Banana Cupcakes w/ a Banana Cream Cheese Frosting

Winning over my co-workers love with lots of yummy cupcakes. Oh, and slowly converting them all to veganism ;)

Ooooh you better believe there's gonna be a cocktail section in this blog.  After going to a great bar (especially in downtown LA. The mixologists there are incredible), I'm always inspired to take my own twist on what I ordered.  I've tried to recreate a $12 cocktail for a fraction of the price. So here it is, I'm obsessed.

1oz. FRESH Lime juice
1oz. Green Chartreuse
2oz. Light Rum (I use Bacardi Superior)
1/2 oz. Agave
1 luxardo cherry in syrup

Combine lime juice, chartreuse, rum and agave in a cocktail shaker with some ice. Shake as hard as you can for 10-15 seconds. You don't want to dilute the drink too much.

Place the cherry and its syrup in the bottom of a martini or old fashioned champagne glass.  Strain the rum mixture over. Bottoms up!

Creamy Curried Split Pea Soup w/ Cauliflower

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 new (yukon gold) potato, 1" dice

1 c. yellow split peas

5 c. vegetable broth

3 c. cauliflower florets, broken into small pieces

Heat olive oil in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and garlic.  Saute' 5 minutes until vegetables are soft.  Add a pinch of salt if pot becomes too dry.  Add red pepper flakes and saute' another minute or two.  Add spices and saute' another minute, until fragrant. Add potato, peas and broth.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for an hour.  Cool slightly and puree' with either and immersion blender or regular blender (I live by my immersion blender, especally when it comes to soup.  Super cheap and totally worth every penny.)

While soup is simmering, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Place cauliflower in boiling water until almost done, 5-7 minutes (taste to check progress).  Once the cauliflower is almost ready, drain and add to blended soup.  Continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Serve nice and hot with a piece of toasty bread for dipping!

Saute'ed Southern Greens and Butternut Squash Salad

This is the first post in my new blog!  And look how colorful and delicious this side dish/salad is!  Its super easy to make and the spices allow you to alter it for any occasion.  Make it spicy, make is southern, make it for Thanksgiving (you better believe I did).  Oh, and I live by Trader Joe's.  Just grab a bag of their prepared southern greens blend (but you can use any combination of your own such as swiss chard, collard greens, mustard/turnip greens) cubed butternut squash (I cubed my own 'cos I already had it) and dried cranberries.  Enjoy!

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
10 oz mixed southern greens
4 c. butternut squash, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried sage
1/2 tsp. coriander
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1/8 c. veg. broth/water
1/2 c. dried cranberries

Pre-heat oven to 400.  Toss cubed butternut squash with 1 Tbsp. of olive oil, 2 cloves of garlic, thyme, sage, coriander, salt and pepper.  Roast in a single layer on a baking sheet for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender.

After squash is done, heat the remaining 1 Tbsp of olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onion and saute' 5 minutes until translucent.  Add garlic and saute' another minute.  Add greens and toss to coat with olive oil.  Saute' another minute.  Add broth or water, reduce heat to low and cover to steam for 4-5 minutes.  Remove lid and add cranberries and roasted butternut squash.  Cook until heated through, about 1-2 minutes more.  Season with salt and pepper if you wish, but remember to taste first!