Peanut and Sesame Tofu and Zoodles

Zoodles can make you not miss pasta at all.

My budget summer continues with a yummy bowl of peanut butter sauced spiraled zucchini and tofu. At Kroger, I bought two beautiful zucchini squashes for $1.59. Their two ingredient peanut butter (roasted peanuts and salt) is $1.79 throughout August (plus I loaded a 30 cent off coupon onto my frequent buyer card) and extra firm tofu is on sale for $1.59.
I'm obsessed with peanut butter-- sweet or savory. Nothing matters. If peanut butter is involved, my taste buds are all for it-- well, all-vegan of course. I prefer the crunchy over the creamy, but my childhood was the exact opposite. For some reason, I hated the texture, especially picking the random peanuts off my tongue.
Peanut and Sesame Tofu Zoodles is definitely for those needing an extraordinary salad. It is best served at room temperature. Yet I'm sure this would be amazing pan fried as well.

Peanut and Sesame Tofu and Zoodles Ingredients and Preparation

1 zucchini, rinsed and spiraled
1 cup chopped tofu
1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sesame seeds

Toss all ingredients together until evenly distributed.
Serve either cool or warm.

These dynamite, flavor packed zoodles will make you not mourn the loss of pasta.

Raw Heavenly Delights at The Cider Press Café

In the heart of fashionable vintage shops and small art galleries, on a street filled with action and excitement,The Cider Press Café is the spot to receive sophisticated vegan cuisine.

After a blissful day at both the Dali Museum to see the huge Frida Kahlo exhibit and the Museum of the Fine Arts where renowned women artists Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun and Berthe Morisot have work, I took in the vibrant St. Petersburg downtown scene. Sites such as a view of the yachts and various boats sitting on majestic blue waters, the Chihuly Collection (which was closed), a hip record shop, and a string of retro boutiques were stops before entering the clean, relaxed atmosphere of The Cider Press Café. They have a vast variety of drinks, sandwiches feature well known vegan products such as Beyond Meat's Beast Burger, Field Roast Chao, and Tofurkey slices, and the dessert menu is stuff of sugar induced fantasies including a scrumptious sounding $10 sundae.

The décor is simple yet has a refined elegance, especially the ardor for crystal blue.

To start, I order the house pressed apple cider (alcohol free of course). They press apples every single day so it's fresh, new, and utterly delightful. In the background, the art is a poetic nod to Frida.

With my amazing drink, I had raw buffalo cauliflower bites served with crisp celery and tangy celery ranch sauce.

Dehydrator braised cauliflower has a delicate crunch and spicy pizzazz that one cannot resist. I can finally say that I've tried buffalo cauliflower and loved every bite.

On a bed of delicious greens (with some fancy stray heart shapes), the raw, gluten free lasagna comes out drenched in captivating beauty. Juicy, plump tomatoes and thin zucchini ribbons act as pasta buffers between layers of herbed cashew ricotta, sun dried tomato marinara, and basil walnut pesto sauce.

Close up of luxuriously seductive enticement that had my mouth watering way before my fork and knife dug in.

Genius idea to use tomatoes as the "pasta" alongside the zucchini ribbons. The chewy onion bread served as a tasty piece of heaven between lasagna bites.

Ah, the dessert menu, always my favorite part to the meal experience. The choice was hard.

The raw white chocolate lavender cheesecake topped with virgin chocolate sauce is by far one of the best vegan cheesecakes that I've ever devoured! Talk about beautiful presentation with leaving a pretty floral accent in the midst of the dreamily applied zig zag.

Cacao butter, coconut, and lavender are a few of the ingredients infusing this rich, sweet dessert atop of a crust that must be made from nuts and dates. The virgin chocolate sauce is satisfactory, nodding to the perfect chocolate taste without the milk additives we grew up indulging. That sauce was pure, unadulterated heaven. In all honesty, I wish that the café could ship me this cheesecake. Its tasted very special, so special that I took my time consuming, closing my eyes after each forkful.

An elegant end to a superb meal, to a wonderful time in sunny Florida.

Gift Idea: Raw Cashew Cheeze Sauce

It's that time of the year-- yummy present ideas galore!

There is truly nothing more splendid than the specialness of a homemade gift whether it be a drawing, painting, or a foodie treasure. For the first part of my new Wednesday series, I share a recipe that can be a potentially delicious holiday twist.
Raw Cashew Cheeze Sauce is one of my favorites. I wanted to make a batch for my friend. Simple to concoct. Just twenty four hours until bliss. One of the greatest benefits of such a sauce is that it can be used in pasta (mac n cheese especially!) and rice dishes, top broccoli or potatoes, cream up soups, and make for a unique grilled cheese sandwich. The savory possibilities are endless.  
Raw Cashew Cheeze Sauce lasts 7-10 days and can be refrigerated. After refrigeration, however, it does stiffen, so leave it at room temperature again if wanting to use.

Raw Cashew Cheeze Sauce Ingredients and Preparation

2 cup cashews, soaked overnight in 1 1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Drain just a tad bit of the cashew water.
Add all ingredients into blender/processor and puree together.
When sauce reaches a creamy thick consistency, it's ready!

Whipped and smooth like butter.

Handmade labels are always fun!