Great Vegan Eats in NYC? Other's Don't Hold a Candle...

 

Cajun Seitan Sandwich with a refreshing Organic Beer

New York City, in my opinion, has the BEST selection of healthy vegan dining that anyone can find. I think one of the best parts about going to New York is getting to eat. Actually, one of my good friends and fellow foodie, author of  the blog Food to Remember, eats her way through New York when she visits. She finds out about all the best places to eat during the year and then takes a trip to the Big Apple to hit up one spectacular place after another other until she has tried everything good in the city. Now THAT'S dedication!

A couple of awesome organic, vegan and eco-friendly restaurants that I love when I go to New York are Candle Cafe and Candle 79. Candle Cafe has a fantastic menu featuring a variety of flavorful vegetable dishes, refreshing smoothies and fun sandwiches and burgers for the times when we want a hearty meat substitute like seitan. They also have a nice dessert menu (my favorite!). Candle 79 is an upscale restaurant that serves brunch, lunch and dinner. Their comforting, hearty and flavorful dishes will hit the spot when you want to splurge on something a little more sophisticated. Their desserts are ridiculous-amazing!

If you want to bring home some of that delicious goodness, check out their book, The Candle Cafe Cookbook. This is one cookbook I own and love. Actually, right after writing this, it inspired me to flip through my cookbook and try making the Pecan-Crusted Seitan and Garlic Mashed Potatoes recipes for dinner. The seitan was so flavorful and delicious, it was like eating fried chicken fingers! Paired with the mashed potatoes, my meal really satisfied my craving for something fun, flavorful and comforting. Yum...

Check them out online:

Candle Cafe
Candle 79

Natural Beauty with Olive Oil

Need some natural eye makeup remover? Well look no further than your kitchen. A little olive oil and organic cotton balls should do the trick. Just put a little oil on a cotton ball and wipe it on closed eyelids. Your eye makeup should come off quickly and easily. Plus olive oil is gentle on skin and is all natural, so you are saving you skin from toxic chemicals and you cut down on spending big bucks on expensive skin care products.

Olive oil can also be used for other beauty treatments. You can use it as a hair hot oil treatment by warming some organic olive oil in a pan on the stove, applying it to your hair and massaging it into your scalp. Leave it on for an hour or so and then shampoo out and condition as normal. This leaves your locks looking shiny, healthy and soft.

You can also use olive oil as a hair de-frizzer. After a shower and hair has been towel tried, put a few drops of olive oil in the palm of you hand. Rub your hands together and then apply the oil to damp hair by running your hands and fingers through your hair. Let hair air dry or blow dry on low. This technique is especially great for frizzy or wavy hair to tame flyaways.

If your skin is feeling dry and you have run out of body lotion, use olive oil as an all over body oil/moisturizer. Just put some oil in the palms of your hands and then rub the oil into your skin.

Olive oil is not just for salad dressings anymore!

Healthy Eats at Masao's Kitchen Near Boston

If you are headed towards Boston, Masachusetts, and are looking for some good eats, check out Masao's Kitchen. This cute independently owned little restaurant has a delicious buffet of macrobiotic dishes and desserts that will satisfy your tummy and your taste buds. I really love Masao's chickpea dish, and the pudding there is so light and good that I'm still thinking about it years later! Their food is vegan and organic.

Check them out online for more information:
Masao's Kitchen Website

Healthy Comfort

 

We all need down time and something about cold winter weather makes us want to hibernate, curl up in our beds with warm fluffy blankets and live in our flannel pajamas. Instead of trying to fight this feeling and be productive, sometimes the best thing we can do for ourselves is to not only allow us these simple comforts, but embrace and savor them to the fullest extent. Whether comfort for you is a warm cup of tea, curling up with a good book, or watching a funny movie, remember to take time to appreciate all of the simple and wonderful things life has to offer. Give yourself space for quiet time to reflect and listen to what your body says you need. Nurture and honor yourself by listening and doing what you really need to be happy, healthy and fulfilled.

During my down time I realized what I really needed was a nice warm bowl of stew. Here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Comforting Rice and Mung Bean Stew

 
1 stamp sized piece of kombu seaweed
1 cup brown rice
2/3 cup mung beans
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 onions, large diced
1 stalk of burdock root, cut into chunks
3 carrots, cut into large chunks
1/4 large kabocha squash 
sea salt

1. Put the brown rice and mung beans in a pressure cooker with 5-6 cups of water (depending how thick you want the stew). (If you don't have a pressure cooker, use a large stainless steel pot and cook the ingredients for longer until the beans are soft.)
2. Rinse the kombu and put it into the pot, bring the pot to a boil, then put the lid on the pot and lock it in place to build the pressure.
3. Let the pressure rise until the pot is under the right amount of pressure. Then turn the flame down to low and let the pot simmer for 40 minutes.
4. While the rice and beans are cooking, put the sesame oil in a large saute pan on medium low heat. Add the onions and saute for a few minutes. Then add the burdock and carrots and satue. Cover the pan for 5-7 minutes and stir occasionally. Then add the squash and cover again. If the vegetables get stuck to the bottom of the pan then add a little bit of water to help it cook. After the vegetables have cooked for a few more minutes, turn off the flame.
5. After the rice and beans have cooked for 40 minutes, turn off the flame and let the pressure come down. Take the top off the pot and add the sauteed vegetables and a few generous pinches of salt. Mix the pot, put the flame of high until the pot boils, then put the top on the pressure cooker and bring it to pressure. Then simmer again on low for 10 minutes.
6. Turn off the flame, let the pressure come down, and serve with a garnish of your choice. I used mustard greens for my garnish.

FREE Happiness and Beauty

When it comes to taking care of your health and well-being, of course we know that exercise is important. We hear about all the latest and greatest in exercise equipment, videos, classes and contraptions to get us feeling and looking a certain way, but most of it can cost a lot of money and can be complicated or intimidating. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

Daily brisk walking really does wonders, and it's FREE! Not only is it excellent cardiovascular exercise which builds and strengthens your muscles, but your heart, lungs and circulatory system LOVE IT. Wake up early in the morning and start your day with something better and more energizing than a cup of coffee.

Go outside in your sneakers and walk.

Spend an hour with yourself outside, breathing fresh air. Think and gain clarity or rest your mind and let it wander with the gentle breeze that flutters Autumn leaves around you. Observe how nature subtly changes day-to-day. Let your endorphins take over and make you feel happy, relaxed and energized. Let this time for yourself make you more balanced and beautiful.

Better yet, combine your walking routine with eating whole grains (like brown rice) and leafy green vegetables daily, for a natural face-lift. Your skin will be tighter and firmer from eating brown rice because of  it's contracting qualities, the leafy greens will help to nourish your skin with moisture, suppleness and give you look of freshness and the walking oxygenates your blood which energizes the skin and gives it a glow. Top off your regimen with a daily body scrub to smooth skin, and your health and natural beauty will radiate from your being.

Nurture yourself by spending time investing in your physical and emotional health so you can give a better quality YOU to the world. Experience happiness and beauty spill over into everything you do. It really is worth it.