Awesome Asheville

Asheville is one of those cities where a health nut need not worry. Most restaurants in this quaint mountain town have options or will easily accommodate almost any special diet with a smile ; ) It was a real treat to be in the hospitable south without worrying about loads of buttery and fried dishes, settling only for dry salads. Amongst the greenery and clean mountain air, you will also find some of the best and healthiest food around!

Brunch (or any meal for that matter) at Early Girl Eatery is a must! Make sure you arrive with plenty of time to hang as this place is always hoppin' and for great reason. The food is fresh and delicious no matter your dietary variety. Husband and wife team owned, Early Girl is the epitome of southern charm and comfort cooking. I had the best tofu scramble ever that included a pile of spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms along side some extra yummy baked tempeh. It was so nice to have my veggies with an appropriate amount of tofu as opposed to the other way around. LOVED it ;) Visit the site fr more info on them, their food and don't miss it even if you are just passing through town!

One thing I have yet to have found is a really great vegan gyro. That's because it has been hiding at Firestorm Cafe & Books! A great space for books, games, internet, socializing and yummalicious treats. A neat co-op business where the workers also own a portion of the biz, Firestorm boasts some great sandwiches, sweet treats for veggies and gluten-free'ers as well as almond milk for lattes which I wanted to do cartwheels over. My buddies and I all tried a different sandwich from the menu and we all left super happy. My gyro rocked and so did my double gooey vegan brownie!

Just outside of the beautiful Biltmore Estate, in Biltmore Village, you will find the fine dining hotspot, Corner Kitchen. Definitley a great spot before or after a tour of the estate for a taste of fine southern dining. I veganized their Portobello sandwich and it was divine. The staff takes a great deal of pride in their culinary selections and are delighted to create meals for special diets. Super cute and quite good!

Green Sage Coffeehouse & Cafe is the quintessential Asheville locale. Offering local and organic beers, wines, coffees and the same for the ingredients in their dishes, Green Sage IS super green and healthy. Start with a fresh squeezed veggie juice and go nuts on their sandwiches and salads. All veggie, vegan and gluten free items are clearly marked for zero confusion and 100% tasty goodness. I devoured the tempeh avocado sandwich with a tall glass of the Green Monster. So yum and so good for you too!!

If you're in the mood for some caribbean latin fare, head to Salsa's at 6 Patton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801 (828) 252-9805. Definitely start with the salsa appetizer where they bring out chips with a salsa sampler. The selections change depending on seasonal ingredients but you can healthify or veganize anything by simply asking - after all,it is Asheville ; ) I'm always up for latin food and Salsa's hit the spot!

And I'm not stopping here, Asheville has too much to offer my veggie appetite. See you next week with some more!!

Healthy Voyager Radio - Stop Talking, Start Doing!

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio right here!! Guest Amy Applebaum from Bootcampforyourmind.com helps us to stop talking and start doing:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next week, Donna Zeifinger from greenearthtravel.com!

Healthy Voyager Radio - The Benefits of Laughter

Listen to the Healthy Voyager Radio inaugural show right here!! Guest Leo Flowers helps out with our Laugh Yourself Healthy theme:

Healthy Voyager Radio

Next week, Amy Applebaum from Bootcampforyourmind.com!

Healthy Voyager Radio Launches Today!

Hello friends of the Healthy Voyager! This week's posting is an announcement/reminder to listen to the all new Healthy Voyager Radio show!! We launch tomorrow, Thursday July 30th at 2pm pacific time on Los Angeles AM station 1680 KDSV. But don't fret if you're not in LA as you can listen in to the live stream as well as the video webcam stream on www.adrenalineradio.com and adviceradio.com. AND if you happen to miss the live show, no worries, you can catch the show as a podcast on both websites as well as on healthyvoyager.com under the video section and on itunes!

Healthy Voyager Radio promises to always be informative and educational however, never sacrificing entertainment value. I feel that health comes in many forms from physical to financial, mental to lifestyle and everything in between. Each week the show will be theme based be it laughter as medicine showcasing an up and coming comic, to music and art therapy featuring experts in those fields as well as musicians, charities, nutritionists, doctors, celebrities and more. The Healthy Voyager lifestyle is all encompassing from general home life to traveling abroad as well as social issues, healthy, green and beyond.

Tune in tomorrow where our first guest will join us to laugh ourselves healthy, comedian Leo Flowers!

Green, Healthy and Volunteer Travel Adventures

Who wouldn't love to have their own, personal travel agent that customizes every detail from the destination all the way to your meals? Whether you are eco friendly, health conscious or want to do some good while you're away, there are a variety of companies that can help you create the vacation of a lifetime. From volunteer travel to adventures and excursions, here is a list to get you started on planning your dream getaway!:

• Green Earth/Vegtravel - One of the premier vegetarian/vegan/eco travel agencies in the country, Green Earth/Vegtravel caters to the discriminating traveler. Those who desire to maintain their healthy and/or green lifestyle while adventuring throughout the world. Donna Zeigfinger, President and owner of Green Earth Travel,LLC is a seasoned traveler herself and a member of the International Vegetarian Union. Vegtravel can help you book custom designed vacation trips, group departures, cruises, eco adventure, fitness, spa, family, yoga, organization fundraising trips and more! The extensive data base of trips/packages and resources contained within the site will enable those who practice a vegetarian and/or green lifestyle to travel without food being a concern. Like me!!
  
• Blisscape - Boasting romantic travel made simple. Run by a healthy and green husband and wife team, Blisscape prides itself on helping book and create luxurious vacations for their subscribers. They also help plan green and volunteer travel worldwide. In addition, the site offers tips and info on travel fashion and trends along with being your online travel agent.
  
• Real Adventures - If you want adventure, this is the place! From specialized tours for bikers, educational to eco-tourism and wildlife trips, Real Adventures is a great resource for all types of travel. Book your next airborne thrill or kayaking trip here today!
  
• One World Volunteer - At One World, they believe that explorations in travel is that there is a lot that needs to be done to make the world a better place. The projects that you'll find on their site were started by people who saw a need and acted on it, by; starting a school, creating a reserve, building an animal shelter, growing organic food, etc. Traveling is a way to discover new things about ourselves and learn to see ourselves more clearly. Volunteering abroad is a way to spend time within another culture, to become part of new community, to experience life from a different perspective. What better way to see a part of the world you may not have gone to or been able to afford to go while helping another person in need ; ) Sign up as a tour guide or just join a trip as a volunteer soon!
  
• Healthy Adventures - This site is great for healthy, pre-fixe vacations and seminars. The company offers set vacation packages that they host and you can join. Each organized vacation offers all kinds of activities in all kinds of locations. It's also a great way to meet new people. Space is limited to their trips and seminars so if you see one you like, get to it!
  

Plan your next adventure soon and get out there!! See you in a few weeks after some summer family time!!

Fork of July!

It's the middle of summer and the 4th of July is upon us. As we break out our grills and dust off our punch bowls, it's tough to believe the year is already half over! But let's celebrate while we have the sun and heat as well as swimming pools and fun friends. For great healthy and green 4th of July tips, visit last year's posting on A Foodie 4th. And here are some additions those delectable recipes, all sure hits at this year's festivities!:

*buy and use organic ingredients as much as you can ; )

Simple Red Salsa

4 large tomatoes or 2 packs of plumb tomatoes
1/2 a head of chopped cilantro
3-4 green onions/scallions (chop off the roots and use the whole onion from top to tip)
Juice of half a lime (add more to taste)
salt & pepper to taste
(if you want to add some spice, toss in 2 jalapenos or chilies)

Toss all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse. Pulse a few times to make sure the ingredients blend and chop well but not to much or it will liquefy. Add salt and pepper to taste, stir in and serve.

White Dijon Potato Salad with Dill

3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
Sea or Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 celery stalks
1 cup veganaise
1 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill (packed)
1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

Put potatoes in a big pot with enough water to cover them by 1-inch. Add salt and bring the water to a boil. Cook for 25 minutes or so, just until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and return them to the uncovered pot off the heat. Let them sit until almost room temperature. Cooling in the warm pot gets rid of any excess water.

Chop the celery into 1/4-inch slices. Stir the celery, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and the remaining ingredients together in a serving bowl large enough to hold all the potatoes. Preferably a bowl that they will be served in as well.

Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces once they have cooled and add them to the bowl as you go. Stir gently until all the potatoes are coated with dressing. You can make the salad up to a couple of hours in advance. Keep covered at room temperature. Try not to refrigerate as the potatoes will lose their texture.

Vegan Blueberry & Strawberry Cobbler

Filling:
3 16-oz bags frozen strawberries, thawed
1/3 cup organic granulated sugar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch
1 16-ounce bag frozen blueberries, thawed

Topping:
1 ½ cups organic white flour (use gluten free is you are sensitive)
1 ½ tablespoon baking powder
¼ cup confectioner's sugar (extra to sprinkle)
6 tablespoons vegan margarine, quartered
½ cup unsweetened plain soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a deep 9” pie plate or two deep soufflé dishes and set aside.

Filling: Place the strawberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Mix the cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of cold water until dissolved and then add this to the strawberry mixture, stirring well to combine. Stirring occasionally, cook the filling until slightly thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Stir in the blueberries. Carefully, pour the filling into the prepared pie plate.

Topping: In a food processor, combine the white flour, baking powder, salt and sugar, pulsing until well incorporated. Add the vegan margarine and process until the mixture is crumbly. With the machine still running, add the soy milk gradually until the mixture just holds together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Making the cobbler: Using your hands, pull and flatten pieces of dough between your fingers and gently lay these on top of the filling, overlapping and covering as much of the filling’s surface as possible. (The mixture will expand, so no worries if not all of the topping is covered.) Once all of the dough has been used, sprinkle the topping generously with confectioner's sugar. Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 35-45 minutes. Serve warm, at room temperature or cold.

Veggie Skewers

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
5 garlic cloves, pressed
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 green pepper
1 large onion (red or yellow)
1 package (8 oz) mushrooms
Skewers (4-5)

In large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, oil, basil, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Set aside. Cut peppers into 1-inch pieces and slice the onion into crescent shapes. Place peppers, whole mushrooms, (keep mushrooms whole - do not cut or dice), onions and marinade in sealable glass bowl. Cover. Marinate in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

When you are ready to grill, thread the vegetables onto skewers, alternating vegetables. Spray your grill with olive oil spray or cover with foil so your skewers do not stick. Place the vegetable skewers on top of the grill's grid. Grill, uncovered, for about 7-11 minutes. Turn the skewers several times on the grid so that they will evenly cook. The vegetables should be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

4th of July Firecracker Cocktail

1 oz Organic Vodka
2 oz Dark Rum
1/2 oz Sloe Gin
(Fill to Top) Organic Orange Juice

Pour ingredients into a rocks glass filled with ice.

Have a very healthy and happy 4th of July!!
xoxo