Gracias Madre (LV's LA)

 Gracias Madre means: "Thanks Mom" in Spanish. I find the concept of Vegan Mexican food intriguing. I am not Vegan by any stretch of the imagination, but I quite love eating here. When I mentioned Vegan Mexican to some of my friends, they were quite amused, especially my Latino friends. I got responses like: "Um, really LV, if its Vegan, it aint Mexican. No es bueno"

If its Vegan Mexican, it can't be real Mexican food, but actually this is definitely the real deal. This is Mexican food  reinterpreted with farm fresh vegetables, rather than meat. If you are a carnivore, you might be hesitant, but don't be. The dishes are quite flavorful and really filling.

 I sin rather boldly when it comes to food. I eat plenty of things I shouldn't, but Gracias Madre makes me feel better about my food heathen ways. These fresh corn tortillas are the perfect prelude to a great meal. What a great way to get the party started!

I could not resist this cocktail that is basically an adult snow cone sitting on top of a delicious libation of: Tequila Blanco, Muddled Kiwi, Mint, Lemon, Agave Nectar, Lime Bitters, and Hielo Raspado Bitters. Sounds intriguing right? This delicious drink is called La Quinceanera

Delicious and the perfect balance of sweetness. If you like a little snowcone with your liquor:-) Give this a try.

The Ensalada Des Espinacas, is a delicious blend of spinach, grilled asparagus, mint, snap peas, shitake mushroom and mandarin aged balsamic . This was absolutely delicious

The sweet potato flautas had a nice blend of caramelized onions, pico de galla, guacamole, cashew nacho cheese, and cilantro. The savory black beans were the perfect complement to balance the hint of sweetness from the sweet potato. You will find plenty of interesting twists on classics with a plant based vegan flair

 The restaurant space is absolutely gorgeous inside and out

The rustic decor makes the space warm and inviting

I have a little less than two weeks before my birthday, but my good friend and I decided to start celebrating a little early, so this is birthday celebration number one:-) more to follow!

Peach  cobbler with homemade vanilla bean coconut ice cream. Absolutely delicious! The peaches were not quite as sweet as my southern taste buds are accustomed to, but the ice cream added the extra element the peaches were missing

This gluten free vegan fudge brownie had me floored by how good it was.The base of this is made with black beans and as crazy as that sounds, this tasted pretty awesome. The Mezcal Caramel sauce, cashew cream and coconut bacon made this so good that it tasted every bit as good as its less healthy counterparts. The desserts were delicious, decadent, sweet and sinful. You get the point, right?

 I'm not embarrassed to say that when we finished this, I went around the plate with my finger to get the last of the caramel sauce. Well, at least I didn't lick the plate. I really wanted to though.

Nothing like wonderful friends and great food:-)

Doesn't a great meal make you feel good?

 This is the perfect restaurant to enjoy delicious and healthy Mexican food in a gorgeous setting. Pay no attention to the Hollywood starlets at the next table...Just eat:-)

Gracias Madre

8905 Melrose Ave

West Hollywood, CA 90069

323-978-2170

Mexican Stuffed Bell Peppers

I really love Mexican food.  I mean I really really love it.  It is delicious, but every bit as fattening as the southern food I grew up eating. I have always loved stuffed bell peppers and usually make a spicy Italian version, but one day I decided to try it with more Latin inspired ingredients and the results are delicious and healthy.  I usually combine cheddar and Monterrey jack cheese. I love to use pepperjack to make it extra spicy, but the little guy can't handle that level of heat, so usually I make a mild batch for him and kick things up for me.

These flavorful peppers always make me feel like I am enjoying all the great flavors that come with dining in a Mexican restaurant without all the fat and calories. I combine ground turkey and pinto beans, but you can make this vegetarian by omitting the turkey, or make it an even lower carb dish by omitting the beans. It is great either way. You can also experiment with the type of beans you use. Black beans are also excellent in these peppers.  I love to top these off with a dollop of salsa and sour cream.

Start with fresh bell peppers. I love to use different colors

your seasoned Turkey meat will look like this

before they go in the oven, add a generous sprinkling of cheese

A little cheese makes everything better

Chop some fresh scallions (green onions) for topping when they come out of the oven

If you are getting hungry looking at this, you should make some

I promise you will love this

Ingredients

4 Bell peppers sliced in half with seeds removed

1 pound ground Turkey

1 packet of taco seasoning mix

1/2 cup salsa or picante sauce

1 can refried beans (or you can substitute with pinto beans or black beans  if you prefer)

1 bunch of green onions chopped for topping the peppers

2 cups shredded cheddar 

Directions:

Parboil bell peppers for five minutes and then rinse with cold water and put aside.

Spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large skillet, brown your ground turkey and season with the taco seasoning while it cooks. When the meat is brown remove from heat. In a small saucepan, heat your beans.  Remove from heat and place peppers on baking sheet and  add a thick layer of beans to each pepper. For the next layer, add the ground turkey and approximately a tablespoon of salsa on top of the  ground turkey. Top each pepper with a handful of shredded cheese.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Makes 5 servings

Doesn't this look tempting?

Bon Appetit!