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Mushroom Farro Soup {oil-free} + How to Make Homemade Stock // Crossroads by Tal Ronnen Cookbook Review sweetsimplevegan.comMy first time adding farro to soup, let alone trying farro, and I was quite surprised by how much it brings to the dish. Not only does it create heartiness and comfort, it also brings new dimensions of flavor, texture, and satisfaction. If you are seeking a gluten-free alternative, simply sub in a gluten-free grain, such as brown rice, millet or even gluten-free oats. This dish is easy, jam packed with flavor thanks to the homemade stock (recipe below), and brings to the table a plethora of vitamins and minerals to bump up the nutrient content in your next meal. Breakfast, lunch or dinner? I enjoyed these leftovers at all three, and would say it is the perfect fit for them all, as it is that good. Mushroom Farro Soup {oil-free} + How to Make Homemade Stock // Crossroads by Tal Ronnen Cookbook Review sweetsimplevegan.comIf you're in or have ever visited Los Angeles and have been well immersed in the vegan restaurant scene, then you would have had to visit Crossroad's Kitchen in West Hollywood. They are now serving brunch 7 days a week...I know, WHAT! I have visited the restaurant several times for brunch and dinner, and all of the food is always not only well presented but absolutely delicious. The food is served tapas style, or in small dishes and sizes, great to be able to order a plethora of dishes during your visit to get a more extensive taste of the menu. The only downfall to the menu, in my opinion, is their declination of substitutions or adjustments. Most other vegan restaurants in LA accommodate for the oil-free preference one may have,  and I wish that Crossroads was able to do the same as it could easily be done in a handful of dishes. Fortunately, this cookbook includes

During the holiday season, my two friends Amanda and Loe came over for a girl's brunch, so I decided to show you all what we put together and also the gifts I put together for them to give you ideas for your loved ones, or yourself ;) What I wanted to do is put together gift baskets that were practical and useful to them both, consisting of healthy vegan treats! I also included square bars, as I did not have an oil-free option on hand, but scroll down below and I share 2 I think you should check out <3Here is the full brunch spread that we had, all of it is summarized below the video :) It is always comforting to be around people who hold the same outlook and ideals as you, especially in the vegan community. Loe and Amanda and I all have similar tastes in food, and we put together a spread that each and every one of us loved.

Healthy 3-Ingredient Vegan Pancakes {gluten- & oil-free} sweetsimplevegan.comAn easy, no-fuss recipe that is filling, comforting, and does not skimp on flavor one bit. I was actually very surprised by how fluffy these pancakes turned out to be, considering I did not use any baking soda. I have been seeing oat-banana-nut-milk pancakes all over Instagram and I finally had to try my hand at it + the fancy food styling that always comes along with it as well ;) The day I made these in the kitchen was also a day where Chris and I worked on 2 other recipes, his Epic Thanksgiving Leftovers Pizza and his Easy to Make Potato Leek Soup in Sourdough Bread Bowls as shown in the recipe video I put together for this (below). My favorite out of them had to be his bread bowl soup ;P

January2015ProduceI am going to try and share my upcoming visits to the Los Angeles Wholesale Produce Market in case you're not already following me on YouTube (check it out for more!). One of the most frequently asked questions I get in comments and emails is that regarding saving money or living on a budget as a high carb and/or high raw vegan. Good news! I have some very helpful information, especially to those of you who live in Los Angeles, or near it :) Check out this blog post for FAQs, advice, examples, photos + more! This haul was different than any previous haul, and also a special one, as it was the first trip I have taken to the wholesale market with my boyfriend Chris :) We both decided that this year we are both going to focus on eating whole foods and keeping things simple & cheap.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fx2nrs4eEHY

Warm Zucchini Millet Oats + Acai Banana Ice Cream Breakfast {hclf, oil-free} sweetsimplevegan.com This morning, as all other mornings, I couldn't decide what to make for breakfast for my boyfriend and I. What I had in mind was either banana ice cream or zucchini oats {zoats}. I texted Chris as I was leaving the gym to see what he would like for breakfast, to see if he could offer another option. His response? Banana ice cream or zucchini oats {zoats}... What to do?! Well, I decided to go home and make a little bit of both :)????????

This past Christmas season, a few friends and I put together a Vegan Holiday Potluck here in LA and gathered the community together for an afternoon of good food, friends, and of course, dogs :) I wanted to bring a healthy oil-free option to the potluck, and this is what I came up with. Chris and I went to the Hollywood Farmer's Market and came home with among other things, 2 fresh sourdough baguettes + dill & chives, two ingredients we use often on our avocado toasts for breakfast, in salads, and now in our newfound favorite, bean dips! We went to Whole Foods following the farmer's market to pick up grains and legumes for his One-Pot Chili Spiced Lentils & Rice recipe that he was putting together for the potluck, and when we were browsing the aisle of the market, I was inspired by the array of beans and legumes to make a dip/spread for the baguettes we had purchased.