Tess Challis's Blog, page 5

Contest Winner Announced!

Hey friends! I just picked the winner of my latest contest. The winning entry will receive a free coaching session with me ($100 value!) via skype or phone to empower them with their ultimate wellness goals. (It's funner than I made it sound... I have zero creativity today, apparently)

And the winner is.... Selina!! Congrats, Selina! Can't wait to assist you in achieving YOUR highest level of wellness! : )

Thanks so much, all! These contests are SO fun and I appreciate all of your wonderful comments! Best wishes to each and every one of you for YOUR ultimate wellness.

A Sexy and Delicious Vegan Valentine's Day

photo of Rosemary Sea Salt Caramels (via Lagusta's Luscious)

Whether you're spending this Valentine's Day with your sweetie or by yourself (singles, represent!), you can't go wrong with a little self-indulgent deliciousness now and then, right? Especially when it's plant-based and high quality, it's all about the love. Here are ten of my favorite dishes that are sure to be a hit this Valentine's Day. Enjoy!

1. I'm not sure why (OK, I could make a few guesses), but asparagus is just plain sexy. Here are some ideas on how to use it. Oh, and these asparagus wraps are insane. You'll literally go crazy for them. LITERALLY.

2. Chocolate truffles made healthy, vegan, and insanely, addictively delish? Why yes! Your valentine will never, ever forsake you if you make them these. Or, purchase some of my latest addiction (pictured above) - "Rosemary Sea Salt Caramels" from the vegan artisan small business, Lagusta's Luscious. Pure freaking heaven.

3. Oh, and since we're on the subject of chocolate, these homemade chocolate peanut butter cups are a really fun project to do with your sweetie!

photo by Olga Vasiljeva
4. This delish, healthy, and light Ginger Lime Carrot Soup will knock your socks off. So, that's a start, right? ; ) Recipe from Radiance 4 Life and also here.

5. Watching a movie? This "Everything Nice" popcorn from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth is the perfect treat!

6. Doing the raw foods thang? This cold yummy guacamole wrap is a light, fresh meal that's sure to heat things up. Wink.

7. These gourmet mini-pizzas will win you love, admiration, and yummy noises.

8. Want to make a knockout non-chocolate dessert? Yes, I do realize there are a few of you out there. ; ) Caramelized Banana Bliss Bombs is the way to rock this party.



9. What better way to say "I love you" this Valentine's Day morning than these uber-healthy, delicious superfood pancakes?

10. Here's the ultimate chocolate cake for chocolate lovers, vegans, health foodies, or basically anyone you know with taste buds.

Book Winner Announced AND New Giveaway!

Well, the day is upon us. The winner of a brand spanking new copy of Healthy Voyager's "Global Kitchen" is.... drumroll please....wait for it.... Jeff Zellar!!! Congrats, Jeff! Please give me your mailing address and the lovely author of the book will send your copy pronto!

Again, thanks very much to all who entered the contest. And because I want EVERYONE to win when we do these, I just can't help myself and must create yet another giveaway! Yes, I know... it's a sickness. ; )

So, the new giveaway is for a FREE wellness coaching session with me ($100 value!) - and yes, you can use it even if you're far, far away. Most of my clients aren't local, so I usually work via phone or skype anyway. So, if you (or anyone you know... you can give this as a gift if you win!) could use some fine-tuning and empowering guidance in meeting your health goals, why not enter to win? You'd be surprised what can be accomplished in just one session.

OK, to enter this contest, simply do the following:
1. "Like" my Facebook page, where I will announce the winner on February 10th.
2. Follow this blog.
3. Reply to this post, telling us what your biggest holistic health goal is for 2012.

Good luck and please be sure to check back on this blog or my Facebook page on February 10th, cuz you might just be the winner!!! : )

It's Another Book Giveaway!

Greetings, friends! I hope your weekend is off to a fun, fabulous, and healthy start so far!

About a week ago, Carolyn Scott-Hamilton sent me a copy of her new book, The Healthy Voyager's Global Kitchen . It's a beautiful book, filled with all kinds of fun and yummy vegan recipes. You can browse through and find recipes that span anywhere from Japan to Greece to Germany to China. In fact, she even has a recipe for vegan fortune cookies. Serious fun!! So, today we'll be doing a contest to give away a FREE signed copy of Carolyn's book!



How to enter for your chance to win one of these awesome books:

1. "Like" BOTH of our fan pages on Facebook, where we will announce the winner on January 30th. My page is HERE and Carolyn's Healthy Voyager page is HERE.

2. FOLLOW this blog (you'll see the spot to click if you scroll down to the right).

3. REPLY to this blog post and tell us what your favorite vegan world cuisine is. I know, it's really hard - there are sooo many good ones!! But just pick one...or two...or heck, who even cares. Just tell us your fave(s) and we'll still enter you in the contest. See how nice vegans can be when they're well fed?! ; )

Good luck and be sure to check our Facebook pages on January 30th...you might just win yourself a signed book!!

Ten Reasons to Keep Cold Brown Rice on Hand

Yeah, so this is pretty much my new thing. I am so in love with opening up my fridge when I'm crunched for time and seeing comforting, nutritious, versatile brown rice all ready to become lunch! It's such a time saver and it ensures I'll be eating well for the week. To keep rice on hand, simply cook up either short grain or long grain brown rice and then store in an airtight container in the fridge. It will keep for about a week.

Here are my top ten ways to use leftover rice:

1. Put some brown rice alongside your beans and veggies for a quick, filling, nutrient-dense burrito. Top with guacamole for extra lovins.

2. Make veggie fried rice. My favorite ingredients for this quick dish include green onions, sliced shiitake mushrooms, edamame, corn, tamari, toasted sesame oil, and garlic. Simply stir-fry in a wok or large skillet and you'll have dinner in five. YUM.

3. Yummy bean fritters! My new obsession is cajun chickpea fritters. I just mash up chickpeas and add cooked brown rice, cajun seasoning, garlic, minced onions, lemon, and sea salt. Healthy, snacky heaven.

4. If it happens to be short grain brown rice you've got on hand, you can make veggie sushi! Here's my how-to video on making Uramaki Zushi (could that please be any more fun to say??). My fave fillings for veggie sushi are avocado, asparagus (hello, tempura!), pickled ginger, carrots, cucumbers, and toasted sesame seeds.

5. You can make a soothing hot cinnamon raisin breakfast with brown rice - simply warm the rice with raisins, almond milk, cinnamon, and a bit of natural sweetener if desired. Ahhhh....

6. Make soup into a hearty meal by pouring it over warmed brown rice. My favorite soups to do this with are my Lickety Split Pea Soup (from Radiance 4 Life ) and Green Chili Potato Garlic Soup. Hummina hummina!

7. Make a delish cold rice salad! You can do a southwestern version (black beans, cumin, garlic, onions, corn, etc.), a Japanese version (umeboshi plum paste, ginger, carrots, scallions, red cabbage, etc.), or an Asian version (toasted sesame oil, sesame seeds, brown rice vinegar, veggies, etc.). You get the idea - lots of fun options!

8. Make a yummy, hearty rice bowl. I like to top brown rice with pan-fried tofu, fresh and also sauteed veggies, then pour some yummy gravy (such as my Scrumptious Shiitake Gravy) on top. Yeah babay!!

9. Pair warmed leftover rice with a quick stir-fry for a healthy, veggie-packed meal that will leave you feeling great! For extra awesomeness, drizzle with some of my insane peanut sauce.

10. Bragging rights - who doesn't want to say they have brown rice on hand at all times? Trust me, you want to look this cool.

So, those are my top ten rice reasons...what do YOU like to use your leftover brown rice for??

Rawcho Cheese Dip

RAWCHO CHEESE DIP


This dip is my latest obsession—I even dream about it. (You've been warned.) And it stars one of THE stars of the plant-based (vegan) kingdom - cashews. From creamy sauces to smooth dips to raw key lime pies, cashews are perfect in a huge variety of dishes. Plus they're nutrient-dense as well, which makes them 100% pure awesome!

Recipe from my newest book, Radiance 4 Life.

▪½cup raw cashews▪4 oz. jar pimientos, drained
▪¼cup nutritional yeast powder
▪3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
▪3 medium-large cloves garlic, peeled
▪2 tablespoons water
▪1 teaspoon granulated onion
▪¾teaspoon sea salt
▪¼teaspoon ground cayenne

Blend all of the ingredients in a food processor (or good blender) until completely smooth. Serve cold or at room temperature with raw vegetables, baked tortilla chips, or raw crackers. This will store, refrigerated in an airtight container, for at least a week.Makes about 1 cup of dip (4 servings)GF/SF/Blue/R (according to the health guidelines in my books)
30 Minutes or Under!

Vegan Carrot Cake

This is the cake I'll be making today with my some of my cooking clients. It's rich, spicy, and totally delish. It's also freefrom refined flours, artificial ingredients, cholesterol, animal products, andhydrogenated oils. You can actually feel good about eating this decadenttreat! Recipe from Radiant Health, Inner Wealth.

Carrot Mixture:1 cup each: grated carrots and pure maple syrup
1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon each: ground nutmeg, ground ginger, andground allspice
½ cup each: water, raisins, and orange juice (thefresher the better)

Additions:2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten-free all-purposeflour)
2 teaspoons baking soda
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup oil (sunflower, non-virgin olive, orcoconut)

Creamy Lemon Frosting:
One 8 oz. container nondairy cream cheese
¼ cup non-hydrogenated margarine
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Zest of two large organic lemons (minced or grated)
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2½ cups organic powdered (confectioner's) sugar

Garnish: the zest of one large lemon (minced or chopped)

1. Combine the ingredients for the carrot mixture in alarge bowl and stir well. You can now choose one of the following methods tomarry the flavors: You can allow the items to soak overnight in the fridge in acovered container. Alternatively, you can place the items in a saucepan andbring them to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for fiveminutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the flour, baking soda, and saltin a large bowl and whisk or sift until well combined.

3. Stir the oil into the carrot mixture and combine well.Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir untileverything is well combined. However, do not over-mix.

4. Lightly oil an 11.5 x 8-inch cake pan. Pour the batterinto the pan, using a rubber spatula to make sure you get all of the goodnessinto the cake pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted intothe center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to coolslightly before frosting it.

5. To make the frosting, place the cream cheese andmargarine in a medium-large bowl and whip with electric beaters until wellcombined—but don't over-mix or your frosting might lose its consistency. Youmay also want to have a rubber spatula on hand to scrape down the sides of thebowl, as this will ensure a consistent frosting. Add the remaining items forthe frosting and whip just until well combined. Refrigerate the frostinguntil the cake has cooled.

6. When the cake is cool enough not to melt the frosting,slather on the good stuff using a rubber spatula or butter knife. Scatter thelemon zest on top and serve. Oh yes. Yes, yes, yes!Makes one11.5 x 8-inch cake; GF (with substitution)/Purple (according to the health guidelinesin my books )

Meet my new wellness partner and co-author!

Greetings, friends!

Wow, this sure has been an exciting week, hasn't it? I love seeing how many folks are focused on inspiring changes for the new year....So many wonderful developments are taking place in the area of wellness and holistic health - truly exciting stuff!

One such thrill for me this year has been my partnering with Carré Otis (author, activist, mother, and model). Respectively Carré and I come from two different backgrounds but have found our common ground in our recovery from disordered eating. We are joining forces to bring to you a practical, nourishing, enticing and exciting way of preparing and experiencing food that will transform old habits into healthy and liberating new ones!



Carré's book, Beauty Disrupted , was one of the first things that gave me insight into the stellar person that she is. Despite the many trials in her life (both in and out of the modeling and acting industries...you can read about them in her memoir), I can say without hesitation that she absolutely TRIUMPHED. It is incredibly rare to see someone work so hard to overcome, grow, and evolve - and to exemplify such dedication not only to the betterment of their own life, but also to use their abilities to make the lives of others better. Carré is just such a person - a shining example of the power of humans to make radical, profound, deeply beautiful, and lasting shifts!



So, what exactly is this spectacular and powerful woman cooking up with me? Well, lots!! We have all kinds of incredibly exciting plans in the works...for starters, we're working on a groundbreaking book together. We will also be offering unique holistic retreats very soon in the beautiful Colorado mountains. Haven't you ever needed to just get away and feel totally regenerated, nourished, and recharged on all levels? Um, YEAH!! Sign me up while you're at it!!

So, sit tight my sweet peas and we will keep you posted on all the new ways we're planning to be of service to your greatest wellness. You can also check out Carré's blog here and connect with her (and also me) on Twitter for more fun stuff. She has also done some great interviews recently for her book. For starters, here's one of her on The Today Show, and this is a great interview she did for Huffington Post. And don't forget to check out her book - if you want to be completely inspired and moved (and yes, entertained!), it will totally deliver.

Here's to a fantastic, inspired, love-filled, vibrantly healthy new year. Much love to you all!

Giveaway Time!

Greetings, friends! In honor of the New Year and all its promise, I've decided to do a HUGE giveaway before 2012 begins! In case you didn't know, I'm rolling out a super exciting program, devoted to making 2012 your happiest, healthiest year EVER. A year of membership is still a screamin' deal at only $299 (or $199 if you get a group together!) but I'm giving away one free membership for a full year to the lucky winner!

What all does this golden, glittery prize include, you might be wondering?

1. You get FREE e-copies of my books (or hard copies of all 3 at a great package price)

2. Menu planning - I will give you set menus each week to assist you in reaching your optimal health, weight, and energy levels! Each Friday, you'll receive the DELISH menu for the upcoming week, along with a complete grocery list and preparation guidelines to help you maximize your time and simplify your life. Basically, staying on track will be a no-brainer with these guidelines!

3. Goal Charting for Extreme Awesomeness on ALL Levels!

4. This program will take the guesswork out of setting goals to achieve your ultimate wellness. You'll receive a DOABLE step-by-step guideline, plus a weekly chart to track your progress. This is key, as it will teach you to build on your successes!

5. Each morning, you'll wake up to an email that will inspire and motivate you! You will also receive all of the steps you'll need to take that day to keep you on track with your goals. (It's funner than it sounds)

6. On the first and third Sunday of each month, I will be available via conference call to answer questions, offer support, help you fine tune your goals, and renew your inspiration!

7. Stay connected with other members and myself via the Facebook page (and also a private blog) that's dedicated to making 2012 your most amazing, awesome, rockstarring year ever!

So, how exactly DO you enter to win? Simply do the following:

1. "Like" my Facebook page where you'll find healthy tips, recipe ideas, & other fun wellness jazz
2. Follow this blog (scroll down to the right and hit "follow")
3. Reply to this post and tell us what your wellness goals for 2012 are
4. Share the love! Post this contest either on your Facebook page, Twitter page (here's my Twitter profile), or blog.

Good luck...and cheers to making 2012 your healthiest, happiest year EVER!!

Vegan Gingerbread Molasses Cookies

This recipe is one of those lucky experiments that I happened to get right on the first try...which was today! My daughter and I wanted to make up a special Christmas eve meal with something a little different, so we decided on gingerbread as the dessert. Hope you enjoy!

Dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or gluten-free all-purpose flour)
1/2 cup (packed) brown sugar (I use dark brown sugar for extra molasses flavor)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 plus 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Wet ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons oil (I used non-virgin olive, but coconut or sunflower would work too)
1/4 cup molasses (not blackstrap)
2 tablespoons nondairy milk

Final fun:
Organic sugar or turbinado sugar for topping

1. In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients until thoroughly combined. You may need to sift them in order to remove the lumps. This is also a good time to preheat your oven to 350 F.

2. Stir the wet ingredients together well and add to the dry mixture. Combine well.

3. Here's the semi-tricky part. Place the dough-like substance on a countertop and knead for a minute or so. It won't knead up like regular dough, but just do your best. It will all turn out well in the end. Next, form into a ball and roll out (using a rolling pin) until it's about 1/4-inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Tip: to get the cookies to the pan without breaking, you may find a spatula helpful.

4. Finally, sprinkle the tops of the cookies with the sugar. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the bottoms are lightly browned (well, more browned). Remove and let cool.

Makes 2 dozen medium-ish cookies
GF (if using gluten-free flour)/SF/Purple (according to the health guidelines in my books )