How To: Nutritional Yeast

Okay! Since my last post about various vegan goodies, I wanted to do a "how to" post on how to incorporate nutritional yeast into cooking. You can refer back to my previous post here, to read up on some info about what nutritional yeast is.

It is extremely simple to incorporate nutritional yeast into many dishes. I find it makes more sense to use it as a cheese substitute where maybe parmesan cheese is called for in a recipe. For me, it's the best to use with any pasta or italian recipe - I just sprinkle it as a seasoning on top!

Here is a simple pasta recipe I quickly put together which uses nutritional as a cheese substitute:

These are very, very rough recipe directions, so use it how you would like!

• Veggie based dried pasta
• Handful of spinach leaves
• Tomato sauce
• Crushed red pepper flakes
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Nutritional yeast

1. Boil water, add salt, add dried pasta to cook until al dente or fully done
2. Strain, add as much spinach as you'd like
3. Mix in as much tomato sauce as you prefer
4. Add crushed red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste
5. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast on top or mix it in your pasta

Voila! This is probably like "duh" post for some people but I thought I would share how I like to use it. If there are other ways you like to incorporate nutritional yeast, please feel free to share! 

Vegan Goodies!

Recently, I visited my favorite all-organic grocery store, MOM's, to pick out a few new vegan goodies to try. Located in Mosaic District, Merrifield, VA, this is a great store to explore and discover new food items that you wouldn't normally find in a typical grocery store.

My first find were all natural Thai Spring Rolls, from the Health is Wealth food brand. I'm not usually keen on preparing frozen foods so I was slightly unsure about how these would hold up while cooking. As it turns out, you should definitely keep these pretty cold or slightly frozen just before you are about to fry or bake them. Do not thaw out completely beforehand or else they might get soggy and break up. Overall, they were very tasty bite size rolls and I would definitely get them again!

Another goodie is dark chocolate covered frozen bananas from Diana's Bananas called Banana Babies! These are a fun and guilt-free treat using REAL (yes, real) bananas. I personally think that bananas are the most non-appetizing fruit to eat but I'll definitely enjoy anything dipped in dark chocolate.

Another new product I have been looking forward to trying is not so much a snack but something I can incorporate into some of my cooking. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast sold in the form of flakes or yellow powder, usually used as a seasoning. It is a source of extra vitamins and proteins. Because I am slightly lactose intolerant, I like to use it in many of my pasta or italian dishes as a cheese substitute due to it's nutty/cheesy flavor profile. I will soon post a meal I make, incorporating nutritional yeast, that way you can have an idea of how it can be used. 

The last item is not so new but I have been wanting to rave about Teeccino since I first tried it! Teeccino is an organic, non-decaf, herbal coffee and it's ah-mazing. Because constant caffeine intake is not so good for the body, I try to avoid it as often as I can. Plus I have a hard time expelling caffeine from my body so this is a great coffee substitute. BUT what I love most about it, is that you have an option to purchase it in tea bag packages, as instant coffee. I also love the hazelnut flavor because it's like drinking a cup of winter yumminess. 

So these are my new vegan picks for now and I will be posting new goodies I try as often as I can!

Casa Lola Criollo Kitchen - San Juan, Puerto Rico

The reason for my long awaited blog post is because I had the pleasure of traveling to Puerto Rico, for the second time! I was extremely excited to go and even more excited to reacquaint myself with the wonderful food. Although I did eat from local Puerto Rican kitchens, for a more homemade preparation, I really wanted to try a professionally prepared take on the traditional foods. We were recommended a restaurant named Casa Lola (most adorable name ever).

Adorable and sexy exterior/interior!

The following bread appetizer and five dishes were chosen and served:

What a visually appealing array of dishes!

•  Arepas - Island flatbread made with coconut and served with a side of a mayo dipping sauce.
• Mofonogo de Yuca with a Vegetable Guiso (stew) - Made with mushrooms, onions, peppers, habichuelas de Lola, swiss chard, and cherry tomatoes. Mofongo is a fried plantain dish typically made with fried green plantains mashed together.
• Planchao of local Chillo (red snapper) - with a garbanzo bean criollo guiso and lemon gremolata.
• Grilled Swordfish "chop" with a classic seafood Manposteao rice
• Chicken oregano brujo pinchos with arroz frito de pina and mavi BBQ sauce - Oregano chicken kebobs with rice.
• Crab cake piononos rellenos de queso crema - Crab cakes with queso cream 

LASTLY, I was served the best cocktail in all of the Caribbean - Sangria! Oh how I love sangrias.... I am not a fan of wine, but if you add fruit to it (and a touch of brandy), I will down it. With that said, it was sweet and tangy and wonderful. 

I was sad to leave Puerto Rico, but I will definitely be returning for a third trip! Gracias, Casa Lola!

TRUCKEROO

I was finally able to experience a one of a kind food truck festival - Truckeroo! Located in Washington DC, Truckeroo caters to hundreds of people with a selection of 10-26 food trucks representing various cuisines. It was packed and the lines were super long but the food trucks handled the crowd very nicely. 

I chose from only two food trucks, because a) the lines were insanely long b) there's only so much food my stomach can hold. TaKorean  and Tapas Truck were probably the best (personal) choices among the 10 others.

For TaKorean, you first choose a base, so I chose a soft corn tortilla. Second is a choice of protein, organic firm tofu, sautéed with home-made Hoisin sauce. Third choice was napa-romain slaw, dressed with a mild rice vinegar and sesame oil vinaigrette. Lastly, toppings included sriracha sauce, lime crema, sesame seeds, and fresh cilantro.  

Slightly messy but light goodness.

For Tapas Truck, I ordered Tapa #1 rabas - crispy calamari sticks with a smokey tomato sauce over garlic fries. I also ordered Tapa #2 corn fritters - sweet corn nuggets made from a beer batter with cilantro lime sauce. This was sweet and easy to pop in your mouth, with a surprise corn pellet filling!

These will settle your fried food cravings.

Overall, I'm looking forward to trying out more amazing food trucks around the DC and Northern Virginia area. The food truck business is booming and highlights really talented cooks who have an intense passion for food - It's a really great food scene to get into if you are interested in expanding your food palate and culinary treats!

Hippie's Paradise - Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant

Is vegan or vegetarian food more appealing if it has an asian influence? I definitely think so. Not only did I have to practically drag my wonderful boyfriend to such a place, but he was pouting the entire time. What a cry baby. Although I do not consider myself an officially appointed vegan or vegetarian, I will always choose those food options over others. Last night, I was able to eat at Sunflower Vegetarian Restaurant for the second time -- such joy! It is located on Maple Ave, Vienna, Virginia. There is another location in Falls Church, VA, as well. As you can see here, Sunflower is very popular in the Northern Virginia/Washington DC area. And let me tell you... They take their name very seriously, with an eclectic variation of sunflower items decorated all over their adorable restaurant space.

To start with, I ordered four Cold Basil Rolls (wheat free). They were constructed with the following amazing ingredients:

• Jicama 
• Carrot 
• Lettuce
• Dry spiced tofu
• Vegi-ham (interesting, right?)
• Basil 
• Wrapped in rice paper
• Side of the most delicious creamy dipping sauce

Light and fresh starter

As an entree, I ordered Mizuni Sansai Noodles with the most fun noodles, Udon! It was made with:

• Sauteed soy gluten
• Wood ear mushrooms
• Japanese parsley 
• Bracken (type of Fern)
• Various veggies
• Seacress (green nori flakes)
• Udon noodles (thick wheat noodles)

Great flavors and fun ingredients

The other entree ordered was General Tso's Surprise. This was made with:

• Round chunks of crispy soy protein 
• Steamed broccoli
• Steamed carrot
• Spicy kong-pao sauce

Overall, I'm super happy about discovering Sunflower Restaurant. There are not many, if any, vegan or vegetarian restaurants and it is somewhat tough to find restaurants that offer vegetarian options.. Because, frankly, I'm tired of salads. This is definitely going to be my go-to and guilt-free comfort food place.

Gloomy Day Adventure - Catoctin Mountain Orchard

While having some rainy weather on the East Coast, I decided to go up north to the mountains (makes sense, right?). After visiting the Grotto of Lourdes, my family and I always stop at the Catoctin Mountain Orchard, located in Thurmont Maryland, as we do every year.

Not only are you able to view and pick from their beautiful and vast orchard, but they also sell a variety of fresh fruit and homemade food items. As seen on their website, they sell a variety of fresh fruit/produce, homemade jams, and they also have a bakery. To be honest, I am not a fan of pie... I would never choose it among other options. However, I will always make an exception for these pies. The pie crust is absolutely scrumptious and the fillings aren't overly sweetened and the fruit isn't overcooked and mushy. 

As for the fruit, we got a good selection! We got my favorites - peaches, Shiro plums (yellow), Satsuma plums, donut (saturn) peaches, blackberries, and apricots.

I would never ever pass up a chance to snag fresh fruit, so I am very happy with the selection we got (and the pie of course)! I look forward to continuing the tradition of stopping by Catoctin Mountain Orchard, as I've been doing since I was strapped in a stroller. 

There's nothing like an orchard visit to brighten up a gloomy day!

A Taste of Clarendon - La Tagliatella

I thought it would be a good idea to have my VERY FIRST blog post overview my most recent trek into Clarendon, Virginia. I was interested in trying a new coffee shop, but to my unfortunate realization, I was actually starving. So out of the many many restaurant options, I decided to settle for La Tagliatella. Located on the corner of Clarendon Boulevard and Garfield Street, La Tagliatella presented itself as an authentic italian atmosphere. Not only is the interior majestic but the food was just as appealing.

There were many pasta options that could be paired with various sauces, to create your desired combination. I chose Cuore di zucca, a butternut squash filled pasta which I paired with pesto (always a favorite). The duo was exactly what I hoped it would be.

The pasta was perfectly cooked and the butternut squash flavor was delicate and really complemented the more overpowering flavor of the basil, pine nut, and parmigiano- reggiano pesto - which is considered an olive oil based sauce. 

In conclusion, I probably would be interested in eating at La Tagliatella again. I look forward to trying one of their other food items. In the meantime, I suggest looking at their restaurant site here and giving it a try!

My Inner Foodie

Welcome to my brand new food blog! At long last, I have decided to put the effort towards starting something different that allows me to go in depth about my growing passion for food.

I've always been known as a picky eater and to some degree I've considered myself a food snob. Some might interpret that as a negative outlook on food but I just view it as being highly selective about what I consume :) To go along with that, I do not eat red meat or poultry. The main protein I consume is seafood otherwise I will find an alternative substitute. Most of my diet consists of various vegetarian or vegan food items (side note: I am not vegan).

I am so excited to share my food adventures, so expect many restaurant and cafe reviews, meals that I prepare, and many food product/items that I try, as well!