Grocery goodies and Chia Chili Cheese
Hey everyone! Hope your Monday has been bueno 😀 Mine definitely has been! The pilot was off work, so I got to chill with him before I had to train. I promised to post the grocery goodies for ya’ll but also wanted to post the rest of my Orlando foodie. Before we left yesterday, I got to feast two of my favorite places: Panera and Whole Foods!
At Panera I had lunch for bfast:
1/2 Mediterranean veggie on whole wheat with no feta, and 1/2 Greek salad with no feta and dressing on the side
I love how Panera uses real silverware. Fancy schmancy, eh? 😉
Later on, I had a lovely green juice while meandering around heaven on earth (aka Whole Foods)
This little baby had lemon, parsley, kale and green apple
I got some groceries (and actually didn’t buy nearly as much as usual) and also got some hot bar to munch on the way home
Miso slaw (my favorite!), roasted veggies, and salad topped with artichokes, hearts of palm, kalamata olives and baba ganoush.
Here’s what I picked up:
Thai coconuts, raw goat cheddar and Ezekiel tortillas for enchilada purposes
Nama shoyu, apricot spread, raw organic apple cider vinegar, Annie’s ketchup, lemon, Larabars
Mixed fruit, flax seeds, hot salsa, enchilada sauce
Produce! Avocados, cucumber, bell peppers, kale, juicy plum tomatoes, green apples, beets and carrots.
That’s it! Wow. I’m thinking the reason I didn’t go buck wild is because the health food store here actually has a lot of the items I love to buy. Thai coconuts and raw goat cheese are the things I need to travel for right now.
This morning, I started the day with a banana:
And a green juice:
It had 1/2 cucumber, 2 kale leaves, 1 green apple, 1 pear, handful of parsley and 1/2 lemon. I think I’ve finally gotten more juice hardcore because now I crave sour green juices more than sweet juices. The lemon and green apple really do the trick! I’m thinking it’s tied with the “Cullen juice” for first place 😉
I was kind of putzing around the casa for the first half of the day. We had a lot of fun this weekend but didn’t have very much down time, so we were moving a little on the slower side.
I made some cookies (oatmeal chocolate chip from Eat, Drink and Be Vegan):
Of course I tested one for quality purposes 😉
When it was time for lunch, I was way excited to try to make something new.
I took my favorite raw goat cheddar (same nutritionals and ingredients as the Alta Dena brand but around a dollar cheaper and has a better texture IMO):
And added strips of the raw goat cheddar with bell pepper, carrot, tomato, cilantro, sea salt and pepper into collard leaf wrappers:
After the roll up:
With an amazing dipping sauce…..
I bring you Chia Chili Cheese sauce! (Semi-inspired by Kristen’s Cheezy Hemp Nacho Sauce)
Check out that cheesy, creamy decadence 😉
To make the sauce, I soaked 2 tbs chia seeds in 1/2 cup water for 10 mins:
I was afraid of working with chia seeds (even though I’ve had a huge bag of them for a few months and haven’t touched them!) but since I know my good friend Heather is a fan, I figured I’d give it a whirl.
The chia seeds gelatinized and made an awesome base for the sauce!
Into the Vitamix went the gelled chia seeds and water, 1/2 yellow bell pepper, 1/2 ts chili powder, 2 tbs nutritional yeast, hefty sprinkle of sea salt, 1 clove garlic, pinch of pepper, and a diced dried chipotle chili (which can be omitted if you’re not a spicy fanatic like yours truly).
And here’s what I got:
It was soooooo good and would be even better with some raw chips dipped in there. Time for me to get some into the dehydrator 😉
The pilot and I went to the gym, where my friend Jeni and I chatted on the elliptical for 45 minutes. Classes at the base gym were canceled today because it was a “family day”. When we got back, we checked the mail and I was beyond stoked to see that Sarma’s new cookbook had arrived!
Since I pre-ordered, she signed my copy:
And included a free fig bar, which went directly into my mouth:
I already have some meals planned for this week from the new cookbook and I can’t wait to try them out!
Well it’s time for this girl to get into wind down mode (by catching up on your lovely blogs) and hit the hay.
Have a great night and I’ll see you in the morning!
Much love,
G
What’s your all-time favorite cookbook?? My top three are definitely “Eat, Drink and Be Vegan”, “Raw Food, Real World” and “Everyday Raw”. We’ll have to see how Sarma’s new book fits in there, but I can already tell I’m going to love it!
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I have a tattered old cookbook from Moosewood that my aunt bought in the 70's and gave to me awhile back. It has a lot of her notes in it, so its fun to discover recipes she likes, substitutions she made, etc.
Also totally love Nigella Express and hope to have it as a giveaway very soon!
When I have more time, I really need to get into raw cooking. Everything you make always looks so good!
The recipes I've had the most "success" with are probably Veganomicon and all of the Moosewood cookbooks.
Enjoy your night!
You are inspiring me to try new things and get out of my comfort zone with food. I tried some goat cheese this weekend because of one of your posts I read, and omg, now I understand, simply put! haha nice haul at WF, too!
What section are the juices in at your Whole Foods?! I don't even think mine has juice avalible =(
Mmm, LOVE those cookies! They are my mom's absolute favorite! I always replace the raisins with choc chips too =)
SARMA'S NEW BOOK IS PHENOMENAL!!! I literally read the entire thing in 2 nights 🙂
I can't wait to hear what you think of that book!
Ya know, we get books supah early at VegNews, and I was fact-checking a piece about that book and as I was looking through it I thought, "oh my god, G's gonna love this." It's a beautiful book with fab recipes.
I'm so not good with making things from books. I just want to throw a salad together and call it a day!
Oh, and I'm so with you about wanting green juice all day. But I don't have a juicer, so I'm just eating a lot of green.
I hope you have a fabby night!
That juice looks great, I need to get a juicer, yours always looks so good!
Wow – i love how fearless you are with trying new things and mixing it up! Can't wait to see what you think about the cookbook! right now my favorite cookbook is Hungry Girl! 🙂 My first step into eating different!!
your collard lead roll ups look amazing!
random question: what do you do with the apple cider vinegar?
I love that sticker on the banana!
My fave cookbook is Google – I have a really hard time finding recipes, so what works for me is Googling what I have in mind, and going from there! Drives my husband nuts because I have 40 cookbooks on my shelf at home 🙂 Glad you got to spend some time with the Pilot!
Oh my gosh – so making that chia chili cheese tomorrow as I have all those ingredients. Love it Gina! Oh, and thanks for the chia see shout-out. 🙂
Lovely trip (as always) to Whole Foods. Miso slaw, huh? I must recreate that recipe. Love me some miso.
Favorite cookbook? That's a tough one. I think it would probably be Country Life Vegetarian Cookbook. Bought it years ago from a vegan restaurant her in Nashville – I don't think it's even in print anymore.
now i know what to do with my chia seeds!!! SOOO EXCITED!! book marking this FA SHO.
Hi Gina! I was wondering what your thoughts are on juice fasting, whether you've ever tried one, and if you think they are beneficial.
Great variation of my recipe… Sounds delish!
Sarma's fig bar is so yummy. I had some when we were in NY.
Cheers,
Kristen
Amazing goodies!
I actually just devoted a video post to my fave cookbooks. My favorites include ED&BV, Totally Vegetarian, and Imus Ranch Cookbook.
I'm very intrigued by the chia seeds cheesy dip! Thanks for sharing that! That's something I would NEVER have probably made myself if you had not gotten me interested!
Thanks for the cookbook recs. I was just browsing on Amazon for more raw "cook"books!
I too need to find a closer locale for the Thai coconuts. At this point, I think Thailand is about the closest place to me to find them.
Have a great Tuesday, Gina!!!
I tried raw food for the first time when I went to NYC last weekend and I loved it!!!! That chia Chili Cheese looks delicious! 🙂
please come over and stage an intervention.
I
own
not
1
cookbook.
love,
MizFit
That seems like such a great cookbook. I've been keeping my eye out for a really good Raw Cookbook so let me know how this one is.
I get the exact same thing at Panera. The Med. Veggie sandwich is out of this world! 🙂
Hope you have a wonderful day dear!
I love the new site design! My favorite cookbook right now is Betty Crocker Whole Grains, altho I'm about to order Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan after hearing so much about it!
Love this post for many reasons…
Panera is one of my favorite "fast food" restaurants and the Mediterranean veggie sandwich is the best! Although their tiny water cups annoy me.
Love all your Whole Foods purchases. I still have yet to try my hand at whacking open a young Thai coconut. I should probably get on that.
AND. CHIA SEEDS are so fun to experiment with. Your recipe for the cheeze sauce looks awesome. I personally love them in oats and smoothies.
My favorite cookbook is my binder with the recipes I've collected from other cookbooks, magazines, friends, and my mom's cookbooks and binders. The best part is if I try a recipe and don't like it, I can get rid of it. I think I need a bigger binder – this ones bursting at the seams!
Hi! I'd love to know what you do with the Thai coconuts. I always see them at Whole Foods, but am a little intimidated by them.
BTW..thanks for being such a great inspiration. I drink my coffee to your blog every morning. Your like having my own trainer right here at home.
I love those lettuce wraps! And the goat cheese…yum!
hi lilrrh- thanks so much- i'm so happy to hear you enjoy my little blog.
here's a great site on how to open a thai coconut:
http://living-foods.com/articles/youngcoconuts.html
there are SO many things you can do with them, but my favorite way to use them is to make raw ice cream or put them into smoothies. let me know if you need any recipes!
Hmmm. I wonder if that Chia Chili Cheese would be a good dressing or dip for squash fries? I am to cheap to buy cookbook so I go to Barnes and Noble and copy down recipes. I have a bunch of raw ones that I cant wait to try!!
~Justine
Ani Phyo Raw Food Kitchen. YUM! Her Raw Apple Pie is the BEST!
that chia chili cheese sauce sounds awesome!
can't wait to hear (and see!) how you like the book 😉
Great haul from the store, and I'm loving your green juice!
I don't think I can pick a favorite. I love having a bunch of cookbooks!
Panera + WFs = two things I adore oh so much! Nice grocery haul!!
I am in LOVE with that cheesy dip – I need to get some chia seeds ASAP!!
Wow looks great! Would the dip work without the yeast?
no, the nutritional yeast gives it the cheesy taste 🙂
Hi Gina! I was just reading old posts and I’m salivating over the ingredients in that fig bar! I was in the natural food section of Stop and Shop yesterday and felt like all the “natural” snacks had added ingredients that didn’t need to be there. Even the dried fruits had added citric acids and sugars…is that Ok/normal? Maybe my expectation of just seeing “pinapple” listed was too high. All the best! 🙂