Yam and Black Bean Tacos

No, trust me. They’re good. This coming from someone who eats a whole lot of the more traditional version of this dish. 

Side note: whoever invented Taco Tuesdays should win the Nobel Peace Prize.

 

 

Yam and Black Bean Tacos

3 sweet potatoes, cut into 1” cubes

2 Tb olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 Tb cumin

1 tsp chili powder

1 14-oz can black beans

1 cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

corn tortillas

Cilantro sour cream (see recipe below)

Heat olive oil on medium heat in sauté pan. Cook garlic for about 30 seconds, then add chopped sweet potato. Cook for five minutes, then add in black beans, cumin and chili powder. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Warm corn tortillas in a dry sauté pan or in the microwave. Top tacos with fresh cilantro and cilantro sour cream.

Cilantro Sour Cream

This is pretty easy. Don’t hurt yourself.

1 cup sour cream

1 cup cilantro

Blend in food processor. Lick bowl.

Ain’t that a (Side) Kick in the Head

Apparently I’m on a sides kick. Not to worry, main dishes will make a reappearance as soon as I stop going out to eat as much. I go through cooking phases like everyone else does and sometimes having someone else cook for me is diiiivine. But new shows like TLC’s Strange Addictions (eating laundry detergent, what the…?!) or another season of The Bachelor (I’ve been watching since 2001, and so what if that makes me proud) or screaming, “Oh em gee, I can totally do that!” while watching The Amazing Race means cooking and then enjoying food at home is back on the agenda.

This dish is a healthy side dish that packs a punch from the shallots that get caramelized and then a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.

 

Balsamic Green Beans and Shallots

What you’ll need (serves 3):

- 1 lbs fresh green beans

- 1 shallot, chopped

- 1 Tb olive oil

- Good balsamic vinegar *

- Salt, pepper

Directions:

1. Blanch your beans. First, bring a pot of water to a boil, throw in the green beans for about 5 minutes, then transfer them immediately into a bowl of ice water.

2. Meanwhile, sauté the chopped shallot in olive oil in a saucepan. Drain your green beans and add them to the saucepan. Toss together with salt and pepper.

3. Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with balsamic.

Calivirgin Products

* There are some pantry essentials that should be high quality. It is my firm belief that olive oil and balsamic vinegar are two of them; it can change the entire taste of your dish. While I don’t tend to promote goods on I Pray to Gouda and must emphasize that they didn't ask or pay me to do so, I stand behind Calivirgin products for olive oil and balsamic. I’m lucky enough that their products are made locally, but they are also easy to order online. Don’t trust me? Click here.

Try them out!

Garlic-Rubbed Bleu Cheese Focaccia

It doesn’t get much easier than this, folks. Especially since I’m not telling you to go make your own focaccia bread – nope, this is a delicious addition to a meal that will not only taste good, but looks gourmet.

Garlic-Rubbed Bleu Cheese Focaccia

What you’ll need:

- 2 TB extra virgin olive oil

- 1 loaf focaccia

- 1/2 cup bleu cheese crumbles

- 1 Tb chopped garlic clove

- 1/2 Tb chopped, fresh rosemary or basil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine good quality olive oil and chopped garlic.

3. Brush the top of the bread with this mixture.

4. Tear small holes (about 1” across, 1/2” deep) into focaccia.

5. Stuff each hole with two to three individual cheese crumbles. Sprinkle chopped herbs over bread. Broil 8-10 minutes.

Life is Just a Bowl Full of Cranberries.

Some moments are sweet. Some are sour. But combined, you have a pretty good chance of maintaining a nice balance.

Holy shucks, that was sappy, no? But…shoot, I’d write that down if I were you. Before I figure out some genius already said it somewhere else.

This recipe was one I used on Thanksgiving, to give a more real food spin to the usual canned cranberry sauce. Now, I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t like that canned stuff. I ignore the fact that Ocean Spray straight up molded a berry into a gelatinous wonder, but I just can’t help it.

Whether you secretly adore the canned version, too, or simply think I’m crazy, I’d recommend you try this version this winter while they’re still in season.

P.S.: did you know these are called “bounceberries” because they bounce when ripe? I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to call them cranberries again.

 

Sugared Vanilla Bean Cranberries

- 2.5 cups sugar

- 1.5 cups water

- seeds scraped from one vanilla bean

 

1. First, you’re going to make a simple syrup. Bring your water and 2 cups of the sugar to a simmer over medium heat and stir until the sugar is fully dissolved.

2. During the simple syrup making process, put your cranberries into a heatproof dish. Pour the simple syrup over the top of the berries. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

3. The next day, pulse the remaining .5 cup sugar with the vanilla bean seeds in a food processor and then transfer to a shallow dish. Use a slotted spoon or colander to strain the cranberries. Then roll the cranberries in the sugar and spread on a parchment-covered baking sheet.

4. Let set for one hour, then serve!

Sloppy Janes

Oh, lentils. How tasteless and disgusting I once thought you were. A key player in the one and only bad recipe my father made in my youth - the dreaded lentil stew. But look at you shine now! You're a star! Everyone loves you!

Actually, I'm sad to say, dear lentils, that I'm afraid not many know your multiple personalities. For instance, I bet it will come as quite the surprise to many that their beefy sloppy joes can be transformed into vegan beauties, enjoyed even by those who cringe in fear when the word "vegan" is uttered (you should see the boyfriend's eyes widen. It makes me giggle.)

These bad girls are tasty. Sure, you may miss the beef. My goal isn't to make things that are vegan taste exactly like their meaty counterparts, but instead, when I make a vegan dish, it's to enjoy a good alternative to a favorite, with major health benefits on the side.
Here's what you'll need:

Vegan Sloppy Joes
courtesy Post Punk Kitchen

• 1 cup uncooked lentil
• 4 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced small
• 1 green pepper, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 oz can tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard (wet mustard)
• 4 to 6 whole grain hamburger buns.

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot and pour in 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, until lentils are soft. Drain and set aside.


Add the cooked lentils, the chili powder, oregano and salt and mix. Add the tomato sauce and tomato paste. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the maple syrup and mustard and heat through.Turn the heat off and let sit for about 10 minutes, so that the flavors can meld, or go ahead and eat immediately if you can't wait.

"What? I Totally Paused." And I Come to a Screeching Halt for this Eggplant Chana Masala

In 1995, while sitting in my friend, Tanya's, basement on her 15th birthday, eating Sugar Daddies, flirting with the nerdy band geek who wore wingtips and watching Clueless, the last thing on my sugar-buzzed brain was that Cher Horowitz would create a vegan cookbook 13 years later.

And Alicia Silverstone has come up with a good one, at that. And biznatch looks even prettier AND younger than she did in the Aerosmith video!

I'm not Indian food's biggest fan. It lost me at yellow curry. However, this dish is wicked easy to make and the addition of cumin, garlic and eggplant, you may jump on board, too.

Eggplant Chana Masala
courtesy of The Kind Diet

1 1/2 large onions, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tb olive oil
1/2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp cumin
1 eggplant, peeled and chopped into 1/2" pieces
1 (15 0z) can chickpeas, drained
1 can peeled tomatoes, drained
1 can vegetarian chili (I used Amy's)
1 handful chopped fresh cilantro

1. Saute the onions and garlic with the oil, curry powder and cumin in a large pot until onions are soft or translucent. Add eggplant, saute for five minutes longer until lightly browned.
2. Add chickpeas, tomatoes and chili, simmer for 20-30 minutes. It will reduce to a thick, stewy chana masala. Add more spice to taste and top with cilantro.

This serves roughly 3-4. Serve over brown rice with pita bread!

Popeye Has Nothing on Me: Introducing the Green Monster

Many of you may scoff at my new 3x/week breakfast. Some of you may even get that twingey, my-lunch-is-about-to-make-a-reappearance feeling in your throat. I'm imagining, however, that if you read food blogs, you're open to trying new stuff. And by new stuff, I'm straight up talking about my latest obsession, The Green Monster.

I'm going to make you a quick promise here: YOU WON'T TASTE THE SPINACH IN THIS!

Try it. Just once. Not only do these taste great like whoa, their nutritional value is off the charts. I did the math (doozie. I need to stick to writing from here on out, peeps), and you're looking at 371 calories and 35 grams of fat, which as a breakfast in the morning will easily be burned off throughout your day. Most of the fat grams are obtained from the flax meal, but the benefits far outweigh the fat content - flax is seriously chock FULL of omega-3s and lignans (fight that cancer, baby). It has a nutty flavor that calms down the spinach and leaves your tastebuds happy.

The Original Green Monster

2 cups fresh spinach
1-1.25 cups milk (your choice of cow’s milk, soy, hemp, almond, rice, etc)
1 tablespoon flax (optional)
1 banana
frozen peaches

The order in which you place the ingredients in the blender is important! Putting in the flax and spinach first will ensure that the rest of the ingredients weigh these two superpowers down so they don't fly all over the dang place inside your blender. So stick those in first, then cut up the banana into the machine, add your milk and then your frozen fruit of choice. Blend, baby. Blend.

Side note: I used frozen peaches for my first Green Monster. This morning, I chose blueberries (wicked good.) Feel free to go crazy, as long as you either use a frozen fruit or ice. This thingamabobber tastes far better cold!

I Rule. General Tao's tofu

Have you ever had one of those moments after cooking a feast where you think, "Did I seriously just make this? In my kitchen? And it tastes this good?"

If you haven't (and dang, I really hope you have, it's better than se....wait. No it's not. But still), then try this recipe. Not only is it fabulous, it's fabulously easy. And while it is vegetarian (you can make it vegan by simply swapping the egg out for an egg substitute), I wouldn't necessarily call it healthy. The sugar kind of squelches that, but shoot, I started my day off with oat bran, sailed through lunch on a Boca burger and spinach salad and did boot camp. I'll be damned if I can't have myself a bit o'sugah!

General Tao's Tofu. (Or, as I have now donned it, Fake Out the Take Out)

1 box of firm tofu
egg substitute for 1 egg
3/4 cup cornstarch
vegetable oil for frying
3 chopped green onions
1 Tablespoon minced ginger
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
2/3 cup vegetable stock
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 Tablespoons sugar
red pepper flakes to taste
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
steamed broccoli

Directions: Drain, dry and cut tofu into 1 inch chunks. You can freeze tofu the night before to get a more chicken-like consistency, but it isn't necessary. Mix the egg replacer as specified on the box and add an additional 3 tablespoons water. Dip tofu in egg replacer/water mixture and coat completely. Sprinkle 3/4 cup cornstarch over tofu and coat completely. Watch out that the cornstarch doesn't clump up at the bottom of the bowl.

Heat oil in pan and fry tofu pieces until golden. Drain oil.

Heat 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil in pan on medium heat. Add green onions, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, ginger and garlic, cook for about 2 minutes. Be careful not to burn garlic.

Add vegetable stock, soy sauce, sugar, red pepper and vinegar. Mix 2 Tablespoons water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch and pour into mixture stirring well.

Add fried tofu and coat evenly. Serve immediately with steamed broccoli over your choice of rice.
Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 Minutes

Vegan Week, Days 4 and 5: Living La Vida Loca

I was a bit worried about Day 4's dinner. After going to great lengths to be creative with meals, I figured it was time to use simple vegan substitutions for an everyday meal.

Tacos, baby. Luscious, meaty, cheesy, crunchy tacos.

My heart fell when I realized these tacos would be "meaty," and "cheezy." But it was time to test the waters of Vegan Week.

Success! Smart Ground Mexican crumbles are pretty darn tasty and I'm not sure I'll be returning to regular meat for my tacos hereafter. But the real test would be the cheese. Fake cheese product could truly ruin a good taco. Luckily, Veggie Slices stood up to the challenge. it even melts for crying out loud!

Day 5 saw me forgetting my camera. Breakfast was oat bran (seriously, try this stuff.). Lunch was leftover risotto that I topped with fresh spinach (fresh spinach can be put into damn near anything savory and it offers up extra nutrients and fiber), soy yogurt and a Fuji apple. Followed up by a yummy Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks. I decided those were vegan, so hopefully there aren't any milk derivatives floating around in 'em. Don't tell me if there are. Ignorance = bliss once in a while.

I drank my dinner last night. Don't judge.

Vegan Week, Day 2

Happy Veterans Day, folks! Hopefully this day finds you not sitting in an office in front of a computer, but rather sitting here, reading I Pray to Gouda. I mean, you don't have anything else to do today, right?

Day 2 of this vegan life showed me a tempting side to life. Case in point:

My lunch at an all-staff meeting: salad, steamed veggies and bread.

The luscious, chocolatey, cream cheese-filled dessert that accompanied the other staff members' lunch.

I did not cave! Instead, I ate a Clif Z-bar, Chocolate Brownie flavor to be exact. These are almost as tasty as the Mojo bars from Clif, and the perfect size if you are searching for a sweet, midday snack. My ability to avoid those little chocolate pieces of heaven at lunch meant I needed to have a great dinner. Enter Tal Ronnen's Lemon Asparagus Risotto from his new vegan cookbook, A Conscious Cook. Stephanie and Ally put aside meat and cheese to imbibe in this vegan dinner. Thanks, girls!

Lemon Asparagus Risotto

from The Conscious Cook

Sea Salt

1 lb asparagus, cut into 1" pieces

ground black pepper

3 Tb olive oil

3 shallots, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups Arborio rice

1 cup plus a splash of dry white wine

6 cups vegetable stock (optional: boil the broth with 3-4 dried porcini mushrooms. This will give it a meatier flavor)

Grated zest of 3 Meyer lemons

Juice of 2 Meyer lemons

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted.

1. Fill small pot with water. Add 1 tsp salt and bring to a boil. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 1 minute, drain and season with salt and pepper.

2. Place large saute pan with steep sides over medium heat. Sprinkle bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add pinch of salt and rice and saute for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add in shallots, onions, lemon juice and wine. Saute until onions are soft.

4. Start adding in the broth, 1 cup at a time. Wait for each cup to be absorbed by the rice prior to adding the next cup. This process will take about 30 minutes (be patient, it's worth it!).

5. Add in lemon zest, a dash of salt and pepper, and top with pine nuts.

Vegan Week, Day 1

Holla! I made it through Day 1, and without a scratch. That doesn't count my raw, blistered palms from asphalt pushups in boot camp. That was a rough hour. Now I'm avoiding homework by watching Tivo'd Desperate Housewives. Don't judge.

Breakfast: Have you ever tried Oat Bran?! It's crazy awesome. If Oat Bran and oatmeal got in a scuffle in the alley behind the gymnasium, Oat Bran would totally kick oatmeal's hiney. And this combo will blow your mind with the additional bonus of tiding you over until lunch.

- Oat bran
- "Melted banana" - try this: microwave a banana for 30 seconds. It slightly caramelizes and stirs right into the Oat Bran.
- Kingslake and Crane Mahalo Granola Mix. Holy amazing. And California-made.
- Dash o'brown sugar. Or maybe 1/4 cup. Whatevs.


Lunch: this documentation is going to give you a pretty good view of my office. Especially since I tend to work through lunch.

- Pita, filled with spinach, mushrooms, snap peas, cilantro-lime hummus and Tofurkey. Hell naw to the Tofurkey. That stuff will not enter mi boca ever again.
- Wholesoy & Co. Yogurt: YES, YES, YES! I think I like this more than milk-based yogurt! It's richer and not as thick. A-ma-zing.

Snack: Nugget brand trail mix and a Starbucks VIA instant coffee. Have you tried VIA yet? It's great. Dissolves more easily. Stronger than usual instant coffees. Rock on.

Pre-boot camp snack: buy these NOW. Clif Mojo bars in Peanut Butter Pretzel.

Dinner: I totally rocked dinner! I went low-key since I'll be doing some heavy-lifting cooking for the next few days.

- Amy's Lowfat Split-pea soup. Ok, so this was the last chance I was giving Amy. I've tried several of the products and I've wanted to vomit in my mouth with each bite. This soup is dee-LI-cious.

- Salad with OrganicGirl lettuce blend (California lovin'! OrganicGirl is in Salinas), mushrooms, snap peas, cucumber and Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs.

- Sweet potato fries! Cut a sweet potato into 1/2" disks and bake at 450 degrees for 20 minuts on a baking sheet sprayed with veggie spray. Dip in sumpin'.

Today was a good day. I do not yet miss cheese, although I'm dyin' for some half and half. Is it bad I'm already looking forward to tomorrow morning's oat bran? I'm lame.

With a Name Like Curd...

Why in the world would they name such a wondrous, lemony, smooth gift from God, "CURD"?

Regardless...a coworker's birthday was dawning and the usual gift card was not in my repertoire. (Not that I mind getting gift cards. Just a quick FYI, there). So, I decided to whip up something, package it in a supercute manner and hand it off to the recipient.

Yeah, so. Hand-juicing and meticulously zesting, then straining 19 lemons? Doesn't quite fit into the "whip up" category. I've never cooked something and then had sore wrists and biceps for days thereafter. On a positive note, as readers of I Pray to Gouda, you all now have free, all access tickets to my gun show. :: flex ::

Homemade Lemon Curd

*"What the heck do I do with it, Faith?"

* Top scones, pancakes, stir into plain yogurt and crepes and whipped cream, english muffins...or pull a Faith and eat it off a spoon.

2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, plus 4 large egg yolks, beaten
1/4 cup finely grated lemon peel
1 cup fresh lemon juice (approximately 1 hour later - check out your awesome, toned arms in mirror)
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces

1. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium, heatproof bowl next to stove. In a heavy, medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, eggs, egg yolks and lemon peel. Add butter, cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly (about 5 minutes).

2. Lower heat and simmer. Sitr until mixture thickens (another 5 minutes). Strain mixture into prepared bowl, then press a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto surface. Let cool to room temperature. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 month.

Don't Eat This Meal If You're Bloated.

Because this dinner won't help you at. all.

But, hey, if you're rockin' the flatter tummy side of things, whip this up! I'm not sure how I befriended so many damn vegetarians (you know, besides the fact that I have a wonderfully, magnetic personality and all. Not bitchy whatsoever. Not I.), but I've made it my life's work to try and please them.

I figured out with this recipe, however, that I'm not so sure I'm a huge wild rice fan. It's so....earthy. And....wild. And while I like to say that I have a wild side (what? I do! It's right there under my pearls and argyle!), the wild side of rice isn't winning me over. I'd make this again with just the orzo, or possibly turn it into a risotto dish.

Oh, by the way, I totally doubled the butter. If you're shocked, you don't know me well.

Wild Rice and Orzo Pilaf With Mushrooms and Pecans
courtesy of Rachael Ray

1/2 cup wild rice
1/2 lb orzo pasta
2 Tb butter
1/2 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
2 Tb chopped, fresh sage
1 cup frozen peas, thawed

1. Cook wild rice according to package directions, transfer to large bowl. Meanwhile, in a pot of boiling, salted water, cook orzo until al dente and drain. Add to wild rice.

2. In large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until slightly softened, about 3 minutes. Add the pecans and sage and cook until nuts are toasted and mushrooms are tender. Stir in peas and chickpeas. Add vegetable mixture to orzo mixture and season with salt.

Barefoot Bloggers: White Pizza with Arugula and Mango Banana Daiquiris

I'm pretty sure Barefoot Bloggers is going to force me to try things I normally wouldn't (precisely why I joined), because there is no way in hey-ell I would have attempted this pizza otherwise. I HATE making pizzas. It's not that they're difficult. It's that I really, a whole lotta-like, love pizza when it's ordered and shows up on my doorstep. Was this pizza worth it? It was worth trying. It's a healthy alternative to the Meat Lovers situation you find yourself in on a Friday evening, chasing with beer.

Thing is...I like the cheesy, greasy fattiness of chasing cheesy, greasy pizza with beer.

But if you want to lighten things up a bit, I say go for it.* I followed the recipe mostly, but I diverged at some points to throw in some Faith Flair. I tried to get Kim, Tina and Tim to give me their honest opinions - they said they liked it, so I'm going to just have to trust that they weren't feeding me a line.

P.S. The daiquiris were FABULOUS.

*Here's what I don't recommend: staying up until 1:43am afterward, watching an incredibly freaky movie and then lying on a hard sidewalk waiting for a meteor shower to show itself. Just my two cents.

White Pizza with Arugula
adapted from Ina Garten's Back to Basics

For the dough:
1 1/4 cups warm (100 to 110) water
2 packages dry yeast
1 tablespoon honey
Good olive oil
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for kneading
Kosher salt
4 cloves garlic, sliced
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the topping:
3 cups grated Italian fontina cheese (8 ounces)
1 1/2 cups grated fresh mozzarella cheese (7 ounces)
11 ounces creamy goat cheese
Grape tomatoes (I used mini-heirloom), halved

For the vinaigrette:
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
8 ounces baby arugula
1 lemon, sliced

Mix the dough.

Combine the water, yeast, honey and 3 tablespoons of olive oil in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. When the yeast is dissolved, add 3 cups of flour, then 2 teaspoons salt, and mix on medium-low speed. While mixing, add up to 1 more cup of flour, or just enough to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes until smooth, sprinkling it with the flour as necessary to keep it from sticking to the bowl.


Knead by hand.

When the dough is ready, turn it out onto a floured board and knead it by hand a dozen times. It should be smooth and elastic.

Let it rise.

Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and turn it to cover it lightly with oil. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Make garlic oil.

Place 1/2 cup of olive oil, the garlic, thyme and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 10 minutes, making sure the garlic doesn't burn. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees.

Dump the dough onto a board . Place the dough on sheet pans lined with parchment paper and cover them with a damp towel. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes. Use immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.

Stretch the dough.

Press and stretch dough into a large circle and place sheet pan lined with parchment paper. (If you've chilled the dough, take it out of the refrigerator approximately 30 minutes ahead to let it come to room temperature.)

Top the dough.

Brush the pizzas with the garlic oil, and sprinkle each one liberally with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the pizzas evenly with fontina, mozzarella and goat cheese. Drizzle each pizza with 1 tablespoon more of the garlic oil and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and the cheeses begin to brown.

Make the vinaigrette.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, the lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.

Add the greens.

When the pizzas are done, place the arugula in a large bowl and toss with just enough lemon vinaigrette to moisten. Place a large bunch of arugula on each pizza and a slice of lemon and serve immediately.

Mango Banana Daiquiris
from Ina Garten

2 cups chopped ripe mango (1 to 2 mangos, peeled and seeded)
1 ripe banana, chopped
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice (4 limes)
1/4 cup sugar syrup*
1 1/4 cups dark rum
Mango slices, for serving

Place the mango, banana, lime juice, sugar syrup, and rum in a blender and process until smooth. Add 2 cups of ice and process again until smooth and thick. Serve ice-cold in highball glasses with the mango slices.

*To make simple syrup, heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water in a small saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Chill.

Food Post from Paris: Potato Gnocchi with Thyme Vinaigrette and Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce

Paris is such a Faith city. Bustling streets, apartment buildings from the 1500s, a cozy cafe on every corner and people who are more interested in enjoying each hour of every day rather than rushing through it. I came to Paris not for the Tour de Eiffel, the Louvre or Versaille, but to experience the culture of a people who sit and enjoy an espresso or fromage with friends without worrying about tight schedules or how much money they put in the meter. And I've been able to get my full experience in this amazing French city.

So here I sit in my apartment in Les Halles, doing one of my fave things - food blogging!

This is a recipe my friend, Jennifer and I made on New Year's Eve. Jennifer is vegan, and I must say that the sound of this recipe sent a tiny shiver down my spine when I first heard of it. Amazingly, however, this gnocchi dish is phenomenal. It's a little bit of work, but fun to do and even more fun to eat.

Potato Gnocchi with Thyme Vinaigrette and Lemon Cashew Cream Sauce
Serves 2-3

For Gnocchi:

2 Russet Potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 Scant Cup Bread Flour (No salt!)

For Thyme Vinaigrette

2 Tbs Fresh Thyme, leaves only
1-2 Pinches Salt, to taste
4 Tbs Olive Oil
1 tsp White Wine Vinegar

For Lemon Cashew Cream

1 Cup Water
1 1/4 Cups Roasted, Salted Cashews (or raw)
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/2-1 tsp Lemon Juice

For the specific cooking directions, head on over to Vegan YumYum...