SHOJIN SUSHI

Shojin just keeps getting better and better.

Mr.Morishima is truly a genius!

My husband and I had dinner here Monday night and were treated to another great innovative dinner.

Monday's are sushi nights in June.

But as of July, they've expanded sushi night to MONDAYS and TUESDAYS.

Everything was delicious!!!

Amazing!!!

NIGIRI SUSHI APPETIZER-sushi brown rice wrapped in a thin layer of roasted red pepper

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE!

Such simple ingredients with so much flavor.

SEITAN ISLAND-spicy "tuna" on BBQ Seitan avocado roll with sweet soy sauce and wasabi mayo.

Amazing!

SKY HIGH-Tempura avocado roll inside spicy "tuna" and crispy lotus root chips on top with sweet soy sauce.

SHOJIN GYOZA-thick gyoza wrappers stuffed with vegetables served with a sweet soy sauce for dipping

Shojin is such a unique restaurant.

They keep adding new and exciting items.

They care about what their customers think and want.

Shojin is THE best restaurant in Los Angeles!

ESPRESSO CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

Last Night I Made:

ESPRESSO CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by ISA CHANDRA MOSKOWITZ & TERRY HOPE ROMERO.

Whole wheat flour, espresso powder, oatmeal, and chocolate chip cookies.

No words can describe how good these cookies really are.

THEY ARE REALLY OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!!!!!

Run, don't walk, and make these cookies ASAP!!!

EDAMAME QUINOA SALAD AND WHOLE WHEAT DONUTS

Last night I Made:

EDAMAME AND QUINOA SALAD for DINNER.

Recipe from The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Neal Barnard.

Quinoa, edamame,red bell pepper,red onion,herbs in a lime agave dressing.

Simple recipe, yet full of flavor.

Sweet and tangy.

Great picnic, potluck dish!

Serve with toasted bread or crackers.

And for DESSERT, I made WHOLE WHEAT DONUTS.

Half topped with LIME ICING and COCONUT FLAKES and the other half withBLUEBERRY ICING and SPRINKLES.

Recipe from Vegan Yum Yum by Lauren Ulm.

For the blueberry icing, whisk 1/2cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon blueberry juice (frozen blueberries, thawed and drained to save the juice for frosting).

Dip donuts into the icing, place on a wire rack and sprinkle with sprinkles.

For the lime coconut icing, whisk 1/2cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon lime juice.

Dip into the icing,place on a wire rack and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Place in fridge to harden the frosting.

And enjoy with coffee.

BEAN BURGER AND COFFEE FUDGE BROWNIES

Yesterday I Made:

VEGAN BLACK BEAN BURGERS for DINNER.

Recipe from The Front Burner.

Black and pinto bean patties mixed with grated carrots, oatmeal, and tons of spices.

One being cinnamon, which was a little too much for me.

For DESSERT, I made the COFFEE FUDGE BROWNIES from The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.

Brownie with walnuts and topped with a thick chocolate glaze.

Super rich.

Super decadent.

Perfect for chocolate lovers.

FENIX 5-4

Being VEGAN and living east of Los Angeles, we don't have a lot of options when it comes to eating out.

But, as of last weekend, things have changed.

Enter Fenix 5-4 Restaurant and Organic Juice Bar.

Located in Uptown Whittier and open 7 days a week.

Even though they serve animal products, they do offer many vegan/vegetarian items.

Very casual and easy parking.

They serve sandwiches, salads, soups, smoothies, and juices.

Check out their menu by clicking on the link above and visit them when in the area.

This was our first time here.

We didn't know what to order so the cashier recommended the VEGAN BEEF GYRO for my husband.

Marinated veggie beef,roasted sweet peppers,onions.guacamole.salsa,shredded lettuce and Vegenaise aoli served on pita type bread.

Husband loved it, but it was a little too hard to eat.

It got soggy and kept falling apart.

I was more in the mood for a simple CUCUMBER SANDWICH.

Cucumber,tomato,avocado,sprouts,red onion, and VEGENAISE aioli. Served on whole wheat bread.

We also tried their BANANA DATE SMOOTHIE, but forgot to photograph it.

A little too runny for me, but husband loved it.

Sandwiches were delicious.

Very fresh tasting.

We can't wait to go back again to try their other vegan options.

Yesterday I Made:

POTATO-CHICKPEA ENCHILADAS WITH GREEN TOMATILLO SAUCE for DINNER.

Recipe from Viva Vegan! by Terry Hope Romero.

Corn tortillas drenched in GREEN TOMATILLO SAUCE (recipe found in book).

Stuffed with a potato-chickpea mix.

Rolled up, and topped with PINE-NUT CREMA(recipe found in book).

Baked for 45 minutes.

Then broiled for 2 minutes to brown the top.

The green sauce is so delicious, you almost want to lick the plate.

The pine-nut crema adds a tangy creaminess.

And the stuffing is full of flavor.

This dish takes a lot of planning and time.

But the green sauce and the crema can be made days ahead and kept in fridge.

This dish is more of an ENCHILADA CASSEROLE than single enchiladas.

Which makes it great for large parties.

Definitely gonna make this recipe again.

Perfect blend of flavors.

LOVED IT!!!!!

Served with beans and corn (not pictured).

Two days Ago I Made:

BLACK-EYED PEA CROQUETTES WITH DIJON GLAZE.

Recipe fromThe Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone.

Black-eyed peas soaked and drained overnight then placed in a food processor along with the cilantro and spices.

Shaped into football shaped-croquettes and fried in safflower oil until golden brown.

The glaze is super easy to make.

All you need is barley malt syrup,dijon mustard and a small saucepan.

Stir together the syrup and dijon in the pan and heat until it bubbles.

Drenched, drizzle or dip the croquettes into the glaze.

I served ours with brown rice and sesame seeds.

SUMMER CHOPPED SALAD

Yesterday I Made:

SUMMER CHOPPED SALAD for DINNER.

Recipe from The Conscious Cook by Chef Tal Ronnen.

Arugula,cherry tomatoes,blanched green beans,raw corn kernels,shallots and chopped radishes with a light white wine vinaigrette.

Perfect salad for a warm evening.

Serve with toasted bread, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Super fresh and Super yummy!!!

COWBOY COOKIES

Yesterday I Made:

COWBOY COOKIES for DESSERT.

Recipe from Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar by Isa Chandra Moskowaitz & Terry Hope Romero.

Oatmeal, whole wheat flour,shredded coconut,semisweet chocolate chips and toasted chopped pecans.

These cookies are huge,dense and so YUMMY!!!!!!!

They are so full of different flavors and textures.

No one will believe that they're vegan!!!

Make sure to keep them in the fridge or even freezer if you like your cookies cold and a little on the harder side.

If you leave them at room temperature, they tend to soften up.

Serve with hot coffee or cold non-dairy milk.

DARNGOOD DONUT HOLES

(EXTREME CLOSE-UP)

Today I Made:

DARNGOOD DONUT BITES for DESSERT.

Recipe from American Vegan Kitchen by Tamasin Noyes.

Fried whole wheat donut holes covered in cinnamon and sugar.

Easy, simple, yet so tasty.

So sinfully good, you'll want to make these over and over again.

Ingredients are mostly pantry items, so you can whip these up anytime!!!

*But they must be eaten fresh or else they absorb the cinnamon-sugar mix and get soggy.*