Hav(ing) A Ball!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I hope everyone is enjoying some glorious family time right now and preparing to go turkey-wild later today! I actually can’t be with my family until tomorrow night, but it sure doesn’t make me any less thankful to have their constant love and support in my life. There’s nobody in the world I’d rather spend time with than any one member of my family, and I’m so darn grateful to be able to say that.

Life has been absolutely OOC for me the past week, as I transition from my old job and prepare for my new position (squeal!) at Health Warrior! But on this foodcentric day, I wanted to take a moment to share some of delectable happenings in my world recently!

On Saturday I learned to cook the vegetarian protein Seitan (click to learn more) and turn it into fabulous dishes:

Seitan Burgers! My favorite of the bunch .

Mediterranean-inspired Seitan Kebabs!

Indian-Inspired Seitan Kebabs!

Divine mashed potatoes for a Seitan Stew…the stew was not so photogenic.

I could not stop marveling at the versatility of Seitan, and I am continuously blown away by how delicious our school recipes are!

On Sunday, the Green Table was a bit understaffed, so I ended up WORKING THE LINE for brunch instead of just prepping. Ahhhh!

Hot, sharp and saturated with the sounds of clanging pots and yelling, I worked nonstop for 5 hours. Only turned away from the burners to take a few sips of water and shovel down some tasty snacks one of the chefs whipped up.

Torn hunk of baguette filled with goat cheese, mesclun and vinaigrette. Fabulous.

I loved every minute of it!

Things haven’t slowed down since the weekend though—it’s amazing how many last-minute tasks and loose ends pop up when going through the leave process! Getting there though, 1 item at a time.

Helping me through? These bite-sized and perfectly delicious balls of luv!

I’ve been popping a few before running out the door for my next adventure, and they’ve been such a pleasurable and satiating snack. Plus, I adore the unique combination of flavors—a nice, exotic treat for my tastebuds!

Fig, Pistachio and Honey Energy Balls

Ingredients:

· ½ cup chopped dried figs

· ½ cup chopped, unsalted pistachios plus 2 tbsp finely smashed into powder

· 1.5-2 tbsp raw honey (regular honey is fine)

· 2 tbsp cocoa powder

· 1/8 tsp salt

Instructions:

To make pistachio powder, I placed 3 generous tbsp. pistachios in a plastic bag and smashed into a powder with the heavy bottom of an ice cream scoop—get creative! Pour powder into a shallow dish.

Place all ingredients except pistachio powder in a food processor. Process until evenly incorporated and a paste forms. If the mixture is too sticky to work with, place in fridge for 15-20 minutes. Otherwise, use mixture to form truffle-sized balls (about 1.5 inches wide).

Roll balls in pistachio powder, pressing it gently into the sticky mixture as you do. Place balls in a Tupperware container and refrigerate for an hour before consuming!

*NOTE: I had a bit of date caramel left over from THIS recipe, and I added a bit of it to the center of some of my balls. Feel free to experiment with a filling, but they’re delicious without!

Have an absolutely wonderful and joy-filled Thanksgiving everyone!

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