I need to remember to take pictures of all this new food! My husband's coworker suggested a try a Fried Noodles recipe from the Hip Chick's Guide to Macrobiotics and gave me buckwheat soba noodles to try with it. It was really good. I think next time I will try adding a little bit of spice. I'm used to Mexican food and spicy is always good!
Fried Noodles
soba noodles
2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 onion, chopped
1 whole carrot, julienned
8 mushrooms, sliced
3 teaspoons shoyu, divided (I didn't have shoyu so I used tamari.)
kernels from one corn cob (I used one can of corn, drained and rinsed.)
1 stalk bok choy, thinly sliced
1 green onion, sliced
Cook the noodles according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain. Heat sesame oil in skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent. Add carrot and saute until half cooked. Add mushrooms and saute until they start to release their liquid. Add 1 teaspoon shoyu and saute for 2 minutes. Place noodles over vegetables in plan, corn over noodles, and bok choy over corn. Sprinkle 1/4 cup water over all of it. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons shoyu. Cover, reduce heat and let steam for 5-10 minutes until bok choy is wilted and noodles and corn are warmed. Serve hot.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Day 36 - A Craving for Tacos
Last night, I had such a huge craving for tacos!!!!! I didn't have any soy meat crumbles and frankly, I'm a little nervous about eating that. It sounds processed to me. So I started thinking about what I really like about those mini tacos. I like the avocados, the cilantro, the onions, and the salsa. I can't remember if you can taste the meat once you pile all that stuff on. I didn't want to eat onions and didn't have any prepared salsa so I got out the corn tortillas, warmed them and spread some avocado on it and sprinkled that with several sprigs of cilantro. Mmmmmm. It tasted like heaven. David thought it would've been better to add the onions and the salsa, but it was still very good and it satisfied my craving. I also had a giant slice of watermelon. I love this food!
I also finally decided to start purchasing Vitamin B-12 supplements. Almost everyone recommends them, but I'm nervous about taking too many pills. I already take a calcium supplement and a multi-vitamin. Can I overdose on B-12 or does the body just get rid of the extra?
Day 35 - Breakfast for dinner
We ran around all day today and had nothing planned for dinner. I was starving by the time we got home from playing in the creek. Before we were vegan, we used to have breakfast for dinner all the time: pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Why not try it now? I made papas a la mexicana. It's basically potatoes with onions, serranos, and tomatoes, and I also like to add mushrooms. I served that as tacos inside flour tortillas. Very satisfying. "Who needs eggs?" That was my husband's response after he took his first bite. Maybe he's enjoying this food much more now? :)
Day 34 - Plantains, Black Beans and Rice, Kale
I had been eyeing the plantains at the grocery store since we started this new way of eating. I finally gave in and got some. I pan-fried them with a little olive oil and unfortunately, I didn't notice that they were over cooking so they came out a little dry, but still pretty tasty. I refried the black beans with a little olive oil and onion. My husband did not think they looked appetizing at all, but he liked the way they tasted. I guess I need to work on presentation. :) Then I made some basic brown rice and steamed a little kale. I like to put tamari and nutritional yeast on the rice. Very tasty and fast!
Day 33 - Pasta Primavera - Leftovers!
I had kale so I added it to the leftover pasta primavera and served it with noodles. Still pretty good!
Day 32 - Pasta
I made pasta primavera again because I loved it so much last time. This time I didn't have corn again or zuchinni so I used cauliflower. It wasn't as good as I remembered it but it was still tasty.
I also finally decided to start purchasing Vitamin B-12 supplements. Almost everyone recommends them, but I'm nervous about taking too many pills. I already take a calcium supplement and a multi-vitamin. Can I overdose on B-12 or does the body just get rid of the extra?
Day 35 - Breakfast for dinner
We ran around all day today and had nothing planned for dinner. I was starving by the time we got home from playing in the creek. Before we were vegan, we used to have breakfast for dinner all the time: pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Why not try it now? I made papas a la mexicana. It's basically potatoes with onions, serranos, and tomatoes, and I also like to add mushrooms. I served that as tacos inside flour tortillas. Very satisfying. "Who needs eggs?" That was my husband's response after he took his first bite. Maybe he's enjoying this food much more now? :)
Day 34 - Plantains, Black Beans and Rice, Kale
I had been eyeing the plantains at the grocery store since we started this new way of eating. I finally gave in and got some. I pan-fried them with a little olive oil and unfortunately, I didn't notice that they were over cooking so they came out a little dry, but still pretty tasty. I refried the black beans with a little olive oil and onion. My husband did not think they looked appetizing at all, but he liked the way they tasted. I guess I need to work on presentation. :) Then I made some basic brown rice and steamed a little kale. I like to put tamari and nutritional yeast on the rice. Very tasty and fast!
Day 33 - Pasta Primavera - Leftovers!
I had kale so I added it to the leftover pasta primavera and served it with noodles. Still pretty good!
Day 32 - Pasta
I made pasta primavera again because I loved it so much last time. This time I didn't have corn again or zuchinni so I used cauliflower. It wasn't as good as I remembered it but it was still tasty.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Day 31 - Even Better Veggie Burgers and Their Environmental Impact
I loved the veggie burgers we made yesterday, but as usual I always make much more than we are really going to eat which means that I had a veggie burger for dinner, for lunch the next day, and for dinner last night again. I was so dreading eating the same thing for dinner again, but I still had two patties left. What am I supposed to do? Throw them out? No, thanks.
I drove to the grocery store and purchased 100% whole wheat buns and made them into real burgers. (We had been eating them in pita pockets with spinach and red onion.) I warmed the buns, put the patty on it, and piled on the following: mustard, ketchup, spinach, red onion, avocados, and tomatoes. Wow!!!! Tasted just like a burger, but without the greasy aftertaste. Found another keeper recipe!!!
I do think that I will make the patties smaller next time because I ate dinner 14 hours ago and I am still not hungry.
Did I mention how much I love this new way of eating? I love the way I look and feel. I love that I am losing weight and my cholesterol is healthy. I love all the cooking I am doing. I love that I am teaching my kids about nutritious choices. I love that because I am not eating animal products, I am minimizing my environmental impact. I love that I am voting with my fork!
However, even though I am making a big change in my life by eating this way, I am still no where near my appropriate resource use. I used an ecological footprint calculator this morning and I am still way up there, in terms of using resources. It would take 3 1/2 planet earths to sustain my habits!!! Wow, and that's including the fact that I am no longer eating animal products and that we drive a hybrid and have energy efficient appliances.
It seems hopeless until you start to think about all your current life choices and how you can improve them. I know living in suburbia does not help because I have to drive everywhere in my gas-guzzling van. I know the size of my house is an issue. It takes a lot of energy to heat and cool 3200 square feet. I know that I have thirsty St. Augustine grass growing all over my yard and that wastes water. I know I am not buying local foods.
Awareness is the starting point, right? What's next? I think I need a plan of action to reduce my impact in these other areas. More later...I'm off to eat my delicious oatmeal WITHOUT butter or milk. :)
I drove to the grocery store and purchased 100% whole wheat buns and made them into real burgers. (We had been eating them in pita pockets with spinach and red onion.) I warmed the buns, put the patty on it, and piled on the following: mustard, ketchup, spinach, red onion, avocados, and tomatoes. Wow!!!! Tasted just like a burger, but without the greasy aftertaste. Found another keeper recipe!!!
I do think that I will make the patties smaller next time because I ate dinner 14 hours ago and I am still not hungry.
Did I mention how much I love this new way of eating? I love the way I look and feel. I love that I am losing weight and my cholesterol is healthy. I love all the cooking I am doing. I love that I am teaching my kids about nutritious choices. I love that because I am not eating animal products, I am minimizing my environmental impact. I love that I am voting with my fork!
However, even though I am making a big change in my life by eating this way, I am still no where near my appropriate resource use. I used an ecological footprint calculator this morning and I am still way up there, in terms of using resources. It would take 3 1/2 planet earths to sustain my habits!!! Wow, and that's including the fact that I am no longer eating animal products and that we drive a hybrid and have energy efficient appliances.
It seems hopeless until you start to think about all your current life choices and how you can improve them. I know living in suburbia does not help because I have to drive everywhere in my gas-guzzling van. I know the size of my house is an issue. It takes a lot of energy to heat and cool 3200 square feet. I know that I have thirsty St. Augustine grass growing all over my yard and that wastes water. I know I am not buying local foods.
Awareness is the starting point, right? What's next? I think I need a plan of action to reduce my impact in these other areas. More later...I'm off to eat my delicious oatmeal WITHOUT butter or milk. :)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Day 30 - Veggie Burgers
When we first started this vegan diet, I used to stress out about what I would be eating for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Now, I don't even think about breakfast or lunch. I am in love with Oatmeal these days. I have been adding wheat germ and nutty nuggets to it to get more protein, plus my standard raisins, almonds, and almond milk. I honestly can't get enough of it. Maybe it's because it's still chilly in the mornings here. I'll have to find a new breakfast when it gets hot. Lunches are also easy. I eat leftovers or make a veggie sandwich. I love having that flexibility! I have always planned dinners.
I've been wanting to make veggie burgers since we started this diet but all the recipes look like they have a million ingredients. I found one in Cooking Light that didn't look that long and the picture made the patty look very, very tasty. I got the list of ingredients and went to the grocery store. It called for red potatoes, carrots, cilantro and chickpeas, plus other spices. I was ready to start it when I decided to read the recipe through before starting to cut up stuff. Mind you, this was at 5pm yesterday. Everything looked good until I got to the part where I am supposed to "chill the mixture for 8 hours to overnight." What?!! Ah, man. I guess I can't make that recipe on the spur of the moment.
Thankfully, the Engine 2 book has two recipes for veggie burgers, one with lentils and one with black beans. Since I've never been a fan of lentils, I went with the black beans. Wow. Before I add the oatmeal, it's basically a black bean salsa (black beans, carrots, cilantro, onion, garlic, and tomatoes). I ate it by the spoonful and with chips. It is SO good. I think I might use it as a dip next time. Once I added the oatmeal, it didn't look as appetizing and once I actully baked them, the flavors were more subdued but still very good.
I serve them in pita pockets with spinach and red onion, but these can be served on buns with all the fixins' just like a regular burger. My husband added jalapenos, mustard, and ketchup to his burger. Mine was just fine with the spinach and red onion.
I also had those red potatoes called for in the other Cooking Light veggie burger recipe so I used them to make rosemary oven fries. Yum! I made the potatoes first since they both use the same oven temperature but you have to broil the burgers for the last two minutes. See both recipes below.
New York Times Veggie Burgers
Makes about 8 patties
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies, drained (I didn't have this so I used 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 jalapeno pepper, but I forgot to drain it. It still worked!)
1 garlic clove, minced and pressed
1 teaspoon onion powder (I used 1 tablespoon of chopped onion)
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cilantro
2 cups quick rolled oats
8 whole grain buns (I used pita pockets)
Fresh veggie toppings and healthy condiments
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Process the first seven ingredients in a food processor or blender. Remove contents into a large bowl and stir in the oats. Form into patties, place on sprayed baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook for 2 more minutes or until tops are nicely browned. Toast the buns and pile on your favorite toppings.
Variation: Saute the burgers on medium heat in a sprayed nonstick skillet for 5 mnutes on each side, until both sides are browned.
Rosemary Oven Fries
1 lb. red potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash, dry, and cut potatoes in quarters or halfs depending on size. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place in glass pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Top with two sprigs of rosemary. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them and discard the rosemary. Cover again and bake for another 20 minutes. Some people like to toss these with dijon mustard and garlic, but they are so good just like this!
I've been wanting to make veggie burgers since we started this diet but all the recipes look like they have a million ingredients. I found one in Cooking Light that didn't look that long and the picture made the patty look very, very tasty. I got the list of ingredients and went to the grocery store. It called for red potatoes, carrots, cilantro and chickpeas, plus other spices. I was ready to start it when I decided to read the recipe through before starting to cut up stuff. Mind you, this was at 5pm yesterday. Everything looked good until I got to the part where I am supposed to "chill the mixture for 8 hours to overnight." What?!! Ah, man. I guess I can't make that recipe on the spur of the moment.
Thankfully, the Engine 2 book has two recipes for veggie burgers, one with lentils and one with black beans. Since I've never been a fan of lentils, I went with the black beans. Wow. Before I add the oatmeal, it's basically a black bean salsa (black beans, carrots, cilantro, onion, garlic, and tomatoes). I ate it by the spoonful and with chips. It is SO good. I think I might use it as a dip next time. Once I added the oatmeal, it didn't look as appetizing and once I actully baked them, the flavors were more subdued but still very good.
I serve them in pita pockets with spinach and red onion, but these can be served on buns with all the fixins' just like a regular burger. My husband added jalapenos, mustard, and ketchup to his burger. Mine was just fine with the spinach and red onion.
I also had those red potatoes called for in the other Cooking Light veggie burger recipe so I used them to make rosemary oven fries. Yum! I made the potatoes first since they both use the same oven temperature but you have to broil the burgers for the last two minutes. See both recipes below.
New York Times Veggie Burgers
Makes about 8 patties
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can tomatoes with zesty mild chilies, drained (I didn't have this so I used 1 can of diced tomatoes and 1 jalapeno pepper, but I forgot to drain it. It still worked!)
1 garlic clove, minced and pressed
1 teaspoon onion powder (I used 1 tablespoon of chopped onion)
2 green onions, chopped
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup cilantro
2 cups quick rolled oats
8 whole grain buns (I used pita pockets)
Fresh veggie toppings and healthy condiments
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Process the first seven ingredients in a food processor or blender. Remove contents into a large bowl and stir in the oats. Form into patties, place on sprayed baking sheet, and bake for 8 minutes. Turn oven to broil and cook for 2 more minutes or until tops are nicely browned. Toast the buns and pile on your favorite toppings.
Variation: Saute the burgers on medium heat in a sprayed nonstick skillet for 5 mnutes on each side, until both sides are browned.
Rosemary Oven Fries
1 lb. red potatoes
1 teaspoon olive oil
garlic salt
pepper
2 sprigs of rosemary
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Wash, dry, and cut potatoes in quarters or halfs depending on size. Toss with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Place in glass pan. Sprinkle with garlic salt and pepper. Top with two sprigs of rosemary. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Flip them and discard the rosemary. Cover again and bake for another 20 minutes. Some people like to toss these with dijon mustard and garlic, but they are so good just like this!
Day 29 - Pasta Primavera
I went to the hospital without a packed lunch. Big mistake. The hospital cafeteria was closed early since it's a Sunday. Ooops. Ok, what's healthy in the vending machine? Nothing really. My niece bought me a bag of Fritos (they are vegan!), a can of bean dip, and bottle of orange juice. It could've been worse, I guess. That bag of Fritos did not sit well in my tummy though. I"m not used to eating that much salt or grease, but I'll survive.
My brother looks much better so I came home early in time to cook a fresh dinner from the Engine 2 cookbook. I made Pasta Primavera. It was so good. I didn't have the can of corn it calls for and I didn't want to bother my neighbors so I just used a zuchinni squash. We loved this. It's definitely going to be our standard recipe when we make spaghettii.
Pasta Primavera
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can corn, rinsed and drained (I didnt' have this so I used a zuchinni instead)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 large jar pasta sauce (Sockarooni)
16 ounces whole grain spaghetti (Central Market Capellini)
1/2 cup raw cashews, finely ground
Saute the onion, garlic, and corn in large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes. (I sprayed it lightly with Canola oil.) Add the jalapenos, bell peppers, and kale to skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce to the vegetables. Stir until warmed through. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and top with cashews. Enjoy!
My brother looks much better so I came home early in time to cook a fresh dinner from the Engine 2 cookbook. I made Pasta Primavera. It was so good. I didn't have the can of corn it calls for and I didn't want to bother my neighbors so I just used a zuchinni squash. We loved this. It's definitely going to be our standard recipe when we make spaghettii.
Pasta Primavera
1 red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can corn, rinsed and drained (I didnt' have this so I used a zuchinni instead)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bunch fresh kale, rinsed and chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 large jar pasta sauce (Sockarooni)
16 ounces whole grain spaghetti (Central Market Capellini)
1/2 cup raw cashews, finely ground
Saute the onion, garlic, and corn in large skillet on medium heat for 5 minutes. (I sprayed it lightly with Canola oil.) Add the jalapenos, bell peppers, and kale to skillet and cook for 3 minutes. Add the diced tomatoes and pasta sauce to the vegetables. Stir until warmed through. Ladle the sauce over the pasta and top with cashews. Enjoy!
Day 28 - Hospital Food - Salad Bar!
My brother is still in the hospital, but I didn't have time to pack my dinner today. I was hoping the hospital cafeteria has a garden burger or salad bar and they did not disappoint. I got lucky! They actually had fairly good choices for their salad bar. I constructed my own "healthy" salad: romaine lettuce, spinach, cranberries, tomatoes, beets, artichoke hearts, tomatoes, carrots, sesame sticks, and sunflower seeds. Picking a dressing was difficult. They all had egg in them (even the Italian dressing?). The lady pointed out a fat-free raspberry vinaigrette and since I had no other choice, I took it. It was quite tasty and only 20 calories per 2 tablespoons. Can't beat that! I must remember to pack a lunch tomorrow.
Day 27 - Asian Sesame Salad and Pesto
My brother is in the hospital so I have to pack my lunch and dinner to take with me because who knows what the hospital cafeteria serves. A friend introduced me to a delicious Asian Chicken Salad when I was still eating meat and I just took out the chicken and the fried wontons, and added edamame and beets. It still tastes great. I had that salad with leftover pesto and that was my lunch and dinner. Just as delicious as I remembered it, but healthier!
Asian Chicken Salad
2 Romain hearts, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup edamame
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sesame
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 small can of beets (optional)
For dressing:
1/4 cup tamari
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly groun pepper
1/4 cup water
Place first seven ingredients in bowl. Make dressing. Toss salad with dressing. Serve salad on plate. Arrange 4 - 5 slices of beets on top of each salad. Enjoy!
Asian Chicken Salad
2 Romain hearts, chopped
1 cup cilantro, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 cup edamame
1/2 cup sliced almonds
2 tablespoons sesame
1 small can mandarin oranges
1 small can of beets (optional)
For dressing:
1/4 cup tamari
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly groun pepper
1/4 cup water
Place first seven ingredients in bowl. Make dressing. Toss salad with dressing. Serve salad on plate. Arrange 4 - 5 slices of beets on top of each salad. Enjoy!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Day 26 - Are you sure you are getting enough protein?
Why did it take me so long to discover delicious Almond Milk? I use it every morning with my oatmeal and now I can't live without it. It is SO good!!!!! I can't stand milk of any kind: cow's, goat's, soy, or rice, but almond milk is just too good to pass up. I just love it.
We are on day 26 of eating vegan. I have lost 13 pounds!!!! I am so excited. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said my cholesterol was "fantastic." But when I told her that I was eating vegan, she looked up concerned and said, "Are you sure you are getting enough protein?"
I know we can get protein from beans, quinoa, nuts, almond milk, tofu, and some vegetables. But how much does one need on a daily basis? I had to google it and this is what I found:
The average person needs about .36 grams of protein per pound that they weigh. For example, someone who weighs 150 lbs., needs only 54 grams of protein per day to maintain her current muscle. There are many vegan staples that are really high in protein:
We are on day 26 of eating vegan. I have lost 13 pounds!!!! I am so excited. I went to the doctor yesterday and she said my cholesterol was "fantastic." But when I told her that I was eating vegan, she looked up concerned and said, "Are you sure you are getting enough protein?"
I know we can get protein from beans, quinoa, nuts, almond milk, tofu, and some vegetables. But how much does one need on a daily basis? I had to google it and this is what I found:
The average person needs about .36 grams of protein per pound that they weigh. For example, someone who weighs 150 lbs., needs only 54 grams of protein per day to maintain her current muscle. There are many vegan staples that are really high in protein:
- Tempeh - 41 gm/cup
- Seitan - 31 gm/ 3 oz.
- Soybeans - 29 gm/cup
- Lentils, cooked - 18 gm/cup
- Black beans, cooked - 15 gm/cup
- Kidney beans, cooked - 13 gm/cup
- Veggie burger - 13 gm/patty
- Chickpeas - 12 gm/cup
- Pinto beans - 12 gm/cup
- Tofu, firm - 11 gm/4 oz.
- Peas - 9gm/cup
- Peanut butter - 8 gm/2 T.
- Spaghetti, cooked - 8 gm/cup
- Almonds - 8 gm/ .25 cup
- Soy milk - 6 gm/ cup
- Oatmeal - 6gm/cup
- Whole wheat bread - 5 gm/2 slices
- Brown rice - 5 gm/cup
- Spinach - 5 gm/cup
- Broccoli - 4gm/cup
- Potato - 4 gm/cup
Now I think I am going to keep a little food journal for a week so I can record how much protein we are getting and adjust the amount we are eating, if necessary.
Today's lunch was a corn and avocado salad and dinner consisted of leftover Pesto.
More later...
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Day 25 - Avocado-Corn Salad and Pesto
I am cooking a lot these days. It's a good thing I enjoy it, but every now and then I wish there were more quick dinner options for people who are not consuming animal products.
I spent a good hour at Central Market on Tuesday perusing the frozen food section and found a total of just five things that a vegan could eat in the freezer section (and this is at Central Market which is supposed to cater to a healthier eating crowd!): Amy's Roasted Vegetable (No-Cheese) Pizza and Soy Cheeze Pizza, a bag of legume dumplings, veggie burgers, and a non-dairy pumpkin pie from "Wholly Wholesome".
Hmm. My first thought was, "There's an untapped market out there!" but I should probably check Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, Sprouts, New Flower Market, and Wheatsville Coop before I start my own Vegan Frozen food business. :)
We had a delicious salad today for lunch. I got the Cool Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado recipe from Real Simple Magazine. Click here to see it. The nutritional information says that it is packed with calories, but I did omit the olive oil from the dressing and I didn't eat tortilla chips with it. It tasted just fine without either one!
For dinner, I made Pesto (without olive oil or parmesan cheese) and ate it with 100% whole wheat farfalle pasta. The recipe for Pesto comes from the Engine 2 book:
Healthy Home-made Pesto
2-3 cups pesto leaves, packed
1 cup home-toasted walnuts (I didn't toast them)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup water or soymilk (I used water)
Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well-combined. Toss with 1 lb. of 100% whole wheat pasta. Enjoy!!!!
P.S. I did sneak in more than a few French fries (they are vegan and they are fried separately from the chicken nuggets, I asked) when I was sitting at Whataburger with my sister-in-law and our kids. For the next few hours, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach. Gross. Serves me right. But I am happy to report that I did not crave the What-a-burgers which at one point in my life were my favorite food!!!
Day 24 - Chips and Salsa for dinner?
Yes! I went to a friend's house for a play date and she accommodated my new eating habits by serving chips and salsa. They were so good that I just kept eating them. When I got home, I felt stuffed so my dinner was chips and salsa. I guess it could've been worse.
I spent a good hour at Central Market on Tuesday perusing the frozen food section and found a total of just five things that a vegan could eat in the freezer section (and this is at Central Market which is supposed to cater to a healthier eating crowd!): Amy's Roasted Vegetable (No-Cheese) Pizza and Soy Cheeze Pizza, a bag of legume dumplings, veggie burgers, and a non-dairy pumpkin pie from "Wholly Wholesome".
Hmm. My first thought was, "There's an untapped market out there!" but I should probably check Whole Foods, Sun Harvest, Sprouts, New Flower Market, and Wheatsville Coop before I start my own Vegan Frozen food business. :)
We had a delicious salad today for lunch. I got the Cool Southwestern Salad with Corn and Avocado recipe from Real Simple Magazine. Click here to see it. The nutritional information says that it is packed with calories, but I did omit the olive oil from the dressing and I didn't eat tortilla chips with it. It tasted just fine without either one!
For dinner, I made Pesto (without olive oil or parmesan cheese) and ate it with 100% whole wheat farfalle pasta. The recipe for Pesto comes from the Engine 2 book:
Healthy Home-made Pesto
2-3 cups pesto leaves, packed
1 cup home-toasted walnuts (I didn't toast them)
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1/2 cup water or soymilk (I used water)
Put all ingredients in food processor and pulse until finely chopped and well-combined. Toss with 1 lb. of 100% whole wheat pasta. Enjoy!!!!
P.S. I did sneak in more than a few French fries (they are vegan and they are fried separately from the chicken nuggets, I asked) when I was sitting at Whataburger with my sister-in-law and our kids. For the next few hours, I felt like I had a rock in my stomach. Gross. Serves me right. But I am happy to report that I did not crave the What-a-burgers which at one point in my life were my favorite food!!!
Day 24 - Chips and Salsa for dinner?
Yes! I went to a friend's house for a play date and she accommodated my new eating habits by serving chips and salsa. They were so good that I just kept eating them. When I got home, I felt stuffed so my dinner was chips and salsa. I guess it could've been worse.
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Day 23 - Thai Noodle Salad with Tofu
I might have a new favorite dinner! I made Thai Noodle Salad with Tofu last night and it was SO good!!!!! I got the recipe from Cooking Light magazine. It called for a lot of ingredients, but it was very tasty and quite easy to put together. Even my picky eater husband liked it! :)
The full recipe, including a picture, is available here. The tofu is marinated in lime juice, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce. Once I was done sauteing it in a little peanut oil, it looked just like the one in the picture. And the taste - WOW! I could eat it by the handful. Who would've thought I could enjoy tofu so much? I tell you: the more I eat it, the more I like it!
Enjoy!!!
The full recipe, including a picture, is available here. The tofu is marinated in lime juice, chili garlic sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce. Once I was done sauteing it in a little peanut oil, it looked just like the one in the picture. And the taste - WOW! I could eat it by the handful. Who would've thought I could enjoy tofu so much? I tell you: the more I eat it, the more I like it!
Enjoy!!!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 22 - Corn and Bulghur Wheat Salad
Sunday was a great day. We did nothing but rest at home. I love keeping Sunday as a day of rest. It really does help you restore your soul and get ready for the week. If only you didn't have to eat... :)
It was easy eating yesterday. For breakfast I had oatmeal with raisins, almonds, apples, and bananas. Delicious! Lunch was a cup of leftover Broccoli soup and for dinner I made a corn and bulghur wheat salad that I hadn't tasted since our days in Boston. One weekend when we lived in Arlington, we invited our landladies to join us for dinner. I made chicken mole, Mexican rice, beans, and a garden salad with cilantro-jalapeno dressing. They loved it so the next weekend they made us dinner and they served this salad as part of the meal. I remember loving it so much that I had to have the recipe. Sadly, I have never made it, but now that we are eating vegan food, I decided to give it a try. It's so easy to make and it tastes just like I remembered: Delicious!!!!
Corn and Bulghur Wheat Salad
1/2 cup bulghur wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
salt to taste
Place bulghur wheat in bowl. Pour water over it. Let sit for 20 minutes. While bulghur wheat is cooking, heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add corn and saute for five minutes. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Let mixture cool.
Once bulghur and corn are cool, mix together and add jalapeno, cilantro, juices, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Chill for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy!
salt to taste
It was easy eating yesterday. For breakfast I had oatmeal with raisins, almonds, apples, and bananas. Delicious! Lunch was a cup of leftover Broccoli soup and for dinner I made a corn and bulghur wheat salad that I hadn't tasted since our days in Boston. One weekend when we lived in Arlington, we invited our landladies to join us for dinner. I made chicken mole, Mexican rice, beans, and a garden salad with cilantro-jalapeno dressing. They loved it so the next weekend they made us dinner and they served this salad as part of the meal. I remember loving it so much that I had to have the recipe. Sadly, I have never made it, but now that we are eating vegan food, I decided to give it a try. It's so easy to make and it tastes just like I remembered: Delicious!!!!
Corn and Bulghur Wheat Salad
1/2 cup bulghur wheat
1/2 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups fresh corn, cut off the cob
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1 jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
pinch cayenne pepper
salt to taste
Place bulghur wheat in bowl. Pour water over it. Let sit for 20 minutes. While bulghur wheat is cooking, heat olive oil in pan over medium heat. Add corn and saute for five minutes. Add onion and saute for 3 minutes. Let mixture cool.
Once bulghur and corn are cool, mix together and add jalapeno, cilantro, juices, cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Chill for at least 15 minutes. Enjoy!
salt to taste
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Day 21 - Cheesy Broccoli Soup - AGAIN!
My sweet husband told me that he is ok with our choice of food right now, but he is only enjoying about 25 percent of what I am making. What?! "Cook for yourself then!" was my first reaction, but I can understand how changing your tastes can take a while so I will continue to tweak our food and make more of his favorites, one of which is "cheesy" broccoli soup. I have the recipe on this website. It is always so good, but so very rich that I can only eat one bowl of it.
For lunch I experimented with a dish I had in Boston. It was called Tahini Vegetable Roller and it is basically a fresh vegetable wrap with tahini sauce. I didn't quite taste like I remembered but I think if I had added lemon to the sauce I might have gotten close.
Tahini Vegetable Roller
1 100% whole wheat wrap
1/2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1/4 cup cauliflower,finely chopped
1 teaspoon tahini sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
cracked pepper to taste
Place all vegetables in middle of wrap. Drizzle tahini sauce and lemon juice over vegetables. Add pepper to taste. Roll up and enjoy!
For lunch I experimented with a dish I had in Boston. It was called Tahini Vegetable Roller and it is basically a fresh vegetable wrap with tahini sauce. I didn't quite taste like I remembered but I think if I had added lemon to the sauce I might have gotten close.
Tahini Vegetable Roller
1 100% whole wheat wrap
1/2 cup romaine lettuce, chopped
1/4 cup cucumber, diced
1/4 cup tomato, diced
1/4 cup broccoli, finely chopped
1/4 cup cauliflower,finely chopped
1 teaspoon tahini sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
cracked pepper to taste
Place all vegetables in middle of wrap. Drizzle tahini sauce and lemon juice over vegetables. Add pepper to taste. Roll up and enjoy!
Day 20 - Potstickers and Fruit
Today, I helped out with the PTA snack sale at school. I have gone 19 days without really craving anything except eggs, but today I was literally salivating as I served tray after tray of nachos. Why??? Those nachos have processed cheese on them. Why am I craving processed cheese? Something is wrong with that.
Then we got home and were watching the news when a picture of a big basket of juicy KFC Fried Chicken appeared right on the screen and once again ,I was salivating. How sad. I guess 19 days is not enough to get one's taste buds to change after a life time of eating (and very much enjoying!) junky food.
We were late getting home on Friday and I was very hungry and a little bit in a bad mood because I was SO craving those nachos and it took a lot of will power to not take a bite of the crunchy, gooey stuff. I had planned to make an elaborate dinner, but changed my mind and instead we had spicy vegetable potstickers for dinner. I found out they are vegan! We have always enjoyed the chicken potstickers, and these were not as tasty as I remember the chicken ones to be, but they were still a welcome change. We rounded off our dinner with a bowl of fresh fruit. Dinner was ready in 8 minutes. Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about!!!
On the bright side, I am so enjoying cooking! I cook almost every day and I love it, but I can see how it would be hard to maintain this lifestyle for someone who works full time. You would have to do some major planning and cooking on the weekend.
Then we got home and were watching the news when a picture of a big basket of juicy KFC Fried Chicken appeared right on the screen and once again ,I was salivating. How sad. I guess 19 days is not enough to get one's taste buds to change after a life time of eating (and very much enjoying!) junky food.
We were late getting home on Friday and I was very hungry and a little bit in a bad mood because I was SO craving those nachos and it took a lot of will power to not take a bite of the crunchy, gooey stuff. I had planned to make an elaborate dinner, but changed my mind and instead we had spicy vegetable potstickers for dinner. I found out they are vegan! We have always enjoyed the chicken potstickers, and these were not as tasty as I remember the chicken ones to be, but they were still a welcome change. We rounded off our dinner with a bowl of fresh fruit. Dinner was ready in 8 minutes. Yeah, baby, that's what I'm talking about!!!
On the bright side, I am so enjoying cooking! I cook almost every day and I love it, but I can see how it would be hard to maintain this lifestyle for someone who works full time. You would have to do some major planning and cooking on the weekend.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Day 19 - Couscous with Baked Tomatoes and Pan-grilled Asparagus
Oh, my goodness! I have lost 12 pounds (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) in only 3 weeks. That is crazy, but so glad it is true!!! How can I not feel great about my food choices?
Today I finally made the dreaded trip to Central Market to compare prices. I was very surprised to find that most items are the same price as the HEB in our neighborhood. It could be because our HEB is a mix between Central Market (CM) and a normal HEB. Here are some of the prices I compared:
Bananas: HEB - 44 cents/ lb. ; CM - 44 cents/lb.
Frozen Edamame: HEB - $1.69 per bag; CM - $2.19 per bag (not sure why these are so different in price, when they are the exact same size)
Pineapple: HEB - $3.99 for unpeeled; CM - $3.99 for unpeeled
Coffee (Non-Dairy) Creamer: HEB - $3.19; CM - $3.19
Raw Cashews - HEB - $6.99 per pound; CM - $7.69 per pound
It looks like overall the prices are tiny bit higher, but the best discovery is that our HEB has most of the things I need right now. I didn't notice any new stuff that I would want to eat at Central Market. Phew. I was hoping that would happen. Last thing I need is to start shopping at two different grocery stores.
Tonights dinner was delicious. My husband didn't like the couscous because I added chopped apricots and he is not a big fan of things that look like raisins in his food. :) Next time, I'll make a batch of couscous without the apricots just for him.
Couscous with Baked Tomatoes and Pan-Grilled Asparagus
2 cups whole wheat couscous, prepared according to package directions
6-8 dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
6 tablespoons molasses
4 tomatoes, cored
balsamic vinegar
1 lb. asparagus, woody stems trimmed
cracked black pepper
For couscous: Prepare according to package directions. Fluff with fork. Stir in apricots, pecans, and molasses until well mixed.
For tomatoes: Preheat oven to 450. Cut tiny section of bottom of tomato so it will stand vertically on the casserole dish. Place tomatoes in casserole dish. Drizzle core sections with balsamic vinegar. Bake for 25 minutes.
For asparagus: Heat skillet on medium-high. When drops of water sizzle on it, place half of the asparagus on pan and stir constantly for five minutes until tips are slightly browned. Put on a plate. Keep warm.
To serve: Place generous amount of couscous on plate. Top with one tomato. Place asparagus around plate. Looks and tastes lovely!!!!
Day 18 - Red Beans over Quinoa and Kale
We are on Day 18 and I am feeling pretty good about my food choices. I did discover today that Pringles are vegan. I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not. Did I mention that I am no longer missing scrambled eggs? Nope. I have been eating tofu scrambles and I actually enjoy them quite a bit!
I made Tofu a la Mexicana for breakfast and serve them on corn tortillas with a little bit of refried beans. Delicious! Here is the recipe:
Tofu a la Mexicana
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 a small onion, chopped
3 white mushrooms, stems and outer covering removed, chopped
1 one-inch slice of extra firm tofu, squeezed in paper towel, and crumbled
sprinkle of turmeric
Lightly spray a non-stick skillet. Place all tomato and all vegetables in pan and stir. Saute gently for 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat until onion is translucent, pepper is dark green, tomato is cooked, and mushrooms have release their liquid. Add tofu and turmeric. Saute another 2 minutes or until heated through.
Serve on corn tortilla with a little slather of refried beans. Enjoy!
For dinner tonight I made a recipe from the Engine 2 diet book: Red Beans and Quinoa with Kale. It was very tasty.
Red Beans and Quinoa with Kale
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
2 cups quinoa, prepared according to package directions
1 bunch kale, chopped
For beans: Saute onion through bell pepper on lightly sprayed non-stick skillet for five to seven minutes until onion is translucent.
Add kidney beans and water to a pot. Bring to a boil. Mash a few kidney beans with potato masher. Let simmer for five minutes. Add beans and broth to sauteed veggies. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
For kale: Add chopped kale and 1/4 cup water to pan. Cover and bring to a slight boil. Cook for 5 minutes until kale is tender.
To serve: Place a serving of quinoa on a plate. Top with red beans, nestle kale next to it. Enjoy!
I made Tofu a la Mexicana for breakfast and serve them on corn tortillas with a little bit of refried beans. Delicious! Here is the recipe:
Tofu a la Mexicana
1 plum tomato, chopped
1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 a small onion, chopped
3 white mushrooms, stems and outer covering removed, chopped
1 one-inch slice of extra firm tofu, squeezed in paper towel, and crumbled
sprinkle of turmeric
Lightly spray a non-stick skillet. Place all tomato and all vegetables in pan and stir. Saute gently for 5-7 minutes over medium-low heat until onion is translucent, pepper is dark green, tomato is cooked, and mushrooms have release their liquid. Add tofu and turmeric. Saute another 2 minutes or until heated through.
Serve on corn tortilla with a little slather of refried beans. Enjoy!
For dinner tonight I made a recipe from the Engine 2 diet book: Red Beans and Quinoa with Kale. It was very tasty.
Red Beans and Quinoa with Kale
1/2 of a small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup water
2 cups quinoa, prepared according to package directions
1 bunch kale, chopped
For beans: Saute onion through bell pepper on lightly sprayed non-stick skillet for five to seven minutes until onion is translucent.
Add kidney beans and water to a pot. Bring to a boil. Mash a few kidney beans with potato masher. Let simmer for five minutes. Add beans and broth to sauteed veggies. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.
For kale: Add chopped kale and 1/4 cup water to pan. Cover and bring to a slight boil. Cook for 5 minutes until kale is tender.
To serve: Place a serving of quinoa on a plate. Top with red beans, nestle kale next to it. Enjoy!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Day 17 - Classic Italian Minestrone
I went to the library last week and my niece found a book called The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna Klein. I skimmed through some of the recipes and found that the soup section is really good. I found a recipe for Classic Italian Minestrone and I thought I'd give it a try on Tuesday because we don't have any activities after school that day and the recipe looked somewhat long.
That minestrone took 1.5 hours to prepare! It tastes good, but not that good that it deserves that much attention given to it. Next time, I will make this on a Saturdy or Sunday. I made several substitutions and omissions which I think affected the taste. I substituted the dry cannellini beans with canned pinto beans, but it turns out that the pinto beans were already "seasoned." I rinsed them thoroughly, but they still had some weird after taste. I think that took away from the flavor. I also sauteed the vegetables in a lightly sprayed non-stick stockpot instead of using all the olive oil it calls for. I cut the recipe in half and omitted the celery since my husband is not a big fan of cooked celery. I think the recipe calls for a lot of onions and makes the final soup taste too oniony, but it's worth trying again I think, especially if I decide to follow the recipe verbatim.
Classic Italian Minestrone
1 cup dry cannellini beans
3 cups water
8 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, cut in rounds
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 28 oz. can diced plum tomatoes with juices
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, cubed
1 cup green beans, cut in sections
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 cups spinach, packed
2 zuchinni squash, cut in quarters lengthwise, and then chopped
Place the cannellini beans in 3 cups water overnight. Drain water. Place in stockpot with 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
While beans are cooking, heat a large stockpot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onions, carrots, celery and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes through salt and pepper. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add potatoes through green cabbage and simmer 10 minutes.
Add beans and juices, spinach, and zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
Enjoy!
That minestrone took 1.5 hours to prepare! It tastes good, but not that good that it deserves that much attention given to it. Next time, I will make this on a Saturdy or Sunday. I made several substitutions and omissions which I think affected the taste. I substituted the dry cannellini beans with canned pinto beans, but it turns out that the pinto beans were already "seasoned." I rinsed them thoroughly, but they still had some weird after taste. I think that took away from the flavor. I also sauteed the vegetables in a lightly sprayed non-stick stockpot instead of using all the olive oil it calls for. I cut the recipe in half and omitted the celery since my husband is not a big fan of cooked celery. I think the recipe calls for a lot of onions and makes the final soup taste too oniony, but it's worth trying again I think, especially if I decide to follow the recipe verbatim.
Classic Italian Minestrone
1 cup dry cannellini beans
3 cups water
8 cups vegetable broth, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 small onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 carrots, cut in rounds
4 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 28 oz. can diced plum tomatoes with juices
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper to taste
2 potatoes, cubed
1 cup green beans, cut in sections
2 cups green cabbage, shredded
2 cups spinach, packed
2 zuchinni squash, cut in quarters lengthwise, and then chopped
Place the cannellini beans in 3 cups water overnight. Drain water. Place in stockpot with 2 cups vegetable broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 45 minutes to an hour.
While beans are cooking, heat a large stockpot. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onions, carrots, celery and saute for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Add tomatoes through salt and pepper. Bring to a slow boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
Add potatoes through green cabbage and simmer 10 minutes.
Add beans and juices, spinach, and zuchinni and cook for 5 minutes or until all vegetables are tender.
Serve hot. Makes 8 servings.
Enjoy!
Day 16 - Leftover Chalupas
Today was crazy, in terms of food. I had more chalupas than I thought one person could eat. My family made tons of salsa this weekend and tons of beans so I had no choice. If I didn't eat the beans and salsa, they would go bad. Chalupas are sinfully delicious, anyway. It feels like you are eating junk food, but you're not, especially when you are skipping the cheese and sour cream. I had them for lunch and dinner today, but I think I'm done with them.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Day 15 - Easter Celebration!
My sister actually ended up telling my mom that we were not eating meat. At first my mom was very concerned for our health, but then slowly she started talking about her childhood in Mexico and the food they ate and started to relax more about our new way of eating. She remembered eating: Swiss chard in a tomato sauce, nopales with pico de gallo, potatoes sauted with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, beans a la charra with tortillas. She said they would only eat meat once a week. I was thrilled to get those recipes from her.
The next morning she made us a vegan breakfast: potatoes sauteed with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, refried beans with olive oil and onion, and corn tortillas. It was SO good! They had brisket, potato salad, and beans a la charra for Easter lunch. David and I had beans (my sister made them vegan - no bacon or sausage) with brown rice topped with guacamole, chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes and lettuce. That was good, too!
I am so excited that we were able to pull through a major holiday with everyone eating what they wanted to eat!
The next morning she made us a vegan breakfast: potatoes sauteed with tomatoes, onions, and peppers, refried beans with olive oil and onion, and corn tortillas. It was SO good! They had brisket, potato salad, and beans a la charra for Easter lunch. David and I had beans (my sister made them vegan - no bacon or sausage) with brown rice topped with guacamole, chopped cilantro, chopped tomatoes and lettuce. That was good, too!
I am so excited that we were able to pull through a major holiday with everyone eating what they wanted to eat!
Day 14 - The Meat-Eating Family Arrives
My parents, my sister, my little brother, and my two brothers, along with their families arrived today (Saturday) to start our Easter Weekend Celebration. I was a little nervous that I would end up eating meat just because it was around, but it turns out they were very accommodating!
Dinner Saturday night consisted of chalupas or tostadas (flat tortillas spread with refried beans and topped with guacamole, salsa, cilantro, lettuce and tomato.) They had chicken, cheese, and sour cream available for the animal product eaters in separate bowls so everyone could put whatever they wanted on their chalupas. David grilled shrimp and chicken and my mother made camarones al ajillo which is shrimp in garlic sauce. Honestly, the chalupas were so good that I was not tempted to eat anything else. Now if it had been the nasty salad night, I would've needed some assistance. :)
Dinner Saturday night consisted of chalupas or tostadas (flat tortillas spread with refried beans and topped with guacamole, salsa, cilantro, lettuce and tomato.) They had chicken, cheese, and sour cream available for the animal product eaters in separate bowls so everyone could put whatever they wanted on their chalupas. David grilled shrimp and chicken and my mother made camarones al ajillo which is shrimp in garlic sauce. Honestly, the chalupas were so good that I was not tempted to eat anything else. Now if it had been the nasty salad night, I would've needed some assistance. :)
Day 13 - Portobello Curry with Green Rice
After the disappointing salad we had last night, I was ready to try something different today. The kids and David were on their day off from school and we had time to go shop together at the grocery store. David is not a big fan of curry, but I had seen a recipe for Portobello Curry with Green Rice in Better Homes and Gardens (All Vegetable - Grand Prize Winner) and decided to give it a try.
It has a lot of ginger and a lot of garlic and the recipe didn't say "divided" after it listed the ingredients to it's really my fault, but I ended up putting all the ginger and all the garlic into the green sauce for the rice but it turns out that you need 1/2 for the sauce and 1/2 for the curry. Bummer. I also forgot to add the peanuts at the end, but it was still really good.
Portobello Mushroom Curry with Green Rice
---------------------------------------------
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk, divided
1/2 cup cilantro
4 tablespoons minced ginger, divided
4 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, cut into slices
1/2 onion, chopped
1 serrano, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons, chopped peanuts
Cook brown rice according to package directions.
Blend until smooth 1/2 cup coconut milk, cilantro, 2 T. ginger, and 2 T. garlic. Stir into rice when done and stir to blend.
Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Lightly spray with canola oil. Saute onions and pepper for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup coconut milk and stir until well blended. Add tomatoes and stir until heated through.
To serve, spoon rice onto a place. Top with curry. Sprinkle peanuts on top.
Delicious!
It has a lot of ginger and a lot of garlic and the recipe didn't say "divided" after it listed the ingredients to it's really my fault, but I ended up putting all the ginger and all the garlic into the green sauce for the rice but it turns out that you need 1/2 for the sauce and 1/2 for the curry. Bummer. I also forgot to add the peanuts at the end, but it was still really good.
Portobello Mushroom Curry with Green Rice
---------------------------------------------
1 cup brown rice
2 cups water
1 cup coconut milk, divided
1/2 cup cilantro
4 tablespoons minced ginger, divided
4 tablespoons minced garlic, divided
1 lb. portobello mushrooms, cut into slices
1/2 onion, chopped
1 serrano, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 tablespoons, chopped peanuts
Cook brown rice according to package directions.
Blend until smooth 1/2 cup coconut milk, cilantro, 2 T. ginger, and 2 T. garlic. Stir into rice when done and stir to blend.
Heat skillet on medium-high heat. Lightly spray with canola oil. Saute onions and pepper for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Add curry powder, red pepper flakes, and 1/2 cup coconut milk and stir until well blended. Add tomatoes and stir until heated through.
To serve, spoon rice onto a place. Top with curry. Sprinkle peanuts on top.
Delicious!
Day 12 - Nasty Salad
Not happy with the salad we made Thursday night. The recipes calls for hummus, orange juice, and balsamic vinegar to make a dressing, but it didn't taste that great on a salad that has cilantro. Yuck. Very disappointing meal today.
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Day 11 - Appetizers
We had a good friend over for dinner last night and I panicked a little bit at first. What am I going to serve them????!!! But then I realized the kids would eat pasta with butter and parmesan and the adults would eat it with tomato sauce, too. I already had whole wheat in the fridge from the night before so I just needed to make some fresh for the guests and the kids. Plus, I rounded that out with a salad with champagne dressing. I added parmesan cheese to their plates and kept ours vegan. It was a good meal!!! (I felt comfortable serving this to my friend because we are really good friends and she doesn't care what I serve!)
For appetizers, I served cut up veggies with homemade healthy hummus. My guests loved it. I also made fresh salsa and served that with Baked Lay's tostitos. First I thought I would purchase the stuff, but it turns out I had all the ingredients already and it's easy to make those two things.
Healthy Home-made Hummus (from Engine 2 book):
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamari
Place all in blender and pulse until smooth. You might need to add a little more water (by the tablespoon) to make sure you achieve a smooth consistency. Serve with whole wheat pita or fresh veggies.
Home-made Salsa:
4 roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/4 of a small onion
10 cilanto sprigs
juice of two lemons
Place in food processor and pulse two or three times until it looks chunky. This is salsa fresca.
You can also first boil tomato, garlic, and pepper in 1/2 cup water. Then put in blender (not food processor) with every thing else and blend until smooth. This is regular salsa.
If you want divine salsa (as I call it): Add 1 avocado to either one, but use blender not food processor. Wow!
Serve with baked chips.
Enjoy!
For appetizers, I served cut up veggies with homemade healthy hummus. My guests loved it. I also made fresh salsa and served that with Baked Lay's tostitos. First I thought I would purchase the stuff, but it turns out I had all the ingredients already and it's easy to make those two things.
Healthy Home-made Hummus (from Engine 2 book):
1 can of chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon tamari
Place all in blender and pulse until smooth. You might need to add a little more water (by the tablespoon) to make sure you achieve a smooth consistency. Serve with whole wheat pita or fresh veggies.
Home-made Salsa:
4 roma tomatoes
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 serrano or jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/4 of a small onion
10 cilanto sprigs
juice of two lemons
Place in food processor and pulse two or three times until it looks chunky. This is salsa fresca.
You can also first boil tomato, garlic, and pepper in 1/2 cup water. Then put in blender (not food processor) with every thing else and blend until smooth. This is regular salsa.
If you want divine salsa (as I call it): Add 1 avocado to either one, but use blender not food processor. Wow!
Serve with baked chips.
Enjoy!
Day 10 - Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce
I love making big batches of food for dinner because I get to eat that for lunch the next day! (And it gives me one less thing to plan.) :)
Tonight's meal was whole wheat spaghetti with store bought tomato sauce. I'm a big fan of Newman's Sockarooni. It does have sugar listed as an igredient, but I don't eat it that often so I don't think it's a problem.
We also had a garden salad sprinkled with lemon juice and black pepper. Delicious and fast!
Tonight's meal was whole wheat spaghetti with store bought tomato sauce. I'm a big fan of Newman's Sockarooni. It does have sugar listed as an igredient, but I don't eat it that often so I don't think it's a problem.
We also had a garden salad sprinkled with lemon juice and black pepper. Delicious and fast!
Day 9 - Missing Scrambled Eggs!!!!
My diet until now has always been animal-based. It seems like almost every meal involved some type of meat, egg, or dairy product. That was especially true for breakfast meals: eggs, bacon, etc.
I am finding that eating vegan breakfast can still be tasty but I do miss my eggs for breakfast. I made a couple of tofu scrambles for David last week but I did not try them. I guess I am going to have to get over the tofu fear. The tofu steak was a good first step in doing that. It was actually really good that way.
Monday night we had leftover bean chili for dinner. The kids had a pizza party for Nati's soccer team and they ate cheese pizza. I thought I would be craving it, but I didn't. That's the cool thing about this diet. I always feel satiated!
I am finding that eating vegan breakfast can still be tasty but I do miss my eggs for breakfast. I made a couple of tofu scrambles for David last week but I did not try them. I guess I am going to have to get over the tofu fear. The tofu steak was a good first step in doing that. It was actually really good that way.
Monday night we had leftover bean chili for dinner. The kids had a pizza party for Nati's soccer team and they ate cheese pizza. I thought I would be craving it, but I didn't. That's the cool thing about this diet. I always feel satiated!
Day 8 - Three Bean Chili
Sundays are always so much fun. We go to church and then come home to cook a big meal. This weekend, we made delicious sandwiches for lunch made with wheat bread, avocado, spinach, sprouts, cilantro, tomato, and cucumbers. Sprinkle a little Ms. Dash's Lemon pepper seasoning, some lemon, and cracked pepper and enjoy!!!!
For dinner, I always feel like we have to eat something "warm." I had been eyeing a recipe in cooking light magazine for vegeterian three-bean chili. I also found a recipe for this chili in the E2 book so I combined the two and came up with this delicious meal:
Three-Bean Chili
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 apple, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chili
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
Saute onion through jalapeno pepper on lightly sprayed non-stick skillet until tender. Add bay leaf and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!!!!
For dinner, I always feel like we have to eat something "warm." I had been eyeing a recipe in cooking light magazine for vegeterian three-bean chili. I also found a recipe for this chili in the E2 book so I combined the two and came up with this delicious meal:
Three-Bean Chili
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 bay leaf
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn, drained
1 apple, chopped
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chili
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses
Saute onion through jalapeno pepper on lightly sprayed non-stick skillet until tender. Add bay leaf and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Enjoy!!!!
Day 7 - Tofu Steak?
Saturday was a busy day so I had no time to really plan meals. That's a bad idea when you are not eating mainstream food. We got home late and I took a look at the fridge: tofu, kale, leftover brown rice, and sweet potatoes. Hmmmm. Then I remembered looking at some recipes in the Engine 2 book that used kale and sweet potatoes so I took a looksy and lo and behold, I found a recipe for Tofu Steak?! Tofu what?! Yup, steak. I had tofu already. Why not experiment?
I ended up making tofu steak served over steamed kale, with a side of brown rice topped with tamari and nutritional yeast, and sweet potato rounds. It was good! I love eating a full plate and not feeling totally bloated afterwards. I also love being able to actually taste the vegetables now that they are not covered up with salt, sugar, or butter. So here is the recipe (all from the Engine 2 diet):
For the Tofu steak:
Slice a lb. of extra firm tofu into six sections. Rinse and squeeze between paper towels to remove moisture. Place in ziploc with tamari and cracked black pepper. Let marinade for 15 minutes while you prep the other food. Then heat a non-stick skillet until you drops of water evaporate on contact. Add tofu steaks and cook five minutes per side until browned.
For Kale:
Rinse and chopped 1 bunch kale. Place in non-stick pot with 1/4 cup water, cover and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until kale is wilted and tender (3-5 minutes).
For Sweet Potato Rounds:
Rinse and cut sweet potato into round sections about 1/2 inch thick. Place on lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 15 minutes. Uncover, flip to other side, and bake uncovered for another 10 minutes or until tops have browned.
For brown rice: Prepare according to package directions. When serving, top with a little Tamari (soy sauce), and a little nutritional yeast. This is not from the E2 book. My daughter's preschool serves this as a snack.
To serve: Place kale on plate. Place tofu steak on kale. Sprinkle steak with chopped green onions. Next to kale place brown rice sprinkled with tamari and nutritional yeast. Serve sweet potato rounds next to that.
Enjoy!
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