KC Masterfeast!!

Who knew that the city known for it's steaks and bbq would be so darn tasty for health nuts like me!! I was floored with what's called "The Paris of the Plains". Every place I stopped at had healthy choices and they were more then happy to accommodate me and my crazy ways of ordering ; ) The city is growing and has a lot to see and do so if you are planning a trip, bring your appetite!

The first place we stopped into was Figglio's in the Plaza. It's a cute Italian place perched on the 2nd floor and overlooks one of Kansas City's most famous fountains. I got a tasty pasta dish and loaded it up with veggies along with a yummy glass o' wine. Figglio's on the plaza is a great place to pop into after doing some shopping around the Plaza.

The next day I almost fell out of my booth at Waldo Pizza. It was one of the best vegan pizzas I had ever had and it was in a regular pizza joint. My pals split a pie while I kept the vegan one all to myself. I ordered it on gluten free and dairy free thin crust and covered it in awesome veggies from artichoke to broccoli and all in between. They offered soy cheese and vegan cheese which I thought was super cool and the establishment itself is super cute. Outside of downtown, Waldo Pizza is worth the drive.

Later that evening, we all made out way into McCoy's Public House. It's a microbrewery bar & grill in the hip Westport area. What could I eat besides a plain old salad at a microbrewery you ask? Plenty!! They had vegan items on every page!! A black bean burger, veggie stir fry, the vegan wrap (which I ordered and was so sad when I finished it because it was scrumptious!) and more. They mark all of the veggie items on their menu and I was so stoked to find a fun, hip bar & grill where I could really chow down and my friends could too. Salivate and giggle over the menu at McCoy's.

On my way out of town, I went to Blanc Burger, based on a recommendation by our server, Jason, at Figglio's a few nights previous. This ultra cool burger joint had one of the tastiest veggie burgers I'd every had. It was called the spicy lentil burger that I ordered without the yogurt sauce and got it as a lunch special with sweet potato fries. Holy smokes!! It was the bomb. The owner of Blanc also co-owns another hip spot called The Drop, not to far from Blanc. It is a bar and restaurant that offers fresh foods soups and salads as well as being known for some killer bruschetta. Look up The Drop online and check out Blanc at 419 Westport Rd. Kansas City, MO 64111 (816)931-6200.

Since I was only in town for a short time, I missed a few more places I wanted to try but I know I will be back and when I do, I'm walking everywhere to work off all the treats!!

Presidential Eats ; )

Did you hear that there's a big election coming up? Yeah, it's hard not to go anywhere or watch anything that isn't covering the race. So feeling patriotic and trying to stay local to conserve that other big topic, gas, we decided to take a couple of day trips around the LA area and check out some of our former presidents'presidential libraries. In SoCal we have 2 big ones, Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Fan of them or not, both of these libraries boast some pretty nifty artifacts from our nation's colorful history ; )

The Gipper's library rests on top of a great hill in Simi Valley, CA. It's really a very comprehensive and interesting place and good ol' Reagan's final resting place is on the grounds as well. I got sucked in to he and Nancy's love story while Dan sketched Air Force One. Yep, the original aircraft that flew him around during his presidency is right there for anyone who visits to walk through. It is a pretty neat sight as is the archives of everything from his acting days all the way to the day he left the building ; ) Food wise they had 2 cafes where a hungry veggie could sink her teeth into. The was the Ronald Reagan Pub, located underneath Air Force 1 as well as the Reagan Country Cafe. Both a cafeteria style but the cool Irish pub by the plane had a bunch of salads and sandwiches that could be doctored up for a gal like me. The cafe upstairs had a view of the valley and I asked if I could make my veggie pizza cheeseless and that was A-ok with them ; ) After our day at the library, we made our way over to Don Cuco's for dinner. I got a huge veggie tostada salad and it was delish! More info on President Reagan's library can be found online at Reagan Library. Don Cuco's is a chain and worth looking up as well!

The following weekend we headed south to Orange County and we paid a visit to Tricky Dick, Richard Nixon's presidential library. His had a special attraction as the house he was born in is on the grounds and like Air Force 1, you can get an inside tour. The library is on the acreage that young Nixon played on while his parent's farmed lemons. It's got some great info about the era he "ruled"and apparently they are updating their Watergate exhibit so it's worth a visit. They had a very small cafe on site where they had pre-made sandwiches and fruit cups available. We popped into Chili's afterwards for dinner and I got my usually yummy portobello fajitas! Go visit Pat and Richard at the Nixon Library.

Some exciting stuff to come so keep checkin' back!!

The Healthy Voyager Turns 2 Today!

Just wanted to thank everyone who has supported the site and show over two years! This year will be even more exciting with new episodes, new cities and a cool new interactive site!! Keep checking in while we re-model and grow!!

xoxoxo

Spring Break

The Healthy Voyager is going on Spring Break! I will be gathering up new info, tasting more healthy food and revamping the show and site while on break. I will be back in a few weeks to celebrate the anniversary of The Healthy Voyager Site & Show so in the meantime, catch up on past posts and have fun welcoming spring!

Have a Yummy Easter Feaster or Delicious Food Induced Passover Hangover!

Whether you celebrate Easter or Passover, spring is here and it's time to celebrate. My honey,bunny and I have put together some ideas to keep your holiday healthy as well as eco friendly this year; )

• Paint wooden or ceramic eggs. A night out at a place like Color Me Mine is a great alternative to dying eggs at home. No real eggs and no mess! Put them out later for your egg hunt and use them year after year.
  
• Vegan candies and deserts are available for online orders as well as at stores like Whole Foods and other specialty markets. I found a bunch of great stuff at Cosmo's Vegan Shoppe and Sweet Diet Delights.
  
• Look for paper basket grass as opposed to the plastic kind. This "green" paper kind can be used year round for other gifts, packing materials, etc.
• Bake vegan easter cakes in egg and bunny shaped molds. These are great in gift baskets!
• Give children great illustration heavy books like pop-ups instead of toys they will grow out of an create more waste. Books nourish their minds and create wonderful memories.
  
• Try some healthy vegan passover recipes. Here are 2 to share with your family:

Sweet Potato Kugel (serves 12)

6 small sweet potatoes, peeled and grated
3 apples, peeled and grated
1 cup raisins
1 cup matzo meal
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 cup fruit juice or water

Mix ingredients together. Press into baking dish and bake 45 minutes at 375ºF, until crisp on top.

Potato/Kale Casserole (serves 6-8)

3 lbs potatoes, cooked and mashed
1 lb kale, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 Tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste

Cook potatoes and mash. In a separate pan, sauté onion in oil, then add kale and steam, covered, until kale is soft. Remove from heat and mix with potatoes and seasonings. Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350ºF until warmed through.

• For Easter brunch , these dishes are a sure hit:

Mustard and Apricot Glazed ‘Ham’
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup apricot jam
1 Tbsp. minced fresh chives
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp. horseradish
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 Veg S.W. Ham (available from www.vegieworld.com), sliced into 1-inch-thick rounds

• Combine all of the ingredients except the vegetarian ham in a bowl and mix well.
• Brush the mixture over both sides of each slice of “ham” and arrange, overlapping each piece, on a baking sheet. Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20 minutes.
• Uncover the ham and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 8 servings

Yummy Pancakes

Mix
1 1/4 cups flour
2 T sweetener
2 T baking powder
1/2 t salt
Mix
2 T oil
1 1/2 cups water or 1/2 cup soy milk with 3/4 cup water

Make a hole in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the wet mixture into it. Mix with a wooden spoon until blended. Lumps are good because it makes the pancakes light. If it's not very pourable, add more liquid. Also add chocolate chips or blueberries or vanilla extract here.

Heat a griddle over a medium flame and add some margarine. Pour the batter on thinly and wait for the top to bubble before you flip it. These are really good with syrup and margarine.

My honey,bunny and I hope we could help!! Have a great Easter and/or Passover!

Have a Greener St. Paddy's Day!

St. Paddy's is a wonderful day to celebrate drunkenness by way of green beer and food comas by way of corned beef. But there are ways to partake in the debauchery without falling off the proverbial health wagon. Here are a few tips to have a greener and healthier St. Patty's day this year!

• St. Paddy's Day morning, start off with a healthy glass of green juice by Odwalla, Naked, Trader Joe's or Bolthouse Farms. You will get a few of your daily servings of hearty veggies in one glass as well as boost your immune system for later, not so healthy action ; )
• Walk or ride your bike to your local Irish pub to save up some calories, gas and the environment as well as to help save lives after to much green fun ; )
• If you have to work that day, bring in some delicious and healthy Zucchini Muffins to keep with the green theme:

Zucchini Muffins with Cinnamon-Crumb Topping
Dry ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Wet ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons Ener-G egg replacer
2 tablespoons water
1 1/4 cup shredded zucchini, packed
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon agave nectar (or other liquid sweetener)
1 1/4 cups fat-free soymilk or other non-dairy milk

Optional Cinnamon Crumb Topping:
1 teaspoon margarine
1/2 tablespoon demerara sugar
1/2 tablespoon flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
(Use a fork to combine until crumbly.)

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line a muffin pan with paper or silicone liners or spray well with non-stick spray.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the Ener-G egg replacer powder with the water until foamy. Add the remaining wet ingredients and stir to combine.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until combined. Do not over-stir. Batter will be very heavy. Spoon into muffin cups, dividing batter equally among the cups. Sprinkle the center of each muffin with a little Cinnamon Crumb Topping, if desired, and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

As a special tribute to St. Patrick's Day, sprinkle them with green sugar.
(recipe by SusanV)

• Host a delicious dinner before the liquor starts to flow like this Vegan Irish meal of Corned Beef & Cabbage, Red Dill Potatoes and Irish Soda Bread:
  

Vegan Corned Beef and Cabbage
2 medium onions, cut into wedges
1/2 head cabbage, finely chopped or shredded (I used red cabbage this time)
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch lengths and quartered
2 ribs celery, thickly sliced
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon mild horseradish
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
6-8 ounces vegetarian "beef" or seitan or reconstituted TVP chunks (I used Lightlife Strips)
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon red wine or cooking sherry (really adds great flavor)

Sauté the onion in a large, non-stick pot until it starts to brown. Add the remaining vegetables, the broth, and the seasonings. Cover and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes. Add the "beef," cover, and cook for 15 more minutes, until vegetables are soft.

Use a slotted spoon to remove the vegetables and "beef" to a serving plate and keep warm. Return the broth to the heat. In a small cup, combine the flour, water, and wine. Gradually stir the flour mixture into the simmering broth. Cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the broth has thickened, about 10 minutes. Pour the gravy over the "beef" and vegetables to serve.

Roasted Red Potatoes with Dill
Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut small red potatoes in half, larger red potatoes into quarters (all should be about the same size). Allow about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of potatoes for 4 servings. Place in a non-metal baking dish and spray lightly with canola oil (optional). Bake until potatoes are lightly browned and tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt and dill weed, to taste.

Vegan Irish Soda Bread
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup plain soy yogurt

Preheat oven to 400 F. Mix the dry ingredients together. Add the yogurt and use your hands to mix it in well. (Add more flour if the dough is sticky, more yogurt if it's too dry.) Shape into a ball and put on cookie sheet. Bake until golden brown, about 25-30 minutes.
(recipes by SusanV)

• Keep the calories low with these festively colorful libations:

Hard Limeade
(yields 1 glass)
3 limes, juiced
Lemon/lime seltzer
Square One Organic Vodka
Superfine sugar, to taste (I like Stevia)

Combine all ingredients in a glass with ice cubes.

Green Tea-Ni
1.5 oz. Square One Organic Vodka infused with green tea
1 oz. fresh lime juice
3/4 oz. organic Agave nectar or to taste
1/2 oz. orange liqueur

Put all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds. Strain into a martini glass and garnish with a little zest of lime.

Or throw some organic green food coloring into some organic, low cal beer!!

And have a safe and happy St. Paddy's Day!!!