Vegan, not stupid

As more people turn to juicing, here's the requisite mainstream media piece about silly rich people throwing their money at a new health "trend."

David Mitchell: Politicians who expect food retailers to sell us healthier snacks are missing the point

Downside to moving home: no kitchen of my own Plus side to being home: home cooked Puerto Rican meals

You all know how I feel about lobster. Is there truly a food that tastes better? I don't think there is. Before moving out of our apartment this month (I'm currently without a kitchen, guys, hence the lack of posting!), my roommate and I decided to throw a lobster bake for our friends and family. I made a mussel stew , one of our lovely guests brought a couple dozen clams, which we ate raw, and we picked up 25 lobster from a local seafood market. It was only with more than 20 people snacking on chips while anxiously awaiting the main meal and a 10 gallon pot of boiling water in front of me that it sunk in. I had never even cooked a lobster before. Thankfully, my roommate Amanda's dad stepped in and did all the dirty work and it all came together perfectly. On a beautiful September day and in fantastic company, there's honestly nothing better than the crack of a bright red shell and the first bite of silky white lobster meat. Goodbye, Summer 2013. Bring on the pumpkin.

RECIPE: Quinoa-stuffed heirloom tomato Serves 1 1 large heirloom tomato 1/2 cup quinoa, dry 1 cup fresh spinach 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted 1/4 avocado, chopped Salt Pepper To prepare the tomato, slice off the top and gently cut out the guts. Reserve all the tomato parts and tomato juice, chop up the parts. Set aside. In a skillet, combine the quinoa with 1 cup of water and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes. Lower heat to medium and add spinach, pine nuts, tomato and juice. Stir continuously so spinach cooks and begins to wilt. If the mixture becomes to dry, add water or olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Scoop mixture into hollowed tomato, top with avocado chunks and season with salt and pepper. Related:Tomato season

I appreciate your feedback and point of view (except perhaps how the name of my blog makes me self-centered, and the general need to name call). I apologize if you've been offended by the name of my blog but I do stand by it. Being 100% committed to the vegan lifestyle is a very admirable way to live. I'm not quite there yet but maybe one day.

RECIPE: Vegan caprese salad Not a lot to this one, guys. Slice a beautiful, juicy tomato into chunks, layer with thick slices of ripe avocado. Sprinkle with some salt, if desired, and drizzle with a little olive oil and either balsamic vinegar or a reduction. Voila. Enjoy. Related: Tomato season

Life on Long Island can be measured in seasons. Not Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, but seafood, tomatoes, pumpkins and apples. We're currently savoring the last former and headed into the latter. I love this time of year because I love, love, love tomatoes. I could — and sometimes do — bite into a tomato like most do an apple. I use tomatoes in almost everything, and unlike many other tomato-lovers, I continue to buy tomatoes all year long. But now is really the time for them. In the last couple weeks I've eaten few things but tomatoes and avocados, actually. I bought beautiful, beautiful heirloom tomatoes in every color including a gorgeous deep yellow Big Tiger tomato, which I sliced up, laid on toast, drizzled with olive oil, salt and pepper and ate for breakfast. So wherever you live, I hope you have fresh tomatoes and are as wonderfully happy and satisfied as I am.

Photo courtesy of Gwynnie

The best mid-day work break you could take! I sure will! 

OK, OK, I know it's been a while since I've shared here, but look at this fancy gif I made for you! So, it didn't actually take me a month to make that gif, but it did take me almost that much time to make all that juice! The truth is, I've gotten only slightly obsessed with juicing over the last month. It all started when I watched the documentary "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" in preparation of interviewing its subject, Joe Cross. I was hooked. My roommate and I decided to try a 10-day juice fast and it was mind-blowing. You can read about my experience here, here, and here. Ever since the juice fast, I've honestly been finding it hard to cook. Juicing is just such an efficient, effective way to consume so many of the things that are good for you! I'm getting back into the swing of things though (slowly) and promise to post some recipes soon. In the meantime, read about my juice experience and enjoy my first gif! P.S. Have questions? I'd be more than happy to answer questions about my juicing experience and what I learned from Joe Cross (I also got to meet him in June!) Ask away! You can also reach me on Twitter at @eringeismar

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RECIPE: Asian Quinoa Salad I can't claim this one as my own! Looked so good, I stole it straight from Two Peas & Their Pod! I made double and it did not go to waste. Find the recipe here Related: Grocery shopping 6/19 (Photo is also courtesy of Two Peas & Their Pods. I gobbled this one up before I could snap a photo!)

RECIPE: Plantain empanadas with Dos Caminos black bean filling Serves 10 Make black bean mixture while plantains cook in the oven. Then make the salsa when filled plantains are cooking. Black bean filling 2 tbsp canola oil 2 small yellow onion, finely chopped 2 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 cup canned black beans 1/2 cup water 1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped 1/2 cup chopped scallions 1 ear of fresh corn, cut from the ear salt, pepper to taste In a skillet over medium heat, sautee onion, garlic in oil until lightly browned, then add black beans, half the water and the chipotle chile. Let the beans cook for a few minutes, when hot, mash the mixture into a chunky paste. Add the rest of the water, season with salt and pepper and add scallions. The remove from heat and set aside. Mix in cold, fresh corn kernels. Plantain empanadas 4 ripe plantains salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place plantains on baking sheet and cook for about 20 minutes, until banana peel starts to break apart and juice starts to seep through. Let plantains cool in order to handle them, but not too much. Peel plantains and mash well. Season with salt. To assemble: Scoop plantains into the palm of your hand, create a ball then flatten it. Add spoonful of black bean mixture into the center of the plantain patty then push the edges of the mixture toward the center to start to cover the black beans. Add additional plantain mixture to cover the top of the black bean mixture. When all empanadas are assembled, place on lined baking sheet and pat the tops with oil. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown. For a cilantro-chipotle salsa, go here Related: Grocery shopping 6/19 Making good on my empanada promise

OK, remember back in February -- aka birthday month -- when I ate at Dos Caminos in Atlantic City and had THE most amazing black bean and plantain empanadas ever?? If not, that's what happened. At the time, I vowed to make them vegan. And this week, I did. My first step was obviously to Google 'Dos Caminos Plantain Empanadas,' and what I found was this helpful homage to the black bean filling inside the empanadas by some bloggers who were equally as impressed as I was. In that post, they offer what they say is the exact recipe in the Dos Caminos cookbook. I'll take it. I also hijacked their cilantro-chipotle salsa recipe. For the empanadas, I googled again, only to learn that they are so easy to make! All you need are baked, mashed plantains and a couple of hands. SO yummy. Can't wait to make these again. Find the recipe here