Norwegian Aqua Review: Spa, Food, Balcony Room

Norwegian Aqua Cruise Review: Spa Experience, Dining, and Balcony Stateroom

I’m back from a relaxing 5-day Bahamas cruise on the Norwegian Aqua—but honestly, we barely left the ship. This trip was all about unwinding in the spa. It was our first time sailing on the Norwegian Aqua, and I had promised I’d share a full review.

A Vegan Chickpea and Cauliflower-Rice Bowl that I Make Again and Again

If you’re looking for an easy, healthy vegan meal that comes together in minutes, this simple chickpea and cauliflower bowl may become one of your new favorites. Made with protein-rich chickpeas, cauliflower rice, fresh arugula, and a few simple seasonings, it’s a light yet satisfying plant-based meal I make again and again. Of course, it's naturally gluten-free as well.

People often ask me what I actually eat as a vegan, and I always laugh a little because I think many expect the answer to be something complicated, wierd, or unusual. The truth is, a lot of what I eat is incredibly simple—basic, wholesome foods put together in ways that are nourishing, satisfying, and delicious.

Black Eyed Peas- Please!!

Looking for a healthy black-eyed pea recipe? 

This one is made with sautéed onions and baby spinach and is easy, wholesome, soothing and delicious.

Tofu Bacon- Hold On To The Seat Of Your Pants

Plant-based "bacon"??? Yes please- and it's made with tofu!! This is a treat you won't want to miss out on. 

This delicious recipe takes tofu to a whole new level! 

Tofu "bacon" is very easy to make, and is flavorful, crunchy, and crispy. This method transforms "extra- firm" tofu into something extra -ordinary. 

Do you like BLT's but want something plant-based? Try this- I think you will be in love. 

The Great Gatsby on Broadway

F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is playing on Broadway in NYC. This week was 2-for-1 week at participating Broadway theaters, and we were able to get our 7th row orchestra, 1/2 price tickets weeks in advance by mail.

The Origin of Buddha Bowls And How to Make One

Have you ever made a Buddha Bowl for lunch? These versatile bowls are healthy, filling, and delicious. But do you know the beautiful story behind the origin of these plant-based meals in a bowl?

Quick Asian Lunch Idea For One

When do I make this quick and easy lunch for one? 

Usually when I'm in a rush, I do not feel like cooking, or when I'm lazy or tired! In just minutes, I am able to make my quick and delicious lunch idea for one.

It's one of my easiest and favorite lunches! 

Egyptian Foul Medames/Moudammas

Considered the national dish of Egypt, foul medemas/moudammas is a popular staple in parts of Africa, Israel, Syria, and Malaysia. This inexpensive local bean, the fava bean, is frequently cooked and seasoned with garlic, cumin, salt, olive oil, and lemon juice. 

Dry fava beans

Surprisingly to Americans, foul is eaten for breakfast in most of those countries. 

I spend my winters in South Florida in an area that is a melting pot of cultures. In addition to large communities of people from Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, Morocco, and Turkey, there are many Israelis of Sephardic descent (meaning their families originally come from a Middle Eastern or African countries such as Morocco, Syria, Egypt, etc.). 

This morning I was invited to a brunch that featured foul Medames/moudammas as the main course at the home of an Israeli friend. They also served  baba ganooj, quinoa tabouleh, hummus, salads, beets, falafel etc. with the foul- a vegan's delight!

My late mother-in-law, from Egypt, always made her homemade falafel from fava beans! In the US we are more accustomed to falafel that is made from chick peas.

Foul, or better known as fava beans, can be purchased as dried beans or in the cans. You may need to visit a Middle Eastern grocer to find them. The produce store near the bridge in Morrisville, Pa. actually sells them.

If you are lucky enough to have a Middle Eastern grocery store near by, you can purchase the cans and follow this traditional easy recipe. 

Using canned beans is of course a much faster method than using dried beans that require soaking. This could probably be made in the Instant Pot -but I have not tried that method yet!

My husband's family eats foul with pita bread. A gluten-free wrap would work! Actually, I like mine without bread. It's just a bowl of tasty beans.

Ingredients: 

2 cans of cooked fava beans with the liquid from the can

1 tablespoon of ground cumin seed

3 cloves of pressed fresh garlic or garlic powder (1/2 teaspoon) 

Salt and cracked pepper

Toppings: sliced green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro

Directions: 

Pour the fava beans and liquid into a sauce pan. Add the garlic and the cumin and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 2 hours, covering the pot the last 1/2 hour. When the beans are soft, add salt and cracked black pepper to taste. (Add a tablespoon of olive oil if desire- I do not) . Pour into a serving bowl and eat with green onion, chopped tomato, lemon juice and chopped cilantro if desired. (Some people eat it with chopped hard boiled eggs as well but being vegan, we do not.)

My Notes: 

1. It is difficult to know the exact spelling of a word that is translated from another language. It goes by many different spellings. 

2. My husband said that cooked foul was a popular street food in Egypt when he was young (1950's) and that it was very inexpensive and eaten by the poor people. Actually, foul is full of iron, protein and fiber making it a very healthy food!

My Favorite Mediterranean Salad-

What's for lunch today? Try my favorite Mediterranean salad which makes a beautiful presentation and is packed with delicious healthy ingredients. 

I was invited to my friend 💗 Lorrie's house for lunch yesterday. 

Knowing that I am vegan and gluten free, Lorrie often makes me this beautiful salad which includes protein (chickpeas) and walnuts to make it more satisfying. I am always delighted with this Mediterranean dish and enjoyed every morsel. She adds some cold cooked salmon to her salad and we are both happy.💖

This salad is also versatile. I've made variations with sliced avocado, parsley, cilantro and cooked rice on dark greens.

Lorrie makes this incredible salad with greens on the bottom which you can't actually see in the photo.

It's a copy cat recipe (with a vegan twist) from a local Florida restaurant (Sicilian Oven), which we frequent.

Raw salad vegetables contain valuable enzymes that only raw vegetables can provide. Cooked food just doesn't. It's important to eat greens and salad everyday for their unique health benefits. 

There are so many ways to prepare salads they just don't get boring. 

Try Blueberry kale salad or Cherry Tomato and Artichoke Salad  

Try Grated Carrot Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts

My Favorite Salad

Ingredients

Greens of choice (I use romaine or a curly green, chopped)

1 cup of walnuts

1 cup of cooked chickpeas

1 cup of red onion, sliced 

1 cup of chopped tomatoes

1 cup of chopped red, yellow, or orange peppers

1 cup of pitted kalamata olives

1 cup of cucumbers

1/2 cup of jarred red pepper strips (pimentos)

Directions:

Place the washed and chopped greens in a large wide bowl (enough to cover almost the top of the bowl) Add each of the ingredients individually to form a topping to the salad as shown in the photo.  Bring to table and toss at the table. I eat mine plain but you could toss with your favorite dressing.

Shared on Weekend Cooking at The Intrepid Reader and Baker where anyone can share a food related post. Stop by to see the posts!

Updated Tofu (Egg-Like) Salad

Before I became vegan about two years ago, egg salad was one of my favorite things to eat. Honestly, I still love that creamy, comforting flavor—but as a vegan, I choose not to eat eggs anymore. Instead, I make a simple egg-free “egg salad” using tofu, and it’s surprisingly delicious.

This tofu egg-style salad is quick, easy, and made with ingredients you may already have on hand. I simply drain and mash firm tofu, then add turmeric for that classic yellow color, chopped parsley, capers, and a dollop of hummus instead of mayonnaise. Everything gets mixed together into a creamy, flavorful spread that really does remind me of egg salad.

 

It turns into a delicious "egg salad like" dish. I then like to top it with sliced tomatoes, baby spinach, and sliced red onion and eat it on a gluten free wrap. Sometimes I even add leftover cooked vegetables or other salad veggies (grated carrot, slices of cucumber, radishes etc. or I might eat it with gluten-free crackers. 

Have you tried tofu? It is sold in almost every supermarket in the refrigerator section usually near the produce. I buy the firm tofu (it comes in soft and medium as well) for this recipe and drain off some of the water. 

This is an example of a plant-based lunch that provides protein and calcium from the tofu, vitamins and antioxidants from the spinach, tomatoes, and red onion. 

Plant-based eating is good for your health and for the environment. 

Are you concerned about global warming? Eating animal foods is a major contributor to global warming.

Less Animal Meals; Less Greenhouse Effect

Did you know that the greenhouse effect helps trap heat from the sun, to help our temperatures remain tolerable. But the huge production of animals by manufacturers (meat, chicken, dairy) are giving off an abundance of methane gasses which significantly increasing heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, causing the earth to keep warming up too much.

An article in Stanford News (source) explains: 

"The worldwide phase out of animal agriculture, combined with a global switch to a plant-based diet, would effectively halt the increase of atmospheric greenhouse gases for 30 years and give humanity more time to end its reliance on fossil fuels, according to a new study by scientists from Stanford University and the University of California, Berkeley."

Eat less meat, chicken, eggs, and dairy to help halt global warming!! 

Eat less animal meals and more plant-based meals.

As more people start understanding the role that animal based eating is playing in destroying our atmosphere, perhaps individuals will start to make important decisions to eat a more plant-based diet- if not entirely but at least for a majority of meals. 

If you come from an ethnic background, your ancestors probably ate a lot of plant-based meals using rice, beans, quinoa, yams, potatoes, in soups, entrees, and salads.

Ingredients: 

4 ounces of firm tofu, drained and mashed with a fork

1/4 cup of chopped parsley

1 tablespoon of capers

1/2 teaspoon of ground turmeric

1 heaping tablespoon of hummus

Cracked pepper and Pink Himalayan Salt to taste

Topping for wrap: 

3 slices of tomatoes

4 leaves of baby spinach

1 slice of red onion 

Directions: 

Add the mashed tofu to a bowl. Add the turmeric, capers, parsley, and hummus and mix well. Once it forms a spread, add it to a wrap and top with the tomatoes, baby spinach, and red onion. Close the wrap and enjoy or eat with GF crackers.

My Notes: 

Last May I posted a recipe for tofu egg salad but this is my updated  recipe that  includes hummus. I think it takes it to a whole new level. It holds together better and tastes better.

 Please follow me on Instagram- I'm new on that social media site and need to build followers- much appreciated.

Sharing on The Intrepid Reader and Baker for Weekend Cooking where any blogger can share a food related post. 

Tofu "Egg" Salad - Tasty Summer Salad

If you are looking for ways to use tofu, you might enjoy this tofu salad spread that looks similar to egg salad. It can be eaten on a plate with other vegetables, with crackers, or on a sandwich. It's quite tasty and versatile. My favorite way to eat it with a big slab of tomato on some gluten free bread. 

Moroccan Quinoa -Easy, Tasty, and Healthy

Moroccan cooking is all about the spices! This super easy Moroccan quinoa dish won't disappoint. Whether you serve it as a warm side dish for dinner or a cold salad for lunch, you'll enjoy this versatile, easy, nutritious, and plant-based recipe dusted with cinnamon, cumin, turmeric and pistachio nuts.

Avocado Stuffed Baked Potato

Day 40 Of The Shut In !!! Feels like day 900~~

I am making quick and easy meals because I am getting tired of cooking twice a day, but we still need to eat healthy immune building food. Avocado stuffed baked potatoes practically no prep and time for the baked potato to bake. yesterday's lunch creation! Avocado Stuffed Baked Potato.

Mongolian Mushrooms and Tofu

Are you missing Asian food during this pandemic because we can't eat in restaurants? 

This Mongolian dish reminded me of a meal that I once ate at a vegan Asian restaurant in Chinatown, Philadelphia. And guess what ?- this recipe tastes just as good as the restaurant's dish and yet was really easy to make!!

I usually don't cook Asian cuisine, but since we have not been able to eat out during the pandemic, I had to learn to make my own or not eat any. 

I'm no expert at making Asian cuisine, but I found a recipe on an Asian blog called Viet Vegan that looked amazing, and I adapted it to meet my tastes and eating restrictions!

Carrot Cumin Seed Soup

If you are looking for a quick, easy, and healthy soup, my carrot cumin seed soup recipe may be just what you are looking for. It's soothing, warming, and delicious.

The interesting flavor comes from the whole cumin seeds (affiliate link) , not ground cumin.

Pasta Puttanesca Bowl

Sometimes you are just in the mood for a big bowl of pasta (gluten free of course) with a great healthy topping.Whether you make traditional (gluten free) pasta or zucchini spiral pasta, this vegan Puttanesca sauce is sure to delight your taste buds especially in the summer when fresh produce it at it's peak. No cooking necessary!!

Healthy Vegan Wraps

Bright green collard greens stuffed with mixed colorful raw vegetables, a little avocado, and some flavorful hummus, make a satisfying vegan lunch and a delicious way to eat more greens!

Easy Summer Appetizer

Cherry tomatoes make a wonderful appetizer when stuffed with hummus! I used a packaged artichoke and spinach hummus from my local supermarket  but you choose whatever you prefer from the many varieties available. Just follow my easy directions.

Chilled Summer Borsht

Borsht is a tangy soup that is popular in Eastern European countries like Russia, Poland, and the Ukraine. It is usually made with beetroot as the base, but every region of Europe has its own variation of vegetables and ingredients that go into this rich looking "good for you" soup.

I make it in my Instant Pot and here is how

Healthy Vegan Sandwich Spread

Looking for a delicious and healthy vegan/plant based sandwich spread ? 

This spread is one of my favorites. It's high in protein and fiber, good fat, tasty, and Weight Watcher friendly. In addition, it's naturally gluten free and dairy free. It all adds up to one word- HEALTHY!