New York, New York--It's a Hell of a Town, for a Vegan.

The people ride in a whole in the ground . . .

Do you know that song? I love it. I grew up in a suburb of New York City and there were a phenomenal amount of television commercials advertising Broadway shows. It was a good thing. That lyric is by Leonard Bernstein for the musical On the Town.

But I digress.

I spent last week in The Big Apple at a trade show (The National Stationery Show) and before I went I was definitely more than a little concerned with how I would fare from an eating standpoint.

The Luscious Verde booth at the NSS. There's Megan, Marketing and PR Director at LVC.

Well, I'm here to tell you that it was a breeze. Shockingly easy actually. It gives me hope for America for the future. If New York is where the trends start, then we Americans are in for some exciting healthy trends in the near future. Here's what I experienced:

(1) FRESH juice and smoothie bars, like, everywhere. We happened upon Health King on 7th Avenue (between 38th and 39th) on our way from the hotel in Times Square to The Jacob Javitz Center. Green smoothies made with fresh fruit and vegetable/fruit juices made to order are their specialty. But I saw fresh juice and smoothie bars all over the place as we rode in cabs.

From Bánh mì to Vietnamese Tofu Lettuce Wrap: Transforming a New Classic

I'm back from New York and The National Stationery Show! I've missed all of you HGK readers and the blogging community so much. I thought about you all of the time and all of the things I wanted to share with you. Turns out it's pretty darned easy to eat healthy vegan food in The Big Apple, but more on that in a future post.

It was an enriching and exhausting trip. As tired as I was, as soon as I stepped into my own kitchen, I was beyond ready to prepare light, healthy and filling food for us. I keep hearing about these Vietnamese Bánh mì sandwiches and seeing pictures of them pop up on the Internet.

I LOVE VIETNAMESE FOOD. And yes, I am shouting at you through the computer. That's how much I love Vietnamese food.

Mushroom, Kale and Spinach Enchiladas with Roasted Poblano Cream

It was right before Mother's Day that I first spotted this enchilada casserole on Pinterest. From that moment on, I was craving it, and I knew I had to make it our way. Hold the oil. Up the greens. Add some beans.

The results were, well, ridiculous.

Ridiculously good, that is.