Spaghetti Squash Pasta with Tahini Sauce | Oil Free, Plant Based, Instant Pot

Spaghetti squash is one of the best ingredients to use for a guilt free pasta dish. Substitute spaghetti squash in any noodle dish for a lighter, healthier and tastier version. Toss it in a simple tomato sauce or make this spaghetti squash pasta with tahini sauce.

Nopales Cactus Salad with Tomato, Avocado and Onion | Plant Based, Oil Free

The local market had cleaned cactus paddles and I thought it would be fun to give it a try. I've had grilled cactus paddles once, but I've never cooked with it before. After a quick internet search, I a few plant based nopales cactus recipes. The best one I found was by La Cocina de Leslie. This is my take on her Ensalada de Nopales recipe.

Green Lentil Curry with Collard Greens | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

I was at the market last week and decided to pick up a bag of green lentils. Unlike red lentils, the green lentils retain their shape after cooking and have a slightly nutty taste. My favorite way to prepare them is this green lentil curry with collard green. It's easy to make and delicious to eat.

Buddha Bowl with Leek and Carrots | Plant Based, Oil Free

There is nothing quite as satisfying as a buddha bowl loaded with healthy ingredients. The recipe for a buddha bowl is so versatile, you can use anything you have on hand. Don't have any carrots? Use beets instead. Don't have any leek? Use a bunch of green onions or a large sweet opinion in its place. If you love mushrooms, throw some of those in! It's basically a do-it-yourself plant based bowl filled with food that's good for you.

Vegan Food at Woodlands Indian Cuisine, Chatsworth CA

Woodlands Indian Cuisine in Chatsworth, CA serves up an awesome vegetarian/vegan lunch buffet. I enjoy the food so much, I've eaten there three times in one month. The food is South Indian inspired and everything on the menu is vegetarian. Many of the dishes are also vegan. All I do is ask the owner to point them out when I dine here. Woodlands is a great options for anyone looking for tasty vegan or vegetarian food in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles.

Whole Wheat Pasta with Asparagus | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

Living a whole plant based lifestyle has translated to a lot of fun in the kitchen. Going to the market is an entirely new experience now. The tender stalks of fresh asparagus caught my eyes and I decided to make something different. Pasta is a special treat for me, so I took the time to make a creamy white bean sauce to take this dish up a notch. There's no oil in this dish making it lighter than other pasta dishes I've put together. This is what I would call a guilt free bowl of creamy pasta with asparagus.

Vegan Menu at Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill

Since moving to eating whole plant based, I've only dined out at two restaurants so far and they have both been stellar. My latest dining adventure was at Sharky's Woodfired Mexican Grill. This is a chain of restaurants in Southern California serving food made from natural, organic, non-GMO, ingredients with gluten free and vegan options. The restaurant's motto is "feel good about eating". It's always nice to find restaurants that are vegan or plant based friendly and transparent about the ingredients in their food.

Chayote Curry | Plant Based, Oil Free, Cast Iron Skillet

Chayote is in season! This pear shaped squash is a wonderful ingredient to have in the kitchen. After it's peeled, chayote can be eaten raw or cooked. Make sure to wear gloves when peeling chayote or you'll end up with some undesired residue on your hands. Raw chayote can be tossed into a salad and cooked chayote can be added to stews and soups. This week I decided to make a chayote curry with a new curry powder I picked up from Trader Joe's. The dish turned out really well and great on its own. Next time I might serve it over some rice or lentils.

Savory Oats with Beets and Kale | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

Savory steel cut oats have become a go to breakfast meal recently. I love the crunchy texture of the oats and it works well with just about any ingredient. When I can find organic steel cut oats, that's what I buy. At $.17 per serving, it's a great item to have in stock packed with nutrients. My latest experiment with savory oats was slightly sweet with the addition of beets. If you're looking for a savory oats recipe that's slightly sweet, give this version a try.

White Bean Stew with Kale and Mushrooms | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

One of my favorite ingredients to use are Great Northern beans. They have a wonderful creamy texture that works very well in stews and sauces. I always start with dry beans which takes additional planning to allow time for the overnight soak. It seems like lately, there is always a type of bean soaking in my kitchen. If you don't have the time to soak beans overnight, there are salt free beans in BPA free cans available in select markets. I found this to be a hearty stew that is also light and flavorful.

Barley Stew with Edamame and Carrots | Plant Based, Oil Free, Instant Pot

I can't believe it has been close to two years since my last blog post. The reason I started this blog was to chronicle my food adventures, mostly outside of the kitchen. Going forward, I will be sharing more recipes from my kitchen as a way to help me member the hits. Hope you enjoy the new direction of the blog!

Right now, I am eating whole plant based with limited salt and no oils (processed cooking oils). This oil free vegan barley stew turned out really well and I can't wait to make it again.

Organic Vegan Mediterranean Food at Fala Bar, West Hollywood

Fala Bar serves up fresh, organic, vegan and gluten free Mediterranean food in West Hollywood. Their ingredients are locally sourced and made to order. With the exception of their pita bread, everything on the menu is or can be made gluten free. The pita sandwiches can be substituted with a cabbage wrap, which is quite tasty albeit rather messy. The food is balanced, fresh, filling and energizing. Add the fact that it's down the street from our temporary work office, it's makes for a good go to lunch spot. 

Baba Plate
8.50

This version of baba ghanoush is light and doesn't have a grilled flavor. It came with tahini, Israeli salad, and quinoa tabouli. I added an order of sweet potato falafel's to the plate for an extra $3. The falafel's are light and crunchy with a very subtle spice mix. 

Hummus Plate
8.50

The garbanzo hummus plate came with tahini, brussels sprout quinoa salad and quinoa tabouli. There also had a selection of seasonal garnishes for customers to choose from.

Fala Me To KALEifornia
13.50

This is one of the most popular items and my go to. You can't see it in the photo, but there is lemony kale at the bottom topped with garbanzo beans, quinoa, purple cabbage, shredded carrots and avocado. There's no dressing for this salad, but all the components add their own distinct flavor that a dressing isn't necessary. 

If you find yourself on this stretch of Melrose Avenue in need of a vegan and organic lunch spot, check out Fala Bar.

Fala Bar
7751 1/2 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90046