OneMileOneMeal

Mehanne Was Right: A Tomato Grown By Kids Tastes More Awesome Au Naurale

Last night I went to an event at The Orchard which is a farming project where local elementary kids can learn about growing vegetables and fruits. The Orchard is an actual 7.5 acre farm in South Phoenix.I think this is such a wonderful project. Jamie Oliver would be so proud of these kids.

We started the noshy evening with these crunchy tortilla chips and fresh made salsa from tomatoes grown on the farm. In the background is some of the farm. For drinks, there was this carrot and orange drink that everyone raved aout. It was simply oranges and carrots from the farm blended in a Vitamix with ice tossed in to keep it cold. I believe it was so incredible because you could feel the life force in the drink...yes I went woo-woo on you.

Kathleen aka @LOLPHX the Founder of Urban Lab is working with The Orchard to help the project thrive. She gave me this tomato from the farm and told me to make something delicious. I was going to make my own salsa, but then her daughter Meghanne said. "Oh no! Just chill the tomato, cut it up and sprinkle a little pepper on it and enjoy it as is. It's so much better."

So, I took her advice, but took it just one little step further. I crushed some organic garlic and put it in some olive oil. I sliced my tomato and drizzled the garlic and olive oil on top and sprinkled some sea salt and pepper. On the side, I added torn up pieces of warmed ciabatta bread with a nice Syrah to make a happy hour snack.

OMG! That was one of the most amazing tomatoes I've ever eaten. In fact, I ate the whole tomato because I couldn't get enough. It is really amazing to eat vegetables straight from a farm, and a farm where kids are learning how about the land and nature.

I swear I could taste the love in that tomato!

Happy Find: Raw, Gluten-Free, Vegan Power Bar In A Coffee Place

One of my favorite coffee hangouts in Phoenix metro is @EchoCoffeeAZ (which is actually in Scottsdale).

They have a new chef and one of the latest creations is this raw, gluten-free, and vegan power bar which has figs, cocount, cacao, raspberries, and I believe cashews in the crust. You almost never see this kind of stuff at a coffee place.

Can you tell I'm excited!

Tried Something New: Yogurt Made With Almond Milk

I like to eat yogurt like super agent Michael Weston haha! Okay, I'm no TV character, but hey, it makes eating yogurt sexy and exciting, yes?!

I have the dairy allergy but luckily today, there are a plethora of yogurts on the market that are made with milks other than cow. I also avoid soy milk whenever possible, so again, no biggie because there are yogurts made with rice milk, coconut milk, and now almond milk!

 
Amande made by Cascade Fresh is the first almond milk on the market and comes in 8 flavors. I found it at Whole Foods. This yogurt is: dairy free  •  soy free  •  fruit juice sweetened  •  gluten free  •  live active cultures  •  no gmo  •  casein free  •  lactose free.

How about that for a yogurt? I tried the strawberry flavor and added some chopped strawberries, bananas with a sprinkle of super-food trail mix I got at the Whole Foods bulk foods.

The texture and thickness of this almond milk yogurt is like that of cow milk, however, there is a bite to it that I have never experienced in cow, rice, soy, or coconut milk yogurts. It's kinda hard to describe what this bite is. It's not bad or overpowering, but it's something definitely there.

Put enough fun toppings on anything, and it will taste good. Since nuts tend to have a good amount of protein, I was expecting this Amande yogurt to be high in protein too, but it wasn't, only 3g per serving. I won't count that against Amande. This yogurt is worth trying especially if you want something non-cow or non-soy.

Snackage: It's Wine o'Clock With Some Chardonnay and Vegan Nachos

I'm pretty simple. Whole Foods has gotten into the Two Buck Chuck Game with this Three Wishes California Chardonnay for $2.99 a bottle and folks what a deal for the price. I like it, but hey I'm no wine connoisseur.

I made these vegan nachos pretty simply as well. We got my semi-homemade 2-minute mango salsa, Wholoe Foods 365 brand organic refried pinto beans (from a can), spanish rice which I got from the Whole Foods hot bar, and a saute I made of purple cabbage, onions, green peppers, and green onions.

The Tortilla Chips are made with Non-GMO Project verified white corn. I like to put the chips on the side because I prefer crunchy over soggy chips.

Wine o'clock sure is tasty...and simple!

Make Mango Salsa In 2-minutes or Less

One of my favorite salsa flavors is mango salsa. Not all stores sell mango salsa in a jar or fresh in a plastic container in the deli section....or I just don't feel like making the salsa from scratch. Yeah, there is a lazy cook in me.

Here's how you can make a mango salsa in 2 minutes with just 2 ingredients. In fact, the part of this recipe that will take the longest amount of time will be cutting up the mango.

ingredients:

• 1 mango
• 1 jar of tomato salsa in your favorite heat level: low, medium, hot

• Cut up a fresh mango into small chunks
• Pour the jar of salsa into a bowl and mix in the mango chunks.

Done. Enjoy!

When Giraffes Laugh, They Make Awesome Organic Energy Snacks

I was hanging out with pal @JosephRanseth at @wfmscottsdale and he had a bag of snacks from Laughing Giraffe Organics called Goji Cacao & Maca Snakaroons - an energy snack.

Of course, I must partake because I cannot say no to anything that is labeled, "organic, vegan, raw, gluten-free, and hand-crafted." I mean hello! It might as well say, "Stephanie, it's a given you're going to eat me."

And nosh I did, and wow! It was like a macaroon but better...better because well check out the ingredients. I love how the Laughing Giraffe illustrates what makes their food so scrumptious.

 

And really, had these snakaroons been in a bowl on a coffee table, I would never have known they were raw or vegan. Yeah, the snakaroons are that good!

I'm thinking the next flavor I try will be the Pineapple Macademia Coconut, and Cacao snakaroons. There are 6 total.

5 Plant-based Foods That Have as Much or More Protein as an Egg

When I was marathon training, I would eat 2-3 eggs almost every day as a way to get protein. Then I found out I was allergic to chicken eggs, so bye-bye eggs.

If you're looking to eat less foods from animals, and more plant-based foods, here are 5 foods that you can eat as snacks or part of a meal that have as much protein or more as one chicken egg which has 6g of protein:

• 1/2 cup of edamame = 10g

• 1/2 cup of shelled pistachios = 6g

• 1/2 cup of hummus = 6g

• 2 tbsps of almond butter = 8g

• 1/2 cup Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Cereal + 1/2 cup cashew milk = 7g + 2g = 9g

What's one of your favorite high protein plant-based foods?

 

 

Minimalist: Gorgeous Organic Strawberries

On Monday, I shared this easy recipe for homemade strawberry flax milk which I'm still drinking btw because the milk is so darn delectable.

For some reason, I totally forgot that I had taken these other shots of the organic strawberries I had gotten for the recipe. All of these shots were taken on my iPhone4. I know, it's pretty amazing huh!

Here's a top view. Don't 'ya just wanna pick one up and nosh? Of course you do!

Did I get your good side?

The recipe called for 1-1/2 cup cut up strawberries. Yum!

Sweet & Nutty: Pineapple and Pecans. Like The Cake Without The Cake

Today, April 20 is National Pineapple Upside Down Cake day. I know, who knew!

Here's a snack way to get that pineapple upside down cake taste without the cake part. Get some dried unsweetened pineapples and pecans from the bulk foods section at the grocery store, and eat them together in the same biteful. Oh yum!

I'm telling you it tastes just like a Pineapple Upside Down but without all the other sugary and floury stuff. Don't get me wrong, I love cake too, but if we want to get back into those skinny jeans we gotta compromise.

Of course, this snack mix isn't exactly the same as the cake, but you do get the experience. All that was really missing was the cherry.

Health-wise, pecans can help lower cholesterol and your weight because "the mono- and  polyunsaturated fats - the "good fats" - in pecans contribute to satiety." Hello, Dr.Oz!

Pineapple is loaded with Manganese, Vitamin C, and Bromelain known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory. Also, be sure that the dried pineapple you get was not treated with sulphur dioxide.

If you need a tasty unrefined sweet snack to bring to the office, to the ball game, or to a picnic, bring along some dried pineapples and pecans.

My Latest Snack Addiction: Inka Corn Nuts

Anything that is crunchy corn is right up my alley like popcorn and corn nuts. Recently, I have discovered these Inka Corn Nuts...and they are big...and from Peru.

I like these corn nuts because they are large and less hard so crunching down on them isn't as tough as some other brands like {cough} you know who. I feel like my teeth are going to break sometimes with those smaller tougher corn nuts. Inka Nuts are just fun like extra crunchy popcorn, and at Whole Foods a snack pack was 69cents. Nice!

As well, Inka Corn Nuts from Peru just sounds way more sexy and intriguing...okay, you know the storyteller in me loves anything exotic.

There are 5 flavors Original, Barbecue, Chile Picante, Ranch, Sea Salt & Vinegar and the corn nuts are free of trans-fats and any ingredients that were produced using biotechnology.