Simple Vegan Tapas:

Lately I find myself in quite the predicament...I'm too spent to cook, let alone blog about it. By the time I sit down at my computer to write (lethargic and slightly depressed), it's like I can't lift my fingers. There's no words left in my head.

The same thing happens when I try to cook. "Rice takes too long....you're not having pasta for the 5th night in a row! Fatty." So I end up with some sloppily-thrown-together meal, in my messy hair and sweatpants, and I think that I may be in a rut.

But the truth is that I'm actually not in a rut at all. I'm really about to cross the finish line in this crazy marathon that I started over seven years ago. Yet, while all of these things are going on behind the scenes, I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. (Who wants to run a marathon anyway? - Side note - I'm thinking of running a half marathon!)

But, all in all, I'm sure that when the Bar is over and I'm all settled into a new home, it will be different, and I'll be able to enjoy the simple things...like the smells of garlic wafting through the kitchen and freshly-made pizza dough rising. Soon. 

I guess I'm really in no rush. The rest of my life is waiting for me regardless. Besides, sometimes it's nice to have a legitimate excuse to have unkempt  hair and live in sweatpants. 

So anyways, who really cares about all of that? I just want you all to know that I haven't forgotten about you!!!

Now...Vegan Tapas!

In case you didn't already know, I am absolutely in love with Spain. Everything about it: the culture, the people, the food (pero no jamon por favor!), everything. Spain has a liveliness that's unparalleled, and it's a beautiful country to spend two summers in. 

Funny thing, before I went to Spain, I absolutely hated olives. Now, if you want to cheer me up or comfort me, all you have to do is hand me some Spanish olives and some Tempranillo wine. It's such a comfort!

The cherry tomatoes don't go the best with olives, but they sure are delicious. Besides, tapas are random small plates that don't really have anything in common with each other anyways. 

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. olive oil

Dash of salt

Dash of cayenne pepper

1 1/2 cups arugula

3/4 cup Spanish olives

Baguette bread, sliced

Total Cook Time: 10 minutes. 

Instructions:

1. Add the grape tomatoes, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper to a medium skillet. Cook on medium to medium-high heat until tender and a little charred, adding more salt or lemon juice to taste.
2. Once the tomatoes are done, top the bread with the arugula and serve the tomatoes and olives on the side. Don't forget the red wine!

Photo Journal: On Life These Days:

I made it home in time to see the apple blossoms.

"What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." ~ Johann Von Goethe

 So...in case you've been wondering where I've been lately, and because I have been wanting to write all of this down at some point, here's a quick run-through of my life over the past month or so...

Photo Journal from my instagram (and a few other photos):

I graduated from law school and had a better-than-perfect graduation weekend with family & friends.

I watched hockey with my baby brother.

I cooked for my mama. :)

Got to have those graduation pina coladas by the pool.

Went to my cottage!

My best friend got married!!!

I finallyyy got a haircut. :)

I went to Fort Lauderdale to celebrate graduation with friends who I've met throughout this crazy journey.
(I am so grateful).

Watched more hockey.

I celebrated turning 25 with my favorite twin brother in the whole wide world.

I started a new job!

Ate some super delicious, fresh Florida fruit.

I also made a major life decision as to where I'm going to be in the near future. (To  be revealed...)
...and I started preparing for the Bar Exam.

It's been crazy and emotional, and I've never been so happy and so sad at the same time. Saying goodbye to a chapter of life that has been such a pivotal experience isn't nearly as easy as I thought it would be, but the fact that everything is falling into place so seamlessly is truly inspiring. Good things really do come to those who work really hard to get where they want to be.

Law school has changed me in a million ways. I've laughed. I've cried, and I'm glad that I didn't just breeze right on through it.  It brought out traits in me that I never knew existed. It's hard to imagine that, once upon a time, there lived a little girl who thought she'd never be good at anything. It just goes to show that you really can reach the stars with determination, perseverance, a little bit of idealism, a few strokes of luck, and an amazing support system of family and friends. ♥

10-Minute Vegan Black Bean Soup:

Today is a long  and rainy day. This black bean soup has made it much better. I am going out of town this weekend and have a lot going on, so I don't see myself posting much. But feel free to check out some old posts and leave some love for when I get back. I can't believe how many posts have piled up on here already! I feel as if I've written a book.

This soup serves 2 and easily doubles. The measurements for the seasonings are pretty on-point, but you may want to add a little more salt, use less cayenne, etc. Just taste it while cooking; it's the best part! You can also cook it for a little longer if you have the time. The flavors will soak in a little better, but it's delicious either way.

Ingredients:

1 can black beans (15 oz.)
1/2 cup onions, very thinly diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cumin (to taste)
1/4 tsp. salt (or more, to taste)
Dash of garlic powder
Dash of cayenne pepper
2 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup heirloom tomato, diced

Instructions:

1. Add the olive oil, onion, and garlic to a pot. Saute on medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Check and make sure the seasonings are right, adding more as necessary.

3. Reduce heat to low, and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Top with the diced heirloom tomatoes, and serve.

Journal Entry: Visitors, Palm Coast, and Disney World:

My dad, step mom, and baby brother all came to visit me last week. We had an awesome time. Of course, after I've been telling them how beautiful the weather has been, they happened to visit on some of the only cold days that we've had this entire winter. That was a bummer, but we still managed to have fun.

After I picked them up at the airport, we stopped at Julie's Waterfront, a quaint little restaurant on Lake Jennie Jewel in Orlando. As some of the reviews say, the place has seen better days, but the food was delicious, the view was pretty, and they had lots of veggie options. The temperature was rapidly dropping, but we decided to sit outside and enjoy the sunset anyway. They did have heaters outside, which they kindly turned on for us.

After dinner, we decided to make a trip to Mall at Millenia, on the more touristy side of Orlando, right near Universal. I picked up some nice stuff: cheap jewelry, another cute America shirt, and a nice dress for my Barrister's Ball (aka "Law School Prom").

After we had done a little shopping, though I didn't understand how my family could still be hungry,  they decided that they needed to get ice cream at the food court. After all, they were on vacation. I was tempted to order the always delicious raspberry sorbet, but my dad suggested another place with fresh fruit smoothies. I elected to take that route, and ordered a strawberry, banana, and raspberry smoothie. It filled me up even more, but I was very happy with my choice.

On Sunday, we decided to weather the cold, and visited my cousin Val and her family, who have a beautiful beach house in Palm Coast. For lunch, we enjoyed wine while overlooking the ocean, and later, we gobbled up some barbecue on the inter-coastal for dinner. It was nice to have some family time. I really miss that down here.

The next day, we decided to go to Disney. They just added a new section to Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland, which has 2 new sections so far: The Enchanted Forest, which was modeled after scenes and characters from Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid, and Storybook Circus, which was inspired by Dumbo. The detail of the entire place is incredible. It always makes me want to travel. It reminds me of all of the quaint, little villages that I've seen around the world, and that magic really does exist.

It was my little brother's first time that he was old enough to really remember being at Disney, and because there weren't any other big kids there, we got to do a lot of fun little kid stuff for him. Being the youngest, he's usually dragged to all of the stuff that everyone else wants to do, and though he loves it, I feel like he doesn't get to be a kid enough. (Throughout the years, we've dragged him on Jaws, Jurassic Park, and lots of other rides that we forget are still scary for little kids).

I was reminded of how little he is when he squeezed my hand at the beginning of the Lilo & Stitch ride, scared and not knowing what was coming next, and again when he laughed when he realized that the "Level 3 Criminal" was only Stitch.  But, as always, he's growing up too quickly. I really miss squeezing his chubby baby cheeks, but I'm glad that he's still a kid. He needed a day to really be one.

...So that's just what we did, we got to be kids for the day, and I'm so thankful to Ashton for giving me the opportunity to be a kid with him and to remember that he's still little, even if just for a day.

Once it was warm enough for lizards to come out, Ashton and I did some lizard-catching. Other than that, we hung out, ate lots of fruit and Publix bread (my dad loves Publix bread), and chilled out. It was really nice. I'm definitely looking forward to getting to see my family more often next year. ❤

Valentine's Day Vegan Dessert Round-Up:

Because I know that all of you love baking for Valentine's Day, here's a list of some of my favorite dessert recipes:

 Two-Minute Vegan "Funfetti" Cakes

Vegan Chocolate Espresso Souffles 

Butternut Squash & Apricot Tarts With Popcorn & Pecan Crust 

Vegan Cheesecake

Vegan and Gluten Free Mini Cheesecakes

Head-Over-Heels Vegan Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake

Quick Banana & Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Vegan Sorbet

Vegan Chocolate-Covered Strawberries with Valentine's Day Sprinkles  

Vegan Reeses Cups (Sorta)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Head-Over-Heels Vegan Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake:

I know this post is a little late. My deadline for posting it was yesterday, but I still had to post it for V-Day because you’re gonna be over the moon for it, and everyone should feel over the moon on V-Day in one way or the other. Your Valentine will love it too (be it your significant other, best friend, little sister, neighbor, or puppy dog).

In this recipe, strawberries and (vegan) cream combine with a homemade Vegan Oreo crust to transport you to Heaven. If you’re running low on time, you can also use a premade graham cracker crust. It will have a different flavor, but it will be Heavenly in its own graham-crackery way. And if you only have 5 minutes, skip the crust: make the filling and mix it into a simple but decadent strawberry mousse (recipe below). But if you opt to make the pie, use the extra filling to whip up some strawberry whipped cream. XOXO. ❤

Ingredients:

Homemade Vegan Oreo Cookie Dough (from Chocolate-Covered Katie (link))

14oz. firm tofu

2/3 cup raw cashews, soaked for at least an hour

4 to 5 strawberries, cut in half

1/3 cup + 1 tsp.  plain unsweetened almond milk

¼ cup white sugar

1 tbsp. brown sugar

1 tbsp. ground flax + 2 tbsp. water

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. agave nectar

1 tsp. lemon juice

½ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. melted chocolate or chocolate syrup (non-dairy)

Instructions:

1. Make the crust, and refrigerate for at least an hour before baking. 

2. To make the filling, add the cashews and almond milk to your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no clumps. Add the tofu, strawberries, white sugar, and brown sugar. Pulse a few times, and then add the flax/water mixture, the coconut oil, vanilla, agave nectar, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is creamy and blended well. Taste to make sure the flavor is right. You may want to add a little salt or sugar to taste.

3. Once you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease a pie pan, roll out your dough into a circle that’s about 10 to 11 inches in diameter, so it will fit in the pie pan.

4. Lay the dough out in the pan, and then fill it with ½ to ¾ of the filling. Drizzle with chocolate syrup, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

5. Let the cheesecake rest and set on the counter for a half an hour, and then refrigerate overnight. Top with strawberries, and use the remaining filling as whipped cream or mousse (see below).

Simple But Decadent Vegan Strawberry Mousse: 

(Same ingredients as above, minus the Vegan Oreo Crust)

1. Add the cashews and almond milk to your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no clumps. Add the tofu, strawberries, white sugar, and brown sugar. Pulse a few times, and then add the flax/water mixture, the coconut oil, vanilla, agave nectar, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until the mixture is creamy and blended well. Taste to make sure the flavor is right. You may want to add a little salt or sugar to taste.

2. Next, if you have a mixer, mix the filling in your mixer until peaks form and a lovely mousse/ whipped cream texture has formed. Otherwise, continue pulsing in your food processor until you have achieved a fluffy, airy texture.

3. Top with graham cracker crumbs and strawberries. Drizzle with chocolate or vegan caramel if desired. 

 PS: I'm also going to post a V-Day dessert recipe round-up tomorrow. ❤❤❤

Quick Banana & Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Vegan Sorbet:

I had this for breakfast the other day. It tastes like a banana split. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make. I just pulled the frozen fruit out, threw in a couple more ingredients, and then whipped up this pretty concoction in 2 minutes flat. No ice cream machine required. You only need a blender or food processor. Top with actual chocolate-covered strawberries if you want. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 bananas, sliced and frozen

4 fresh strawberries, frozen*

Hershey's Syrup (yes, it's vegan), to taste

Sprinkles (optional)

Serves 2. 

Total Cook Time: 5 minutes + a few hours for freezing the fruit

Instructions:

Add the frozen bananas, strawberries, almond milk, and 2 tsp. of Hershey's syrup to your food processor. Process until smooth and creamy, adding more almond milk and chocolate as necessary to achieve desired consistency and flavor. Top with sprinkles, chopped nuts, and Hershey's Syrup (or other melted vegan chocolate).

*You can use frozen strawberries too. I just liked how the fresh ones tasted in this sorbet.