Regent Palms

The Regent Palms is where my husband and I stay when we visit Turks + Caicos. It's such a lovely hotel with stunning scenery.

For lunch or a poolside snack, they have a great Bruschetta served on grilled bread with a balsamic reduction. Just ask them to leave off the Parmesan cheese.

The Trio of Hummus, Baba Ghanoush + Tabouleh is really lovely on a hot afternoon. They also serve a Greek Salad that's simple and refreshing.

At their bar, olives, peanuts and chips accompany their tropical drinks. They're really not out of the ordinary, but I love that all of their snacks are vegan!

I also ordered their Wedge Salad without the cheese and with their balsamic dressing instead of blue cheese. It was a perfect pre-massage meal.

This is their spa - all of the treatments take place in these cabanas. It's absolutely magical.

I can't say enough good things about The Palms. Their staff is incredibly friendly and the hotel itself is so inviting and relaxing. This visit was my first visit there since I went vegan and I was so pleasantly surprised. They recently changed their menus to be much more vegan/vegetarian friendly. And they have a garden on the property so the veggies are uber-fresh!

Las Brisas

The view from Las Brisas restaurant is incredible. You're looking straight out at Chalk Sound, where the water is the most amazing shade of turquoise.

Las Brisas is a tapas restaurant right on the water. It's on the opposite side of Grace Bay, meaning it's a lot less crowded. We always visit Turks + Caicos in the off season so that it's never really crowded, but Grace Bay is where the majority of the resorts are located.

We shared the Bruschetta to start, just ask them to hold the Parmesan. A fresh baguette is topped with a tomato sauce and a mixture of tomatoes, onions and herbs. You really can't go wrong with Bruschetta.

A Greek Salad followed - I asked for the feta to be kept on the side for my husband.

And a side of Vegetarian Rice + Beans. We shared everything, trying to keep it a light meal before heading to the beach.

You can find really amazing and very secluded beaches on Chalk Sound. We ventured to Sapodilla Bay and spent the afternoon swimming and relaxing on the beach.

Amanyara Follow Up

We first visited Amanyara last year and we couldn't resist returning this year. It's so elegant and simple and beautiful. And they offer a complete vegetarian menu, where almost everything can be made vegan.

Just an FYI - this resort is completely off the beaten path. You'll need a vehicle with decent tires to make the trek. It's worth it!

You can choose to eat inside...

Or outside and fully enjoy the gradual change from light blue to dark.

I had the most amazing Ratatouille with eggplant, peppers, onions, squash and zucchini.

And my husband and I shared their side of Steamed Vegetables, served with a light soy sauce.

For dessert, Key Lime Sorbet. I honestly don't know if the lace sugar decoration was vegan, so I didn't partake but it's absolutely beautiful.

The surroundings here are stunning. Every detail is considered. And it's so secluded that it's a nice change from Grace Bay.

Parrot Cay . Part II

After breakfast, we spent our morning at the beach.

The island is very different from Provo. Parrot Cay beach almost reminds me of the Hamptons with the tall grasses and sand dunes. Also, you don't find any shells on Provo. Here they're everywhere and they're beautiful shades of white and pale pink.

For lunch, we headed up to the pool.

To my sheer delight, they have a spa menu with tons of raw vegan options. I had the 'Taco Salad' with Avocado & Corn Guacamole & Tomato Lime Salsa and Cashew Cream sauce. This dish was so flavorful and so refreshing.

They also offer a Raw Soup of the day, Nut, Seed & Vegetable Sushi Rolls, Spicy Young Coconut Noodle, Cashew + Vegetable Pad Thai Salad and Zucchini Tomato & Pine Nut 'Ricotta' Lasagna. For dessert, Raw Coconut Macaroons, Mock Choc Mousse with coconut, cocoa & passion fruit with banana and Raw Vanilla Ice Cream with Pineapple Sorbet + Lemongrass. They also make fresh juices and smoothies including a Liver Cleanse made with oranges, tumeric, garlic, cayenne pepper and flax seeds and a Mock Choc Banana Smoothie with bananas, nut milk and carob powder.

This amazing food in this amazing location...can you stand it?!?!

Parrot Cay . Part I

I've been wanting to visit Parrot Cay for some time now. This trip, we finally made it there. If you're not a guest of the resort, you can spend a half or full day there, enjoying their gourmet restaurants, private beach and spa.

We arrived at their gorgeous dock on Provo around 7.30AM. The boat ride takes about half an hour. We passed Pine Cay, Dellis Cay and finally arrived at Parrot Cay.

 For breakfast, they offer various breads, jams and peanut butter...

A huge buffet of fresh fruit...

And brightly colored juices.

After breakfast, we walked down to the beach.

The beach is beautiful. It's extremely secluded and a great spot for collecting simple white shells.

More on their vegan lunch offerings later in the week!

GGA - Palm Springs

Check out all of my Palm Springs recommendations on Girlie Girl Army!

Parallel 23

I'm back from vacation and I have so much good food to share! But before I get into the past two weeks, I want to share my trip to Turks + Caicos with you. My husband and I visit every year and this was my first year there as a vegan.

We always stay The Regent Palms and this year I was overjoyed that they've added lots of vegetarian/vegan dishes to their menus. Here's what I had on our first night at their main restaurant, Parallel 23.

We started with olive oil, balsamic, black salt and multi-colored peppercorns with fresh bread.

Then I had their Heirloom Tomato Salad with White Balsamic and Basil. Mozzarella comes with the dish, but it is in large chunks and easy to avoid. I'm sure you could order without, but I opted to share with my omnivore husband.  The tomatoes are grown on the property and could not be more flavorful. With bread, it's a really filling appetizer.

For my entree, I had the Golden + Red Beet Salad served with frisee, arugula and a raspberry vinaigrette. Again, this dish is originally served with goat cheese but they were happy to put it on the side instead. These beets were so fresh and crunchy, a really great combination with the sauce. The black salt and peppercorns really complement the dish.

This is your view from the restaurant, gorgeous palm trees, bougainvillea and clear skies...heavenly.

Veggie Grill

I'm still enjoying my summer vacation (I'll be back next week) but wanted to share my experience at Veggie Grill while it's still fresh in my mind. I was in Los Angeles two weeks ago and ventured to Veggie Grill for the first time. I had no idea what to order until I was told that I absolutely had to try the All Hail Kale Salad. It consists of marinated kale and red cabbage, roasted corn salsa, agave-roasted walnuts and a ginger-papaya vinaigrette.  

I've never really been that into kale. Not that I don't like it, it's just not my first choice. This salad completely changed that - it was delicious. The sweetness of the dressing and the crunch of the kale and walnuts really set it apart. I highly recommend adding the blackened vegan chicken or tempeh, it really completes the dish. 

I also had to add a side of Macaroni and Cheese :)