into thin long strips. Put the Parmigiano in a large bowl and whisk in the lemon juice, slowly drizzling in the oil. Add the asparagus and toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Spicy Soba Noodle Stir-Fry

Peanut Sauce
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1/4 cup brown rice vinegar
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 Tbsp crushed red chili flakes
1 Tbsp ketchup (I know, I thought this was weird too but trust me)
1/4 cup Tamari soy sauce
1 Tbsp Tabasco
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 Tbsp sesame oil

Soba Noodles and Tempeh
1 8-ounce package Tempeh, cubed
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb soba noodles

Stir-Fry
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp minced garlic
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
3/4 chopped onion
1 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup trimmed and blanched string beans
1 1/2 cups cut and blanched broccoli florets
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1/2 cup sliced shitake mushrooms
1 Tbsp Tamari soy sauce
2 1/2 tsp sesame oil

To prepare the peanut sauce, place all of the ingredients with 2 cups of water in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator, covered, for up to a week. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Place the tempeh cubes in a bowl and cover with the peanut sauce. Refrigerate for at least an hour or up to overnight. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the soba noodles, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt and olive oil. Add the soba noodles and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To prepare the stir-fry, heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add tempeh and saute for 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, cabbage, string beans, and broccoli and stir-fry for 5 minutes, then add the peppers and mushrooms and saute for about 2 minutes. Add some peanut sauce and continue to saute, tossing the vegetables, tempeh and sauce together until the desired doneness, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the tamari soy sauce and sesame oil and stir-fry for an additional 3 minutes. Serve over the soba noodles with additional peanut sauce. Serves about 6.