Alicia Silverstone's Vegan Artichoke Dip

Hi Jen.  I hope you are doing well.  I was just wondering if you could possibly share your artichoke dip recipe with me.  I have been craving it cause it's amazing.  I really want to make it.  I looked up some recipes online but they all seem different and I wasn't sure the ingredients that you use.  Hope to talk to you soon.  -Melissa

The dip Melissa is jonesing for is Alicia Silverstone's vegan artichoke dip from her book The Kind Diet.  I have made this recipe for almost every holiday, baby shower, birthday and sporting event since buying the book two years ago.  Known in my circle of friends simply as "The Dip", I have gotten more requests for this dish than anything else I have ever made.  I keep increasing the recipe to meet growing demand, but it's still not enough.  There are never any leftovers and inevitably someone will say: "Next time you should definitely make more."  Every party is better with The Dip!

-♥ J :)

**The recipe below is how I make The Dip and is slightly tweaked from Alicia's recipe.  For example, Alicia uses grated soy Parmesan.  I like using Parma Vegan Parmesan because, since it is made from nuts, it is sturdier and makes for a heartier consistency.  For the original recipe, be sure to check out The Kind Diet.  It is such a wonderful book chock full of great information about becoming vegan as well as some of the most delicious recipes you have ever tasted!


You will need:
-4 (8.5 ounce) cans of artichoke hearts in water
-2 cups Soy-Free Vegenaise
-1 and 1/2 (7 ounce) containers Parma Vegan Parmesan 
-1 garlic clove
-paprika

1. Using a wooden spoon, mash up artichoke hearts in a salad spinner or colander.  Allow excess water to drain.
2. In a large bowl, add Vegenaise, most of the Parma "cheese" (Reserve 1/4 cup for later use), and chopped garlic.  Combine well. 
3. Scrape the dip into a baking dish (like this one).  Sprinkle remaining Parma on top of dip.  Bake for 30 minutes or until heated through and browned on top.  Sprinkle with paprika, and serve with crackers, organic tortilla chips or endive leaves.
4. Eat and Enjoy!

Time Out

photo via Mark A. Hicks

My computer's been acting a little wonky, so today I'm taking it to the 'ole computer doctor.    Hopefully I'll be up and running again by tomorrow, but while I'm gone, here are a few good reads to keep you busy.  See you soon, Veggies!

-♥ J :)

-The argument for working out.

-10 rules for eating safely.

-Some DIY eco-friendly cleaning products.

-20 interesting relationship tips.

-Hmmm….this is disturbing.

-And so is this.

-I love Margaret Cho.

Slimware Portion Control Plates

Remember my New Year's resolution to eat more civilized portions of food?? Well, these Slimware portion control plates just might do the trick.  Usually portion control plates, with their cartoon food pictures and food dividers, look like something a toddler would use.  These plates are so pretty and stealth you could serve them at a swanky dinner party and no one would be the wiser.  The plates are divided into three sections: vegetables, protein and carbs.  

You just place the amount of food over the corresponding section and you have perfectly portioned meal without any measuring or guess work.  Keep in mind if you are following food combining rules and want to eat a flesh protein, you should eliminate the carb section and replace it with vegetables.  To find out more about Slimware and their other products (like pre-measured bowls and fun Count Me Healthy Jewelry) click HERE.

-♥ J

P.S. More portion control tips HERE.

Salad Sundays: Super Salad Bowl

Ok, one more time for the cheap seats…kale salad!!!  I served this at my Super Bowl party this past Sunday and it was a big hit.  Almost as big a hit as the cocktails…but more on that later.  First the salad:

Massaged Kale Salad
Original recipe (found HERE) courtesy of Aarti Sequeira.
Serves: 4

Ingredients
 • 1 bunch kale (black kale is especially good) stalks removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
 • 1 lemon, juiced
 • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
 • Kosher salt
 • 2 teaspoons agave
 • 1 cup dried cranberries
 • Small handful sunflower seeds

Directions
1. In large serving bowl, add the kale, half of lemon juice, a drizzle of oil and a little kosher salt.  Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside while you make the dressing.

2. In a small bowl, whisk remaining lemon juice with the agave.  Stream in the 1/4 cup of oil while whisking until a dressing forms, and you like how it tastes.

3. Pour the dressing over the kale, and add the cranberries and sunflower seeds.  Toss and serve.

I've converted several kale haters to kale enthusiasts with this salad.  When I made it for my friend Gary, he heckled it the whole time he was eating it…and then again when he went back for seconds.  "I hate you kale!!" he bellowed.  "Well, I mean usually…I hate you.  Now I kinda hate that I'm liking you."

As for the rest of the party, Baked Potato Bowl 2012 went off without a hitch.  Here are pictures of some of the appetizers.  
For the vegans…

And the non-vegans…

I wish I had a better picture for you of the Baked Potato Bar, but I got so excited that I started gobbling…ahem….I mean serving...before I could snap one.  So here is the ravaged aftermath that I tried to make look presentable:

Almost everything at the party was vegan, but you wouldn't have known it if I didn't mention it (over and over again).  Amelia even said, "This is fun.  It feels like you're eating food that is bad for you, but really you're not."  As for the cocktails…don't have a picture of those either (I'll let you draw your own conclusions as to why).  This was the drink of the day:

Blueberry Lemon Champagne

• Fill the bottom of a champagne glass with frozen blueberries.
• Then add 1/2 a glass of champagne and 1/2 a glass of lemon italian soda.

When we ran out of champagne we switched to:

Cran-rasp-straw-berry Wine

• Fill bottom of wine glass with frozen raspberries and strawberries.
• Then add1/2 glass white wine and 1/2 a glass of cranberry italian soda.

-♥ J :)

P.S. Baked potatoes take an hour to cook, so the timing for a party can be tricky.  I put the appetizers and salad out first and put the potatoes in the oven 15 minutes before the guests were set to arrive.  By the time everyone had settled in with a cocktail (or two..), the potatoes were ready to be served.

Pink Ribbons, Inc. Trailer

For more info on Pink Ribbons, Inc. and its upcoming US release dates click HERE.
-♥ J :)

Are you ready for some snacking????

photo via Hass Avocados

Jen! I wanted to see if you would be posting any HHB Superbowl appetizer ideas. I am having some people over and am tired of the same old recipes, but also want to serve some healthy stuff since starting my new nutrition program two weeks ago.  Let me know, and if not I will have to brainstorm a little harder.  

Take care, 

Rachel

I like watching football, but for me the Super Bowl is really just an excuse to get everyone together for some hard core snacking.  I suspect I am not alone in that sentiment.  Super Bowl snacks usually are synonymous with fatty, gut clogging fare, but this does not have to be the case.  In my heart of hearts, I truly believe that delicious and healthy are not mutually exclusive.  I will continue to shout that sentiment to anyone who will listen until I finally go off to that great big salad bar in the sky.  In honor of healthy snacks far and wide, here is what I will be serving at this year's Super Bowl Fete:

Crudites
When I told the cater for my wedding that I wanted to have crudites she said, "But nobody really eats that."  Au contraire, my caterer friend.  People will eat crudites but as with all things, presentation is key.  You can't put out some wilted, sad, crushed spirit crudites.  Find the most beautiful, colorful, vibrant veggies you can get your hands on and then arrange them on a gorgeous platter (like this one).  Make your veggies the centerpiece of the snack table.  Surround them with olives, crusty whole grain baguette, mustard, delicious vegan dip, hummus and guacamole.  Then, in much smaller bowls, put out some vegetable chips, organic tortilla chips and nuts.  If you are feeling like a fancy pants you could even add some grilled vegetables to the mix.  Then people can use the baguette to make their own mini veggie sandwiches.  By making veggies the star of the show, you will be surprised how quickly they get gobbled up.  If you build it, they will eat.

Kale Salad
Yep.  I'm am going to keep posting this salad until you love it as much as I do.  I've said it before and I'll say it again: this salad is great for parties because it doesn't wilt under its dressing.  In fact, it gets more delicious the longer it marinates.  Spoiler alert: this salad might even be a contender for this week's Salad Sundays.





Baked Potato Bar
I got this great idea from the blog where great ideas go to play…Cup of Jo.  A baked potato bar is when you bake a bunch of potatoes ahead of time and then put out all the fixins'.   The genius thing about this is, since everyone gets to choose their own toppings, it caters to all different types of eaters.  You can have vegan and non-vegan toppings happily coexisting together in peace and harmony (without having to make a butt load of different appetizers).  My baked potato bar is going to have vegan butter, Daiya "cheese", sauteed spinach, vegetarian chili, chives, guacamole and salsa.  I might even throw some sweet potatoes into the mix because I'm wacky like that.

Vegan Cookies and Vanilla Coconut Ice Cream

One of my favorite party desserts is Make Your Own Ice Cream Sandwiches.  (Are you noticing the "make your own" theme in this post??  "Make your own" is fun and it keeps you from having to slave in the kitchen while everyone else is hanging out.)  I put out a plate of vegan cookies (like Trader Joe's Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies) and a big bowl of vanilla coconut ice cream with plenty of spoons.  Not only are ice cream sandwiches a fun, "feel like a kid again" dessert, but you pretty much have your bases covered in terms of guest preferences.  If someone doesn't like chocolate or cookies, you could just throw some ice cream in a fancy bowl with frozen blueberries and…voila!  You have a whole new dessert.

-♥ J :)

P.S. You can find the recipe for the Field of Guacamole pictured above HERE.
P.P.S.  Look at THESE adorable "burger" cookies.  Hmmm…I wonder if I could make them vegan...

Marie Forleo wants me to workout.

So, that's exactly what I'm going to do.  Today I'll be doing my Tracy Anderson Mat Workout, but lately I've been mixing it up with Erin's recommendation: the Jillian Micheals Ripped in 30 Workout.  You get four different workouts on one dvd and each one is only 30 minutes long.  Since each workout is broken up into three 10 minute segments, this dvd would be perfect if you were following Marie's advice to integrate mini workouts into your day.  And why wouldn't you follow Marie's advice??  As I've said before, I think she's the Micheal Jordan of life advice!!  Hmmm...that's an awkward analogy, but I think you get my point.

-♥ J :)

P.S. Marie is nominated for a well deserved Shorty Award!!  You can vote for her right HERE.