Nourishing Spoon

Shauna and Daniel Ahern, of Gluten-Free Girl and the Chef, were our gracious hosts of the Best of New York City Potluck recently.  What a spread by food bloggers!  All of a sudden, gluten free doesn't look so bad - as a matter of fact, pretty darn tasty!     Being gluten free requires discipline - but with food like this  - it's sweet punishment!   Interested in learning more about how 'sweet' gluten-free can be, contact me jyoti@nourishingspoon.com     Cheers to a Healthy You! Jyoti

Two weeks ago, Organic Avenue opened a new store on Lexington Avenue (and 55th).  I have been so excited ever since I heard it was coming and couldn't wait for opening day!  It's a vegan diva's delight!  Raw, healthy deserts (is there such a thing, really?), freshly pressed juices, nut mlyks along with wholesome, tempting treats!  Their menu is called "the LOVE* menu" --  Live. Organic. Vegan. Experience.  As soon as I entered, I was greeted with a green juice sample - fresh with a nice hint of ginger.  Although the place is pricey, it's a welcoming healthy option and offers a different variety of fresh food than the regular eyesores in midtown, i.e., pizza, burgers, and deli's. I browsed through the store, checking out all future snack options, until I heard the Chia Seed Tapioca calling me. Hmm!  Couldn't decide between the Blueberry Chia Seed Tapioca and the Vanilla Chia Seed Tapioca.  Decisions...

What does a gluten-free, vegan do when she doesn't have enough time to prepare her lunch in the a.m.? Two options: a. Go hungry; or b. Contribute to the abundance of the national economy by eating out!  There's hope - being Cinco de Mayo, I was craving for something Mexican, but that was short-lived when my friends were too busy.  So I opted for the next best - something spicy, something close by and with PROTEIN and not saturated with FAT.  I went to Chickpea.  I like that name, sounds like a cute baby store or something of that sort.  Their falafels are BAKED - not fried! Yum!  Love those little spinach-broccoli ones. They are full of flavor and texture and go so well with the basil hummus or tahini.  I got the falafel nuggets sans pita.  The tahini and hummus are vegan and dairy-free. The basil hummus simply melts in your mouth! If you are ever looking for a quick snack, a side order of five falafel bites is onl...