Dr.'s Remedy Valentine Delight: Vegan-friendly Nail Polish

This is actually my first not-food-related post on here! Vegan-friendly nail polish brand Dr.'s Remedy has asked me to share with you their Valentines Day nail polish picks and I think they are pretty shades (can you guess which on is my favorite?)!

The colors are described as:

REVIVE Ruby Red: "A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

RESOLUTION Red Glitter: "A red-meets-copper spin that's sequin-look-alike laden with high-shine and sparkle"

RESCUE Red: "A classic fire engine red REVIVE Ruby Red: A shimmer-infused, Wizard of Oz-inspired shade of crimson"

These shades and other Dr.'s Remedy Shades are available at for $17 per bottle at www.remedynails.com.

In addition to being vegan, Dr.'s Remedy polishes are free of harmful ingredients like formaldehyde and enriched with beneficial ones like tea tree oil. You can read more about their formula here.

Just a little more info about Dr.'s Remedy:

"Dr.'s REMEDY is a line of doctor-inspired cosmetics that is dedicated to using clean, hypoallergenic ingredients. The brain-child of two New York-based podiatrists, Dr. Adam Cirlincione and Dr. William Spielfogel, Dr.'s REMEDY proves quintessentially-perfect for any person looking to better the condition of her skin and nails. Dr.'s REMEDY is sold exclusively at www.remedynails.com or by calling 877-323-NAIL."

Will you be painting your nails with vegan nail polish this Valentines Day?

Banana Nut Muffins

I already have a Banana Bread recipe posted here but this recipe for banana nut muffins is a bit different. It is lighter, fluffier, and is soy-free (the other recipe uses tofu). I don't actually like eating raw bananas but I love them in bread/muffin form, especially with walnuts and chocolate chips! My favorite way to eat these muffins is warm, cut in half and spread with some soy-free vegan margarine or coconut spread.

2 cups unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
6 TBSP safflower oil (or other vegetable oil)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup So Delicious coconut milk yogurt (I use plain but vanilla would work also)
1 TBSP vinegar
2 ripe bananas, mashed (equal to 1 cup or slightly under)
1 cup walnuts (optional)
2/3 cup vegan chocolate chips (optional), try Enjoy Life to keep this recipe soy-free

Combine sugar, vanilla, yogurt, oil, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on a low speed until well combined. In a smaller bowl, stir together the flour and baking soda and then add this to the wet ingredients. Mix starting at low and increasing to medium speed, periodically scraping the sides and bottom with a spoon until the batter is free of lumps. Add the mashed bananas and mix, then the walnuts and chocolate chips. The batter will be thick but stir-able. Scoop into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Makes 18 to 20 muffins if both walnuts and chocolate chips are included.

Hazelnut Coffee Cookies

1 1/2 cups vegan margarine, softened (I use Earth Balance soy free)
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
large-ish pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla
1 TBSP instant coffee (regular or decaf)
1 cup ground hazelnuts (finely ground but not enough to become a paste)
extra margarine or nonstick cooking spray

Beat margarine on medium high with a mixer until it looks whipped. Add powdered sugar and salt and beat again until well combined and fluffy-looking (like a very light frosting). Add flour and start the mixer on a low speed, gradually increasing the speed until it is thoroughly mixed. In a small bowl or measuring cup combine the vanilla and instant coffee and stir until dissolved. Add the hazelnuts and vanilla-coffee solution to the dough and mix. The dough should turn a light coffee color evenly throughout. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease cookie sheets lightly with margarine or nonstick spray. Roll balls of dough about 1" wide and place 2-3" apart on cookie sheet. Mash the balls down to about 1/4" thick. Bake for about 15 minutes and allow to cool on cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring to brown paper* to finish cooling.


*The reason for cooling the cookies on brown paper is that the paper absorbs some of the excess oil and when laid completely flat puts less stress on delicate cookies than a wire rack does. Paper grocery bags cut into flat sections work perfectly for this!

Restaurant Review: Cassia Grill in Port Murray, NJ

*** EDIT ***
Unfortunately, this restaurant appears to have closed. I am leaving this post up for now but I don't want to confuse anyone into thinking it is there.
**********


I do not go out to eat very often. However, when I find a restaurant I like I tend to get pretty excited about it. I've decided to add restaurant reviews here in the hopes that other vegans will find them useful and perhaps discover a new place to enjoy a meal. This is the first one!

In June I spent some time in the Eastern part of Pennsylvania because my sister and her husband were expecting their first baby. Of course, as babies are wont to do, my niece decided not to make her appearance until 5 days after her due date. In addition to prolonging my sister's almost-done-being-pregnant misery (any mom can tell you about how unpleasant those last few days, or weeks, can be) it gave me time to enjoy the area. During a little trip into NJ with my mom and my son I stopped at a Turkish restaurant called Cassia Grill for a late lunch.

I had found Cassia Grill's website online prior to heading out for the day and if not for that I would never have known it was there. It is located in the middle of nowhere and not very eye-catching on the outside so we drove right past, almost missing it, and had to turn around further down the road. The inside is pretty much the opposite of the outside: beautifully decorated and very inviting. The color scheme and decorations match well with the food and the music was very pleasant. The server was very polite and helpful and made it easy for me to order. While Cassia Grill not a vegan restaurant, there are things on the menu that are either vegan by chance or can be easily altered to be vegan. I cannot access the menu online at this time so I will only be able to relate what I can recall on my own. Collectively my family ordered 2 salads, a dish with roasted eggplant, and a hummus plate, my favorite being the hummus. The salads were both good and definitely different from salads I make at home. One was a "gypsy salad" and another had white beans and onion; both were vinegary, the gypsy salad more so. The eggplant dish was spicy but mostly from garlic and had a nice, smokey flavor. As I mentioned, the hummus was my favorite. It may very well be the best hummus I have ever tasted and was different from most hummus; it was less lemony and was smooth in texture with a surprisingly prominent parsley flavor. Normally the hummus comes with bread but upon my request they served it with cut veggies instead; I do not know if any of the breads or baked goods there are vegan because I never asked. Overall, I would say that Cassia Grill has good service, a nice atmosphere, and delicious food. If you are ever in the area this restaurant is definitely worth trying!

Information

Address: 1280 State Route 57, Port Murray, NJ 07865

Phone: (908) 223-7555

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cassia-Grill/160207227342393

NOTE: Cassia Grill's website currently seems to be down. When I am aware of it being accessible again I will add a link to it and also info about hours.

Peanut Butter Pasta Shells *

I love vegan mac & "cheese" but I try not to eat it too often because it doesn't have very much protein. Anyone who has looked through the rest of my recipes will know that I also like peanut butter with pasta. This recipe, unlike my previous recipes combining peanut and pasta, is more of a comfort food with the smooth, creamy texture of the peanut butter sauce, the slightly salty flavor, and the pleasant chewiness of shell pasta. For me it is the next best thing to eating a big bowl of vegan mac & "cheese" while being much more nutritious (see note below). This recipe is gluten and soy free.

8 ounce box gluten free corn/quinoa pasta shells, cooked and drained
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (1 cup if you like a thinner sauce)
1/8 to 1/4 tsp salt (use the 1/4 if your peanut butter is not salted)
1/4 tsp garam masala

Combine all ingredients except the pasta in a pot as large enough to hold the pasta. Whisk together over medium-low heat until the sauce is smooth, creamy, and warm. Add the shells and stir together until they are coated evenly and there isn't too much extra sauce left at the bottom. Serve immediately. My family likes this paired with peas or beets.

NOTES: If you do not need to be gluten free you can substitute wheat pasta shells. The 1/4 tsp of garam masala makes a mild sauce so you may wish to add more; I am serving this to a 5 year old to whom anything beyond very mild seasoning is "too spicy" and so I keep it to a minimum. If you want to be adventurous, try adding some soaked raisins, currents, or sweetened dried cranberries. This dish is best right after it is made so if you will not being able to use it all at one meal you may want to consider cutting the recipe in half.

Nutritional Note: I calculated the nutrition in this dish with an online recipe calculator and, assuming 4 servings, there is about 14 grams of protein per serving. Obviously, if you use different ingredients the protein content may be different and it was just an online calculator not a lab analysis or anything.

Split Pea Soup *

This split pea soup is gluten free and soy free (so long as the ingredients you choose do not contain either).

1 lb bag dry green split peas
½ gallon water plus more as needed
3 vegan “chicken” or vegetable bouillon cubes (I use Edward & Sons)
2/3 cup potato flakes (I used Edward & Sons homestyle mashed potatoes)
½ tsp ground black pepper, more or less to taste
¼ tsp liquid smoke flavoring
½ cup carrots, chopped to ¼” pieces
3 large or 4 medium stalks celery, chopped to ¼” pieces

Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil and then cover. Cook over medium-low until the peas are soft and fall apart, stirring occasionally. When finished cooking the soup should be thick and smooth, except for the carrot and celery bits which should be quite soft. Serve hot alongside toasted crusty bread or warm cornbread. Leftover soup may need to have a little water added to it when reheated because it thickens in the refrigerator.

NOTE: If you are concerned about sodium intake be sure to use low-sodium bouillon cubes because the regular ones can be quite salty; this will alter the flavor, though, so if sodium is not an issue for you I do not recommend doing it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake *

This recipe is gluten-free and optionally soy-free.

1/2 cup chocolate vegan ice cream *
3 TBSP smooth peanut butter (or more if you want a creamier shake)
2 tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla agave **
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Place the ingredients in your blender - the cocoa should not go in first or last - and blend until smooth according to the directions for your blender. If you do not have directions try pulsing a few times, blending on low for 15 seconds, and then medium until it looks smooth and creamy.


* I use So Delicious coconut milk chocolate ice cream to make mine soy-free. You could use any kind you like but if it is very sweet you may want to omit some or all of the agave.

** The vanilla agave I used is Wholesome Sweeteners brand. If you cannot find vanilla agave regular agave, or another sweetener of your choice, will be fine but you may wish to add a few drops of (gluten-free) vanilla extract.