I haven't had a chance to write in here because I have been busy with nephew in the hospital (what are the odds that you could have two family members in the hospital the same month for the the same reason - MRSA? weird.) and I am chairing our school's spring festival, but also I haven't written in here because suddenly, being vegan doesn't seem so foreign to me any more.
I used to stress about what I was going to eat every day. I had to plan out a menu for that day and now it feels like I can just open the fridge and figure out something to eat. I love that!
Over the last 10 days since my last post, we have gone camping while maintaining our vegan way of life, much to our neighbor's chagrin. They kept calling us "the hippies" because were making our own veggie burgers on the campfire. :)
We have also signed up with Greenling.com to get fresh, local produce delivered right to our door every Tuesday morning. I am loving this easy eating!
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Day 38 - Fried Noodles
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.
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.
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.
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