styled

I am surrounded by wonderfully talented people, including super-human super-stylist Lorrie J. This girl has more energy than anyone I've met...up at the crack of dawn to workout with her trainer (she can do more pull ups than most dudes), run around with her dogs, prop/shop/style on set all day, cook, re-do her house and on and on.

Lorrie's a great cook, but until recently, vegetables weren't a part of her diet unless they were battered, fried, and served alongside some red meat (or pizza). A month ago she told me she was doing a raw, vegan weekend with her trainer and I was definitely excited because Lorrie is always happy to share. Everything she makes is delicious and comes with a kick in the form of a jalapeno, while also looking beautiful. Enter her raw, vegan sushi...

Jalapeno 'Rice' in the form of blended cauliflower & pine nuts...

layers of avocado, cucumber & peppers...

Photos © Rex Waters, Styled by Lorrie J

The finished product which I would eat over the real deal any day; I actually preferred the texture of her 'rice' because dry rice is so common in sushi. It should be noted that when I attempted to cut the roll she gave me for dinner it was a giant sushi mess and the opposite of what you see above.

Lorrie has since done a 21 day raw, vegan cleanse, and told me she wanted to test her willpower while cleaning the toxins out, acknowledging that she ate a pretty poor diet before. She read 'Crazy Sexy Diet' where the author talks about the healing powers of food and was inspired. While this is by no means a permanent change in lifestyle for her, one of the best side effects was that she 'learned to like veggies!' Bonus  for me who is always a happy recipient of samples...and let's be honest, some things (like homemade sushi) are better left to the pros.

on foods

I don't eat meat, a lifestyle which was gradual and made the most sense for me, especially given my propensity for vegetables and legumes. I'll put almond milk in a smoothie, but in general my dairy intake is pretty low...except for cheese. There are always hunks of parmigiana reggiano & pecorino romano in the fridge & I snack on slices of manchego, brie (triple cream), blue (camembert), or my other standbys (sartori bellavitano or midnight moon) all day. I'm not sure I could ever give up dairy completely, nor could I go fully vegan (even if stella mccartney could dress me every day). You can only do your best and what makes the most sense for you!

At any rate, I've been experimenting with laying off cheese out of curiosity as I am Asian and lactose intolerance is common. This kale/quinoa pilaf is a fave as it is simple & delicious, so I eliminated the goat cheese & added more pine nuts, which is always a good idea in general.

One Pot Kale & Qunioa Pilaf
1 cup quinoa (I used red, but any kind works)
2 cup salted water
1 bunch kale, washed/chopped into 1" pieces (stems discarded)
3 tbsp or more toasted pine nuts (watch them closely, they burn easily so pull off heat as soon as fragrant)
3 scallions chopped
zest and juice of one small lemon (I like meyer if you can find)
~a tbsp of olive oil
salt and pepper
goat cheese (optional)

1. Bring water to boil, add quinoa, cover and turn to down to simmer for 10 min. Top with kale, re-cover, then simmer 5 more min. Turn off heat and allow to steam for 5 min.

2. Combine scallions, oil, zest and juice & pine nuts. Check quinoa, kale should be bright green & quinoa should have absorbed the water. Toss all together, salt and pepper to taste and enjoy!

Photos © Rex Waters