Vegan Russian Salad

A Russian salad is not that different from a good old American potato salad. It’s made with potatoes, carrots and green peas dressed with mayo.
Similarly to potato salad, there are thousands different recipes for Russian salad (which, by the way, goes also by the name of Olivier salad).
I interviewed some of my Russian/Eastern European friends and every single one had his/her secret family recipe. The differences can be quite dramatic. Which is very confusing.
The main variations include pickles, beets, turnip or apples. The dressing can also change. Some replace mayo with sour cream or yogurt or a combination of the two.
In this Russian salad “mayhem”, I decided to create my own version. So I went vegan. Just to try to stand out from the crowd.

The 2013 Ranking Of Best Diets

We love rankings in the U.S., don’t we? It’s not only about music charts, box office or sports. We also like to rank universities, hospitals, restaurants, bars, law firms, etc.

We always want to know who’s the best at doing something. It has something to do with our inner competitive nature but also with some sort of latent insecurity we have. A ranking brings order to chaos. It makes us feel safe.
So it was only a matter of time before somebody would put their hands in the “diet world” and provide us with an official ranking.
Needless to say it, the almighty experts at U.S. News “took the bullet” and delivered a comprehensive evaluation of 29 different diet plans for 2013.

Brown Rice Artichoke Risotto With Berbere

I recently discovered berbere, an Ethiopian spice blend. It’s made of chili peppers, garlic, ginger, dried basil, korarima, rue, white and black pepper and fenugreek.
Berbere has a deep red color, a fragrant aroma and tastes so (so) [so] {so} ⁅so⁆ ❲so❳ good.
Plus, it’s not that hard to find: Whole Foods carries it and I’m sure any spice/specialty store sell it as well. If you’re looking to add new flavors to your meals you should definitely give it a try.

Tea: OverSteep To Increase Health Benefits

This is not a post explaining how to prepare tea properly. It’s not my job, I’m not qualified to do it, and if I’ll do it, I’ll probably end up giving the worst advice possible.
However, if you’re an avid tea drinker (like myself) who enjoys this beverage daily - with no respect whatsoever for the legit ways to brew it - you might want to hear me out.

Top Four Reasons Why Diets Fail

Losing weight is one of the top resolutions made every year, yet few achieve successful weight-loss and maintenance. Why almost all get sidetracked? According to researchers at Loyola University dieting is a skill that requires practice and good instruction. Chances are that you’re going to fall over and feel frustrated, but if you stick to the original plan you’ll eventually succeed; and the more you do it, the easier it will get.

Researchers have also identified what they believe are the top four reasons why dieters fail.

Vegan Pistachio Almond Thins

I have this thing for pistachios. I don’t even know how to define it. Love? No, it’s more than just love. Obsession? Kind of, not exactly on point though.
Let’s put it this way: if pistachios were a girl I would probably become a crazy stalker. Watching through binoculars, stealing mail, sending notes, following everywhere, calling work and making trouble, etc. You know, all those creepy things stalkers do.
Luckily (for my own sake) pistachios are "just" a nut that can be bought almost in every shop. No stalking necessary.

Let's Talk About New Year's Resolutions...

2013 is about to begin, it's time to set goals for the coming year.

Light Turkey Meatballs With Spicy Tomato Sauce

I like to label some foods “Once I start, I can’t stop”. Since I was a kid, orange flavored Tic Tac make it to the top of this list. One mint after the other, until I completely empty the transparent box. It takes me about as much time as walking two NYC’s blocks to get that job done. That’s why I seldom buy them.Oh, while we’re at it. Do you know that Tic Tac box lids have a crevice made to catch exactly one mint? A friend of mine told that yesterday.
Not that I care. Personally, I like to shake the box until either 1 mint or better 10 come out. That’s just the type of life I’ve led up until now, and no amount of common sense will persuade me otherwise.

The Amazing Health Benefits Of Rooibos Tea

The herbal tea made from rooibos has been a popular drink in Southern Africa for generations. The plant, Aspalathus linearis, is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in the Western Cape province.
What is generally referred to as rooibos tea is in fact an infusion made from the oxidised leaves of the rooibos plant. Technically it’s not even a close relative of tea.
Recently, rooibos has gained popularity in Western countries thanks to its amazing health benefits.
Its strong and pungent taste can be off putting for some. Nonetheless, its reputation has steadily continued to climb, especially among health-conscious consumers (like us!).

Three-Vegetable Wheel

I’m going to keep things short today because I’m soon off to watch The Hobbit movie. I can’t wait.
When it comes to fantasy movies I’m a real dork. Even more so if there’s Tolkien involved.
Considering the time constraint I thought that this dish would be perfect.
An all-time favorite in my family, this recipe is a compelling combination of a short list of ingredients that don't sound particularly exciting on the page, but come together into something more than the sum of their parts.
Fennel, cabbage, spinach, bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and a light drizzle of olive oil. That's it, really. Lightly boiled and then popped into the oven for a few minutes. Dead simple.
The real magic of this recipe lies not only in the fact that it’s vegan and low in calories, but mostly that even hard-core veggie haters will fall in love with it. It does happen. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. It’s the real deal.