Healthy Halloween Recipe Extravaganza!

We are ready for Halloween! Are you?  If not, my friend Yvonne (from My Eclectic Kitchen) and I have some delicious recipes to help make your halloween a more fun and much healthier!  You may already know that my girlfriend Yvonne visited me a couple weeks ago – she’s a vegan chef and she created an amazing App called My Eclectic Kitchen, for the iPhone and Android that is full of Vegan Recipes!

Given that we are both totally obsessed with healthy vegan food, we decided that it would be really fun to collaborate on a seasonal menu!  With Halloween on its way (along with all its typical unhealthy food & candy) we decided to put our spooky brains together and create a truly HEALTHY HAPPY HALLOWEEN MENU!

“Caramel” Candy Apples

Kabocha Squash & Ginger Soup

Pistachio-Orange Blood Splattered Cupcakes

Zoodle Brains with Pumpkin Kale Pesto

Sweet Potato Crab-less Crabby Cakes

Witches Kombucha Brew

Grape Snakes

We had blast hanging out over the weekend, and in the midst of all the crazy Halloween cooking, we still managed to have some girl time and non-Halloween recipe time!   Yvonne made Danny and I her delicious Chikpea “Fish” Tacos with Kale Guacamole!  For lunch one day, we had her massaged Kale Salad!  (Both of those recipes are in her app!)  We also shared delicious green smoothies and tea, I made Yvonne my Raw “No More Blues Blueberry Oats” for breakfast, we had a girls night out, and we saw an awesome Cirque du Soleil Show!!

Make sure to check our fun-filled weekend on my previous blog post!  Yvonne is one of the sweetest people I’ve met, and believe it or not, we met through Instagram! She’s an Insta-Friend turned Real Friend!  🙂

We interviewed each other so you can learn a little more about us!  My interview Q&A will be on Yvonne’s Blog HERE, and my interview questions for her are below!!! ENJOY!

 NOM NOM CANDY APPLES!!!!

I spy Kabocha Squash and a Fancy Schmancy Pink Knife!!

 Crabby Cake Assembly!

Lights Camera Action!

Setting up the scene!

Y: Thank you! Food has been one of my greatest pleasures in life.  I started cooking as a young girl with my mom, using family recipes passed down to her.  My mom and I eventually cooked our way through the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.  During high school, cooking became more of an intuitive process for me.  I started making my own pasta sauces and desserts.  Then in college, I would host dinner parties where I would cook extravagant meals for my friends.  My love for food grew even stronger when I started working as an accountant and began dining at top restaurants, guided by reviews and high ratings (24 or higher) from the Zagat guide.  Little did I know when dining at Suzanne Goin’s restaurant, Lucques, that I would eventually work for her.  In my mind, and on many others’ minds, she was the best chef in Los Angeles—her food left a lasting impression that was very inspiring to me.

After 7 long years in accounting, finance, and real estate, I decided to focus on what I was most passionate about– my lifelong passion for cooking delicious food.  I packed my business clothes and enrolled in culinary school at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Pasadena.  I wanted the ability to create food that would leave a lasting memories.  After completing culinary school, I felt like there was so much more to learn.  I wanted to know to make delicious soups, salads, and main courses as wonderful as Jame’s Beard award-winning chef, Suzanne Goin’s. So, I decided to go straight from the source and contacted Suzanne Goin, (chef/owner of Lucques, AOC, Tavern).  With much persistence and after a stage or try-out, I was taken under her wing at Lucques as an intern.  I later became a part of the Lucques Catering team- catering several high profile events and parties and then was hired on full-time at Tavern (another restaurant owned by Suzanne Goin) in pastry.

While working within the fast-paced kitchens of Chef Goin’s restaurants, Lucques, and Tavern, I learned the importance of preparing foods farm-to-table while focusing on locally grown seasonal foods.  I had an amazing experience working the line and preparing for service.  I was honored to prepare dessert for Barack Obama’s fundraiser dinner at Tavern and was fortunate to cater with Lucques at the SAG awards and Oscar parties for a few years.  It was exciting and I will forever savor the memories.

Y: My inspiration for new recipes comes from my childhood, my multi-cultural background, my favorite restaurants and markets, devouring cookbooks, magazines Instagram, and blogs.

After trying different vegan recipes online, I was inspired to create more healthy alternatives to not-so-healthy foods, and to turn recipes I learned in culinary school and at the restaurant into vegan and gluten-free recipes. All of my recipes are vegan, refined sugar-, gluten-, soy- and dairy-free, and best of all, devoid of refined foods.

More than ever now, I enjoy experimenting with exciting ingredients in my humble city kitchen.

 Y: I became vegan 3 years after I graduated from culinary school.  In 2011, I was concerned about my own autoimmune disease, hypothyroidism, and my overall wellness.   I felt compelled to exercise my culinary skills and creativity to harness a lifestyle that would allow me to maintain a good balance of healthy and delicious tasting foods.  I thought it was ever-important for me to eliminate butter, cream, sugar, and kosher salt in the foods that I cooked for myself.  Although I was a frequent runner and physically thin, my LDL (bad cholesterol) and triglycerides were high for the very first time in my life.  I attributed my suboptimal blood results on copious amounts of taste-testing at work, staff meals, and feasting on day-old pastries that would have otherwise been tossed.

Luckily, a great opportunity presented itself and I was prepared to leave the restaurant business to become a private chef for clients who wanted flavorful and satisfying food, but low in caloric intake and high in nutrition.  In collaboration with a client’s fitness expert and self-care coach, Anna Price, I developed balanced meals to meet specific weight-loss goals while still being able to satisfy my clients’ sophisticated palettes.

Y:  In early 2013, I read Kimberly Snyder‘s The Beauty Detox Solution and it positively changed my life!  This book kickstarted my transformation into a vegan and gluten-free lifestyle.  I feel that my body is healing itself with the whole foods I consume.  I’ve never felt happier and I’ve never been healthier.  When I went vegan, I also stopped drinking coffee.  Once I stopped drinking coffee and started my mornings with green smoothies, I felt more energetic, lighter on my feet, and my skin started to glow.  I also lost weight, my mood has been more bright and cheerful, my hair/skin/nails became stronger, and I now have optimal digestion!  My friends and family tell me this is the best they have ever seen me.

I am passionate about vegan cooking that not only looks and tastes good, but also caters to a healthy lifestyle.  I develop healthy alternatives to the normally not-so-healthy foods.  All of my recipes are vegan, white sugar-, gluten-, soy- and dairy-free, and, best of all, devoid of refined ingredients.

Initially, I became vegan for health reasons.  I then started learning more and evolved into an ethical vegan– for animal rights and for the betterment of the environment and the world.

I am very passionate about health, fitness, nutrition, protecting the animals from slaughter and mistreatment, and helping the environment, while still eating deliciously.  I want to keep spreading the word!

I am so grateful for this journey.  I pray and meditate daily.  I thank God for another day, for the life I am living, and all my blessings.  It has been so positively life-changing.  I am also thankful that my husband stands beside me in this journey.  All the goodness that flourished from this lifestyle has brought me so much peace.

Y:  I enjoy making my chickpea “fish” tacos with kale guacamole for dinner.  Not only are they quick and easy to make, they’re pretty filling, and Peyman loves them!

Y:  We each have our favorites.  Peyman’s favorite vegan restaurant is Crossroads.  My favorite vegan restaurant in Los Angeles is Café Gratitude.

Y:  My family particularly enjoys my semi-raw pumpkin pie.

Every Christmas and Thanksgiving, my mother-in-law and my sisters call me to request a pumpkin pie. Vegans and non-vegans alike enjoy my vegan and gluten-free pie!

Y:  Plan and prepare in advance.  If you’re really not confident in the kitchen, I would test recipes beforehand.  Also, I make most of the meal a day in advance.  I recommend doing that as well. I typically make sides, a “meat” component, and dessert in advance, then on the day-of I saute’ vegetables and reheat food that needs to be heated.  That way, I spend more quality time with family rather than slaving away in the kitchen.

Y:  I’m excited to debut a new cookie, a Ginger Molasses Cookie.  It’s perfect for the holidays.

Y:  I am addicted to kale. I love massaged kale salads.  I can eat them every day, and well, I actually do!

Y: Peyman sometimes craves the texture of meat, so I try to come up with plant-based alternatives. Since we don’t consume soy and many vegan meat alternatives are made with soy, I’ve been experimenting with different plant proteins, trying to come up with creative and delicious soy-free meat-like options.

Y: Thank you!  I believe that beauty starts within.  First, with optimal digestion—if less energy is spent in the belly, digesting food, more energy is distributed beautifying other parts of the body.  I pay close attention to proper food combining and proper eating order.  Secondly, I like to eat foods that brighten and nourish the skin from the inside out.  I drink a glowing green smoothie with turmeric every morning for breakfast.  It helps rejuvenate the skin, makes it glow, and gives it vibrancy.

Since I work from home, I drink warm lemon water throughout the day.  Lemon is very powerful. It helps support liver tissue and our liver is our main detoxifying and fat-burning organ, so the cleaner the liver, the better my skin will look. I also enjoy ¼ cup of homemade sauerkraut before lunch and dinner, which aids digestion as well.  All of these habits aid digestion, sending energy to heal and improve other areas of my body—not just in my skin, but my hair, nails, and overall health.  I also use coconut oil as my daily moisturizer.  It keeps my skin moisturized and wrinkle-free (as long as you don’t sleep on your face!)

 Y: I love coconut oil for my skin and argan oil to keep my hair hydrated and shiny.

Y: 1) Use sharpened knives when cutting your fruits and vegetables. I recommend watching a YouTube videos to learn knife skills.  Once you do, you will be much more efficient and you’ll mostly likely enjoy cutting more!

2) Have a kitchen timer, so you don’t over-bake goods in the oven.

3) Natural flavors, such as citrus products, herbs, spices, and vinegar, add zing to meals while zapping fat and sodium.

These “Caramel” Candy Apples are absolutely spectacular!  These are a must try for anyone who loves apples and loves a sweet treat! (I am craving these all the time now!! So delicious!)  Refined Sugar Free! 🙂

If you love Ginger like we do, then you will go crazy for this soup!  This soup is ultra satisfying and has major anti-inflammatory properties!

You can’t deny that these cupcakes are SO COOL!!  Keep in mind that these recipes are delicious for any occasion or any time of year!  You may want to forgo the “Blood Splatter” if you make these for a wedding shower though lol! Get ready for a flavor explosion!!  The orange zest is absolute perfection in this recipe…it is a must try!!  I also enjoy these in a muffin form!

I love zoodle recipes because they are quick and easy!  It’s Raw Fast Food!!  This Pesto combination is stellar!  This recipe is a keeper for anytime of year!

One word: OBSESSED.  That’s really all I have to say.  It is imperative you make these Crabby Cakes! NOW! 🙂 

This was supposed to be a floating hand!  Although the hand was not completely even and buoyant, so it was a bit difficult to photograph! You get the idea though!  Have you tried Kombucha before?  We thought it would be fun to make a fizzy brew…and with that in mind, Kombucha was perfect!!  This combination of italian lemonade and crimson juices is perfect if you are looking for a punch that is not so overly sweet and has a tangy twist!