(Photo: wwe)

This dish was light and refreshing, with a nice hint of sweet and nuttiness. Makes a great appetizer. It was very easy to make and took only about 15 minutes or so to put together. It’s basically cooked spinach, seasoned lightly, mixed with roasted sesame seeds. I used a mix of roasted black and white sesame seeds. Terry also suggests preparing it with other leafy greens like collard greens or Swiss chard.

I’m definitely excited about her cookbook. She’s working on a variety of recipes – Asian, Mediterranean, European, Caribbean, African and more. There’s appetizers, snacks, rice dishes, noodles, soups, salads, and even dessert! And all vegan too! The recipe testing stage is set to go on for another month or two, so I’ll surely keep you posted on any other recipes I might try out.

This dish took about 15 minutes to put together, but for best results I’d recommend letting it rest for a while before serving. The flavors really develop if you let it sit for at least an hour or so. Enjoy it at room temperature. This side dish was so simple to make and required the minimal amount of work.

Kale is such a delicious and healthy vegetable. I picked up the grated coconut from a local Asian market, in the freezer section. The recipe is quite versatile. The original recipe called for chopped tomatoes, but I didn’t use any. Instead, I mixed in some fresh alfalfa sprouts right before serving.

It’s definitely something you can prepare ahead of time. It’s great on top of any curry, makes a great side salad, a nice side for rice. It’s also good with flat bread or roti.

I added the alfalfa sprouts to the kale coconut relish and stuffed the mixture inside pita pockets. Light and delicious!

Tomato Rice Pilaf (Recipe adapted from Red Gold Recipe Collection)
Ingredients: (4 servings)

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1 cup long grain rice
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 (14.5 oz) can Redpack Diced Tomatoes with Basil, Garlic and Oregano
• 1/4 tsp dried thyme
• Salt and black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil in wok over medium heat.
2. Add chopped onion and rice.
3. Cook until rice is golden brown, stirring frequently, 5 to 8 minutes.
4. Stir in diced tomatoes, thyme and 2 cups of vegetable broth.
5. Season with the salt and pepper.
6. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium low.
7. Cover and let simmer. Cook until rice is tender, about 18 minutes.
8. Remove from heat and let stand 5 to 10 minutes.
9. Fluff rice gently with fork before serving.

The tomato rice pilaf came out very well. It was tasty. Although the canned tomatoes where already prepped with basil, garlic, oregano and spices, the flavors were simple and nothing too salty or overpowering. It would have been extra wonderful if I had some fresh parsley leaves, cilantro, or chopped scallions to garnish on top of the rice. Next time I might even try adding some crunch into the rice pilaf. I think pine nuts would be a good addition to dish.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary six pack of Red Pack tomatoes. No other compensation was received for this post. The post was written by LookyTasty and all opinions expressed are solely mine.

This recipe calls for a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes in thick puree. I used Red Gold’s 100% natural tomato product. I made a few modifications to the recipe and made it vegetarian-friendly and also a bit healthier, I guess. Instead of the eggs, I used egg substitute made by combining 1 part flax seed meal with 3 parts hot water. I reduced the amount of sugar in the recipe by a half. One cup of sugar just seemed too much to me. I used about 1/2 cup of raw cane sugar. I used a half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour combination.

Tomato Bread (Recipe adapted from Red Gold Recipe Collection)
Ingredients: (8-12 servings)

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp flax seed meal + 6 tbsp hot water (substitutes 2 eggs)
• 1 (15 ounce) can Redpack Crushed Tomatoes in Thick Puree
• 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• sliced almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Combine eggs, oil, sugar in a large bowl.
3. Stir in Red Gold Crushed Tomatoes.
4. In another bowl, combine flour and spices.
5. Combine the tomato mixture and dry ingredients; batter will be thin.
6. Pour into a greased 5×9-inch bread pan.
7. Sprinkle the almonds on top.
8. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until knife inserted comes out
9. clean.
10. Cool completely before slicing.

The bread had a wonderful aroma and tasted great too. Although it’s called Spicy Tomato Bread, I found that the blend of spices gave it a very slight kick but it was more savory than spicy. The bread had a very nice texture. Moist and flavorful, and so satisfying. This dish would make a delicious item to complement your breakfast or a tasty mid-afternoon snack too.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary six pack of Red Pack tomatoes. The family-run company from Indiana, produces over 100 different styles and flavors of tomato products in 20 different sizes and containers, with a mission “to produce the freshest, best tasting tomato products in the world.” No other compensation was received for this post. The post was written by LookyTasty and all opinions expressed are solely mine.

This included animal friendly tees and apparel, shoes, sustainable furniture, soy candles that melt into a lotion, delicate handmade letter press, and even recycled paper products made from elephant poop. There were also delicious and innovative vegan food products to sample, buy, and share.

There were vegan food products from Edward and Sons and Integral Yoga Natural Foods. The Regal Vegan was there with her delightful faux gras.

KurSuperfoods and Sacha Vida introduced their innovative and delicious snacks. Simply 7 Snacks, Superseedz, and Platte Clove Naturals shared their crunchy snacks. Ice cream from Raw Ice Cream Company is always a treat. There were vegan chocolates from Angell Bar, Gnosis Chocolate, and of course, Sarah Gross’ Rescue Chocolate.

Of course, you can’t forget about vegan baked goods. There were delicious compassionate cupcakes from Sweet Cheeks Vegan Bakery and gluten-free, organic, handmade cookies and cream sandwiches from Sweet. by jana.

It’s Moringa showcased their nutritious products made from the moringa plant. Runa introduced me to their line of tea brewed with guayusa, Amazonian tree leaf.
Kombucha Brooklyn offered their kombucha tea and intrigued me with their kombucha home brew kit. Lastly, PALO‘s caffeine-free herbal tea brewed from mamajuana are always satisfying to drink.

The day was not just filled with lots of cool merchandise and food, but there were also many fun activities, live entertainment, and opportunities to learn about health eating, the vegan lifestyle, and sustainability from various animal rights organizations and health organizations. Up on the stage, there was a belly dance class, a yoga demo from Jivamukti, a musical performance by Craig Greenberg, as well as a pet fashion show, where Robert Negrin of Hec-lin Couture for Dogs showcased his eco green collection made entirely of recycled material. People of all ages gathered at the holiday craft station to build gingerbread sanctuary houses and to partake in some recycled arts and crafts. Stylists from the eco-friendly NY Hair Co. provided free salon services to attendees, while using their selection of cruelty-free hair care products.

Downstairs in the lower level, there were speaker presentations going on throughout the day. Jared Koch talked about healthy eating for the holidays, while Amie Valpone talked about preparing allergy friendly dishes. The Sproutman Steve Meyerowitz spoke about growing micro-greens and benefits of super foods. There were also informative presentations from Victoria Moran, Karen Ranzi, and Alex Jamieson, about the vegan lifestyle and promoting healthy eating habits in the family.

I had a great time at the Festival, helping out and attending, and returned home with a handful of goodies. I’ll post more extensively about the food and snacks in the upcoming weeks.

Lastly, don’t forget that the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival returns in March, 2012. This two day food festival will take place a few doors down at The Metropolitan Pavilion. Whether you’re a vegetarian/vegan or not, you’re bound to have a great time at the food festival!

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Any plans for this weekend? Do you want to win 4 tickets to the Green Holiday Festival and try the newest and healthiest snacks around? You are in luck. Sacha Vida is giving away 4 tickets to the Festival and a goodie bag with their new sacha inchi snacks for your tasting pleasure.

What kind of snacks?
The snacks are made from sacha inchi seeds. Sacha inchi seeds come from eco-friendly harvests from the Peruvian Amazon and are super seeds loaded with Omega 3, fiber and complete protein.

The snacks come in four flavor profiles:

• Naturally roasted sacha inchi seeds
• Roasted & salted sacha inchi seeds
• Organic chocolate covered sacha inchi seeds
• Crunchy & spicy sacha inchi seeds

How do I enter?
To enter follow these simple steps:

1. Follow Sacha Vida on Twitter and like them on Facebook
2. Follow Looky Tasty on Twitter and like us on Facebook
3. Tweet us and tell us why it is important to support sustainable green products, or leave a comment below.

Contest ends on December 9 at midnight and is open to residents of the United States only. Good luck!

The Green Holiday Festival will take place at the Altman Building in New York City on Sunday, December 11th. More information on the Festival can be found here.

Among one of the food companies that will be present at the Festival, is It’s Moringa. I first came across It’s Moringa at a health expo earlier this year and is excited to see that they will be participating at the upcoming Green Holiday Festival. It’s Moringa is an innovative natural foods company dedicated to developing and promoting premium food, beverage, supplement, and ingredients based on the moringa plant. Their products include moringa herbal teas, moringa dried leaf powders and capsules, and even a cosmetic and massage moringa seed oil.

What’s so unique about it? It’s Moringa leaf powder combines the health benefits of the moringa plant with great taste to increase energy naturally, nourish the body’s immune system, improve eye and skin health, promote weight-loss, control sugar levels and provide a general feeling of wellness. The powder can be added to juices, smoothies and shakes for added nutrition. It is vegan, kosher, dairy-free and soy-free.

If you’re in the NYC area, come check them out at the Green Holiday Festival at the Altman Building on Sunday, December 11th. Tickets available now.

Also, LIKE It’s Moringa on Facebook to stayed informed with It’s Moringa related news, demos, and discounts/promotions.

The softened kombu can be sliced and used to make tsukudani, a Japanese side dish that involves simmering ingredients in a sweetened soy sauce, mirin, sake mixture.

I had some kombu left from making broth for soup noodles, so I decided to make a kombu enoki tsukudani. This dish is kind of sweet and salty and goes great as an appetizer, side dish, or topping for rice.

Ingredients:

• 1 large strip of kombu
• 1 package of enoki mushrooms
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp sugar
• ~ 1/2 cup water

Directions:

1. Slice the kombu into thin 1/2 inch pieces.
2. Trim off about 1/4 inch of the enoki mushroom stem. Break apart the mushrooms.
3. In a small bowl, which together the soy sauce, miring, rice vinegar, sugar, and water. (The ratios of the ingredients can be adjusted to your preference, whether you’d like it to be a bit more sweet or more salty.)
4. In a small pot, add the kombu, enoki, and then pour in the soy sauce mixture.
5. Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat and let it simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. When it’s done, the kombu and enoki mushrooms should look kind of sticky.
7. Store it in the fridge in an airtight container.
8. Serve slightly chilled.

The key features of the sauce pan is fast, efficient thermal dispersion and the hard anodizing coating. I really liked how super light the pan was, even when it was filled with broth. There’s also a silicone covered handle, giving you a nice comfortable grip as you move the pan from stove to table. No need for cooking mitts. For convenience, there’s also measurement lines on the inside of the pot (1-2 servings) and a pouring spout on the edge of the pot.

The noodle soup came out fantastic. The broth was so flavorful with the kombu (kelp). shiitake mushrooms, and kome miso (white rice and soybeans miso). All prepared using one handy cookware. Another neat thing about the sauce pan, turn the lid over and you can use it as a serving dish!

Disclaimer: Products were provided to me to review by LocknLock as part of the LocknLock Supporters Program. No other compensation was received for this post. The post was written by LookyTasty and all opinions expressed are solely mine.