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NibMor Review: Organic, Raw, and Vegan Chocolate
February 9th, 2010|
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
I am suffering from a hangover and not the typical hangover you might be thinking of! Come on! I know what you were thinking of, how rude! No, I meant that today was my first evening off after such a busy and hectic week and weekend. We had a successful concert in Holland, Michigan which an attendance of around 360 people. I believe all the singers and soloists were very excited and happy when the concert was finished. The church turned out to be the perfect venue for a concert featuring opera arias, choruses, broadway showtunes. I believe we were all saddened that we could not have an extra night to perform all the music all over again. Six weeks to prepare music goes very quickly!
After this concert, we were able to return home and prepare to be in a graduate recital. Whew! A weekend filled with musical performances and rehearsals sure is taxing! When I woke up this morning, all I wanted to do was turn over and fall asleep again, but alas this was not going to be the case. I pulled myself out of bed and took a nice shower to wake up which then continued to snap me out of it. A nice bowl of steel cut oats with fruits was calling my name so I decided to munch on that in order to regain morning strength to work. It did work!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Since I had this so late in the morning, I skipped lunch. The afternoon proved to be a little bit better especially since the sun was out most of the day. I HAD to enjoy that since the forecast predicted 12 to 14 inches of snow in the upcoming days. It is hard to envision this since the snow has been melting.
You know what was NOT melting? The 3 bars of chocolate I recently received from a NibMor Chocolate. I learned that the two gals who created this delicious chocolate back in April 2009 had in mind to make available to the public a chocolate bar that was not only organic, but vegan, dairy and gluten-free, raw, low on the glycemic rate and with no refined sugars. Who can ask for anything more.
Ms. Love sent me one of each flavor to sample. Here is what I thought of each bar.
Original: This creamy dark chocolate contains 70% cacao and quickly melts in your mouth. The flavors balance each other with a bittersweet taste. I normally crave more than one piece of chocolate with normal milk chocolate but just after one square of this chocolate, the craving is satisfied. Thanks to natural ingredients: “Organic Cacao Butter, Organic Cacao Powder, Organic Agave Nectar, Raw Vanilla Powder, Organic Virgin Coconut Oil, Sea Salt, Non-GMO Soy Lecithin (an Emulsifier)”
Crispy: I normally would go for pure chocolate, but this crispy chocolate contains puffed brown-rice that adds a delicious balance to the dark chocolate. This bar is better than the sugar-filled Nestle Crunch bar that is not natural. This proved to be its healthier version.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Almond: When I would go to Whole Foods, I would tend to migrate to the chocolate-covered almonds. That was before I went vegan. This chocolate bar has a delicious crunchy and almond flavor using raw almonds. The almonds do the trick and do not overpower this dark chocolate.
Dark Chocolate is healthier for you and even though the fat content of these chocolate bars is pretty high, remember that this is healthy fat that the body needs. Moderation is the key too. NibMors Chocolate Bars are so refreshing I definitely recommend them to all chocolate lovers out there.
Remember to purchase your bars just in time for Valentine’s Day!
NibMore Dark Chocolate Bars.
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Super Bowl Madness
February 8th, 2010|
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
It is fun spending Super Bowl with a whole new group of people. Last year while in East Texas, we spent Super Bowl evening at some friends from church with a whole lot who came as we watched on a huge big screen. This year we spent it is in a whole new state with a whole new group of friends. We spent the night laughing through the crazy commercials to screaming our heads off when the Colts continued to botch every move! But what really makes a party? The food of course!
My meal planning came to a finish as I prepared different platters of different appetizers for the guests. I of course prepared the appetizer that won the Pace Picante contest along with 3 other new recipes. The winning recipe was the Pace Picante Phyllo Party Cups that proved to be a winner even at the Super Bowl Party! Success! Since I knew a friend was making Cincinnati Chili,
I decided to make the Phyllo Cups meatless, consisting only of refried beans, cream cheese and Pace Picante mixture, and shredded cheese with a slice of jalapeno pepper. Ryan told me that they were the most delicious and perfect party appetizer.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
My second appetizer was a tangy cheese ball with some Pace Picante sauce in its mixture and shaped into a football. I had a lot of fun mixing the ingredients and shaping the cheezy goodness.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
The third appetizer were the vegan Empanadas with soy crumbles I made last month as part of the contest. The fourth appetizer were wedges of Chicken Quesadillas mixed with green chiles and Pace Picante sauce and melted in sharp cheddar cheese and served with a bowl of Pace Picante.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Can you tell that Pace Picante played a huge roll in my preparations? You would think that the sauce would overpower in every recipe but I used it a way that would bring flavor to each appetizer. It was fun to be creative and come up with perfect Super Bowl food.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
So as the guests munched on appetizers and delicious chili we tried hard to not be distracted by how badly the Colts fumbled many plays, or how Manning almost cried when the Saints made their 4th touchdown.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Oh well, we survived with the variety of hilarious commericals ranging from pantless people to creepy chickens in Denny’s commercials, which happened to be my favorite. We continued to tease one of our friends who was completely freaked out by the beady looking chickens that we told her we would post a video on her Facebook so that she could dream of them! Ha ha. No wait, that is mean. Well, I am going to post it on this:
The Super Bowl party was therefore a success and a fun event with delicious food to accompany a fun occasion. I am looking forward seeing who plays next year already!
Tangy Cheese Ball
makes 1 small football size
3 packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 8 ounce shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 4.25 ounce can Deviled Ham
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Pace Picante Sauce
2 ounces diced pimentos
1 tsp tabasco sauce
In a medium bowl, place 3 packages of cream cheese. Slightly whip with a wooden spoon and add deviled ham and shredded cheese. Mix well.
Add the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate for 1.5 hours.
Remove from refrigerator and form into football or 3 to 4 small cheese balls.
Serve with party crackers and carrot sticks.
Cheese balls can be wrapped in plastic and frozen until next occasion
Green Chili-Chicken Quesadillas
makes 7 eight-inch quesadillas pies (slice into 8 wedges)
3 chicken breasts
14 white flour tortillas (8-inch tortillas or taco size)
1/2 cup Pace Picate Sauce
4 ounces diced green chiles
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
10 ounces finely shredded sharp cheese
Cook chicken on pan seasoned with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper for about 10 to 15 minutes. Cover so that chicken will not dry out. Cool and shred chicken.
In a medium bowl, mix shredded chicken and the rest of the ingredients except for the cheese.
Take one tortilla half and spread 2 Tbsp of chicken mixture. Add 1/2 cup shredded cheese on top of the chicken and cover with second tortillas. Repeat with the rest of the tortillas.
On a non-stick pan, heat olive oil. Place quesadilla and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn the tortilla. Lower heat in that case.
Cool tortillas, if not for immediate use, or cut each round quesadilla pie into 8 wedges.
Works well made a day ahead. Warm in the oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 minutes.
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Salvadoran cuisine: Pupusas with Tomatillo-Avocado Sauce
February 4th, 2010
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
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Stuffed Pasta Shells with Chunky Italian Sauce
February 3rd, 2010This has been a great week and Wednesday has not even hit me yet. I think it has to do with the amazing workouts in the morning and guess what? I found another great Jillian Michael’s DVD at the library that has 6 circuit training sessions that are not impossible.
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I felt so energized! I was back at looking at my list of goals since in the past week I have been bombarded with temptations like having too many carbs! I finally had to sneak in whole wheat pasta today just for me not to feel guilty about having pasta. Ryan overlooked it. 🙂
After my workout this morning, I juiced 7 carrots, a piece of ginger and then blended some mustard greens for a nice GREEN power drink. WOWzers! I packed a punch and was terribly delicious, even for a made-up combination. My lunch decisions were even better and so I girded my mind and thanked God for the strength for a new day with healthy decisions. I mean, y’all have had that issue too, right?
Yesterday, I started meal planning for the rest of the week, for the first time in a while. Ryan and I had to sit down and go through our calendar because we have so upcoming rehearsals, concerts and events. A woman has got to keep her mind sane! My mom reminded me to leave my sanity in God’s hand too! I agreed.
Since I found out I won the Foodbuzz / Pace Picante Sauce contest, I learned I needed to host a Super Bowl and feature some great appetizers. Off to the grocery store I went yesterday and a list of delicious appetizers were created and jotted down. I next needed to plan a meal for a couple in our church who recently had their baby. Check. That was planned. What about dinner for the two of us for our busiest 2 days? Check! Last night, I prepped the pasta shells and the filling and all I had to do today was make a delicious Italian Tomato Sauce and a green salad. So simple! All I have to say is that I have to do this all the time!
This was my first time using large pasta shells and my first time creating a vegan filling too, but I had been inspired ever since I found the whole wheat pasta shells at a co-op in town. Afte I served the meal, Ryan claimed that the recipe was a success. Since I know that Ryan’s favorite cuisine is Italian, I tried to create a good comfort food dish that did not make anyone feel guilty of consuming such a delicious dish. Try it tomorrow night!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
serves 4 to 6
Stuffed Shells
30 to 36 large pasta shells (These were not Jumbo)
12 oz firm tofu
1 cup frozen spinach, thawed
1/2 onion, diced
1 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp garlic powder
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp vegan parmesan
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Boil salted water in a medium pot. Add shells to water and cook for 9 minutes. The pasta shells will not be fully cooked. Drain and set aside.
In a medium bowl, crumble tofu until in fine pieces. Drain thawed spinach of excess water and add to tofu. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Fill each shell with 1 Tablespoon of filling. Shells can be refrigerated until ready to be used the next day.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
1 -28 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
1 -28 ounce can tomatoe puree
1 Tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp Italian seasonings
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp agave nectar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
Heat olive oil in medium saucepan. Add diced tomatoes and puree and garlic and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees Farenheit.
In a casserole dish, layer bottom with half the sauce. Add the shells to the sauce and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp of vegan parmesan and crunchy onions or breadcrumbs!
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes and remove from oven. Cool for 5 minutes and serve.
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Portabella Mushroom Fajitas
February 2nd, 2010It has been a while since I have made something Tex-Mex or just plain old Mexican food. We have found several Mexican restaurants where we live but nothing like the food we found back in Texas. The food we have found around these parts either ends up being way too greasy or gross. We found a great place a month ago that is very authentic and accomodated the vegan in this family. I find that it is easier to work with a Tex-Mex menu than anything because you can work around beans, rice, tortillas and guacamole.
Pablo’s Panaderia in Lansing, Michigan is a great little hole in the wall that looks sketchy on the outside but when you walk in, it looks like a simple Mexican restaurant. Ryan and I liked it alot especially since he was able to order a Grande Breakfast Burrito. He exclaimed that the chorizo, cheese, egg and potato was not greasy at all. The only thing that failed was the cheese they used. It was fake cheese! FAKE cheese. Oh well. Ryan overlooked it and said everything else was delicious. I was able to order a gordita, stuffed with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and guacamole and a potato enchilada with red mole.
Well that was a month ago so I decided to make something at home that would satisfy the Tex-Mex food we were missing. I know I have been reading about enjoying foods that are local and in season but it has been so hard. Tomatoes have been awful and avocados VERY expensive. I seem to have a harder time up north than we we lived in Texas. No matter! I have been able to make use with the best I can find! I thank God for what he provides. Enjoy the following recipes!
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Portabella Mushroom Fajitas with
Fajitas
2 small onions, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp black pepper
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Black Beans and Rice
serves 2
1 cup canned black beans
1 cup cooked rice
1/2 cup Pace Picante Sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Place all ingredients in a small pot and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
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| From An Opera Singer in the Kitchen |
Homemade Guacamole
serves 2
1 avocado, mashed
1/2 tomato, diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
In a small bowl, mash the avocado. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.
Chop up some lettuce and place guacamole on top. Serve fajitas with corn tortillas for a healthier meal. Makes 8 tacos for 2 people.
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