Next Dish.

Thank you for visiting! As of November 19, 2013, this blog has moved to DishWithDina.com.

Preparing the Buffet

Well, dear readers, after months of self-reflection and creating a new, long-term goal for myself, I am happy to announce that the DishWithDina brand will be taken to a whole new level: an exciting project which will launch around mid-November.

I will get back to regular blogging soon on another blog-hosting site after the new project launches, but please check back here often for updates or follow me on Twitter (@DishWithDina).

Onward!

Gone fishin'

...not really, but I am going to be unplugged for a bit, mostly due to an intense summer school schedule. I am very much looking forward to getting back to blogging as soon as I get my life back, probably sometime in August.

Have a fantastic summer, everyone!

UPDATE (7/17/2013):

I'm learning so much stuff at school and can't wait to get back on here to share everything with my wonderful readers.

I bet you're both excited!

Meat, meet un-meat.

One of my favorite vegan spots, Peacefood Café, has recently opened in the East Village/Union Square area and I am thrilled! There are so many creative savory and sweet options to choose from there, mostly made with meat substitutes like tempeh and seitan, but there are also some whole food dishes, like roasted or steamed veggies, green salads, and that sort of thing.

For our meal the other night, my bf and I shared The Other Caesar salad with tempeh "bacon" bits and a plate of deliciously spicy Chickpea Fries as starters, then he ordered the Penne Un-chicken Parmesan for his entrée and I had the PFC Un-chicken Basket (meat-substitute chicken fingers) served with a mild chipotle "mayo" dipping sauce on the side. I barely ate my meal since I couldn't stop picking at my bf's dish, so I ended up having it packed up as leftovers. Our dessert was a shared slice of peanut butter dairy-free cheesecake, which was a little on the gummy side; I might have preferred one of the monster cookie options instead.

The issue with vegan foods is that not everything is healthy, so, if you're opting for one of the meat substitute dishes (which are, technically, processed) or anything that doesn't resemble a whole or raw food, just be sure your tummy can handle whatever's in the recipe—like deep frying, soy or wheat gluten—and be sure to ask your server if you're not positive about what's in the dish.

For me, this kind of vegan eating is a treat as I have a very sensitive stomach, so I can't overdo it; otherwise, it's the same as someone eating a gallon of ice cream when she's lactose intolerant. Since I've been on a liver detox cleanse the past two weeks, I probably should have waited it out before stepping into Peacefood Café, but I gave into temptation and, unfortunately, ended up paying the price for it—a sour stomach and a raging headache. Was it worth it? Probably, but I'll definitely mix it up a little more next time and not eat something so heavy and processed in all three of my courses.

Freshly washed.

Every year—or, sometimes, multiple times a year—I give my body a little break with a cleanse. My favorite for the past few years has been the 21-day "Whole Living Action Plan."

Being a vegetarian, I don't find these cleanses too disruptive to my life since I already try to eat cleanly and follow a mostly whole-foods diet; but, like anyone else, I give in quite a bit to the junk dished out during the holidays and I have a raging sweet tooth to boot, so it's nice to scale back to the basics right around when the time changes and I'm ready to begin my spring cleaning ritual, both inside and out.

Last night, I made a "clean" version of this roasted sweet potato soup recipe—no peppers, sherry, or yogurt. It was so silky smooth and delicious (thanks to my NutriBullet, which has officially replaced my blender at this point, btw). Having a rich, creamy soup like this during a cleanse felt so much more decadent than having to only down green juice after lemon tonic, which so many other "cleanses" seem to tout throughout their regimens.

I am way more a fan of the Whole Living-type of cleanse than the liquid-only ones since it's varied, nutrient-rich, and I never feel hungry. In fact, snacking is encouraged! To celebrate this, I made some hummus to keep on hand for the occasion. (If you've never made hummus before, it couldn't be easier. It requires a few more ingredients than homemade almond butter, but it's well worth it knowing that it came from your own heart and kitchen. Here's a super simple recipe for you to try out.)

Let me know what kind of ritual you follow when your body needs a boost or if you've tried out the Whole Living Action Plan and how it's worked for you. I look forward to your thoughts and comments. In the meantime, happy clean living!

Splurge alert: VYNL

A couple of weeks ago, the bf and I got together with some super fly* friends (SFF) for dinner at Vynl in Hell's Kitchen. It's such a cool and kitschy place and, after having only ever been there once before eons ago, I went back not 6 months before my SFF dinner with some family who came to visit from Australia. (I actually have a rule about not eating anywhere in NYC twice and there aren't many places around here for which I will break my rule, but Vynl is one of them.)

For appetizers, two of our crew had the Vegetable Dumplings which were served with a sweet soy chili dipping sauce while the bf chowed down on the most decadent, delicious Sliders Rellenos. These teeny burgers had a crispy poblano cheese ball sitting atop them which burst into a gooey yum-fest (not the bf's words, but I know he was thinking exactly that) when eaten.

I went with the Seared Coriander Crusted Tuna for my main dish which was served with a slurpy, sloppy plop of udon noodles and a sweet soy garlic sauce (I know my adjectives really do it for you, don't they?) and then noshed on my bf's Truffle Mac N Cheese which immediately gave me a right lactose-intolerant-spurred belly ache, but it was well worth it.

The real splurges, though, were the Housemade French Fries and the I-can't-remember-the-name-of-it-but-OMG-it-was-awesome sundae which had extra creamy ice cream** and tons of caramel and chocolate with a brownie and salted mini-pretzels. It was such a treat that we all dug in (even though I was the only one who actually ordered dessert, but I am nice enough to share).

I had meant to take some photos of our meals, but Vynl is crazy dark (and loud) during dinner, and I didn't want to be "that girl" with the flashlight (or—GASP—mistaken as a tourist), so you'll have to either visit the website or go to Vynl yourself to check out all the good stuff mentioned above and more. If you do go in person, though, give me a shout so I can come with you as I'd like to break my rule again.

*I've been listening to a lot of rap lately.
**More lactose? What am I, crazy?***
***The answer to this is always "yes."

Quasi-recipe: That's bananas.

I'm trying my darnedest to chill out with the overconsumption of sweets these days for so many reasons, one of which that, now that I'm unemployed, I don't have money to buy pants the next size up.

Enter: homemade banana "ice cream."

I like mixing up the add-ins and encourage you to do so, too, when you try out this incredibly easy recipe (serves two):

Cut up 2 bananas in chunks and freeze. Place frozen chunks in a blender (this is my new go-to, btw). Add 1/4 c almond milk—or whatever kind of milk you prefer—or water. Add in 1 Tbsp ea cacao nibs and ground flax seeds*. Pulse until smooth, but not liquid. Serve with 1 Tbsp chopped pecans or your favorite nuts/toppings.

*I added these for a little power boost and they're not awesome tasting on their own, so this is the time to hide some nutritional ingredients in your version: consider wheat germ or maybe even spirulina, although if you're going with the latter, you might want to also toss in 1 tsp maple syrup.