Use Your Noodle!

I was never a fan of noodle dishes when I ate at Chinese restaurants. Why would I get lo mein when I could have sweet and sour chicken? I am also not the biggest fan of soup so would avoid those dishes like the plague. Now that I no longer delight in chicken, it was time to give serious thought to noodles. Right off the bat I love the look of udon noodles, like thicker, soft spaghetti. Second, the brand I bought was fully cooked and came in two packages so I didn't need to cook more than what I needed for myself. (I'm kicking myself right now because I can't find the picture of the package!) The finished product of this lightly fried dish was heaven and I was so happy to have some leftover for lunch the next day. It re-heated very well in the microwave.

I've adapted this recipe from "The Kind Diet" with my changes in green. [side note: the following pictures reflect the recipe as written with a few additions. I did not limit the paprika as I suggest you do]

Fried Udon Noodles

(serves 2)

1 8-oz package udon noodles

2 T olive oil

2 c sliced green cabbage

1 c half-moon onion slices

2 t finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 T sweet paprika (1 T or 2 t paprika, depending on your taste)

1 T low-sodium Tamari

salt & pepper to taste

chopped parsley to garnish

1. Cook udon noodles as per package directions and set aside. (This is where I used the Tamari. I think I will heat them in water first instead so they don't fry as long, then add the Tamari to the cabbage when I add the onions).

2. Heat 1 T oil in large skillet or wok over medium heat. (I'm so excited, I just got a wok at IKEA for $4!!! I can't wait to use it next time). Add cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally, until very tender, about 15 minutes. Add a teaspoon or so of water to the pan if the cabbage begins to stick or burn.

3. Heat the remaining oil over medium-high in a separate pan. Add onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook until onions are translucent, again add a teaspoon of water if the onions start to stick. (This may be hard to tell when the onions are ready. The paprika really coats those suckers! I would give it about 5-8 minutes). 

3. Add onion mixture to the cabbage and stir to combine. Add drained noodles and toss together until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve!

I really shouldn't have put this in a red bowl, but you get the idea. It was so delicious!! This is a great recipe for Meatless Monday or a quick dinner.

It's Pronounced Nj-okie

Is there something better than gnocchi on the planet? Okay, that may be a totally false statement but it doesn't detract for the fact that I love these little Italian potato dumplings. I've always wanted to make them at home but they seemed labor intensive, not to mention space intensive. Lucky me to discover you can by pre-made gnocchi at better food stores. These came from Central Market and were chosen for the soul reason that there were more ingredients I recognized and the Nutritional label was a bit better (in terms of salt, fat, etc).

They were also super simple to make, though if you are trying gnocchi for the first time it could be tricky. It's hard to tell when these suckers are ready! I topped mine with some sauteed garlic and homemade pesto. So yummy!

What to do with leftovers? I combined them with a bit more olive oil, cheese (Italian blend) and topped with breadcrumbs to bake at about 350 for about 10 minutes or until the cheese was melted and the bread crumbs crisp. Pretty yummy. I would have loved a bit more sauce in the baked version and will probably make a light, vegan white sauce next time. If only I had white wine on hand that night...

Mock Chicken Salad

I've kind of been obsessed with mock-chicken salad for a while now. It was one of my favorite sandwiches back when I ate meat but for some reason I haven't tried making it now. Whole Foods makes a nice one, but it tastes a lot like soy which is kind of a turn off. I think I have finally figured it out! Let me know what you think.

Mock-Chicken Salad

2 pcs Quorn Naked Chik'n Breast, diced

2-2 1/2 slices of extra firm tofu, 3/4" thick

1/4 c celery, small dice

1/2 carrot, small dice

1/4 sm onion, small dice

1/4 t celery seed

1/2 t tarragon (flakes or a small bunch diced)

3 T Veganaise

salt & pepper to taste

Cut 2-3 slices of extra firm tofu about 3/4" thick. Loosely wrap in paper towel and press for about 20-30 minutes. You want most of the moisture gone but still a bit damp.

In the mean time, chop your veggies and defrost your Quorn Chik'n Breasts. Next, combine all ingredients except Veganaise, salt & pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly mix in 1 T of Vegainaise at a time until you reach the desired consistency. I prefer my salad a bit on the dry side. No one likes a soggy sandwich! Salt & pepper to taste.

You can always slather some more mayo on toast when you make up your sandwiches. I like to sprinkle it with a bit of Cajun seasoning as well (I skip the added salt in the recipe).

Enjoy!

When You're On The Go!

I have been super lazy about cooking recently. I think it was the heat, or at least that's what I'm blaming! I am excited about some awesome products I've recently discovered. I wonder if it's like this for all people transitioning into a vegetarian diet, but I've become obsessed with the array of easy, meat free, processed foods available to me. The whole point was to eat more organically and naturally, and now I can't stop thinking about Quorn breaded chik'n breasts.

Quorn is a UK brand of meat and soy free products (though not vegan as some contain eggs). It is made from mycoprotein which is a type of fungus like mushrooms or truffles. So far, this product is the closest in taste and texture to chicken that I've had. That is not to say it actually tastes like chicken, it doesn't, but the texture is more enjoyable than other products on the market. It is low in fat and cholesterol, and high in protein. Yum! I've tried the Chik'n Nuggets, Naked Chicken, and Garlic & Herb Chik'n Cutlets. All are delicious and easy to incorporate into any meal. I've made mock chicken salad with the naked chicken and it's a great sub in your recipes. I cannot wait to try the meatballs, turkey roast, and stuffed chik'n breasts. (Watch out Mom & Dad! This is what I'm bringing to Thanksgiving dinner). Now, if only they had coupons...

I am also obsessed with Newman's Own Organics Ginger O's. My sister turned me on to these and I've tried to be "good" and not buy them but my resolve wore out. These cookies (hell, the whole line or Newman's Own) is delicious and the profits after taxes go to charity. I love that they use organic ingredients, are free from trans fats, and taste delicious. You can have your cookie and eat it too! You can find coupons for Newman's Own here.

The other night, I tried WestSoy Seitan strips in a Szechuan style stir fry. As of now, the company website only lists their soy milk products so I'm not listing it here. It's weird and I don't know why they would ignore the other half of their catalog. Oh well... The stir fry was awesome! I was inspired by the scechuan style string beans I had from my favorite Chinese take out place. The sauce is spicy and delicious. Here's what I did to the best of my memory:

Brown the seitan strips in a bit of peanut oil, then set aside on a paper towel to drain. In a small pot, par boil green beans and chopped carrots. Add a bit more oil to the pan and add sliced onion, garlic clove, and orange pepper until tender. Add vegetable stock, hot sauce, tamari (or low sodium soy sauce), red pepper flakes, and a touch of flour to thicken. When reduced by half, add the green beans, carrots, and seitan. Saute until coated and serve with rice or quinoa.

Super yum and easy!

Which brings me to my last obsession: Tamari. I first heard about it in "The Kind Diet" and have been loyal ever since. Tamari is a richer, more complex, gluten free Japanese shoyu. My favorite brand is San-J which is available at most major groceries, Whole Foods, and Asian markets. It has a depth of dimension or umami (thanks Iron Chef!). Trust me when I tell you, you will never want soy sauce again!

Egg Salad & Curry...

... But not in that order.

My sister sent my this recipe for No Egg Egg Salad that she was addicted to during her month long vegan experiment. According to her, you can eat this for days and it is delicious. I decided to try my hand as I've been missing sandwiches something fierce. Cucumbers and cream cheese is delicious but not necessarily the most nutritious. It is important to note that not all silken tofu is created equally. I had no idea there was both soft and firm style so of course I bought the wrong kind. I basically made soup. The firm silken tofu is not refrigerated and is in a small cardboard box. Let me know if you try this and how it was!

No Egg Egg Salad
1 cucumber diced small
1 carrot diced small
1/2 package Mori-nu silken tofu, extra firm, diced a little larger
1/4-1/2 c Veganaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
caraway seeds to taste
salt and pepper

mix together and enjoy!

***************************************************************

Last night I decided to finally make the couscous I bought ages ago, but what to put with it? I haven't made curry in a while and I really wanted to get a bunch of veggies on the plate. I forgot to take pictures, but will try to get a good one of the leftovers. This is super easy, rustic, and easy to adapt to whatever fresh vegs you have. I will say, I like my curry hot to desi hot so you may need to adjust some of the ratios.

Couscous with Vegetable Curry
Serves 2

For the couscous:
1 c couscous (I get it in the bulk foods section)
1 c water
1c vegetable broth
Salt and pepper to taste

For the vegetables:
1 T extra virgin olive oil
1/3 c onions, large dice
1 clove garlic, diced
1 medium white potato, cubed
1 carrot, chopped
½ c green beans (or 1/3 12 oz can)
1 Roma tomato, seeded and chopped
1 T tomato paste
½ c water or vegetable broth
½ t curry powder (get a quality one)
½ t hot paprika
½ t red pepper flakes
¼ t ground coriander
1 t Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sauce pot, bring the water and broth to a boil. Gradually stir in the couscous to avoid clumping. Reduce to a simmer and cook 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cover and remove from heat. Let sit about 15-20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Bring water to a boil in a small sauce pot. Add potato and par boil, about 4-6 minutes. If using fresh green beans add them as well.

Meanwhile, in a medium to large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until just soft. Add the carrots and cook until they begin to get tender, about 4 minutes. Drain and add the potatoes and the rest of the veggies. Toss in red pepper flakes. Let cook about 5-7 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Add spices, Worcestershire, tomato paste, and ½ of the water/broth. Bring to a simmer. If there is not enough broth, add the rest of the water/broth. Cook until the liquid begins to reduce and thicken up, about 5-7 minutes.

Fluff couscous with a fork and pile into a bowl or deep plate. Top with veggies and enjoy!

Risotto-A-Go-Go!

Is any one word more horror inducing than "risotto"? It evokes a painful and languorous process that sucks the soul from the living. In reality, it is a simple and delicious way to cook starch's. Sure, this cannot be done in 15 minutes, but the small amount of time you do spend is sure to produce fantastic results! Once mastered, the options are limitless.

Risotto is a cooking style where the rice (or other starch) is slowly cooked in liquid while stirring. The stirring releases the starch from the rice and thickens the sauce. When you're done, you are left with a creamy treat that will satisfy any craving.

Last night I made the most amazing risotto, my best one yet! I was inspired to try something new while watching "Chuck's Day Off" on the Cooking Channel. He made a risotto with potatoes and I thought, "Genius!"
[As always, I rarely measure anything, preferring to "eyeball it" and simply knowing how much 1c or 1T looks like. Please keep this in mind.]

Potato Risotto w/Beans
serves 3-4 as a side, 1-2 as main

1 medium white potato, cubed
1/2 c arborio rice
4-5 c vegetable broth
2 T olive oil, extra virgin
2 T vegan butter
1/4 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/4 c spinach, chiffonade
1/4 c green beans, cut in 2-3 bits
Vegan Parmesan (4-5 shakes)
1 T soft silken tofu
salt & pepper

In a small sauce pan, par boil the potato until just soft, about 2 minutes. Drain and set aside. Then, cook green beans until almost soft, about 2 minutes. Set aside. In same pan, bring broth up to a boil, then reduce to barely a simmer. The idea is to get it hot but not to cook it.

In a large sauce pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft, about 2-3 minutes. Add rice and stir until opaque, about 2 minutes. Add potato and stir.

Now, to risotto: Turn up heat to high/medium high. Ladle in about 1/2 c of broth to the rice (this is 1-2 full ladles) and stir. The liquid should come to a slow boil then simmer as you stir. Once the liquid is absorbed, add another ladle. You must stir frequently or risk the rice sticking and burning on the bottom of the pan. If you must divert your attention, add a second ladle of liquid.

When you have about 1 c left of broth, add the green beans. Keep adding liquid until it is all absorbed.
[This is a great time to taste the rice. Is it hard or crunchy? If so, keep adding liquid until fully cooked.]

When your rice is cooked, add the tofu, butter, Parmesan, and spinach. Salt and pepper to taste. Stir together well. Serve!

For the crispy shallots:

In a small frying pan, heat 2 T oil. Cut about 3 slices from the shallot. Toss in whole wheat flour and add to frying pan. Give them about 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain. Garnish!

Risotto should be served immediately and does not reheat well. My favorite thing to do with leftovers is make risotto cakes. Heat oil in a large frying pan. Roll riotto into a ball, about 2", then roll in whole wheat flour and breadcrumbs. Fry and serve. You can also bake these, but I haven't tried that yet.

I hope you enjoy. Recipe cards are available, just leave me a comment and I'll email it to you. Let me know how your risotto turns out. Have you ever made it before? What's your favorite kind?

Take Action!

~ A recipe note: My sister tried to make my vegan chocolate chip cookies last night and they were a disaster. While going over the recipe with her we found two things she did differently from me. Here's what we discovered in case you have your own troubles with cookies (and who wants that?): She used two Earth Balance sticks of butter while I used the tub butter and "eyeballed" 1/2 cup in a measuring cup. Using two sticks (the Earth Balance ones appear smaller than other margarine or butters) was too much and her cookies were flat as a pancake. Also, when creaming the butter, I did everything by hand while she used a mixer. I can't imagine that had much to do with her cookies flattening, but thought I would share as well. In the end, your mixture should look crumbly (kinda like apple crumble pie crust) and not smooth like packaged cookie dough. It will smooth out from the heat in your hands when you roll them into balls.

Have you tried any recipes listed here? Successes? Failures??

~ I just learned about Preserve Products through The Kind Life website and have fallen in love! I can't wait to get paid and buy a bunch of Tupperware and travel ware from them. All of their products are made from 100% recycled plastic and paper. You can even send your old (preserve) toothbrushes back to be recycled. Kinda gross, but also kinda cool. The pricing is pretty great. Has anyone tried any of their products before?

~ The UN is now advising a vegan diet for the world. The reason is simple: By 2050 there will be an estimated 9.1 billion people on this planet (WOW) and a diet high in meat and dairy will no longer be sustainable. We can help now by eating more veggies (organic of course!) and less meat in our diets. Besides, it just feels better!

~ I just signed this Petition asking for the end of arsenic laced animal feed. Who wants to ingest that?!

~ I started eating better in an attempt to get healthier and avoid the gym. Part of what inspired me was my sister (the vegetarian- vegan for June!) and my friend shine (vegan for April and now mostly vegan). I never thought I would be put on this list, but the other day I had a conversation with a friend who revealed she too had recently started thinking about the way she eats and how to make changes. She said speaking to me about how easy it has been and seeing my success has motivated her. To date, she has lost 12 lbs and looks amazing just by becoming veggie friendly. It really made me feel good to hear that someone is listening and that change happens everyday. Do any of you have any success stories?

Recipe: Lavender Pound Cake

I love Philosophy products. They smell great and are economical (a 16 oz body wash/shampoo/bubble bath is $16 and lasts forever). I've had this scent in my shower for a couple years now and it's maybe half way gone. It's sweet without making my teeth hurt, and feminine yet not juvenile. Every time I use it, I stare at the recipe on the label (all the food related scents have one) and dream about the day when I might tackle baking. Well, no more!

The recipe calls for dried lavender blossoms, but I have no idea where you would find those. Maybe a fancy baking/sweet shop would have them and I'm sure you can order them online, but they are just not available at my local Whole Foods or Central Market. What I was delighted to find where the leaves and stems of the flower. They are not available year round. I would have thought autumn would be a better to find them, but whatever. I picked up a bundle and off I went. Below is the recipe as it appears on the bottle with my adjustments in green.

Lavender Pound Cake

2 c flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

1/2 t baking powder

2 sticks butter, softened (I used Earth Balance margarine sticks. I prefer the soy free blend but it seems to only be available in tub form and I learned my lesson last time- super messy)

1 c sugar

1 1/4 t lavender blossoms, dried (I used about 3 t fresh leaves which I baked in the oven for a couple minutes then chopped)

4 eggs (next time I'm going totally vegan and using egg replacer or silken tofu)

1/2 t lemon zest

1/2 c milk (soy milk)

Preheat oven to 325 and lightly grease an 8x4x2 1/2 pan (basically a loaf pan. I used parchment paper because I saw Martha Stewart do it once and the cake comes right out)

Sift flour and baking powder, set aside.

Cream butter. Add lavender, sugar, and zest. Beat until light in colour and texture. Add eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add 1/2 flour and mix. Add milk. Fold in remaining flour. Pour into loaf pan.

Bake about 1 hour then cool on a wire rack.

To go with it, I made some simple icing:
1 c confectioners sugar slowly mixed into 2 T warm milk (soy milk). Drizzle over top and let cool.

It was so delicious! Watch out this holiday season because everyone is getting one!

Let me know how if turns out if you make it!

"C" is Still for Cookie

Upon eating many of these cookies yesterday, my father called me up and proclaimed the 12th of each month Cookie Day. He then put in a future (and somewhat crazy) order for cookies once a month.

I have NEVER been a baker, that was always my sisters department. I couldn't be bothered with measuring cups and spoons, hand mixers, stand-up mixers (I so wish I had the counter space or the check book to get one of these), flour everywhere, etc. I liked cooking savory dishes, the kind where you might skim the recipe then forget to add half the ingredients. It's more forgiving than baking. However, since I'm trying to eat well and limit processed foods to things I actually need (like veggie sausages) I knew I would have to give in to baking eventually. What's most shocking is I'm not that bad at it!

The following is my recipe for vegan chocolate chip cookies. I've made them a couple different ways and the variations will be listed in green. They are great for gifts, parties, or guilty pleasure treats! Printable recipe cards available on request

1c + 2T Pre-Sifted Flour (I like wheat, but any healthy grain flour is okay- no pastry flour)

1/2t Baking Soda

1/2t Baking Powder (optional for chewier cookies)

1/2t Salt (optional)

1/2c Vegan Butter (I like Earth Balance. It's got a great buttery taste and no trans fats)

1/3c White Sugar

1/3c Light Brown Sugar, firmly packed

1t Vanilla Extract

1T EVOO + 1/2t water (you can substitute any healthy oil here)

6 oz Vegan Chocolate Chips

* Add 1/2 c of your favorite crushed nuts like pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts, etc

* For Chocolate Chocolate Chip (my favorite), add 1T Cocoa or Carob powder (Do not use Hot Cocoa mix!)

Pre-heat oven to 350 and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, and salt together. If you don't have a flour sifter, use two spoons like you were tossing a salad.

In another medium sized bowl, cream butter and sugar mixture together. Add vanilla, oil, and water and mix well. Combine wet and dry ingredients together. Add chocolate chips, nuts, etc, and mix well. This is a fairly dry batter so don't fret, it's normal!

Using your hands, shape cookies into balls anywhere from ping pong size or smaller (approximately 1T-1t size). Place on cookie sheets allowing at least 1 1/2 inch room between cookies. Bake 10-12 minutes or until slightly brown around edges.

Enjoy!!

Tempeh Piccata- the whole recipe!

~ It's come to my attention that the recipe cards are not opening or not opening in larger formats, making them difficult to read. I am working on this problem, however, if you ever want me to email the recipes to you, I would be more than happy! Hopefully I can figure out what's going on and fix it! In the meantime, here is the recipe written out:



6 lg pieces of plain seitan 1c. dry white wine
Whole wheat flour for dredging 1/4c fresh lemon juice
1/4 c EVOO 1 c vegetable broth
1/2 c diced shallot 2 T unbleached flour
1/2 c diced onion 2 T soy margarine
1 t chopped garlic 1 c chopped parsley (or 2 T dried)
1/4 c drained capers 1/2 t sea salt and black pepper

Dredge seitan in whole wheat flour and shake off excess. If using tempeh, press it flat (I like using a plate for this), then dredge. Heat 2 T EVOO over high heat in a lg skillet. Add seitan and saute until crisp and golden, about 30 sec per side. Transfer to serving platter.

Heat remaining oil in same skillet. Add shallots, onion, garlic, capers, and saute until soft, about 1-2 min. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until reduced by half. Whisk in lemon and cook until reduced further, 1-2 min.

Whisk in broth and flour, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1-2 min to thicken. Whisk in margarine, parsley, salt and pepper. Pour over seitan and serve immediately.

Bon Appetite!

Piccata Me Crazy!

Ever since I read "The Kind Diet" I've been dying to try her recipe for Seitan Piccata. Let me start by telling you that I love anything piccata- veal, chicken, whatever. You cover anything with a lightly creamy lemon wine sauce and it becomes heaven. Since drastically cutting down on my consumption of meat, I thought my favorite Italian dish was lost to me forever.

My biggest problem turned out to be finding large pieces of seitan. It seems my Whole Foods and Central Market are often sold out. Urgh! Instead, I decided to live dangerously and substitute tempeh; plus, I'd never had it before so it would be an adventure all around. Tempeh comes in several flavors and can be found pre-marinated. I chose a 5-grain version for my piccata. The other most important ingredient is the wine. A dry white wine works best and you don't have to spend a lot of money! My newest discovery is Vieux Papes, Frances most popular table wine. (Sorry, the website is in French; so dust off your high school French-English dictionary!) You can purchase these wines at Whole Foods and they typically run around $5-6.

The whole thing came out perfectly! It was so delicious and creamy, fast and easy. The only thing I would change next time is to cut the tempeh in half width wise or try to press it out and make it thinner. I wanted a bit more crunch than was afforded me from an inch and a half piece of tempeh. Hopefully next time, I can make it with seitan (and not have to worry about so much soy).

Just to top things off and play devil's advocate, I also made vegan chocolate chip cookies. The recipe was adapted from an old cook book (possibly Better Homes & Gardens??). I'll post the full recipe soon when I make another batch, but the conversion was really simple: 1 T of olive oil for the egg, whole wheat flour instead of all purpose, and vegan chocolate chips. Everyone loved them, even my Dad who commissioned another batch with pecans. I think I'll make chocolate chocolate chip cookies in a partially vain attempt to use up the giant container of carob powder I have. Wish me luck!

Full recipe here.

My Intro to Baking

Last Monday was WWQTW?, the monthly intro to film/movie club I started. I was so excited to try a recipe for vegan brownies I found in "The Kind Diet" by Alicia Silverstone. The book is a great introduction to vegan living and has some amazing recipes. Even a "flirt" like me found around 30 different things I wanted to try. I was also curious to see if I could pass these brownies off as the "real thing".

The biggest shock was all of the new things I needed to buy to make the brownies. It didn't dawn on me until I was in Whole Foods that I needed just about everything in the recipe. The great thing about recipes from TKD is that there is an online community and forum that you can visit to get more info, hear success stories (and failures), and seek support. It's pretty cool. Not being much of a baker, let alone a vegan one, I checked on the site for any help/info making my brownies. It's a good thing I did as several readers had problems with the recipe. Thankfully, I didn't experience most of what they did.

Salad Daze

**Meatless Monday is moving to Tuesday this week in anticipation of my trip to Spiral Diner. Also, I may have eaten some delicious venison Swedish meatballs for lunch...***

This was the most amazing salad I may have ever had that didn't include grilled chicken or steak! Everything but the kitchen sink is in there: Romaine lettuce, arugula, cucumber, carrots, onion, Italian cheese blend, and homemade guacamole. I toasted 1/2 of an Ezekiel pita pocket for some added crunch.

For the guac (makes about 2 servings):

I also love to make my own salad dressings. It's so easy, and they taste fresh and vibrant. My favorite is a zesty shallot dressing:

In a small bowl or glass jar with lid, steep 1/2 diced shallot in 1/2 t red wine vinegar and 1/2 t balsamic. Add fresh or dried herbs like parsley, thyme, basil- anything you've got! Mix in 1 t quality mustard (I like a spicy German mustard with red wine). Salt and pepper to taste. Let sit at room temperature, covered, for at least 15 minutes but up to a couple hours. Before serving, whisk in 1/2 c olive oil (or any other healthy oil that you like). Viola! Spicy, zesty, and Delicious!

I found another use for my Field Roast sausages: pizza! I bought a couple whole wheat Italian herb pizza crusts at Whole Foods and topped it with sliced "sausage", tomato sauce, chopped artichoke hearts, roasted red bell pepper, and cheese. The whole thing bakes for about 20 minutes. I realize this is a massive load of Nightshades, but I don't eat a lot of them to begin with so I'm not as concerned. Click the link above for more info on the possible health risks from eating nightshades (i.e. potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, eggplant, etc).

All it was missing was some arugula or another green to put on top. Yum!

Wednesday I'll be back with my full review of my first vegan dining experience with my gal shine . So excited!

Soup du Jour!

There's something adorable about boxed soups- I love them! They take up less space in my cabinet and can be easily refrigerated for future use without getting that tin can taste. Plus, they simply look gourmet. My favorite brand is Imagine, which is all organic and mostly vegan! Check out their website for more info including recipes and a coupon!

As much as I love the look of boxed soup, I'm not a big soup girl. The idea that it's a meal in itself never quite permeated my brain. Perhaps this has more to do with eating highly processed, salty canned soups as a child. What I love now, is dressing up a basic soup to make it heartier (if needed) or simply more interesting. The other day, dressed up my Imagine Potato and Leek soup with roasted red peppers and green onions. I thought about adding chunks of potatoes or leeks, but was in a bit of a hurry so I put it off for next time.

Roasting a red pepper at home is easy and incredibly messy. [side note: it turned into such an ordeal, I bought a jar of already roasted peppers the next time I was at whole foods.] I've never roasted a pepper at home, indoors, before but it looked simple enough. The hardest part was figuring out what recipe to use. I ended up placing my pepper directly on the rack under the broiler, turning it regularly until the skin was crisp and black (about 10 minutes). Then I wrapped it in a damp paper towel and let it cool before peeling the skin off. It's important that all the skin be charred and wrinkly or else this step will be a pain in the butt! An alternate method calls for baking the peppers on a cookie sheet in a 500 oven until charred.

Next, I diced the peppers and green onions and placed them on top. My garnish was a piece of toasted french bread with olive oil. Delish!

The next morning, I was determined to use more 0f my beautiful peppers, so I made a breakfast pita. have a told you about Ezekiel whole grain products? They are amazing! I've had the pita's several times. You buy them in the refrigerated or frozen food section, and can even keep them frozen until ready to eat.

For my breakfast pita, I heated the pita in a dry pan for a couple minutes each side. Set aside. Heat about 1-2 T of olive oil (or any kind of healthy oil- almond, sunflower, palm), then sauté diced onion and roasted red pepper until soft. In a bowl, scramble two eggs with a dash of milk, salt, and pepper. Add to vegetables in pan. It's important to let the eggs sit for a bit in the pan. Stirring them constantly breaks the protein apart and ruins them. In my pita, I spread a bit of guacamole and sour cream. Because I can't help myself, I sprinkled some Cajun seasoning in one of the pita pockets- yum! Just before the eggs are done, add a bit of shredded cheese then spoon the mixture into your pita pockets. So good! My secret weapon- Taco Bell hot sauce. Add it when you do the cheese and it's amazing.

What are your favorite soups?

Chipotle Breakfast Quesadillas

My new lifestyle calls for eating a hell of a lot less meat, so I went in search of decent meat substitutes immediately. Based on several online recommendations, the product I was looking for was called Field Roast Grain Meat Co. It didn't sound very appetizing, "grain meat", but I learned it just refers to their blend of "Mien Ching" and "Seitan" that substitutes for traditional meat. As the "original grain meat" creators, they offer everything from sausages to loafs to cutlets to cheese! You can purchase their products at most health food stores like Whole Foods and Central Market.

Wednesday, I downloaded their recipe for their Chorizo-Style Breakfast Quesadilla and cracked open my package of Mexican Chipotle Sausage. The first thing I noticed of the bat was that the spice mixture used in the sausages turned my fingers and cutting board orange ( I later noticed it left it's trace around my mouth as well- uck). The scent was enticing, but the texture was much tougher than beef sausage. It took a lot more pressure to cut into it, which made my bowels nervous for later. Not to worry, everything turned out fine. (And that is my contribution to the TMI blogger movement!)

The recipe is super simple and could be manipulated to include, or exclude, any ingredients. Vegans- I bet tofu scramble would be an amazing substitute for the eggs and you can use vegan cheese too. Yum!

The recipe is a bit misleading though on how many this will feed and how best to present it in the tortilla. For the amounts shown I would use two tortillas, spread the filling over one and top with another. Then it will feed 2 people. For one person, I used half of the sausage and 1 egg plus 1 egg white when I made this again today for brunch. It fit in one tortilla a lot better and was still super delicious!
While I was aware the whole time I was not eating meat, it was delicious and filling. I can't remember the last time I wasn't hungry an hour after eating! I am definitely going to try the other flavors of sausage, and see if I can't find their cutlets as well.

Have you tried Field Roast? What did you like/dislike??

Meat Free Monday

[side note: I don't know why Blogger isn't working properly, but if the recipe doesn't show up let me know and I'll post it somewhere else.]

Since February, I have participated in Meat Free Monday (aka Meatless Monday) which was founded by the McCartney's (yes, of Beatles fame) to support environmental causes. From their website:

"Meat Free Monday is an environmental campaign to raise awareness of the climate-changing impact of meat production and consumption. Many people are unaware that livestock production is responsible for 18% of global greenhouse gas emissions – that’s more than the entire transport sector."

Forgoing meat every Monday turned out to be a lot hard than I anticipated, mostly because I often forgot it was Monday and had to have a meatless Tuesday instead. Whenever you choose to participate, the edict is clear- skipping meat one day a week will lessen pollution, better your own health, and bring attention to animal rights/causes. So easy! Meat Free Monday's website not only contains information and links to environmental causes but also delicious recipes. The U.S. version of MFM also has an email newsletter full of recipe ideas they will send you every Monday. You can sign up for it here.

Today's newsletter featured the cutest idea ever and I just have to share it with you: Green Eggs No Ham. I am totally making this for dinner tonight; I've even already made pesto so I'm ready to go!


My menu for today is:
Breakfast- Cantaloupe, tea
Lunch- Roasted sweet potatoes, salad
Dinner- Green Eggs No Ham, green beans, ??

On a sad note, I was so excited about the avocado's I purchased at Whole Foods Friday. All I could think about all day was avocado. Guacomole. Avocado Ranch dressing. Avocado salad.