Upcoming Cooking Class: Snowed In

Cleveland’s snowfall can get pretty hefty and sometimes you just don’t want to leave the house. In this class,we'll show you how to get inventive with what you usually have in your pantry. Bonus -- it's a budget class ($35)! Takes place February 16 (7-9pm) at the Foodgazi kitchen (11201 Detroit in Cleveland). Registration is required. Reserve your spot by going to our Cooking Classes web page.

Fiesta Taco Salad

This is one of my favorite recipes that I'm sure you’ll enjoy too! It's so easy to make. Perfect if you're just cooking for yourself or hosting a laid-back dinner party.

Vegan Fiesta Taco Salad

Ingredients

• 1 medium sweet onion
• 2lbs button mushrooms cubed
• 3 multi-colored bell peppers
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro chopped
• 1 medium tomato diced
• 1 avocado
• 1 head lettuce or 1 bag spinach
• 1 tbsp olive oil or non stick cooking spray
• 1 pkg taco seasoning
• 1 tub non dairy sour cream
• 1 bag tortilla chips

Directions

1. Chop onion and half of each bell pepper, put in non-stick pan with oil, add cubed mushrooms, garlic and taco seasoning, saute until veggies are cooked but not mushy.
2. While veggies are cooking, slice avocado, chop cilantro, and mix with non-dairy sour cream.
3. Julienne remaining peppers and chop lettuce.
4. Arrange salad as you like, I usually border the bowl with tortilla chips, then make a bed with the greens and top the rest off with the peppers taco mix and avocado sour cream

Foods for Your Healthy Resolution

I think there are three main things that people make resolutions about:

1. Quitting smoking 
2. Losing weight
3. Being healthier in general

I could be wrong.

Presuming, I'm right -- or at least barking up the right tree -- there are some foods that can help  place checkmarks next to these bad boys on your year's self-improvement to-do list.

1. QUITTING SMOKING: OK, so, no more smoke into these lungs shall pass.Which foods can help?
   Apples: These highly portable snacks actually increase oxygen in the body. The more oxygen in your body, the better your blood can transport hemoglobin from the respiratory organs to your tissues. Once at it's destination, it releases the oxygen to burn nutrients that provide energy to get you through your each and every moment.
2. LOSING WEIGHT: This is America; most of us feel we need to reshape our bodies in some fashion or another. Obviously, there's quadragazillionbillion-dollar industry behind this, but I'm sure there are a few foods that you can incorporate into your diet plan. Just remember this key idea, you don't actually need a diet plan, you need a lifestyle plan.
   Avocados: Oh wait, didn't you just find out that this is one of the fattiest fruits there is? Well, yes. But these are not only "good fats" (aka monounsaturated), they also help to fill you in a healthier way than other fatty foods, such as cheese would. I found that when trying to cut down my cheese consumption, avocado's creamy texture and fattiness satisfied that part of me that still craved cheese. Plus fiber is kind when trying to lose weight: avocados contain 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber.
3. GENERAL WELL-BEING: In this crazy world, we often find well-being -- taking actual care of your "self" -- takes a back seat. Once you start eating healthier, in as few as three days I've found, you can feel your body functioning at a higher level. Start off with keeping snacks such as nuts and granola on hand. Friends made fun of me all the time for keeping a tiny Tupperware of almonds in my purse; but it saved me money and filled me better than a bag of chips! Of course, exercise is key. If you are someone who doesn't exercise at all, try talking a walk after dinner. It's relaxing, gets the blood flowing and the body digesting -- and, yeah, you sneak in a tiny bit of the "E" word. Plus don't forget about the healing effects of sleep!