Trinidadian local food

This post was originally published as Trinidadian Food by Laurel on Health Food.

Last week I went on vacation with my boyfriend to Trinidad. We visited family members, ate lots of delicious local food, sipped many drinks, and relaxed with no phones or computers. Ahh, the life! I absolutely loved the food I had while I was in Trinidad and took a bunch of pictures. We spent our time on the northern end of the island, but I look forward to going back someday so I can see the southern side and also visit Tobago. I heard the beaches were stunning there. Oh, and I definitely want to visit during the famous Carnival that happens in February/March. Sounds like soooo much fun. Did you know that Trinidad is home of the original Carnival?

As I expected, there was a ton of curry spices and hot sauce in the foods. You know I loved that! I tried to order vegetable-heavy dishes when I could, but I also tried some fish and meat so I could get a taste of what the locals had to offer. There were tons of street vendors, and I loved how we could always pull over to the side of the road for a quick snack or a fresh coconut water. It was certainly an indulgent trip, but I loved that all the fresh food was grown or caught locally. I can’t wait to try to make some of these dishes at home.

Here’s a summary of my favorite foods I tried on the trip. Hope you enjoy it!

• Roti - This yummy flat bread originates from India and it’s typically eaten with meats and vegetables. I had it several times wrapped with curried potatoes and pumpkin inside, but also ate Paratha Roti which is roti crumbed into pieces. Trinidadians call it “Buss-Up-Shut” because it resembles a torn or busted-up shirt. You can dip the Buss-Up-Shut in your curry sauce or make mini wraps with the meat and/or veggies. Learn more about roti here.
• Doubles – This well-known street food is made with fried flat bread that’s filled with curried chickpeas (channa), spicy chutney, and hot pepper. Omigoodness these were so good. We had them for breakfast, lunch, and anytime we needed a snack.
• Coconut water – There were tons of places to pull over and get fresh coconut water. The guys take a big machete and quick chop off the top and stick a straw in. So refreshing. They even give you a little scoop so you can break the coconut open when you’re done and eat the soft coconut meat inside.
• Bake & shark – Bake is a fluffy fried bread. It was served at the beach with fried shark meat and a spread of fresh toppings and sauces. I had mine with cucumber, tomato, lettuce, mustard, slaw, and a little hot sauce. It was a HUGE sandwich!
• King fish – My boyfriend’s Dad’s cousin made us some super fresh king fish that he bought when we went to Maracas Beach. He lightly seasoned it with herbs and curry spices, pan fried it, and we ate it with fresh lime juice, mustard, and pieces of soft white bread from the bakery.
• Breakfast bake – A family friend made us bake for breakfast one morning topped with sautéed spinach, garlic, onions, and peppers. This was one of my favorite things I had on the trip. Just a little something our friend whipped up with leftovers in her refrigerator.
• Mango, avocado, and tamarind coconut trees – I think everyone we visited had at least one of these fresh fruit trees in their backyard. Man, I would kill for an avocado tree!
• Carib & Stag (local beers) - Everyone was drinking the cold local beers Carib and Stag. Carib is sort of like Corona and Stag tastes a bit like Heineken.

Check out my pictures below and see more pictures from my trip at this link!

Roti filled with pumpkin, curried potatoes, and mango

Doubles with chickpeas and onions

Mmm...fresh coconut water

The view on our drive to Maracas Beach

Laurel looking out over Maracas Bay

Bake and shark sandwich with slaw, lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and mustard

Buss-up-shut with bok choy, curry potatoes, and pumpkin

Road-side roti stand (only open late at night)

Breakfast bake with spinach, garlic, and peppers

Pan-fried king fish with mustard and fresh bread

Tequila, carbonated grapefruit juice, and a splash of Angostura bitters

Backyard mango tree

Lentil Stew | Laurel On Health Food

This post was originally published as Curry-Spiced Lentil Stew by Laurel on Health Food. 

I’ve been meaning to post these pictures of a lentil stew I made a few weeks ago. It was a quick crock-pot meal that I threw together before dance class. I let all the ingredients simmer in there for about 5 or 6 hours and was happy to have a hot stew waiting for me when I got home. Yes, here in NY it was and is still cold at night, so I eat soups and stews even at this time of year. This stew is great with a piece of toasted whole grain bread or a scoop of quinoa and a side of green veggies.

Curry-Spiced Lentil Stew

For the stew:
2 cups dried green or red lentils
1 large can diced tomatoes (28 oz.)
6 cups vegetable stock
1 large yellow onion
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp. coconut oil
1 cup coconut milk
2 tbsp. curry powder
1 bay leaf

For garnish:
Fresh cilantro
Plain coconut milk yogurt

Chop up the yellow onion (diced) and garlic cloves (minced) and put them in a sauté pan with the coconut oil. Cook for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove pan from the heat and scoop all the garlic and onions into a crock pot. Add the vegetable stock, coconut milk, lentils, tomatoes with their juice, curry powder, bay leaf, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Stir well. Turn the crock pot up to high heat and cook for at least 4 hours until the lentils are tender. Check the crock pot periodically to make sure you have enough liquid. If it looks too thick towards the end, pour in some extra vegetable stock or water and stir. Serve warm with a scoop of coconut milk yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro on top.

 

Good sandwich

This post was originally published as Veggie Burger at 5 Napkin Burger by Laurel on Health Food.

I spent most of Memorial Day working, cleaning, and packing for my vacation in Trinidad. Yay! After I was done with chores and my workout, I decided to squeeze in a little fun for the holiday. So I headed over to 5 Napkin Burger for an early dinner.
I ordered the veggie burger off the menu and really wasn’t expecting anything great. I mean I was ordering a veggie burger at a place that’s primarily known for meat. To my surprise, it was delicious and anything but ordinary. The veggie patty was clearly made by the restaurant (not a frozen Morning Star variety). After a little Google searching, I read that 5 Napkin makes it out of brown rice, barley, black beans, sesame seeds, carrots, jalapeños, and beets. The beets and carrots give it a bright red color and make it a little sweet. It’s topped with bread and butter pickles, lettuce, tomato, 5 napkin’s signature sauce, and is served on a big multi-grain roll. Yum!

My favorite part of the burger is the big stack of sweet pickles. They made the sandwich so juicy! I washed it down with a Corona and was properly stuffed. My thoughts? I would definitely order this again. In fact, I’ll probably go out of my way to stop at 5 Napkin Burger when I’m craving a good sandwich.

 

Summer Dessert!

This post was originally published as Healthy Summer Dessert by Laurel on Health Food.

Do you feel like you always avoid desserts because you’re afraid of gaining weight? If so, I know how ya feel. Many popular desserts are loaded with unhealthy ingredients and tons of calories. But, here’s the good news. Having something sweet every once in awhile can feel really good, especially when you can have something that’s delicious AND healthy.

I’m not talking about fat-free cakes and crazy no-carb stuff. That stuff is scary (and not really healthy)! I’m talking about using high-quality, real ingredients and eating desserts in small portions. Makes sense, right? Choose something you really love and take your time to savor each bite.

My favorite sweet treat right now is grilled peaches with coconut milk ice cream. I’ve tried rice milk and soy milk ice creams, and they usually leave something to be desired on taste and texture. But coconut milk ice cream is creamy, dreamy, and just right.

Grilled Peaches w/ Coconut Milk Ice Cream
(serves 2)

 

1 peach
1 cup coconut milk ice cream (approx.)
½ tsp. honey (approx.)

Cut a peach in half from top to bottom, and remove the pit. Place the peaches on the grill, cut side down. Cook for one minute, turn over, and cook for another minute on the other side. Remove peaches and set aside in two bowls. Drizzle a thin stream of honey on top of each peach half. Add a small scoop of coconut milk ice cream in each bowl. Serve immediately.

Tip 1: If you don’t have a grill, you can use a grill pan (such as the Calphalon non-stick grill pan) on your stovetop. I use a little bit of coconut oil to coat the pan before putting the peaches on. Tip 2: The brand of coconut milk ice cream I use is called Coconut Bliss, and you can find it at most health food stores. It’s organic and uses only a few simple ingredients, including the low-glycemic sweetener, agave nectar. Choose whatever flavor you like, but I recommend Vanilla Island to go perfect with this dish.

For more dessert ideas, please check out my post on Healthy Desserts for Kids. They are great for adults too.

Big Portobello Mushroom Burger

This post was originally published as Portobello Mushroom Burger by Laurel on Health Food.

I found some huge organic portobello mushrooms at Whole Foods over the weekend, and my first thought was BURGER! As you know, a portobello mushroom burger is probably the most common vegetarian dish on restaurant menus. Everyone loves burgers, and while mushroom burgers are a veggie dish, most omnivores enjoy them because they taste great and have a “meaty” texture. A big portobello mushroom is a wonderful healthy hamburger substitute because it’s low in calories and obviously doesn’t contain any fat or cholesterol.

I made a portobello mushroom burger for lunch today and used my stovetop grill pan with a small drizzle of olive oil to grill the mushroom for about 5 minutes on each side. For toppings, I had slices of roasted red bell pepper, fresh arugula, yellow mustard, and grapeseed oil vegenaise.  The bun was a fluffy vegan sesame kaiser roll from Bread Alone Bakery. It was so satisfying!

I’m definitely looking forward to eating another one for lunch tomorrow. Maybe I’ll try some leftover pesto on there.

Kombucha! improved digestion

This post was originally published as Kombucha! by Laurel on Health Food.

I was always kind of “eh” about kombucha tea, until I tried some great local brands here in NYC. Now I’m crazy for the stuff. Kombucha is a fermented tea that’s been praised for its health benefits for centuries including increased energy, improved digestion, and prevention/treatment of illnesses including common flu and cancer.

I started drinking more kombucha over the last month or two after I stocked up on a bunch of bottles at the NYC Veg Food Fest. This is my personal opinion, but I definitely feel like a get an energy boost after drinking it and I especially love how it eases my digestion.

A few my local favorites are Kombucha Brooklyn’s grape flavor (kombucha mixed with a little concord grape juice) and Bao Fresh Kombucha’s mango flavor. I’ve even been thinking of buying one of the brew kits from Kombucha Brooklyn to make my own ‘buch at home. Hmm.

What’s your thoughts on kombucha? You like it? Or think it’s gross? Never tried it?

 

To celebrate the start of Spring

This post was originally published as Day 1: Vegan Eating by Laurel on Health Food blog. 

It’s Day 1 of my “7 Days of Vegan Eating” blogathon! To celebrate the start of Spring, I’ll be posting recipes and sharing lots of vegan foods throughout the week, including foods I make at home and food I eat out at restaurants here in NYC. At the end of this week, I’m looking forward to the first ever NYC Vegetarian Food Festival in Chelsea. Should be fun!

Why am I doing this vegan blogathon? During the past few weeks I read Jonathan Safran Foer’s book Eating Animals and Alex Jamieson’s Living Vegan for Dummies. I’ve learned so much, including a lot of things that terrify me about our food system and factory farms, but on the bright side, these eye-opening reads made me excited about vegan cooking and I want to share that with you! If you’re not already a vegan or vegetarian, adding more plant-based meals to your diet and cutting down on your consumption of animals products is a huge step towards better health, clearer skin, and dramatically reducing your eco footprint.

On to the fun stuff! Yesterday I started my day with a bowl of granola, walnuts, bananas, strawberries, and So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk. Delicious and filling! Then I had a few errands to run before dance class, so I swung by Angelica’s Kitchen in the lower east side and ordered a Tempeh Reuben Sandwich with a side salad and a fresh carrot/apple juice. The sandwich has baked tempeh with caraway, cumin, tofu Russian dressing, sauerkraut, and lettuce on whole grain bread. It was warm and comforting on a cold day. Yes…we are still having freezing temperatures in NYC. But, at least the sun was out.

I was hungry again on my way home from class, so I ordered a little hummus and falafel snack from a small middle-eastern takeout restaurant and picked up groceries on my way home.

When I got home I relaxed for a few hours and watched Little Shop of Horrors on Netflix, so I didn’t end up making dinner for my boyfriend and I until after 9pm. But that’s pretty normal for us. I made asparagus with toasted pine nuts and fresh rosemary (using vegan Earth Balance butter to toast the pine nuts) and also a potato soup garnished with avocado and green onions. Here’s a recipe for the potato soup, plus a few pictures from the whole day.

I’ll be back tomorrow. Looking forward to sharing the rest of my week with you!

Potato Soup w/ Green Onions & Avocado (Vegan)
(makes about 4-6 servings)

2.5 lbs. white waxy potatoes
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 quart vegetable stock (low sodium)
1 cup water
1 large yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp. cumin
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Avocado (for garnish)
Green onion (for garnish)

Chop up the onion and toss it into a soup pot with the olive oil over medium-low heat. Sauté for about 5 minutes until the onion begins to turn translucent, stirring frequently. Chop up the garlic, add it to the pot, and sauté for another couple of minutes. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and chop them up into small cubes. Add the potatoes to the soup pot and pour in the quart of veggie stock and the cup of water. Add the tsp. of cumin and salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 heaping tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. black pepper). Bring up to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 40 minutes, until the potatoes are very soft. Remove pot from heat. Puree the soup using a blender or food processor until very smooth. Pour the soup back in the pot and add the coconut milk. Stir to incorporate the milk and adjust any seasonings as necessary. Serve soup warm topped with plenty of diced avocado and green onions.

Tip: The unsweetened coconut milk (such as So Delicious brand) will not make your soup taste coconut-y. I promise! It is just a healthy vegan substitute for heavy cream, used to smooth out your soup and give it a nice creamy texture.

Breakfast granola, bananas, strawberries, walnuts, unsweetened coconut milk

Asparagus w/ fresh rosemary and tons of pine nuts

Tempeh Reuben Sandwich & Salad (from Angelica's Kitchen)