Happy February! We survived the January blues and now have Valentine's Day or one of America's best Hallmark holidays to look forward to. Let's be honest, if you are in a relationship or just started seeing someone, February 14 is definitely on your mind. 

Did you make a dinner reservation yet? For those of you in the Boston area, True Bistro has a 100% plant-based mouth watering prefix menu option. 

Have you picked out a gift or will you get your main squeeze the traditional roses and chocolate? 

Maybe you plan to skip the lines and overpriced prefix menus and make a romantic dinner at home instead. 

Whatever you decide, if you are Vegan or you are in a relationship with a Vegan, you don't want to be scrambling to figure out exactly what to buy or make. Hershey's Chocolate, Cadbury, and Ghiradelli don't offer (that I know of) Vegan products yet. 

Here are five Vegan Valentine's Day sweet ideas to consider: 

• No Whey Foods! offers a variety of traditional boxed chocolates but all Vegan! 
• Vegan Divas on the Upper East Side in NYC provide satisfying red velvet cakes and cupcakes to order or for delivery in the city. 
• PETA has a great round up of 14 candies all free from dairy products and gelatin. 
• The Natural Candy Store sells lollipops, mints, hard candy, and a few Vegan chocolates. 
• Of course Amazon has you covered with more than 500 Vegan chocolate box ideas! You're bound to find one or two that are suitable! 

And for the more creative folks, here are five of the best Vegan meals & desserts to make at home that will wow your partner: 

• Want to make your night a sizzling one? Try these Spinach and Hominy Enchiladas with Spicy Cashew Cream from Serious Eats.
• Oh She Glows has you covered in the sweets department. Vegan chocolate cupcakes with salted buttercream anyone? Mmmm. 
• Vegan Butter company Earth Balance suggests a handful of appetizers, main courses, and desserts to create the perfect romantic dinner. 
• Allrecipes culled through their best Vegan and Vegetarian dinner recipes for you and your sweetie. 
• I'll take at least one lava cake and one mint chocolate fudge pie please. Mmm. 

Now that you have a few Vegan sweets and dinner ideas to ponder, don't forget to write a handwritten love note to woo your sweetheart. 

When I say "Tofu" to any non-Vegan or non-Vegetarian the most common reaction is usually a contorted face or "Oh, I hate that." And they really aren't that far off base. A plain, uncooked block of Tofu is disgusting. In fact, it's downright inedible. 

But when you mix some spices with creativity, you can transform an ugly, tasteless block of soybeans into something magnificent! In this case, you can make a delicious, easy Vegan appetizer in under 30 minutes. 

Ingredients:

1 (14 oz) block of Organic Extra Firm Tofu
2.5 Tablespoons Crunchy Organic Peanut Butter
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
5 Tablespoons Hot Water
1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger Powder
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Sesame Oil 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. 

2. Remove the Tofu from the packaging and drain. Press the Tofu on a cutting board until completely dry using paper towels. Cut the Tofu into thick cubes.

3. Place the Tofu cubes onto a nonstick cookie sheet in a single layer.

4. Bake the Tofu cubes for 25 minutes, flipping half way through to ensure they are crispy on all sides. While the Tofu is baking, mix all of the sauce ingredients together in a medium size bowl. 

5. If the sauce is too thin, add flour, one tablespoon at a time. 

6. Remove the Tofu from the oven after 25 minutes and allow to cool on a baking cooling rack. Once cool, place the Tofu cubes in a bowl and pour sauce over them. Allow to marinate for about 10 minutes. If you are using a bowl that is oven safe, I'd recommend throwing the Tofu back in the oven for a few minutes to heat up before serving. 

Today is the first day of Spring! Hooray! The days are already longer, brighter, and for the most part warmer. 

Summer is just around the corner. I'm already dreaming of lounging on the beach or boating on Cape Cod with my favorite guy aka my husband. But before I drift away into fantasy land, I want to share with you a super easy, delicious, and light vegan appetizer (that could serve as a meal if you aren't very hungry) that is perfect for Spring. 

Oh and did I mention, no cooking is required?! Score!

Spring rolls are fantastic to serve at a party, to fill up on before dinner, or just to have as a snack whenever. They are low fat, low in calories, gluten-free, and filling. This recipe was inspired (and slightly adapted) from Chef Roberto Martin's cookbook "Vegan Cooking for Carnivores."

Ingredients:
(Makes about 16 Spring Rolls) 
​
Spring Rolls: (You can play around with the filling depending on what you have/enjoy most) 

1/2 head red cabbage, julienned
1 bunch cilantro, roughly chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped
15 fresh basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
20 fresh mint leaves, chopped
1 fat carrot, peeled, grated, and squeezed dry in a paper towel
1 cucumber, peeled and julienned
1 geen pepper, cored, seeded, and julienned
2 packages spring roll wrappers (rice papers can be ordered on Amazon or bought in a local Asian market)
1 package Trader Joe's marinated tofu , chopped into small cubes 

Dipping Sauce:

1/2 cup Peanut Butter (I prefer chunky)
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons Soy Sauce
2 tablespoons white or yellow Miso 
2 tablespoons minced fresh (or powder) Ginger


Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients.

Assemble the Spring Rolls: 

1. Mix all of the vegetables in a large bowl and set aside. 
2. Select a dish or pan that is large enough for the rice paper to lie flat inside. Add about two cups warm water to the dish and soak rice paper for about 20 seconds, or until the paper has softened but not become too gummy.
3. Place the rice paper on a cutting board and rub it gently to help spread water out evenly on the paper. 
4. Place about 1/2 cup of the vegetable/tofu mixture on the rice paper, slightly below the center.
5. Picking up the edge closest to you, fold over the rice paper onto the vegetable/tofu mound. Fold the right and left sides towards the center. Roll the rice paper gently as if making a burrito. 
6. Place Spring Rolls on a baking sheet covered with a moist piece of wax paper to prevent from sticking to each other and the baking sheet. 
7. Refrigerate for approximately 1 hour before serving. Cut each Spring Roll in half at a slight angle just before serving. Enjoy! 




Nutrition Facts
Servings 16.0
Amount Per Serving
Calories 149
Total Fat 5 g
Saturated Fat 1 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 208 mg
Total Carbohydrate 20 g
Dietary Fiber 2 g
Sugars 3 g
Protein 6 g

For Thursday's Tasting, I choose 7 shades of hummus. When you are a hummus addict like me,  why have just one flavor of hummus when you can have one for each day of the week? 

What flavor do you hummus? Healthy food doesn’t have to be boring, add some color!

This homemade hummus food palette is indulgent, creamy, and may I dare say visually sexy. It’s OK to play with your food, spice up ordinary foods, and help cure your culinary boredom. 

The featured flavors are:

Avohummus- Avocado & hummus (1 -2 avocados depending on size & basic hummus recipe) 

Bummus- Beets & hummus (6 slices of beets, plus beet juice & basic hummus recipe)

Artihummus- Artichoke & hummus (6 Artichoke hearts & basic hummus recipe)

Rummus - Roasted Red Pepper & hummus (6 slices of Peppers from Whole Foods or Trader Joe's jar & basic hummus recipe)

Oliummus- Black olive & hummus (1 container black olives & basic hummus recipe)

Humbean - Black beans & hummus (equal parts black beans & chickpeas)

Humin- Cumin & hummus (1 tsp of ground cumin to basic hummus recipe) 

Making hummus at home is so easy and cheap you will never want to buy store brand again. Sure store bought is convenient, but who really wants to pay $4 or $5 for a plastic container? Below is the basic recipe I use and then add whatever vegetable you want for a different twist on plain, ordinary hummus. Don't be shy, experiment! Once you invest in a jar of Tahini (ranges from $4 - $8), the basic hummus recipe will cost you maybe $2 - $3.  Can't beat it!

Basic Hummus Recipe:

1 can chickpeas, drained (You can either use them straight from the can or soak them overnight in water or throw them in a slow cooker overnight for a creamier hummus)
1 fresh squeezed lemon
2 tablespoons Tahini
1 - 2 fresh garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all of the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or ninja until smooth and creamy. You may need to add 1 - 2 tablespoons or of water so that the hummus blends well. Enjoy!

Not only is hummus a great party appetizer but it serves as an excellent, healthier replacement for mayonnaise as a sandwich spread. It's also perfect for snacking on-the-go and a great snack with carrots, pita chips, or celery to much on during the work day. Hummus is a low calorie, low carbohydrate,  and high protein food that is not only Vegan, but also gluten-free.