Monthly Archives: January 2013

Ciao!

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Dolls! I’m just popping in to say hello and goodbye for a bit. I’m heading down to Central America tonight for my month long backpacking adventure with Erik! I’ll try to do some recaps in each spot with pics. Until then, stay healthy, happy, and fabulous!

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One backpack for one girl! Goodbye girlyness!

Vegetable Nori Rolls

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Rain rain go away, come back in February when I’m far away {in the sun} :-) . Kidding. A little rain is kind of nice. Plus, I haven’t had a car wash since I don’t remember in a long time, so my baby is getting a bath too.

I had an amazing lecture the other day by David Wolfe who I am absolutely obsessed with I think is so amazing. He is such a great leader in the raw foods movement.  It has been one of my favorite lectures so far.  He spoke of many good things about raw foods, how to add more into our lives, and specific supplements, nutrients, and vitamins we need.  When he got to sea vegetables, I knew some veggie nori rolls were in order!

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These are so easy to make and you can stuff almost anything into them!  I chose vegetables that weren’t too overpowering and added more flavor with hummus and some seasoning.  This is also a great meal idea for kids since they can fill their own with their favorite vegetables (assuming they have favorites?!).

Vegetable Nori Rolls:

  • Nori sheets – Organic strongly recommended { I use these }
  • 1 – 2 tablespoons hummus per roll
  • vegetables of choice!  - I used broccoli sprouts, carrot, cucumber, bell pepper, tomato, avocado, sauerkraut , and jalapeño.
  • Seasoning – Like the veggies, get creative!  - I used a sprinkle of nutritional yeast and some tapatio { gotta get my spicy }

To assemble:

  1. Spoon a row of hummus from top to bottom, almost in the middle, but closer to one side.

  2. Top with vegetables and seasoning.

  3. Wet your fingers slightly and moisten the edge of the side furthest from the filling.

  4. Take edge of side closest to filling and start rolling.  Use a couple of fingers to tighten filling in roll.  If you need to moisten the edges once rolled to secure it, do so.  Cut into several pieces, or eat more as a hand-roll.

  5. Enjoy!

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So on top of getting a ton of vitamins and nutrients from all the vegetables, what else are we getting??  Nori nutrients!  Nori is a GREAT source of iodine (great for hypothyroidism).  It also has good amounts of calcium, fiber, some protein, and vitamins A,B,and C.  So fill up those rolls kids!

Snaps!

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Hey all!
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a Snaps! recap, so I thought I would try and get a couple in before I take off for the big trip!  It’s been pretty busy around here, but nothing too crazy or exciting to report.
I caught up with some girlfriends at this awesome new place Public School in downtown Culver City.  Apparently (according to my way cooler girlfriends), it’s the new after work/evening hip spot(me=total nerd alert).  We all agreed the spot was pretty cool!  Creative, interesting menu, delicious food, and large, open setting.  It was pretty darn crowded though, and the large tables are all community seating.  If you get there early, which we did, it’s totally fine ;-)
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Erik and I hit up the Santa Monica Farmers Market on the Promenade.  It’s not our usual FM and I will likely never go back to that one.  I was very disappointed :-(  I swear there were more people selling fresh meat than fruit stands.  No bueno!  Seeing Zero Dark Thirty later that day made up for it.  What a great movie.  I totally need action or I’ll fall sleep and that movie kept me very entertained.
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{ we did manage to snag some avocados for a pretty standard snack }
 
The real highlight of the weekend was hosting my sweet, beautiful, bubbly cousin’s baby shower.  It all came together so lovely; it was the perfect shower.  I cannot wait to meet her little guy.  Btw, she is THE cutest preggo lady ever, like seriously.  A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E.  Maybe it helps that she’s a stylist ;-)
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Lastly, I HAVE to introduce the newest member to the clan, our little rescued chihuahua, Renaldo!
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Anyway my friends, that’s all for now.
Xoxo

Black Bean & Spinach Enchiladas

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It’s no secret that I LOVE Mexican food, like completely mildly obsessed.  Finding vegan options however, makes it a little harder to get Mexican food that tastes even close to the meat and cheese filled dishes that are usually prepared.

We had enchiladas all the time when we were kids.  While I did love them, I look back and realize they were far from a healthy meal.  Lots of meat, cheese, sauce from cans (muy processed, no bueno), other dairy ingredients, and white flour tortillas.  Oh man.  That’s not going to fly these days, not in this house.  But just because we are making things healthier does NOT mean sacrificing taste.  I promise you will love these.  My über non vegans brother devoured the leftovers at work the next day asking for more!  I’d say that’s a success ;-)

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Even though it looks like a ton of ingredients, it comes together easily! 

For the sauce: (Adapted from Food Netwark)

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 tbsp flour

  • 2 tbsp chili powder

  • 1 tbsp oregano

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1/2 tsp salt

  • 8 oz tomato paste

  • 2 cups low sodium vegetable broth

For the enchiladas:

  • 1 small/medium onion chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 cups packed organic spinach

  • 1/2 cup mushrooms

  • 5 green onion chopped, leave one for top

  • 1 cup organic corn

  • 2 cups organic black beans

  • 1 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 tsp pepper

  • large handful chopped cilantro, another small bunch chopped for top

  • 1-1 1/2 cups non dairy cheese blend  + handful for top (I used the 3 soy cheese blend from Trader Joes)*

  • 8 tortillas – I found brown rice tortillas at Trader Joes, otherwise whole wheat flour will work

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For the sauce:

  1. Heat the oil in medium saucepan.  Add flour and whisk.  Stir in all spices and cook for a minute.

  2. Add tomato paste and broth.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer while you prepare the filling

For the filling:

  1. Saute the onion and garlic for several minutes, about 7 to 10.  Add spinach and cook for just a couple of minutes, until spinach wilts.  Remove from heat.

  2. In a large bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients except tortillas and what is reserved for topping.

  3. Add in onion and spinach.

  4. In a large oven safe dish, spoon about a cup of sauce on bottom of dish.

  5. Fill each tortilla with filling, make them stuffed but not so much that you can close it.  Roll it and close it, placing sealed side down in baking dish.  Could get a little messy, just a warning ;-)

  6. Spoon remaining sauce over tortillas.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese, green onion, and cilantro.

  7. Bake at 375 for 20 minutes, serve and enjoy!!

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Do you love Mexican food as much as I do?  What is your favorite?

Path

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Not much to report here on the home front sugars, except that it is tons warmer today than it has been in weeks!! You can go ahead and roll your eyes if you have snow in the ground since the social media world is totally making fun of us babies here in southern California.

Spring flowers in the Asian garden

Anyway, I thought this quote was perfect to mark 2 weeks until I leave for an epic trip with Erik.  I haven’t mentioned it yet, mostly because we were still figuring out dates.  Now, tickets have now been purchased and arrangements made; in 2 weeks we are leaving for a month-long trip through several countries in Central America.  The path may be somewhat mapped out, but I am so looking forward to the unknown adventure and where the path may lead.  I was able to spend the first 3 months of last year in Costa Rica with a trip to Nicaragua, so this time around I cannot wait to see some new spots!

Of course this means The Vibrant Bean will be MIA for the most part.  I will have some posts with pics and such, but until mid March (I get home March 3 but head straight to Washington DC for a week) the usual business will be mostly on hold.  Please bear with me and stay tuned for hopefully some epic travel photos and adventure stories!

P.S. if you have any must see/do/stay at/eat at things in Guatemala, Hondaras (only Roatan), Nicaragua, and or Panama, please share!!! Thanks friends!

Pizza Hummus

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Pizza hummus?  Yeah, I went there.  Hummus is one of my go to snacks.  I love regular hummus, black bean hummus, white bean, even lentil hummus.  It’s just so easy and so satisfying.  I was playing around in the kitchen trying to mimic a tomato basil hummus I had over the weekend, and realized I could totally tweak it and make it pizza like.  I was so pleasantly surprised and I totally recommend whipping this up!

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Pizza Hummus:

  • 1 can organic chickpeas – rinsed, save half the liquid (about 1/4 cup)
  • 1/4 tahini
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tsp oregano
  • 1 tsp basil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1-2 tablespoons nutritional yeast (i used 1 1/2)
  • Juice from 1 small lemon
  • large pinch of salt & pepper
  • drizzle of olive oil

Toss everything in a food processor.  While ingredients are blending, drizzle in olive oil, enough to get it smooth and flowing.  Serve with fresh veggies or some whole grain pita chips.

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Enjoy!

Wild Rice and Veggie Chowder

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Yes, I am back so soon with another chowder.  It’s so cold at night though; thick, creamy soup and chowder are so fitting!

This particular chowder came about to help clients.  Something I teach is that you should not cook for just one meal.  Rather, when cooking you should keep in mind things that could be used again for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, etc.  This can help you in several ways:

  • Cut down on time preparing meals {already have grains, beans, etc ready}
  • Prevent you from grabbing something unhealthy due to lack of time
  • Cooking in bulk can cut down on costs
  • Allows you to get creative
  • Cooking at home is almost always healthier!

Over the weekend I made a big pot of Wild Rice.  I made it with the intention {and love, gotta have love in your cooking} of it being used for multiple meals.  We had several vegetable stir fries and a tofu scramble, all with a big scoop of the wild rice.  Since I was down to the last cup and half/2 cups, I decided to make a hearty chowder.  It was a great way to use up the rest of the rice and try a different recipe!  The rice may now be gone, but the chowder made about 6 servings, enough for dinner and couple lunches for both me and Erik.

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Wild Rice and Veggie Chowder:

  • 2 tbsp vegan buttery spread
  • 2 medium onions diced
  • 3 carrots diced
  • 3 celery stocks diced
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3/4 cup flour (can use GF blend, I did)
  • 1 head of cauliflower, chopped
  • 3 small red potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
  • 4 cups low sodium broth
  • 1 can organic corn, rinsed
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 can low-fat coconut milk
  • 1 cup almond milk (or any non dairy milk)
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp thyme
  • dash of nutmeg
  • 1 1/2 – 2 cups wild rice (use rice if you have it made, or make more and use it for other quick meals)

1.  If you don’t have rice made, make rice first.  Follow directions on bag, box, etc.

2.  In a large pot, boil water, 1/4-1/2 full (enough to cover cauliflower and potatoes).  When water is boiling, add potatoes and cauliflower.  Boil for about 8-10 minutes.

3.  While veggies are boiling, in a medium pan, heat “butter” on medium.  Add onion, carrot, celery, and garlic.  Saute for about 10 minutes.  Season with a little salt & pepper.

4.  Drain and rinse potatoes and cauliflower.  Bring back to stove, add broth and water, bring to a boil.  When boiling, add sautéed veggies, corn, and rice.  Stir in spices.  Turn heat to low and let continue cooking for at least 20  minutes.

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*Do you make food for more than one meal?  I urge you to keep this in mind next time you cook!

Have a blessed day!

Pick me up!

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It’s Monday! New week, fresh start.

Since its afternoon here, maybe later for some, I thought I would share a little afternoon treat, or rather a way to help combat the craving for bad afternoon treats. And if you know me well, you know what I am going to share is a treat for me. I love me some JUICE! It’s the perfect way to satisfy the sweet tooth.

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It’s common to feel slightly sluggish in the afternoon. Our bodies are metabolizing lunch and go through a natural lull. It’s also common for people to start craving some sugar, a pick me up, in the afternoon. DON’T DO IT! You know you’re just going to crash after. No bueno :-(

Instead, take a walk, drink a tall glass of water, and munch on some healthy, natural sugars. Here enters Green Juice!! You already know it’s packed full of vitamins and nutrients,it is kicked into your system immediately, and when you add some fruit (apple, lemon, orange), you can totally kick that sugar cravings booty! Loading up on the good helps knock out room (cravings) for the bad.

Here’s what I just whipped up:

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  • Kale

  • Romain lettuce

  • 1 stock of celery

  • 1 apple

  • 1 lemon

  • small ginger knob

  • 1/2 cucumber

  • collard greens

Next time that sweet tooth comes knocking, try satisfying it with a green juice and make sure to add something sweet like an apple and lemon.

 

Adios 2012, Hellooooo 2013

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I’m a little late on this, but HAPPY NEW YEAR, and happy Friday!!  It’s 2013, woo woo!

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I cannot believe 2012 is over.  It was the best year yet.  I was so blessed to have SO many great moments throughout the year, and even the not so great only made me stronger and appreciate the good that much more.  God, my family, friends, and readers have given me so much in terms of good times, support, an ear for listening, advice, etc. and I am so grateful.

Let’s do a little recap, cool?!  Cool.

I started off watching the Ducks win the Rosebowl, and heyooo, they just won the Fiesta Bowl last night!!

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{ Go Ducks }

The next day, I took off to Costa Rica for a few months.  It was truly one of the best times of my life.  I loved seeing old friends, meeting new ones, exploring, enjoying SO much beach time, and living Pura Vida ;-)

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{ Erik came to visit. Valentine’s dinner }
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{ mi hermano Will }

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{ buddies }
{ waterfalls }

The fun didn’t stop after those few months.  Erik and I did a birthday wine tasting in Paso Robles, a camping trip to Lake Isabella, and many trips back to San Francisco < a couple recaps  here and here>  I also got to visit a few new places including Detroit, Seattle, and Utah.  We finished the year with a trip up north to Half Moon Bay, San Francisco, and Marin.  It’s been a pretty on the go year, but I have enjoyed pretty much all of it.  I absolutely love traveling and visiting old and new spots!

So 2012, you kicked butt, thanks for being such a WONDERFUL year.  I cannot wait to see what you have in store 2013, you have a lot to live up to ;-)

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So let’s get into 2013 shall we?  Alright, I thought the pic above summed up my mindset for the year perfectly.  I am not really one for resolutions, rather I like incorporating something positive into my life or getting rid of something negative (I conquered a major vice in 2012!!).  With that said, 2013 is about positive thinking and intentions, and how putting those thoughts, ideas, whathaveyous into action.  It is one thing to have good ideas and intentions, but it is so very important to act them out, make things happen.  I know that where I focus my positive energy will change throughout the year.  I would like to become more in tune with my deeper thoughts to know what and where to focus my energy.

My intentions for the beginning of the year are to connect more with to my spirituality and to focus heavily on my health coaching practice.  For the month of January I have decided to cut out alcohol and keep a clean diet to keep my mind and body clear.  I am also practicing daily meditation and yoga to help practice and put into effect my intentions.  I’m thinking some kind of cleanse will is also in order…wish me luck ;-)

Do you guys have new years resolutions or intentions?  What preparations and practices do you do to help set forth your intentions?  Please share!! I love hearing positive words from friends.  And speaking of positive words, I will be trying to post more positive affirmations and health tips from school on my Facebook page.  Feel free to like and follow along ;-)

Alright, enough babble, time to get moving!  Have a happy, healthy, and active weekend.  I will be out and about all weekend, it’s supposed to be beautiful in SoCal!  Peace friends!