Pineapple Salsa

Hi I'm Kaiti & I'm a Salsa-holic. Shout out to my best buddy ever @Wayeezy who knows just how much I'm addicted to salsa...

Grab some chips and get the scoop here!

OHMYGRACIOUS HOW GOOD DOES THAT LOOK?!

Bourbon Coleslaw

KY things I LOVE @WindyCornerMrkt @BuffaloTrace @MakersMark @KnobCreek @WoodfordReserve #bourbon

I've written many times before about my love for Kentucky, and somedays I crave the flavors of The Bluegrass. 

BBQ season with my friends has finally started and I wanted to impart a little Kentucky flavor into my contribution for the party. Here's what I did... Read More

Becoming Tasty Kaiti... my story

Friends, Family, and even Strangers have criticized me for switching to a vegan diet:

"Are you always going to be vegan?"

"I could never give up __! I'd rather die.."

"It's crazy that you don't eat __!" 

Well, I've had some of my own interesting experiences with my health and I couldn't feel better about my decision to go vegan. I don't know if I've ever actually shared my story, and since today is World Health Day, it seems appropriate to share.

A few years ago I was having issues staying healthy. I would get sick after eating foods that I grew up on, burgers, pizza, ice cream, sushi, etc. Every day I was dealing with a distended stomach that made me look pregnant, a swollen face/neck, irritability, and sometimes even hives! It was so annoying that I decided I wanted to make a change. I made a list of everything that was making me feel AWFUL (cream cheese, burgers, chicken, fish, milk, ice cream... I could go on and on) and took it to the doctor to see what they had to say. They couldn't really give me a firm answer but it appeared as though my body had a tough time breaking down and accepting the proteins in animal products. Sure I could go to the doctor regularly and get a quick fix like a shot or pills... but if it was something that I could fix just by changing what I was eating, why wouldn't I just do that?!

I decided to make the change and invest in better food choices rather than investing in medications that would come with who knows what kind of side effects. After not being vegan for 23 years it was definitely going to be a challenge, especially for a giant foodie like me!!! But I was blessed with a crazy food memory and a love for experimenting in the kitchen. I went to the internet in hopes of finding some recipes that would ease my transition into a plant-based diet. Stuff that would make a carnivore feel truly satisfied in taste, texture, and a full belly! To my dismay, there was not much online (2010) that was very appealing to me as a new vegan. I still wanted a meaty burger and creamy, cheesy mac n cheese. 

Salt Potatoes... One of the first recipes I posted on my Tumblr page back in 2011!

I started my very first blog on Tumblr, trying out recipes from some cookbooks I had and then writing the review of the recipe. Then I switched over to Blogger (in Aug 2011). It was then that I realized there were a lot of people out there like me! They too wanted to find food that reminded them of the foods they used to eat so they didn't feel deprived. 

What's up South Africa, Australia, The Phillipines?! So Cool!!! 

Today, my blog (on Blogger) is coming up on it's 4th birthday, has been viewed over 23K times and has reached ALL OVER THE WORLD! I've expanded my blog from just blogger to a whole new website (www.tastykaitis.kitchen) which has menus, food holidays, and I hope to start adding more videos in the future. I never imagined this blog would take off as much as it has and I hope it will continue to grow! In fact, just recently as you may or may not have read, my social media accounts have even been recognized by big names in the food and vegan celebrity worlds. (Food Network, Chef Michael Symon, Vegan Bros, just to name a few!!!) 

Felt pretty cool to have a Tasty Kaiti's cup while I was in KY
(Shout Out to the great team at the US-127 Starbucks in Frankfort!!)

Welp, that's my story!  I went vegan for health reasons, as have big names like former President Bill Clinton, Mike Tyson, Usher, and more! There are plenty of people who go vegan for animal rights reasons, I love animals, but that was not my personal reason for changing my diet. Please remember that everyone is different, and not everyone is going to agree BUT, this is my personal blog. I'm not here to force anything on anyone, please do not try to force your opinion on others who may be reading. All I'm asking is for people to do is "TASTE THIS!" Maybe by posing that question I can influence people to try foods that can impact their health for the better... Maybe not. I'm just in it to give tasty foods to the people looking for them! 

From Top: Chopped Salad, Mac-No-Cheese, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts... One of my favorite dishes to serve people who doubt the delicious-ness that is Vegan food! 

I will be the first person to admit... I am not a fan of vegan food that "tastes vegan". Tofu, is one of my least favorite ingredients to use. (Sorry... but it's true) BUT, I will say, that what I do like about it is that it tastes like whatever you want it too! One of the first tofu recipes I found when I chose to go vegan was a recipe for chocolate mousse but... I wanted to switch it up... So I went with peanut butter instead! Adjust the sweetness and peanut buttery-ness to your liking!

1/3-1/2 cup peanut butter (CREAMY!!)

1/3-1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar (aka powdered sugar)

1 (12.3 oz pkg) soft silken tofu

Put all three things in a blender and puree until smooth and combined.  

Then divide into glasses/bowls/parfait glasses—whatever you’ve got, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes.  (Or overnight)  

Then serve.  That’s it.  No really,  I’m serious! …

Okay fine if you really want you could dollop with vegan whip cream/chopped peanuts/or vegan chocolate.  But it truly doesn’t need it.  The best part…? Try secretly feeding it to your carnivore friends/family… bet they don’t know it’s tofu! ;-) Remember just a smile, a spoon and "Taste This" works every time!

SUPER Greens (my favorite salad mix)

March 30, 2015 3:07pm. @FoodNetwork started following me (@tastykaitis) on Twitter!!!!!! 

I can't even explain how SUPER I feel writing this! Food Network is like... my LIFE! I've seen just about every episode of every show, buy the magazines when I have the cash to spare, and am constantly on the site to see what's new and find some recipes to veganize for me and you.  I've dreamt my whole life to have my own show on the Food Network! (Ask my parents... I used to talk through my steps in the kitchen with everything from making cereal to veggie chowder!  ... I may or may not still do it -- and yes I'm almost 27!) :-D

While I took some time to reflect on the excitement of my day... I wanted to make sure I remembered every detail... I realized that I spent the morning prepping my homemade salad bar, complete with my SUPER Greens Salad Mix!!! 

I'm sure I'm not the only one who goes to the grocery store salad bar more than 2xs a week. I know I'm not! I see the same people 4-7 times a week at the salad bar! But do you know how expensive it really is?! Food Network Magazine did an "In the Know" article back in 2011 (yup, this one stuck with me!) called Shop the Salad Bar. It showed just how much your average grocery store marks-up the items on a salad bar (at $5.99/lb... Whole Foods- near me at least is $8.99/lb) is MIND BLOWING!!!!  The mark-up on chickpeas... 386%!!!! (and that article was from 2011... who knows if this has gone up over the past few years!)

The thing that SUCKS is that the items that are the most bargain items on the bar... tend to be the ones that aren't vegan/vegetarian friendly.  

Like Bacon.......................... And Cheese! :-(  (See all the findings here from the article here: Salad Bar Math) 

So... I started making my own salad bar at home! One day(more like an hour depending on how many veggies you have)+Veggies+mandoline= Salad Bar for the WEEK! For less than it would cost you to buy your salad for the week. Plus you get to decide what you put on your salad... you don't fall subject to the sadness that ensues when the grocery store swaps out one of your favorites for... Hard Boiled Eggs (Bleccchhhh!)

Grape Tomatoes, Red Bell Pepper, Fennel, Onion, Celery, Cucumber, Mushrooms and Carrots (Not Pictured: Peas, Baby
Corn, Microgreens, Beets, Kalamata Olives, Hummus, Quinoa, Farro, Wheatberries, Kamut, Harissa, etc!)

I'm sharing with you my "recipe" for SUPER Greens. What makes them super? Well... It's a mix of 4 of the Top 10 Most Nutrient Dense Foods (see: Dr.Fuhrman's List Explained for details) and it's chopped up so that you can enjoy the benefits of being about to eat lots of greens and actually feel full until dinner. 

1 pkg Baby Spinach & Arugula

8 leaves Kale, stemmed and roughly chopped (I like Lacinto best)

16 Brussel Sprouts, sliced about 1/8" (use a mandoline for uniformity)

Dump all of the spinach and arugula into a huge mixing bowl. Add in sliced sprouts and chopped kale. 

With the leaves all still intact, the mix is pretty voluminous... But wait... I'm going to fit it all back into the spinach/arugula
box!  WITH ROOM TO SPARE!!

Take a pizza cutter and cut the greens by rolling the cutter throughout the bowl over and over until everything is chopped and mixing into itself.

You'll notice that the mix takes up a lot less of the bowl... Scoop it out and store the mix back into the package for the spinach and arugula.  What was once full is now...

NOT!

Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Now for the Veggies: 

I used my mandoline for all my veggies except tomatoes (mostly bc I love tomatoes and nothing beats biting into a juicy tomato!)

Store water dense veggies in water (celery, cucumber, carrots... think of what veggies sit in water on the salad bar) in the fridge. I don't put my onions in water because it tends to leach the onion flavor. 

With everything else stick them in a tupperware in the fridge. When you have everything on hand, already prepped, tossing a salad together is a cinch!(pun ABSOLUTELY intended) 

With all the nutrients you get from these SUPER Greens and from raw veggies in general... You can have a SUPER day like me!!!* 

*Results not guaranteed :-)

I feel as though this post needs to be dedicated to a friend of mine from college... Not necessarily because he loves salad, but because he is known to most as SUPER Mario! :-) "This just in... You're Super!!!" hehehe

National Nutrition Month: Mushroom Filling for Ravioli/Tortellini

This month is National Nutrition Month® which was started by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as an annual campaign to educate and inform everyone about nutrition.  This year the theme of National Nutrition Month ® is “Bite into a Healthy Lifestyle”.  

In my opinion (and I know there’s a lot of talk about this as well) one of the healthiest things you can do is eat more veggies.  Check out meatlessmonday.com to read about the benefits that eating veg once a week can provide!

But, going meatless doesn't mean you have to sacrifice taste or go hungry! 

If you follow my blog you’d know that I received a 3-piece pasta attachment for my Kitchen-Aid for Christmas and it has been an adventure to knock out different types of noodles, pasta and even dumplings with it! Well this recipe has been a long time coming and finally I have the chance to not only sit down and relax, but to also to have enough peace to be able to string words together to create sentences. 

My most recent creation with my pasta attachment: Tortellini and Ravioli! 

I based the filling for these off of my "Grown-up Mac No Cheese" recipe. Mushrooms and some cashew cream make for a meaty and creamy filling that is sure to satisfy everyone on your Meatless Monday. There are so many ways to top the tortellini or ravioli... I'll give you a couple ideas at the end of the recipe, which starts now!!

1 recipe of pasta dough

2 1/2 cups mushrooms finely chopped (Equal to about 8 oz of whole mushrooms)

1 cup finely chopped onion 

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/2 cup water

Salt and Pepper

Make pasta dough and let it rest.

In the meantime, sauté the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in the olive oil until the most of the water has evaporated.

In a blender, purée the raw cashews and water until smooth.  Be careful not to blend for too long or the mixture will be too thick!

Pour cashew cream into mushroom mixture and cook on medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until the cashew cream thickens enough to just start to hold the mixture together. (about 5 minutes) 

Transfer into a bowl and let it cool while you prep the pasta.

Roll out pasta dough in sheets (I rolled mine out to a 5 on my pasta sheeter). 

For Tortellini: Take a sheet of pasta dough rolled out to the 5 setting and cut into 2"x2" squares.  Put a teaspoon of mushroom filling in the center of the square. Fold corner D to corner A (see diagram at the left). Make sure when sealing, you seal pasta as close to filling as possible so there is no air inside the pasta! Use a little bit of water if the pasta isn't sticking enough.

        

              

To fold the into the tortellini shape, wrap corners B and C around your finger.  Fold A down to the center of the filling on the opposite side from where you've wrapped B&C together.  

Cook in boiling water for about 4 minutes or until they float to the top. 

For Ravioli: (without pan)  After you have rolled the pasta out into sheets, cut the sheet into an even amount of squares. Using a teaspoon fill the center of half with the filling. Brush around the filling with a little water and place the remaining squares on top. Press down around the seal to push out any air bubbles.
(with pan) Flour pan heavily lay one sheet of pasta on pan. Press into indentations slightly and place a teaspoon into the indentations and lay another sheet of pasta on top. Use a rolling pin to seal the ravioli and turn out of the pan.

Cook in boiling water for about 5 minutes or until they float to the top.

**Tortellini and Ravioli can also be frozen! Before cooking, place on a sheet pan and freeze. Store in a freezer container for up to three months. Cook until the float to the top.

For toppings, a simple red sauce is always nice. Or try something different, like tossing in garlic infused olive oil with halved cherry tomatoes and some chopped basil. Or maybe some olive oil and Earth Balance with garlic, shallots, peas, and sherry. 


Try it, let me know how eating meatless goes for you!

Homemade Pasta

I have always loved the idea of the Italian family tradition of Sunday Dinner.  Family coming together to learn about each other, laugh/cry, (probably argue if they are like my family and like to challenge each other) and most importantly: EAT!!  Hours and hours would go into preparing the feast.  It's like Thanksgiving every weekend!  I know you are thinking to yourself, “This chick is nuts! Thanksgiving every weekend!? I don’t have time for that!” I get it. But…

"Sitting down for family meals has been in decline in America
for decades..." Russo is right, look how old this pic is!

I heard an NPR "Special Series: Kitchen Window" piece by Susan Russo a while ago about Sunday Dinners and had to look it up for this post: "Who's got six hours to make dinner? We're too busy. But then I think, weren't our mothers busy, too? How did they do it? In some ways, life seemed better then..." Russo goes on in her Sunday Dinners piece, “Sitting down for family meals has been in decline in America for decades. According to surveys, however, that's beginning to change. This is good. Studies show that children who eat meals with their families are less likely to have behavioral problems, more likely to do well in school, and more likely to have a healthier diet. Not to mention that treasured childhood memories are irreplaceable.”  ...Despite my friends affectionate nickname of "Mom" I do not have any children of my own. I have had the opportunity to work with a variety of kids and families in my life as a nanny/babysitter, ballet teacher, and sign language interpreter.  I’ve had the chance to see the differences in “my kiddos” who have parents willing to make time for them and those who don’t. 

Okay… Okay… Enough with my opinion on spending time with your kids. I just know that personally I’ve noticed changes in my own attitude and spirit when I get to spend time with my family and friends and when I don’t.  And let’s be honest, what brings people together better than food?  Italian-American Family’s may be on to something… And amongst family and friends, who doesn’t love PASTA?!

Tah-dah! We are finally to the food portion of this post. (Apologies, I’ve just not had the motivation to actually sit down and write recently, so now that I’m feeling it, I’ve got a lot to say) Plus... For Christmas, I got the Kitchen-Aid attachments to make homemade pasta! Let the games begin!

I’ve written before about how much I love to make “family dinners” for my friends. A chance for everyone to get together in a chill atmosphere where we can all just be our (goofy) selves, eat good food, laugh really hard, and not have to worry about anything, except maybe eating too much!  This recipe is dedicated to my friends, as many of them have stood by me through some of the lowest and hardest points in my life.  I love you all (“Big”, Mark, “Favorite”, Kevin, Cody, Jane, Stepher, Jerry, Christine & Shawn, Waymire, and anyone else I’m unintentionally forgetting).  I hope to get to share this pasta with all of you some day! :-) 

2 cups AP flour

1 tsp Salt

2 TBS Olive Oil

1/2-3/4 cup Hot Water

In a large mixing bowl (or your Kitchen Aid with the paddle attachment instructions in parentheses) combine the flour and the salt.  Make a "well"-- a dent/hole in the center of the flour-- and add the olive oil.  Pour in 1/2 cup of water and stir with a fork, gradually incorporating the flour into the liquid. (Turn on mixer on the lowest setting)/

Add additional water if necessary to make the dough stiff and pliable, but NOT STICKY!

Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 2-3 minutes, until smooth. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest UNREFRIGERATED for 15 minutes. 

I cut my disk into 6 wedges (so the pasta strands don't get too long/hard to manage).

Take a wedge, roll it into a ball and flatten into a small disk. Make sure to keep the dough you're not using wrapped completely in plastic wrap so it doesn't dry out. 

Follow the instructions on the guide that came with your attachments to roll out the dough.  Remember: Smallest number first and work your way up.  

I like roll out spaghetti to a 3 before cutting, fettuccine to a 4 before cutting (with the fettuccine attachment), and 5-6 for angel hair (cut with the spaghetti attachment) or ravioli (no extra attachment necessary)! 

From here, you have 2 options.  Put in a pot of salted (as my man Mario Batali says "to the level of the sea) boiling water for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain and top with your choice of topping. 

ORRRRR: Put it on a drying rack as seen here. Dry for at least an hour before storing in an air-tight container.  When you're ready, cook in salted boiling water for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Annnnnnnd Voila! My finished fettuccine with the sauce and veggies from my "Grown Up Mac No Cheese" topped with fresh cracked pepper and some nutmeg. Once you and your family (and friends) TASTE THIS! You'll never go back to store bought pasta! 

Pumpkin Cheesecake

It's National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day! (gotta love the super specific food holidays hahaha) It is also the day that my blog reached 19,000 Views!!!! Thanks so much to everyone who reads and shares my blog.  Depending on how quickly my view count continues to go up... I have a big surprise that I've been secretly working on that I will announce for either 20K or 25K views!  So Keep Sharing!

Well what kind of food blogger would I be if I didn't give you a recipe for today's "holiday"?!  If you've been following me for a while you may remember that last year's Thanksgiving a debuted a new dessert.  It just so happens that I never posted the recipe (ughhh I'm such a blonde sometimes) annnnd it was a Pumpkin Cheesecake... Are you connecting the dots...???

Today's recipe, in honor of NPCD ...yeah I'm sick of writing it out.... issss:

Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust! 

Oh it's so good.  When I made it for the non-vegan family members to try, they all said the same thing... "But this doesn't taste Vegan...!?"  What does that even mean? Why does everyone have this preconceived idea that vegan food is not as good as regular food?  UGH those people bug me... Just TASTE IT! (slight variation of my normal tagline... but it's the same point!!)

Crust:
1 1/2 boxes of Back to Nature Triple Ginger Cookies (Or try making crust with my Gingersnaps!)
5 TBSP Earth Balance Soy-Free Margarine, melted

In a food processor pulse cookies into fine crumbs. 

Add in melted margarine and pulse until it looks like wet sand.

Grease a 9-inch springform pan and pour the crumbs into the pan.  

Press down* and around firmly to create crust on the bottom and up the sides of the pan.
*I use a measuring cup to spread and press the crumbs into a crust.

Filling:
2 (8-oz) containers of Daiya Cream Cheese (or your favorite brand non-dairy cream cheese)
1 (15-oz) can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 cup light brown sugar
1 TBS cornstarch
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or stand mixer, until completely combined.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F for 45 minutes.  Turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven for another 10 min.

Remove from the oven and let it sit out at room temperature for an hour.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and serve!

World Food Day 2014

In honor of World Food Day, I wanted to just take everyone on a journey of my recipes with origins from all over the world. In case you missed it on Facebook and Twitter here are all of the recipes, by country, that I posted throughout the day! (plus a few extras!)


China/Chinatown:

Szechuan Green Beans

Fried Rice

Lo Mein

Kung Pao Chick'n

General Tso's Chick'n

No-Crab Rangoon

Baked Spring Rolls

Mongolian "Beef"

Vietnam:

Black Pepper Chick'n/"Beef"

Greece:

Gyros

Italy:

Soy-Free Lasagna

Eastern Europe:
Noodles and Cabbage

Pierogi

Gingersnaps


France:

"Goat Cheese"

French Baguette

Tapenade


Mexico:

Enchiladas

Stuffed Peppers

Fajitas

Not-Really Fish Tacos

Butternut Squash Tacos

USA:

Kentucky Fried Chick'n Salad Sandwiches

Cincinnati Chili

Philly Cheesesteak

Cornbread

Biscuits

Southern Style Panzanella

Beefless Stew

California Pizza Kitchen: Thai Crunch Salad

Veggie Gumbo

Vegetable Chowder

Hope you're eager to make these recipes and share with you're friends/family!! Remember two little words will almost guarantee they'll try it... "TASTE THIS!!"

Peanut Butter Pie

My last post was a month ago and for that, I apologize.  Health issues and a new job have had me stretched so thin, I needed to stop for a little while to look around and appreciate what's good in my life... and one of those things is YOU. Yes, YOU, My blog readers... Without you this post would be just words on a webpage somewhere on the internet that would go unread.

You are who I write to and it brings me such joy that I have 16,000+ views now.  As a thank you for reading, (and a thank you for being patient) I am posting today a recipe for one of my family's favorite desserts.

Before I had to go vegan this dessert was almost a staple at every family get together during the spring, summer, and even into the fall. It was a hit!  After making the switch, I didn't make it anymore... I was too jealous that others would be eating it and I couldn't even have a bite!

Well, a couple weeks ago, when things finally started calming down (trust me as I look at my schedule right now... that was definitely the calm before the storm) I invited some of my closest friends over for a "family dinner".  (Shout out to Jane, Kjell, Mark, and Cody for coming!) I made 2 pot pies (1-chicken, 1-vegan), Chopped Salad, and needed something for dessert. I HAD TO VEGANIZE MY PEANUT BUTTER PIE!!! I knew it'd be a hit and indeed, it was.
(Even after dinner when there was leftover pie and my dad ate about half the pie...)

Alright, are you ready for this? No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie:

1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 (8oz) container Daiya Plain Cream Cheese
1 1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cans full fat Coconut Milk, (put these in the fridge overnight to chill and separate**) OR 
1 container So Delicious Coco-Whip, if you're in a hurry!
1 oreo cookie crust

**Before I begin, let me explain the coconut milk process.  By putting a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge, it allows the coconut water to separate from the coconut cream, as cream is like any fat, it hardens and stays at the top of the can while the water stays at the bottom.  Before using, carefully turn the can over and open at the (regularly) bottom of the can.  This will allow you to pour out the water (discard or save, your choice) and scoop out the cream.  For this recipe the cream of 1 1/2 cans was enough for me for this recipe.  Simply whip with a whisk with a splash of vanilla until fluffy like whip cream and it is ready to be folded in to the peanut butter batter.  Okay, now back to the recipe)

In a stand mixer, beat the peanut butter, cream cheese substitute, and powdered sugar until mixed thoroughly.  

Fold in the coconut cream, until incorporated.  

Pour into pie crust and freeze for 2-3 hours. (or Overnight, if planning to take it on a picnic or something)  Allow to thaw 10 min before cutting and serving. 

That's it. Literally: EASY AS PIE!!! haha (I crack myself up!)

I suggest once you make this the first time... always have cans of coconut milk in the fridge, you will be asked to make this again. And again. And AGAIN!