Hi Guys! Exciting news! I’ve been nominated for a Homies Award! They highlight the best food and home websites out there. If you like this site and what I do, I would love if you could take a second to vote! There is a login, but you can do it with an email or your facebook or twitter! Here is the link: The Homies Awards
Thank you so much!!
xoxo
Leslie
PS my awesome design friend The Tao of Dana has been nominated too!
When I got an email asking if I’d like to try Luce’s Gluten Free Bread I said yes, but in the back of my mind I was very skeptical. See, I’ve never ever tried a gluten free bread that has even come close to the taste, texture, and delight that glutenous bread has. Well, my mind has been changed. This bread, though, you will taste a slight difference from “regular” fresh bread, Luce’s bread comes as close as I’ve ever tasted! And if you are gluten free and have been craving fresh baked bread, this, my friends, is your answer!
When you order you receive: a bag of baking mix, a baking bag, piece of parchment, and dusting flour. All you do is add water, let it rise, and bake! It’s really very simple.
I’ve tried the Italian and the sourdough breads and I found both to be fantastic! The first loaf I made I was so eager to try, I couldn’t wait for dinner and dipped pieces straight into the tomato sauce! So yummy!
Each loaf kit sells for about eight dollars on their site, but once you get the hang of how things work, you can order in bulk from them at a much discounted price of about three dollars a loaf.
Give Luce’s Gluten Free Bread a try and let me know what you think!
Ok, with Superbowl this weekend I have to post this recipe! My dear friend Katie has a Superbowl party every year and there is always this “Famous Queso Dip” served… Let me preface this by saying Katie is an excellent cook and this is not the typical thing for her to prepare for gatherings, but according to her everyone loves this dip and can’t get enough. Ok, so what is this magical dip? Well, it’s velveeta and rotel stirred together. For reals? Yup. This is what everyone is making such a big deal over? I was determined to create my own queso dip from scratch that would not only be tasty, but healthy too! So here it is! Does it take a little more time and effort to make than Katies, yes, but you will feel way better indulging in mine because it’s made from ingredients that you can pronounce. 
Serves 6
2 cups raw cashews
1 3/4 cup water
3 tbsp. nutritional yeast
1 tbsp. chili powder
1/8 tsp. cayenne
1 tbsp. paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1/4 cup finely diced sweet onion
3 roma tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for an hour. Drain and rinse the cashews and place in a blender along with the 1 3/4 cup water, nutritional yeast, chili powder, cayenne, paprika, and sea salt. Blend until smooth.
In a frying pan and heat on medium, sauté the onions until soft. Reduce heat to low and add in the cashew mixture, tomatoes, jalapeno, and cilantro. Stir and serve!
Even though my Chargers are not in the Superbowl, I’m still going to enjoy the day cooking and sharing 
Here are some of my favorite recipes to serve for the big game!
Caramelized Onion, Spinach, Avocado Dip
Hope you have a fun day and your team wins!!
If you missed me on Food Network’s One Last Bite, here’s my clip What would your last bite be??
I get asked a lot of questions about eco/vegan beauty so I thought I’d let you in on a little secret of mine. Planet Salon. It is my “happy place” in LA. It’s an eco-friendly salon where magic happens. You might not think of your hair and makeup being eco/vegan, but your body absorbs everything you put on your skin. So why would you want to put all those chemicals and toxins in your body that are in most beauty products? I say no! Ginger Boyle and Dean Roybal own this little gem and they both do my hair. I’ve known Ginger since I was 21 and modeled for her all over the country. I have so many fantastic memories traveling with her!
They’ve just moved to a new location on Melrose right next to Fred Segal. And it’s awesome!! Planet Salon is mainly an Aveda salon which is one of my favorite eco/vegan beauty brands! I’m personally inviting all of you to come out to their grand opening party this Saturday!! I’ll be there and I’d love to see you!
Come meet the incredible staff there! This is not your typical Hollywood salon with nose-stuck-up people. The staff at Planet are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met! And your experience will be something you’ve never imagined. You are truly treated like a rockstar at this place! From the relaxing tea, to the best hair wash in the country, to the fabulous hand and arm massage you receive during your treatment, you will leave feeling like a superstar! I mean, check out this processing patio on their roof where you can relax and enjoy a cup of tea and sunshine while you wait for your color!
If you are looking to switch up your routine, create a new look or go eco, I highly suggest getting over to Planet Salon!
Have you given up your New Year resolution already? What if instead of setting a huge, general and unattainable goal, you do one minor thing that you can actually achieve this year? My good friend and sports nutrition superstar Brendan Brazier has come up with this #OneChange campaign and I think it’s awesome! Check out his website for Vega’s OneChange and pick which habit you’d like to break this year and he’ll give you some great advice and easy steps to reaching your goal.
Occasionally I find myself falling into The Breakfast Skipper category. It’s hard to get breakfast in every morning when you are traveling as much as I am, but my secret weapon is now Vega One Nutritional Shakes. The small packets are easy for packing and you just add 1 cup of water, shake, and go! These saved me on my recent trip to Florida!
Head on over to #OneChange and see what simple steps you can do to get healthier!
I cooked up a big Italian feast for my good friend Mark Thompson‘s birthday party the other week and I decided to share some recipes with you guys First up is this cucumber carpaccio. I was originally thinking I’d make my zucchini carpaccio, but since Mark is not a big fan of zucchini we switched it up a bit to cucumbers. This dish is super tasty and is fabulous as a salad, appetizer or even something to nibble on while watching the upcoming games and award shows.
Serves 6
1/4 cup finely diced purple onion
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
6 Persian cucumbers (the little ones with tiny seeds), thinly sliced on a mandolin
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
Place the onions and vinegar in a sealable container with a big pinch of salt and refrigerate overnight or for a few hours.
Toss the cucumbers and dill in the onions and vinegar. Season to taste with the salt and pepper and finish by drizzling the olive oil over.
Serve room temp or chilled.
In a magical city over a famous bridge, there is a gem of a Italian restaurant that needs to be added to your “must try” list. It’s called Sociale, it’s in Brooklyn and it’s delicious! Is it an all vegan restaurant? No, but if you call ahead, the very kind staff and immensely talented chef will cater to any of your dietary restrictions. The restaurant is modern and clean, but still quaint and homey. Front of the house is run by Francesco. He is everything you would ever want from a front of house captain. He is charming. He is enthusiastic. He is from Italy. He is incredibly passionate about food! He will make you feel like you have come home for a leisurely, romantic, delicious food experience. The lighting in Sociale is exactly what I like: dimly lit, creating a perfect glow. The only trouble with this is taking photos is not so easy. Please forgive me for the quality of these pictures and take my word that you have to get over to Sociale asap! Nonetheless, this is what we ate, savored, and enjoyed!
Do yourself a favor and let Francesco pick your wine. He will find you exactly what you are looking for!
We started with sautéed spinach and roasted brussel sprouts.
French lentils with greens that were sooooo tender and fabulous!
Risotto style farro with tender asparagus. This was a unique take on risotto that I loved! I’ll definitely be recreating this dish in the future!
And ugh this picture does this dessert not even an ounce of justice. This pumpkin spice cake was one of the best vegan desserts I’ve ever had in my entire life. It was moist, light, and packed with huge flavors! This dessert alone is reason to fly back across the country right now!
There is really negative to say about this place. It’s fantastic! My dinner mates ate animal protein off the normal menu and they loved their dishes as well. And note that there is a really beautiful private table downstairs that is perfect for an intimate dinner.
72 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201
tel +1 (718) 576 3588
e-mail info@socialebk.com
Merry almost Christmas! Hopefully, you’ve got all your holiday shopping done and now we can focus on the food! Whether you are hosting or you are brining a dish to your Holiday gathering, here is a roundup of recipes that will be sure hits!
1. Apple Cranberry Chutney! This dish will make your house smell like Holiday Heaven!
2. Avocado Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes! My Grandma used to make these and don’t they just look like little adorable ornaments??
3. Gigante Bean Salad! Easy, light, and a perfect antipasti.
4. Chi-Chi Bean Toasts! A yummy
5. Italian Layer Dip! This is a HUGE hit every time I make it! And it’s super festive looking
6. Zucchini Carpaccio! This raw crudo dish is packed with flavor!
7. Aunt Rose’s Caponata! This is my Great Aunt Rose’s traditional caponata recipe
8. Marinated Mushrooms & Artichokes! This is a great make ahead dish! The longer it sits, the better it tastes!
9. Antipasti Wreath Centerpiece! Did you catch me making this on Home & Family?
xoxo
