Thursday, October 23, 2014

Eggplant Parmesan

Serves 4-5

cook 2 cups of rice -- keep separate

3 medium to small eggplants sliced lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick
3/4 cup daiya cheese
2 14oz cans crushed tomatoes -- or home made.  
1 1/2 cans tomato paste (5.5 oz) 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp sweetener
3 large garlic cloves minced

1-2 tsp salt
1/4 - 1/2 cup cornmeal (I used blue cornmeal)
1/4 - 1/2 cup flour (I used oat flour) 

3 tbsp olive oil

Mix together crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, sweetener and garlic, heat on the stove for 10-12 minutes.  

Cut the eggplant, spread them out and sprinkle them with salt, let them sit for 10 minutes, 

Combine cornmeal, flour and salt in a pan.

Rinse the eggplant in cold water, and pat down with a paper towel or let air dry for a couple of minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan. Coat each eggplant in flour mixture, and place on pan.  Let sizzle for 1-2 minutes or until light brown, flip until brown on the other side.

Take a large pan, and spread 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture on the bottom of the pan.
Layer eggplant on top, sprinkle daiya cheese, and another 1/4-1/2 cup of tomato sauce.
Layer another layer of eggplant, spread out the rest of the tomato mixture and sprinkle the rest of the cheese.

Put in the oven for 30-35 minutes at 375 degrees F.

Voila :)

Sunday, October 19, 2014

Buffalo style kidney beans

2 cans of kidney beans
2 tbsp of hot sauce ( sriracha)
1-2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp tamari
1/2 cup cashew cream (1/4 cup ground cashews mixed with just enough water to be thick)
1 tsp thyme
2-4 drops liquid smoke
sprinkle of salt.

Mix all ingredients in a pan until hot.

Serve on toasted bread, homemade bread, or toasted buns, serve with vegan ranch and carrot sticks :)

This recipe is super fast and super easy and loved by the guys.  

Masala Crepes with Tomato Chutney and (lemon poppy seed bars)

Potato Masala (to place on crepe)

5 potatoes chopped and steamed for 20 minutes
1 onion chopped
1 leek chopped (optional)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies chopped
1 1/2 tbsp ginger minced
1/4 cup coriander chopped
1/2 tsp turmeric
pinch of hing
salt

Saute mustard seeds in oil until they pop.  Add cumin seeds, onion and leek let sizzle for 1-2 minutes, then add green chillies and ginger.  Add the turmeric and hing, mix well.  Combine the potatoes and coriander stir and keep aside.

Tomato Chutney (this recipe needs a good blender or grinder):
4-5 small tomatoes
1 onion
3 chillies
pinch of hing
2 pieces of dry tamarind
1 tbsp oil
salt

Heat the oil, saute chillies and onion for a few minutes.  Add the tomatoes and hing.  Lightly salt. Keep cooking the tomatoes until they are soft and completely cooked.  Add mixture to a blender or grinder and add the tamarind.

Crepes (good blender needed):
3 cups water
3/4 cup dates
1/4 cup dried currents (dates and currents can be replaced with raisins if needed)
1 cup buckwheat flour (I at first put 1/2 oat and 1/2 cup gluten free flour mixture, but the crepes weren't binding, I added 1 cup of buckwheat flour and it helped a lot)
2/3 cup cashews
small handful of sesame seeds
handful of pumpkin seeds
1 tbsp sunflower seeds (all the seeds unnecessarily but can add a cup of nuts/seeds of your choice instead of cashews through sunflower seeds)
2 tbsp flaxseeds
pinch of salt

combine all ingredients apart from flour in a blender.  Blend until smooth. Add mixture to flour and stir well.  The batter should be a little thinner than waffle batter.  Add water if needed.

This recipe was a little difficult, but with practice it an be done.
Pan should be heated to a medium heat -- make sure it is non stick.  Pour 1/2 cup of batter on to the pan and quickly rotate pan to cover the bottom, or smear the batter with the bottom of the cup, before it cooks -- otherwise it will ruin it.. but if you do it fast enough it can work.



Eat crepes topped with potatoes and lathered with tomato chutney.

:)


LEMON POPPY SEED BARS

--- So when I had the crepes I add additional batter left over this is what I did with the batter -- I probably had about 2-3 cups of batter left.

I added
2 tsp of lemon oil
1/4 cup poppyseeds
1 cup of oat flour
1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar
1-2 tbsp agave
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

Heated the oven to 375 degrees
Cooked them for 14 minutes.

Came out fabulous!



Lentil quinoa stew, garlic broccolini and homemade bread

Quinoa Lentil Stew
Serves 2-3

1 small onion
1 tbsp oil
4 carrots diced
4 garlic cloves minced
6 cups veggie stock
1/2 cup lentils
1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup cilantro minced
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
juice of 1/2 lime (optional)

Saute onions in oil until clear.  Add carrots and garlic and saute for 5 minutes.  Add stock, lentils, quinoa, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil.  Then simmer for 20-25 minutes until lentils are soft.

Garlic Broccolini:
2 servings:
Saute 1 bunch of broccolini (chopped) with 2 tbsp minced garlic, until they turn bright green.

Homemade bread:
4-5 servings:
2 1/4 tsp of dry active yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp sugar
3 cups of water
5 cups of flour (or however much necessary to knead the dough, I used a combination of wheat and oat 3 to 2)
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/2 tbsp oil
Mix yeast, sugar and water together in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.  Combine ingredients apart from water and flour.  Then add 1 cup of flour to 1 cup of water, and keep adding flour and water until its an ideal workable consistency.  Knead dough and place in a bowl to rise for 1 hour.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees and lightly oil a pan.  Brush the top of the loaf with oil. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  

Banana Pancakes

1 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup water
3 tbsp of oil
3 tbsp agave
1 mashed banana

Combine all dry ingredients, add wet ingredients and mix until smooth.  Pour 1/4 cup of the batter at a time on a lightly oiled frying pan.  Let it cook on medium heat until the pancakes start to bubble and are stable enough to flip.  Cook on the other side until a light brown.

Serve with vegan butter, jam and agave or syrup.


Sunday, October 5, 2014

South Indian Polenta Stew

So this dish isn't actually south Indian, but something about the combination of flavors reminded me of south India.  Infused with a little bit of Italy -- I used polenta -- although it gets slightly more international as the polenta was made from quinoa :)

Anyway, the taste was amazing, I was pretty skeptical at first, not wanting it to become a soup or be too thin... I think it really became the perfect consistency-- hence why it is a stew :)

South Indian Polenta Stew:

1 pre-packaged polenta mixture
1 pckge tempeh
1 tbsp curry powder
1 big can homemade tomatoes (or 2 cans of crushed tomatoes)
1 can coconut milk
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp paprika
1/2 - 1 tsp salt
1 tsp agave

6-7 kale leaves chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
1 tsp mango powder
1 green pepper


Mix polenta through agave on a large pot on the stove, bring to a boil and then simmer for 10 minutes. Add kale through green pepper and simmer for a few more minutes enough to get the leaves wilted. 

Serve with bread, or rice. 


Phenomenal Chilli

This chilli may or may not be hard to reproduce:
I used 16 oz of my own canned tomatoes -- which doesn't quite match what you can get in the store. But could try.

Chilli:
16 oz homemade canned tomato sauce or two 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes.  
2 cans of kidney beans drained and rinsed
4 small skinny eggplants sliced -- about 1 cup
1 green pepper chopped
2 leeks chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeno sliced
1 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp molasses
1-2 tsp salt
1 tbsp soy sauce or braggs
1-2 tsp of sweetener
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp all purpose seasoning herbs
2 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp cocoa powder

Heat oil in a large pan, add leeks and eggplants. Cook until they are somewhat tender and add garlic, pepper, and jalapeno.  Cook for a couple of minutes and add tomatoes, beans and the rest of the seasoning. Simmer for 5-10 minutes until flavors seep in and the chilli thickens. 

Serve with Italian bread or toast. 

:)

Monday, September 22, 2014

Tomato Spice Muffins

Made some tomato spice muffins this morning. I adapted a regular cinnamon muffin recipe, since my fridge full of tomatoes needed to be put to good use  Surprisingly the muffins had more of an apple flavor  

1 cup sorghum flour + 1 cup rolled oats
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla bean powder
3 tomatoes blended with 6 dates and a 1" piece of dried tamarind
2 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp coconut oil
1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp of agave + 2 tbsp of 'honee' (its this amazing plant based honey made from apples! Additional agave would also work)
topping:
1 tbsp cinnamon sugar mix

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a muffin tin with 2 tsp oil.
mix the flour, baking powder, vanilla, salt and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl and stir well.
In a blender, add the tomatoes, dates, oil, vinegar, sweetener, and tamarind. Blend until smooth.
Pour the wet mixture into the mixing bowl and stir until a batter forms.
Spoon batter into muffin tins and top each muffin with the cinnamon-sugar sprinkle - generous amounts.
Bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake another 8 minutes. Serve warm or store in the fridge or freezer if not eating within a day.

Eggplant tacos

Super easy, super delicious!

Eggplant tacos
Serves 7 or more

taco 'meat'
2 eggplants
3-4 zucchinis
2 tomatoes
1 onion chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tbsp oil
1 pckg taco seasoning OR 2-4 tbsp chilli powder 1 tbsp paprika 2-3 tsp cumin powder 1-2 tsp salt or veggie bouillon, pepper... can also add soy sauce, a bit of agave, onion powder.. have fun with it :)

1 package of corn tortillas

Additional Adornments::
1 tomato chopped
guacemole or avocado
6 leaves of lettuce chopped
1-2 cups cooked rice
plain vegan yoghurt
ketchup
and or any other ingredients you may like on your tacos

Chop all eggplants through tomato in a food processor to make it easy.

Sautee onion in oil with garlic until transparent, add zucchinis through tomatoes (all within filling ingredients) to cook
and season with taco seasonings.

Add mixture to corn tortilla and adorn with chopped tomato, lettuce, ice... ketchup whatever you like to eat with tacos :):)


Raw tomatillo soup plus black bean basil muffins

raw tomatillo soup:
1/4 cup kalamata olives
2 cups tomatillos
1 bunch kale
juice of 1 lemon
handful of cilantro
1 tbsp brown rice syrup
1/2 avocado
1/4 tsp red pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Blend all ingredients :) 

Great with Black bean basil muffins :):)   
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups black beans cooked
1 cup non dairy milk
2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 1/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (leave out for the kids)
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 cup fresh basil leaves chopped

Preheat oven to 350 F and oil muffin pans

Mix dry ingredients

Puree all wet ingredients apart from basil.  

Add the puree to the dry ingredients, mix with a wooden spoon and pour into
muffin tins.  Bake for 20- 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  


Quiche!!

I have been wanting to get back to posting on this!! Things with school have been really busy with the start of a new semester -- living off of a lot of Pro bars, oatmeal, cereal (corn flakes, dried raisins plus flax seed milk), ready made burritos (Sweet Earth) and going out to eat... I know it's terrible.

And I actually did sick for about a week -- which kind of got me behind in classes and everything -- I blame my husband lol. He went on a trip to Singapore and came back with a terrible virus.  Which I fortunately got.  I know. Lovely.  I consumed about 3 bags of coughdrops in a week, lots and lots and lots of tea.  Natural Philosophy (a local health food store/yoga studio) was wonderful and specially mixed some healing tea for me :) :)

I also did my best to get back into preparing fresh healthy meals and juices -- I am rather time constrained with my schedule, but I am doing the best that I can :)

I have taken a few pictures of some meals that I have made within the past few weeks, which hopefully I will post sooner rather than later... :)

I made this quiche today.. and it was amazing!!

Simple and amazing!

Tofu Quiche:

2 fresh tomatoes chopped
2 cups of swiss chard chopped
1/2 onion chopped
1 package of white mushrooms chopped
2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp all purpose herb mix
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
3-4 drops liquid smoke (optional)
2-3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce (optional)
1 tsp vegan worcester sauce
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp black pepper

1/3 - 3/4 cup nut, seed, grain or soy milk
14 oz firm tofu
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp veggie bouillon powder or 1/2 - full veggie bouillon cube -- to taste

2 ready made pie or pizza crusts (deep dish).

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Saute onions, garlic and mushrooms in oil, until onions are transparent.  Add seasonings from herb mix to black pepper and mix well.  Turn off heat and add tomatoes and swiss chard and mix.  Set aside and pour milk into blender with tofu, turmeric, salt and veggie bouillon.  Blend until smooth.

Combine blended mixture with veggies.

Pour into 2 small pie crusts or 1 large.

Serves 4

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

No-so-Gnocchi, Greens and Portobello Steak

This reminded me of gnocchi, even though it's totally not, but I enjoyed it none the less :)

Not-so-gnocchi, steamed greens and a portobello steak
serves 1

3 red potatoes 1/4 inch cubes
1 small bunch of greens chopped
3 green onions
1 can of tomato sauce
1 portobello mushroom
2 tsp coconut aminos (soy sauce
1 tbsp olive oil
6 dashes garlic powder
5 dashes black pepper
3 dashes red pepper flakes
2 tsp vegan worcester sauce
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp italian seasoning
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp white wine vinegar
2-4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

Cut potatoes up and throw in a steamer for 30 minutes, add the greens + green onions for a minute at the end.
heat 1 can of tomato sauce with 3 dashes of garlic powder, 3 dashes of black pepper, red pepper flakes 1 tsp oregano, italian seasoning and apple cider and white wine vinegar.  Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Place portobello mushroom on a baking tray, remove stem, make sure gills are face side up, drizzle aminos, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar on top.  Then add 3 dashes of garlic powder, 2 dashes of pepper, 1 tsp of oregano and pop it in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.

Once the potatoes and greens are steamed put them on a plate and generously scoop tomato sauce on them, take out the portobello steak and put it on your plate -- either to cut up to put on top or eat on the side, can drizzle worcester sauce on top.. leave it on the side as a dip.

and finally generously top with nutritional yeast
:) 

Monday, July 14, 2014

And it's Monday again

For breakfast I had:

Apricot Mesquite chia cereal
2 tbsp chia seeds
soaked in 1 cup water
4 sliced apricots
1 sliced mango
1/2 tbsp of mesquite

I also had a small bowl of millet cereal with flax milk-- at breakfast late and wasn't sure when I'd be getting lunch.

Fo lunch I made:

Refried Black Bean Quesadilla with pumpkin seed cheese smothered swiss chard
Makes 2

2 rice tortilla
1 tomato chopped
6 tbsp refried black beans
1 small bundle swiss chard

cheese--
1 cup pumpkin seeds
 2-3 tbsp water
3 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons agave
1 dash braggs

Mix the cheese ingredients in a blender until chunky -- consistency of ricotta.

Wash and chop the swiss chard, and pour cheese mixture on top, mix well.

Spread out 3tbsps refried beans onto the middle of the tortilla and put it in the oven
or broiler for 5-7 minutes until rice tortilla gets soft in the middle and crispy on the outside.

Remove tortilla from oven and spread tomatoes, in the middle and half of the swiss chard cheese mixture.


Dinner:

Veggie burgers
Sauerkraut
Daiya swiss cheese
ketchup
bread
bread and butter pickles

I got home late tonight.. so picked up some of my favorite veggie burgers, put on the cheese -- can throw them in the oven or microwave and then add the rest of the ingredients :)

Super easy.



Thursday, July 10, 2014

Speedy meals on the go

I'm not home much these days, with work/school picking up, I'm easily working over 12 hours a day.

Unfortunately this means more on meals bought outside of the home, but a couple days ago I could tell between lack of sleep and home cooked food, I needed to start taking better care.. well it could have been actually closer to my bodies decision, because yesterday all I felt like consuming was, seaweed-- spirulina -- the tiny blue green algae is one of the oldest inhabitants of the planet.  It's a high source of protein, minerals and vitamins.  It has the richest source of absorbable vitamin A and the best source of Iron-- even over supplements! High in Vitamin B's, even B12!  It even has 300% vitamin D per 10 grams.

I ate about 1/3 cup of spirulina yesterday... wasn't sure if it's something you can overdose on.. but I felt fine!  I also had the juice of 2-3 lemons.

I also had a couple spicy vegan chikn patties with ketchup :) lol talk about quick food... strange combination of stuff, but seemed to work!

Today for Breakfast:
2 ezekiel toast spread with vegan butter, peanut butter and raw cocao/coconut butter, topped with raisins AND cherry smoothie -- the smoothie came out thick I made it the other day, and it actually works as a jam (there is even spinach in the smoothie)

Cherry Smoothie:
1 cup strawberries
2-3 cup pitted cherries
2-3 cups spinach
1 tbsp lemon juice
start with 1 cup water, if it's not enough to blend add more.
(I only used a couple dollops for the smoothie, and I am planning on putting the rest in ice cube containers.. for a fun version of ice)

Lunch:
veggie burrito no dairy substituted for guacamole for lunch with hot sauce.

Dinner:

Fresh Green pea and lemon juice:
2 cups fresh raw green peas (can include edamame)
3 carrots
2 celery sticks
2 lemons one peeled and one whole
2-3 cups of red lettuce
(I only had about 1/2 the juice)

another ezekiel toast -- made just the same but without the smoothie addition

sweet potato throw together:
1 baked sweet potato peeled and cut into fourths
1/2 cup black beans
1/4 cilantro
1/4 sliced tomato
2 tbsp salsa
2 cups mustard greens simmered till bright green
1 tbsp lemon juice

Voila dinner salad :) I had actually brought this for lunch today, but wasn't sure if I would make it home for dinner, so decided to save it for dinner, and go out for lunch instead.




Friday, July 4, 2014

MIA

I have totally so sooo busy with school, that I have been eating on the run.  And definitely no time to post updates.  Today fortunately I am making myself take a day off, even though I still have so much to do.

I've been literally living off of:

Bread and butter -- dipping in balsamic vinegar and oil

vegan yogurt (coconut and soy)

cereal-- ezekiel (it has no sweetener added), which ran out pretty fast -- in addition to the almond milk also running out, so I switched over to 1/4 cup of chia seeds soaked in 2 cups of water -- I didn't have time to cut up fruit, so I would just put 1 tbsp of mesquite powder in the chia mixture and call it good!  I'd put it in a tupperware and bring it school. I've been working early morning, way before I even have an appetite to work with, so this makes an easy thing to bring to school and eat later.

I've also intermittently been eating the pre-made indian food packets, you can get them at Natural Grocers.  One brand is Tasty Bite -- it's super convenient and lasts a couple of meals.

This is sooo embarrassing but I have a fridge completely full of fresh foods from my CSA share -- totally ridiculous!!!! I have had zero time to make food.  I think the most I did in the past week is soak chia seeds.. and chop a little bit of cabbage to go with my premade indian packet of rajma beans.

Natural Grocers has been a total life savor.
They have ready made hummus wraps, pastas and samosas which are wonderful to get when I am in a rush.

I've also had to rely on Taco times -- veggie burrito with no diary-- which iS SO convenient in times of need.

Pro-bar meals are also still my favorite BY far meal in a bar ... which give much needed energy in the afternoon of a super long work day.  My work days consist of super long hours at the lab, farm or both.  Plus running errands.. and Trying to maintain a house somewhat in order, even as my sleep is definitely taking a hit-- I think I've been averaging 5 hours of sleep a night for the past 2 weeks.. no naps.  :/// SOOO BUSY.  Yesterday I was at the lab for 18 hours, minus 1 hour that I ran to natural grocers to grab dinner!!! crazy.

Last week I did manage to make a few homemade burritos --
Rice tortillas spread with 3-4 tbsp of refried beans put in the oven under broil for 5-10 minutes
Then topped with salad greens, chopped tomato, avocado, salsa, sprinkled with nutritional yeast
AND I didn't have lemon, so I used baobab powder as a replacement, about 1/2 tsp in 1 tbsp of water -- has a very pleasant sour taste!! and replaced lemon pretty well!!

I AM seriously hoping to be able to juice all the veggies in my fridge soon... I have no idea what I am going to do on Tuesday when I am picking up a whole new CSA share... EEEK.

My plan is to juice all the veggies, and turn them into icecubes lol.. and put them in my water throughout the week!!! good idea???

Monday was my birthday and although it was super busy I still squeezed in some time to let my parents take me out to eat.. I just had a veggie burrito no dairy at Beehive Grill.  I also splurged at the store and bought myself a vegan chocolate bday cake and some vegan 'reeses' -- can't remember the exact brand of them.. but they are sooooo good!!! Yesterday I bought a cold chai tea .. non caffeinated but unfortunately wasn't without sweetener... from Natural Grocer.. it was actually pretty good!  It was made with soy milk, spices, ginger juice and black tea.  :)

Hopefully I will get time to juice today.

:)

BUSY BUSY BUSY.


Saturday, June 14, 2014

Thai Popcorn

I tried out this Appetizer dish for girls night.

And it was amazing, everyone really enjoyed it, so this is party friendly!  And not too much work.

Thai 'Popcorn'
Serves 8

Wraps
6-7 big leaves or 20 small green leaves (spinach, lettuce) cut into 2" by 2" pieces or 4x4

Filling
1 cup coconut shredded coconut toasted (heating them on a skillet with no oil, is enough to toast them)
1/2 cup peanuts toasted
1/4 cup soy sauce +2 tbsp (depending on how salty you like it)
1/4 cup sugar + 2tbsp (depending on how sweet you like it)
3/4 cup water

Toppings
1 lime thinly slice peel included
1/4 cup of ginger minced
1 hot pepper thinly sliced (optional)
1 cup cilantro chopped
1/2 cup peanuts roughly chopped (or food processed) and  toasted
1/2 cup shredded coconut toasted

Dry roast the peanuts and the coconut for the filling.  Once fragrant and lightly browned, add the soy sauce, sugar and water.  Add 1/4th of a cup to start out with and add more based on your taste preference. When I made this yesterday I used 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp for both sugar and soy sauce,  but I think next time I make it I will use less of both.

Add the water to the filling, once bubbling, let simmer for 5 minutes.  Take it off the burner.  Blend the ingredients-- it will become like a fluffy paste.

Place filling in a serving bowl.

For the toppings, prepare all ingredients separately.  On a large serving tray, the lettuce leaves can be arranged on the outside, with a bowl of the filling in the middle.  Each topping can be placed in a separate small serving dish-- apart from the peanuts and the coconut which can be mixed together.

To make a 'popcorn', take a piece of lettuce, put about 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp of filling, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1-2 pieces of lime, 3-4 pieces of chopped cilantro, 1 small piece of hot pepper (opt), 1/2 tsp of peanut/coconut mixture , and fold over the lettuce leaves and pop in the mouth!

Everyone loved these little treats!
Another option is to prepare each 'popcorn' yourself and toothpick them to hold them together and serve on a tray.

Lots of fun!


Thursday, June 12, 2014

Fruity Rainbow Seaweed Salad

Picture is to come.

This serves one :)

1 avocado pitted and cubed
1 mango pitted and cubed
1/2 cup strawberries halved
2 tbsp sauerkraut
2 shakes kelp flakes
1 tbsp fresh mint chopped
2 shakes nutritional yeast
juice of 1 lime
1/2 cup kelp noodles

Toss all the ingredients together. Enjoy :) 

Monday, June 9, 2014

The pizza creation

This recipe makes a bit of extra veggies that can be placed in a separate pan to bake at the same time as the pizza.  

Super Green Pizza with Red Pepper Cashew Cheese

Toppings
1 head of broccoli finely chopped
4 cups of greens (kale, spinach) ripped into bite size pieces
2 heirloom tomatoes diced
1/2 green pepper chopped
1/2 jar/can of tomato paste
1/4 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 garlic clove minced
1/4 cup parsley
1/2 cup to 1 cup daiya

Cheese Sauce
1 red pepper
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp agave
1 cup cashews
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp amchur (dried mango) (2 tsp lemon juice can be used instead)

Dough
1 tsp salt
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar
1/4 cup warm water
1 cup wheat flour
1 3/4 cups garbanzo bean flour
1/4 cup ground flax meal
1 1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp italian herbs
1 tsp oregano


To make the bread, first mix the yeast, with 1/4 cup warm water and sugar. Let it stand for 10 minutes.  Mix the rest of the dry ingredients together.  Add the yeast mixture to the dry mixture plus 1 1/4 cup of water.  Knead the dough with flour on your hands until elastic and smooth.  Place the dough ball into a container and cover with a cloth for 1 hour.  

Spread the dough out onto an oiled pizza pan.  Lather the tomato paste on top.  Evenly spread the tomato pieces and the green bell pepper on the pizza.  Sprinkle the garlic powder and the italian seasonings over the pizza.  

To make the cheese sauce, blend the ingredients together (from red pepper to salt). Sprinkle the amchur atop.  Pour the cheese sauce into a bowl with the greens, broccoli, minced garlic and parsley.   

Put this mixture evenly on top of the pizza --- there will be extra of this cheesy greens, so they can be put in another pan in the oven :) 

Birthday Party

We celebrated my nephews birthday, my sister-in-laws, mine and my niece's today and a little bit of my husbands lol.

It's because both me and my mom have been in school and haven't had a chance to get together to do something so we decided to combine it.

My mom made this amazing potato salad that I will have to get the recipe and post.

I made a coconut carrot curry soup

and a raw chocolate cake with blueberry lavender frosting, the recipe came from http://fragrantvanillacake.blogspot.com/2014/05/little-raw-chocolate-cake-with.html

I did make some adjustments to it, it was good but I think it could have been better.

I had a bit of issues with the soup.  It was inspired by a quinoa and lentil soup, however, when I realized that the soup would have been only good for 2-3 people, I tried to double it. The mistake I made was that I also doubled the veggie bouillon amount, which made it entirely way too salty.  Maybe for some that would have been okay, but I felt like I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth, This soup serves 10, and you may need to do a few adjustments, below I'm writing what I put into it, but I've put in the adjustment of using less veggie broth. Also, the canned coconut milk could be preferably swapped with the meat and water of a young thai coconut blended.

Coconut Carrot Curry Soup
1/2 onion chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 celery stalk chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
1/2 cup dry lentils
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 tsp all purpose herb mix
1/2 tsp oregano
4 tomatoes chopped
1 tbsp curry
juice of 4 limes
1/4 tsp lime zest
1 can coconut milk or better -- juice and meat of one young coconut
5 cups water
2 cups veggie broth
1 cup cilantro
10 carrots

Fry the onion until translucent.  Add the celery, garlic, lentils, quinoa, 2 cups of veggie broth and herbs. Let boil, turn down to a simmer and cover for 20 minutes.  Or until lentils and quinoa are cooked.  If using a can of coconut milk, add to the mixture and let simmer for 1-2 minutes, turn off heat.

Blend carrots, cilantro, lime zest, and tomatoes with the rest of the water until pureed.  Add them to the soup along with the curry powder and lime juice.

If you prefer the carrots to be cooked it can be simmered for a couple of minutes.

Serve.


For the cake recipe, if I were to make it again I would make the following adjustments
1-I used coconut flour -- which was fine, but either I should have added more moisture to the cake -- or used some kind of fresh nut or seed flour maybe almond or sunflower seed instead of store bought coconut flour.
2-the lavender I couldn't taste in the frosting -- I put about 3-4 drops of essential oil but maybe it needed something like 5-6?  Not sure.
3- I think I forgot to put flax seed in it -- I mean it turned out fine and my family seemed to really like it, but I think having the flax seed in it perhaps would have made it less dry?

Raw Chocolate Cake with Blueberry Lavender Frosting Cake:
Makes 2 cakes, serves 10 or more if only serving 1 piece per person

1 1/2 cups carrot pulp + juice
1/2 cup dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them 20 minutes and drain)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 1/4 cups raw coconut flour (home made is preferred)
1/2 cup raw cacao powder

Frosting:
1 1/2 cups fresh organic blueberries
4 soft dates, pitted (if not soft, soak them in water 20 minutes and drain)
a pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
5-6 drops lavender essential oil (or another brand, but make sure it is food grade)
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp raw coconut butter (not oil), warmed to liquid

Edible flowers and raspberries for garnish

For the cake, combine the carrot juice plus pulp, dates, vanilla, and sea salt in a food processor and process until it is well combined.  Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth and well combined.  On a cake pan, shape two cakes. Place in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
Meanwhile, to make the frosting, combine the berries, dates, sea salt and vanilla in the food processor and process until smooth.  Add the coconut butter and process until smooth (if it is clumpy at all, it probably needs to warm up a little, so process until it is not lumpy).  You will be using the frosting right away before it starts to set up.

After frosting the cakes, arrange flowers and raspberries as you wish.  Pictures soon to come :)

Last but not least I made a strawberry rhubarb icecream which was amazing, and no adjustments need for it :)





Strawberry Rhubarb Ice-cream
2 quarts, recipe taken from the recipe book, Vice Cream
44 ounces of juiced rhubarb (I used about 7-8 stalks)
2 cups cashews
2 cups dates (soaked for 20 minutes and then drained)
2 cups strawberries

Juice the rhubarb.  Pour the juice into a blender and first blend with cashews (I have a vitamix and this whole recipe didn't quite fit into my juicer so I had to do a couple rounds of blending).  Then blend with the dates and strawberries.  Put mixture into the fridge to cool for 30 minutes before putting it into an icecream maker.  

Protein boost smoothies

Raspberry Tofushake
1 small package of raspberries
1 package of tofu
juice of 2 limes
1/4 tsp lime zest
small pinch of stevia
1-2 cups coconut water
1 banana

Blend all ingredients, and depending on the desired consistency add more or less coconut water.

Vanilla Coconut Kefir
1 cup coconut yogurt
1 banana
1-2 cups coconut water
juice of 2 limes
1/4 tsp lime zest
1/4 tsp vanilla

Blend all of the ingredients and same as above, blend as much coconut water to get to the desired consistency

Saturday, June 7, 2014

South Asian Noodle Extravaganza

makes about 4-5 servings

Cook enough noodles enough for 2
leftover quinoa and beans (1/4 to 1/2 cup each)

2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp hing (Indian Spice, garlic powder can be used in place of)
1/2 tsp amchur or mango powder (indian spice, optional)
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1/2 tbsp red thai curry paste
1/4 cup of water
 1 small cauliflower chopped
1 tomato chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped
1 bunch broccolini chopped
2 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp peanut thai sauce
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
juice of 1 lemon
1 tbsp cilantro

Heat the oil with the cumin and the hing.  Add the cauliflower and the rest of the vegetables.
Add the mango powder, coriander, salt, and nutritional yeast and water.  Cook for 5-10 minutes.

Mix the tahini, curry paste, peanut sauce, tomato paste,sriracha, and vinegar in a separate container.

Add the mixture to the vegetables and stir.  Add a can of beans, package of mushrooms or some leftover quinoa or rice -- if you have it. Let the sauce and ingredients heat up for 5 minutes.

Once vegetables are desired consistency and temperature, take off the stove and mix in the lemon juice and cilantro.

Serve :) 

Friday, June 6, 2014

10 minutes

If you often find yourself in a rush, don't hesitate to make extra when you do have the time to cook, a lot of things freeze really well.  I just learned that Quinoa freezes awesome.  I had made too much quinoa just the other day and threw the rest in the freezer :)

The quick throw together
1.5 cups of already cooked frozen grain (quinoa)
1 bunch of broccoli or asparagus or bit of both chopped
3 tbsp of tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper
2 dashes sea salt
1 package premade Rajma
2 tbsp thai peanut sauce (we bought premade)


I had about 1 1/2 cups of frozen quinoa in the fridge already cooked,

I threw it in a pan.  At Natural Grocer they have these pre-made Indian sauces -- I bought the red kidney beans -- Rajma, which is one of my favs.  I put it into the pan with the quinoa.

It wasn't really cooking as fast as it could, so we added about 1 cup of water.
and it sped it up, but do stir frequently so it doesn't burn the bottom, the rest of the ingredients can be added, we served the final product over some lettuce :)



One food fits all.

Have you ever wondered what goes into those feeding tubes, for patients at the hospital... or baby formula?

Okay, maybe the latter people have had more exposure to... but the former?

So my grandmother just had surgery on a tumor in her throat, so she can swallow a bit better.

The doctors gave her this liquid food... can I call it food?  Anyway, basically it was, corn syrup, cow's milk and soy with added nutrients-- calcium, and a few others.

It said 1 calorie on the label? But I have a hard time believing that.  Who knows.

Anyway, I wanted to make her another food choice that had just as much protein and nutrition.. without the sugar load, cholesterol and inflammation results other negative side affects of consuming milk.  eeeek.

This recipe makes 1 pitcher full of serious nutrition-- I wasn't going for taste, but it actually was very palatable.. could have had it as a soup or a sauce !!

Extreme Healing Smoothie Juice 
-- Designed especially for beating cancer

1 cup cooked white beans
1 cup cooked quinoa

1 brazil nut
1/4 cup cashews
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

3 carrots
4 leaves of kale
1 orange beet
1 lime with peel
1 handful of parsley
1" peeled fresh turmeric
1" peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove
2 cups lettuce
3/4 cup cabbage
7 mini bell peppers
1 tomato

1 oz aloe vera juice
1 tsp nutritional yeast
1 tbsp raw coconut oil
1 tsp flax oil
1 tsp spirulina
16 oz coconut water
8 oz sun tea (unheated water with herb diffused over 20 minutes-- I used a tsp mixed of alfalfa tea, calendula and spearmint)
1 tbsp of Organic Life Vitamins 
2 tsp Calcium Magnesium Citrate 

The day before, I soaked the white beans all day, and then put them in the crockpot overnight 4-5 hours -- it helps to plug it into a timed power outlet.
Soak the nuts and seeds in water while you juice the vegetables.

Prepare vegetables so that they can fit into a juicer.

Once vegetables are juiced, add them to a high powered blender.  Drain the nuts and seeds and add them, add the oils, spirulina, beans and quinoa.  Blend on high for 1 minute.  Add the rest of the ingredients, again blend on high for 1 minute.

After everything has been blended, strain the contents through a nut milk bag or a fine sieve-- only if it's for a feeding tube, otherwise it doesn't need to be sieved.

Voila, all in one magical food.  I was too afraid to try it after it was made, even though it smelled really good. My husband gave it a go, and thought it tasted like a thai curry! Go figure :)

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Raw vegan pie, using leftovers from nut milk

Pie crust
2 cups of nuts
1 tsp salt
2 cups pitted dates

Place all in a food processor.  Until dough sticks together.

Pie Topping
4 cups of fruit -- peaches, strawberries, apples etc.
1 banana or more to give thickness to the topping
1/4 agave syrup.

Blend

Pie middle
1 cup of nut leftovers from milk sieving process (milk recipe)
1 cup cashews  (if they haven't soaked overnight, grinding them into a powder can make them more smooth, prior to use)
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
1 cup strawberries or other fruit or dates
2 tbsp agave syrup

Blend until smooth

Pie crust on bottom, pie filling in the middle, and pie topping on the top, this will make 2-3 pies, and they are easily frozen for later use.  

Cheese sauce


Cheese Sauce:
This is something that I have made in the past I can't quite remember the exact recipe that I used, but I think this get's pretty close!  

1/2 block of vegan cheese, roughly chopped
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of ground cashews
2 tsp of vegetable broth powder
1 tbsp tapioca starch

Simmer the cheese in the water with broth, it should become a runny consistency.  Slowly add the ground cashews to make it creamier and thicker, and add the tapioca starch.  Turn off heat, and make sure it is adequately stirred.  





Ginger Peach Tapioca

Switching it up for breakfast this morning:
2 medium to small sized portions

Ginger Peach Tapioca
1/2 cup tapioca pearls
2 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of dried apricots and or peach
1 inch chopped ginger
micropinch of stevia

Put it either in a slow cooker for 1-2 hours or stovetop for 10 minutes.  Make sure to stir it, I made the mistake of not stirring and it burned the bottom.. but it was still good :)  I added a little bit of vegan horchata to this -- my husband likes to buy it, it's a little sweet and has a cinnamon flavor.. so alternatively once it hits your bowl, you can add a little more sweetener, or 'milk' or cinnamon.  

Throw together dinner

My husband made this salad yesterday, and it was amazing.  We had some mixed salad from the CSA we get from, so it was red leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce and rucola.   He made up the salad dressing, it somewhat reminded me of a thai peanut/thousand island... I'm not sure but it was impressive, and took him less than 5 minutes to throw together.


Tangy Thai Cashew Dressing
1/3 cup of cashews
2 tsp olive oil
dash of zesty spice (salt alternative)
1/4 of water
1-2 tbsp of sesame seeds
1 tsp of agave
1 tsp of sriracha
dash of thai peanut dressing
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Blend in a vitamix, or other blender :)
These ingredients may need to be adjusted a bit, my husband likes to
explain ingredients by the 'dash' of something or 'handful'
I saw him put some of the ingredients in, so these are my best estimates
otherwise you can follow his advise and put 2 handfuls of cashews
and a dash of everything else... and just enough water to help it blend.
It's a very creamy and rich dressing, definitely a new favorite :)


Potatoes and Asparagus
2 russet potatoes peeled and cubed
1 bunch of asparagus roughly chopped
1-2 tbsp of oil
3 dashes garlic powder
3 dashes onion powder
4-5 dashes black pepper
2 dashes of salt

Bake on 350 F, for 45 minutes.  

Tri-blend milk

It's best if the nuts and seeds can be soaked overnight before hand, but I often don't soak because, I haven't properly planned ahead.
This milk is a little harder to strain, and has a bit of a strong nutty flavor, but can still be used in cereal, however perhaps this milk is best used for baking or other cooked dishes.

Tri-blend milk
1/4 cup almonds
3 tbsp sesame seeds
3 tbsp of flax seeds
5 cups of water
4 dates

Blend preferably in a vitamix or other blender and strain through a fine mesh or nut milk bag.
Strained material can be frozen and saved later, here is one recipe: raw vegan pie


Sunday, June 1, 2014

Chocolate Cake

I made this yesterday, just before we had dinner at a friend's house I doubled the recipe and ended up with 3 pans. The cake turned out good, however, would have been perfected if frosting was put on it.

Chocolate Cake
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of coconut yogurt (alternatively yogurt and water can be replaced by 1 1/2 cup of dairy free milk)
1 1/2 cups of water
1/2 cup of oil
2 tbsp of ground flax seed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp of agave

This made a very fluffy cake, kind of like the traditional ones you find in the store.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Combine all dry ingredients except flax seed and mix.  Combine all wet ingredients in addition to flax seed and mix.  Combine both the wet and the dry ingredients.  Pour mixture into a lightly oiled pan or two, I doubled the recipe and used two pie pans and one 8x8 pan.  (For the doubled recipe, the yogurt doesn't necessarily need to be doubled)

Bake for 30-25 minutes.  

'Paneer' Biryani and Coconut Curry Vegetables

Paneer Biryani/ Tofu Biryani
2 16oz packages (baked) extra firm tofu (I used sprouted)
1 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt (or other)
1/2 cup cilantro chopped
2 inches gingerroot minced
2 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 large onion chopped.
1 medium tomato chopped.
2 cups brown rice cooked with 4 cups of water (slightly al dente)

Cube the tofu, and bake for 15 minutes at 350 F, flip them, and bake for another 15 minutes at the same temperature.  This gives the tofu a more of a paneer texture.

Put 2 cups of rice on the stove with 4 cups of water, cook for 30-40 minutes until slightly al dente.

In a bowl combine the yogurt, cilantro, ginger, masala, coriander, turmeric and salt.

Once the tofu is baked, combine the tofu into the mixture.

Let marinate while the rest of the ingredients are prepared.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, cardamom and fennel seed.  Let sizzle for a couple seconds and add the onion.  Fry until the onion has browned or mostly become clear, add the tomato.  Let fry until tomato has mostly broken down.  Add this mixture to the slow cooker.  Then add the marinated tofu, then add the rice on top.

Cook on low for 3 hours.  Serve right out of the slow cooker.


Coconut Curry Vegetables
2 heads of broccoli chopped
2 carrots chopped
1 package of button mushrooms chopped
3 garlic cloves
1 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1 can of coconut milk
2 tbsp of tomato paste

Heat oil and garlic in a pan, add the broccoli, carrots and mushrooms.  Cook until the colors brighten and the vegetables slightly soften.  As soon as the pan seems to dry or it's starting to brown at the bottom, add some coconut milk, to keep some moisture.  Once the vegetables are at the desired consistency, add the rest of the ingredients.  I made this dish in the morning for an afternoon potluck, and since I don't like to cook my vegetables much before eating them, it worked out well, because the mushrooms even though they were hardly cooked they still became soft by lunchtime because they had that extra time to marinate, the dish was successful :)



Friday, May 30, 2014

Herbal Kombucha

Tonight my friend gifted me a kombucha mother.  I have never made kombucha before, so it's a whole new world!

I looked online for recipes, and this is what I ended up doing:

Step one.  Find 1/2 gallon jar.

Step two. Boil 1/2 gallon worth of water

Step three.  Use 4 teabags or 4 tsp of loose tea and 1/2 cup of sugar (I used a mixture of herbs -- alfalfa, spearmint and calendula)

Step four. Let the tea dissolve the sugar and sit with the herbs until the water cools.

Step five.  Once the tea is cool pour into half gallon jar

Step six.  Add 1/2 cup of the kombucha liquid to the jar

Step seven.  Add the mother to the jar.

Step eight.  Cover with a cloth and an elastic and let sit for two weeks

Step nine.  Try it :)

For more tips:

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-kombucha-tea-at-home-173858

Tomorrow I'll be preparing food for a potluck, I'm bringing veg biryani and an Indian curry, most likely veg tikka masala.

Recipes to come :)

On the go

I've been working in the field and in the lab more than usual past couple of days, so it's been busy.  I haven't had a lot of time in the kitchen, so my days have been looking like:

1/4 cup of chia seeds soaked in 'milk' or water.  Mixed with micropinch of stevia and 1 tsp cocoa
This is a really quick bfast, I ran out of fruit.. so .. limits the full bfast a bit.

or, I grab some natures path "mesa sunrise" cereal with almond milk.  Pretty quick.

For a to go sandwich, I have been toasting bread, and then lathering it with peanut butter, and sprinkling raisins on the inside.  Once I put it together, wrap it up and eat it later for lunch.. somehow because it was hot when I wrapped it up.. the texture of the bread is pretty amazing.  It's kinda weird.. but I have been enjoying the peanut butter raisin sandwiches.

I've also been bringing snap peas and mini bell peppers to snack on.

Today I brought a raspberry chia kombucha drink, which was an awesome snack time drink :)

Sometimes I am so into kombucha and I want them all of the time, maybe it has to do with the weather getting warmer?

When I got home from work I had a raspberry lemononade popsicle. amazing. I am pretty sure it's been about 7 years since I last had a popsicle.. okay maybe closer to 2 :)

Some friends invited us over for dinner, and they made a quinoa and broccoli salad, it was amazing, it seems like they had used a lot of kale for it too and grilled it prior? It was delicious, and there were pumpkin seeds for garnish.  They had also made a really pretty red cabbage salad, just red cabbage maybe balsamic vinegar and seasonings? Not sure but very simple and very good.

For an appetizer they grilled bread, if I remember right, it was ciabatta bread and first they lathered the bread with oil and seasonings, there was a basil spread and tomatoes sliced, to go on top. It was so delicious!

For dessert vegan chocolate cupcakes!  Red velvet :) made with beets! wow they were incredible.  My friend mentioned that she has a blog so I will be posting a link to the recipe soooon :)

I was also gifted a Kombucha Mother, tonight I decided to make a batch. In the next blog I'll note the process :)



Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Meals of the day

This is the ultimate lazy day, of no effort.

There was a lot of leftovers from the retreat, so I've just been making use of the food.
In addition today was a bit of a busy day, so didn't really spend any time cooking.  So some frozen foods, that's how it goes sometimes.

Breakfast:
Hemp plus granola (natures path)
plus
unsweetened almond milk

-- I'm really not the biggest fan of sugary cereals, we were unfortunately out of fruit this morning.. so sad situation.

Lunch:
Snap green peas
mini bell peppers
1/2 vegan pizza
1/2 vegan bean patty

Snack:
2 peanut butter toasts with chocolate chips
I know I went all out today.

Dinner:
1/2 cup of rice
1 cup of minestrone soup
2 toast and one with daiya (vegan cheese)

Easy Vegan Food Options-- For the Transitioning Vegan plus a few extras :)

Going vegan for the first time? You aren't alone.  Any question these days can fortunately be typed in to google for an answer.  Anything from social aspects of being vegan to recipes to best food replacements, and meal guidances.  I've provided below some of the shortlisted tips that I use regularly.
Reading labels and asking questions will become commonplace.
A shortcut, is that milk is often listed as an allergen on ingredient lists.  However
sometimes they do sneak in ingredients without labeling them on the allergen list.
A few ingredients to look for : milk, butter, whey, honey, meat, egg, casein,
A few ingredients to look for that don't make them not vegan.. but in terms of looking out for your health: corn syrup, sugar, evaporated cane juice,
These sweeteners are hard to avoid, but sometimes it's possible to find options with a lesser percentage of sweetener, or added as a last ingredient instead of a first.  The sweetener with supposedly the lowest glycemic index is brown rice syrup, it's not often that it is used in products, but it does happen sometimes.
It's also good to avoid hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils, aspartame, food colors and dyes.
More on food labels

Oh and get yourself a good vegan vitamin B12 supplement :)  It's the only vitamin that is questionably less available in a vegan diet..  the vitamin is under lots of scrutiny from different 'health professionals'  My view is, that it's better to be safe than sorry.. might as well take it.

As for people who who become iron deficient on a vegan diet, my take on that, is you aren't getting enough greens, greens need to be at the bottom of the food pyramid!  :)  Followed by vegetables, then legumes and grains, then nuts and seeds (or perhaps vice versa if you are a raw foodist)  and seaweeds.

Online recipe resource:  https://www.facebook.com/findingvegan
or google finding vegan to go to the website, hundreds of amazing recipes with pictures!

For a great cookbook on quick eats try: http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Fix-Vegan-Healthy-Homestyle-Minutes/dp/1449407854

Other of my favorite go-to cookbooks:
Hot Vegan, Robin Robertson
Vegan Richa's Indian Kitchen
(these top two cookbooks are currently my all time favorites)
Fresh from the vegan slowcooker, Robin Robertson
Vegan Pressure cooking, JL Fields
Vegan Brunch, Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Great Vegan Bean Book, Kathy Hester
Oh She Glows, Angela Liddon (check out her blog: http://ohsheglows.com/ )

Specialty Cookbooks:
Artisan Vegan Cheese, miyoko schinner
Vice Cream, Jeff Rogers
Juice Lady's Guide to Juicing for Health, Cherie Calbom (any and all health issues can be helped with this book! This is what I always refer to if I get a cold or anything, and these juices typically really help clear up whatever is the problem)

Cooking/Uncooking for health:
Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine, Gabriel Cousens
Crazy, Sexy Kitchen, Kris Carr
This Crazy Vegan Life, Christina Cooks
Reboot with Joe, Joe Cross
Ani's Raw Food Essentials, Ani Phyo
Ani's Raw Food Asia, Ani Phyo

I know these lists may be a little overwhelming.
I personally started with:
La Dolce Vegan, Sarah Kramer
and
This Crazy Vegan Life, Christina Cooks

I followed Christina's 21 day diet plan, which was hard! Because it was also
very healthy, but it was so worth it, I felt so happy in my skin after 21 days, I did not stop after that!

Others often recommend Veganomicon, by Isa Chandra
and Supermarket vegan by Donna Klein

If you are into bright colorful cookbooks with lots of pictures
may go for Angela Liddon's, Oh She Glows,
or
Big Vegan by Robin Aswell
or
Color Me Vegan by Colleen, Patrick-Goudreau

For more:::
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_pg_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Avegan&keywords=vegan&ie=UTF8&qid=1401900615

Never underestimate the power of a good cookbook, there are also other cookbooks on casseroles, vegan paleo, holidayshow to, how to switch in 50's,  one meal dishesafro-vegan, mediterranean, and many more! :)

Breakfast:

Try Pro bars or Larabars -- an easy meal on the go.
(available at Natural Grocers)

Try 3-4 fruits in the morning and a handful of nuts and seeds, for another quick time meal.

Vegan cereal 

  • Read labels! It can be tricky, and although not the healthiest option, it can be a quick way to get breakfast in.  Choose a cereal with low to even may no sugar content.  Or better the puffed grains.  They can always be mixed with cut fruit, flax nuts, seeds, raisins or other dried fruit for a more interesting variation. 
  •  Choose your vegan milk. To reduce waste from buying vegan milk, make your own.  Blend about 1/4 cup of nuts or seeds with 1-3 cups of water, depending on the thickness you like.  It's best to soak the seeds or nuts overnight, but they can also be just blended with water, and then strained by a fine sieve or nut milk bag-- to get rid of the grainy texture.  To add some sweetness, add a dollop of agave, or 2-3 dates.  Another option is to blend the meat of a young coconut with its water.  Another really easy alternative option is 1-2 tbsp of tahini with 1 banana, this makes a very thick and frothy kind of milk, that you don't need to strain.  Blend it with 1-2 cups of water depending on the thickness you like.  
Raw Oatmeal
Healthy and nutrient loaded, this meal will keep you full for a while.  Soak 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of whole groat oats overnight in 2-3 cups of water.  In the morning, drain the water, put them in the blender and again add 2-3 cups of water, with a banana, dates and cinnamon.  Blend until chunky but easily chewable.  Nut milk can be added, berries and any other additions wanted.  or http://www.live-green-smoothie-diet.com/2010/08/the-best-ever-raw-oatmeal-for-everyday/

Smoothie
Make a filling green smoothie, load it up of dark green leaves, 2-3 fruits, lemon, ginger, flax seeds, hemp seeds.. whatever you feel like!  If you like a sweeter version, make sure to add bananas, dates or nut milk.  If you feel like something savory, make a vegetable smoothie, try kale, tomatoes, avocado, green onion and lemon.  If you want more veggies for breakfast for added energy, google recipes for vegan raw soups for more ideas :)  

Other savory options include tofu scrambles with hashbrowns and steamed dark greens.  For example scrambled 'eggs' and cheesy potatoes recipe. 
Don't be afraid of eating traditional 'dinner' type dishes for breakfast, this can actually really help stabilize the blood sugar and reduce cravings for sweet dishes later in the day.  If you can, include dark greens in your breakfast, they really are the ultimate food in terms of nutrition, full of vitamins and minerals such as calcium, vitamin A, C, K omega 3's, iron, magnesium... list goes on :)

Sweet options include vegan french toast, pancakes, crepes, banana bread, toast (which could also be savory depending on the toppings :) ) 

Lunch
In my mind, I don't differentiate between dinner and lunch.  

Are you used to big meals or small meals for lunch, lighter or heavier?

The traditional sandwich is always an option.  
Simplest approach:  
Whole grain bread
avocado
tomato 
pepper

-- I will make something like this as a half faced sandwich,
It could also include, sprouts, dark greens, mustard, cucumber, bell pepper, sauteed mushrooms, or marinated portobello, smoked tofu (available at natural grocers), vegan cheese, vegan butter, vegan meats, marinated eggplant or eggplant bacon.

Salads:
Whatever you can find in your fridge, beets plus oranges, spinach plus apples, dollop some of that cashew cheese on there.. or even just roasted sunflower seeds.  Find a good vegan dressing, it can be as simple as balsamic vinegar and oil... PS balsamic vinegar plus fresh basil plus tomato is amazing and can be added to any other salad.  If you would rather make your own creamy cashew dressing at home.. for a very filling and nutritious alternative to store bought dressings. Try ranch dressing, replace the 1 tbsp with 1 tsp of salt.  It's amazing that most recipes really go crazy on the salt :) Or replace some of the salt with nutritional yeast, zesty spice or seaweed :) Or make one yourself salt substitute.  Other options are using lemon zest, dried red pepper, and onion and garlic powders.  

One of my favorite dressings is mixing tahini with balsamic vinegar.  This makes a very quick and delicious salad dressing and stevia, agave, salt or whatever other ingredients can be added if wanted.  

Often what happens is I will have left overs from the previous day for lunch the next day... or on extremely lazy days and unhealthy days I may have: steamed vegetables plus a vegan burger, and maybe some frozen fries. Or maybe a vegan pizza,  -- Available at Lee's marketplace, Smith's Marketplace and Natural Grocers.  Or vegan pot stickers or spring rolls available at Natural grocers

Snacks
Veggies -- mini bell peppers, snap peas, carrots, celery, even sometimes fresh lettuce can taste good enough to just want to snack :)  
vegan crackers -- try flax crackers
Chips and salsa 
Fruit -- my all time favorite snack, eat 3-4 fruits in a sitting if you are hungry... It's a great source of calories and energy, with high water content, fiber and nutrients!  can also be eaten with nut butter
Avocado smothered in lemon juice and maybe some nutritional yeast and pepper :)  
Peanut butter toast
Vegan bars
Banana bread
Include hummus in the snack... on bread, chips, crackers or veggies
Nuts and seeds

Dinner

top ten easy vegan recipes

  1.  Quesadillas Try one of these or steam your own veggies and use the cheese recipe from here if you don't want to buy vegan cheese or make a simple cashew cheese
  2. Pizza plus salad Store bought vegan pizza or make your own
  3. Spaghetti lots of veggies and nutritional yeast It can be as simple as (4-5) blended tomatoes plus  (4-5) dates, (1/4 cup) oil, (1 tsp) oregano and other italian seasonings with garlic plus (2) zucchinis and (1 package) mushrooms, or it could be 1 can of tomato sauce, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley, 1 tsp of agave, 2 garlic cloves and 1 tbsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt. Or it could be prepared pasta sauce plus 2-3 zucchinis, or 1 package of mushrooms chopped.
  4. Veggie burgers Get milk free and egg free buns, vegan patties, lettuce, tomato, vegan cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, veganaise, eggplant bacon
  5. Stir fry and rice 1/3 cup of rice per person, rinse before cooking.  Place the rice in a pot and fill with water so the water is about an inch the rice.  The stir fry can be really easy, the veggies can be anything in your fridge-- however if eggplant or potatoes are going to be used, would be best to bake them atleast for 40 minutes prior to soften them up enough that they will be cooked through without overcooking the rest of the veggies in the stir fry. Try a seasoning mix such as this, the main idea is that, there is something sweet, savory, bitter, sour and salty within the flavorings.
      •  For example for 2-4 cups of veggies in the pot use 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce, seaweed, or nutritional yeast for salt.
      •  use 2 tbsp of dried herbs or 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs
      • use juice of 1/2 lemon or 1/2 orange, or tamarind for the tang (add last to keep    flavor) lemon zest or orange zest can also be used
      • use garlic, onion, turmeric, chili powder, ginger or hing for bitter/strong
      • use agave, stevia, molasses, sugar, brown rice syrup or maple syrup for sweet Warning** use only a couple grains of stevia to keep it from becoming too overpowering and gross in the dish.  
             At bare minimum try something like 2-3 tbsp of soy sauce, 1-3 tsp of olive oil and 1-4 cloves of garlic minced. Feel free to add protein to this!  Tofu, seitan, tempeh, beans, chickpea tofu
                             
6- Burritos
             Canned beans, (or made at home, soak 1/2 cup of dried beans -- note** lentils don't need soaking, for 12 hours or overnight, simmer the next day 2-3 hours.. or put the beans into a crock pot and let cook 4-6 hours on high.  They will get to be just like the ones that come in a can :) )
Cook some rice
Make some guacamole
Buy/make some salsa
It can be that simple! Or try this recipe

7- Chili
         It can be as simple as a 2 cans of tomato sauce 1-2 cans of diced tomatoes or 3 chopped fresh tomatoes, 1-2 tbsp of chilli powder, 2-3 cans of beans, 2 chopped bell peppers, 1 can of corn or corn from one corn on the cob, 1 tsp of agave, 1 tsp of molasses, 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of paprika, 1/2 tsp of vinegar or for a little bit more involved recipes:

chili recipe
or
chili recipe number 2

8- Tikka Masala Tempeh
This can be served with rice and salad or steamed veggies
1-2 cups of coconut milk from a can
1-2 tbsp of tomato paste
1-2 tbsp of curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 onion
1 package of tempeh

Fry the tempeh and onions in the oil (garlic can also be added) until browned or onions turn clear.  Add the rest of the ingredients heat until hot.

9- Lentils and rice bake
1 cup veggie broth
2 cups tomato sauce or diced tomatoes
3/4 cups of lentils
1/2 cup brown rice
3/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Mix all ingredients in baking dish, cover with foil and bake
for 1 hour and 10 minutes.


10. Mix up dinners:
salad
steamed vegetables or roasted veggies
baked potato
plus some kind of protein dish--preferably saucy such as lentil soup, beans in tomato sauce, or some other dish with mushrooms, tempeh or tofu.
If I didn't get around to cooking it may be some kind of frozen vegan food such as vegan spring rolls, dumplings, veggie burger, or other mock meat.

So, for example, baked beans + potato + steamed broccolli, vegan cheese can be added if desired...


When I have the time to properly make something, I always like to have greens as the base, asparagus, bok choy, kale, mustard greens, collards, spinach, romaine.. whatever it is, if it is a bitter green I typically like to steam it.  

Then I can make some kind of saucy protein dish, that can also act as a dressing to the salad or the cooked greens.  Sometimes like this ---http://theveganfooddiary.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-simple-dinner.html

Typically the starch element of the dish -- pasta, potatoes, rice, quinoa is more of a side event of the dish.  

Out to Eat 
Ask the chef, ask the waiter.  Go for a burrito with beans without the cheese and the sour cream.  Get a salad, check to see what dressings are vegan and make sure the candied nuts don't have honey.  Find out if the chef can add extra veggies to the salad, steamed or fresh veggies -- broccoli, tomatoes, avocados, olives, peppers... Find out if the chef can add other sources of protein -- mushrooms, tofu, nuts, seeds, or beans.  

Sometimes vegan soups are available, find out about the tomato, minestrone, vegetable or even chili.  

Wraps and breads often have milk or egg products in them, check first, otherwise find out what kind of vegan sandwiches may be available or wraps.  

If at an asian restaurant, find out what dishes may have fish sauce in them, otherwise dishes such as moo shu vegetable may be safe, or other tofu plus vegetable dishes.  Dishes with a coconut base -- for example in indian restaurants will be generally more safe.

Dessert 
Unfortunately there area limited options out to eat, at least in non-metro areas for vegan desserts.  It's possible to find vegan desserts at whole foods, natural grocers and other health food stores.  Otherwise vegan ice cream is becoming more popular to buy at bigger food chains such as smith's marketplace and lee's market place.

Try some of these :)
http://ohsheglows.com/2012/01/05/top-21-vegan-dessert-recipes-of-2011/

If I am feeling like something sweet but I don't feel like baking... here is sometimes what I will do...

Snack on vegan chocolate chips with peanut butter
Have a toast, smear it with peanut butter and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Snack on just chocolate chips -- when I buy chocolate bars I tend to eat more than I do when I only have access to chocolate chips.. not sure why.

Apples with peanut butter
Bananas with peanut butter

Snack on cocoa beans

or if I have vegan ice cream available I may also have that :)

Otherwise I will just have a pear, an apple or some kind of a vegan bar -- like a lara bar or pro bar

Another option is snacking on dates, cashews or coconut date rolls -- which are really good.

That's about it!!!

Anything that isn't clear or any questions, please post a comment :)

EXTRAS

Best guidelines from Dr. Joel Fuhrman:::

1. Eat a large salad every day.
2. Eat at least a half cup serving of beans/legumes in soup,salad or another dish once daily.
3. Eat at least three fresh fruits a day, especially berries, pomegranate seeds, cherries, plums, oranges.
4. Eat at least one ounce of raw nuts and seeds a day.
5. Eat at least one large (double size) serving of green vegetables daily, either raw, steamed or in soups and stews.


-- Consider these guidelines as thou holy protein sources, and holy calcium, mineral and vitamin sources 

Avoid these five deadliest foods:
1. Barbecued meat, processed meat, and commercial red meat
2. Fried foods
3. Full-fat dairy (cheese, ice cream, butter, whole milk) and trans fats (margarine)
4. Soft drinks, sugar and artificial sweeteners
5. White flour products.


Helpful books:

Nutritarian Handbook by Joel Fuhrman
Juice Lady's Guide for Juicing for Health, Cherie Calbom
Raw family, Victoria Boutenko
Sunfood diet success system, David Wolf
The Rainbow Diet, Gabriel Cousens --  He is certainly one of my favorites, he has a retreat center/school/healing center the tree of life, http://treeoflifecenterus.com/ 


  • ***Note
The first two books, the authors don't talk 100% of a vegan diet, however my mind tends to block out any words on meat and other animal products, otherwise their content is good, I don't agree with Joel Fuhrman that having animal products at minimum of 1x a week is healthy -- it still can create sickness in the long run.. and if sickness is already present in the body.. it doesn't support the immune system to recover fully.... best thing, is to avoid altogether.  I don't agree with Cherie's recommendation of specific meats and other animals products. However, her juices are powerful and can definitely assist in many ailments.  Each chapter of the book addresses different illnesses.. if she mentions animal products.. replace them with veg protein sources :)

Helpful documentaries:
Forks over knives
Got facts on milk
Eating
Healing cancer from the inside out
Hungry for change
Food matters
Fat, sick and nearly dead

Earthlings--- I have not seen this one.. because I was thoroughly convinced of being vegan prior this.. however I know that this is a very powerful film on some of the wrongs we commit to animals because of our greed for their products.

Here is another film, named ALMA, addressing some of the issues with animal product consumption on our environment.


Further reading on animals and the environment

Articles 
Readings on animal rights
http://responsibleeatingandliving.com/?p=14401

Video: Animals are Persons too

NPR Diane Rehm show --interview with Steven Wise

Should a chimp be able to sue its owner? -- Article

Blog post connecting animal rights and human rights

Non food items
As far as non food items are concerned, I buy all my toiletries also from health food stores,
I make sure that all products have not been tested on animals or contain animal fats in them, it's also possible to make your own products as well :)

I avoid purchasing products that contain:

  • down-- in particular feathers or down are found in comforters, blankets, coats, pillows, sleeping bags
  • fur -- trim on coats and boots in particular
  • leather -- shoes, backpacks, couches, cars, clothes, jackets, sandals, straps, belts, dolls or other ornaments
  • wool -- sweaters, socks, carpets, blankets, coats
  • silk -- dresses, shirts, sometimes pants, bags 
  • bones, ivory  -- ornaments, trinkets, jewelry
  • manure -- this may be a very difficult one, especially if you have your own farm or garden, and are trying to get the right ratio of nitrogen and carbon.  However, if it is at all possible to use other composted materials from vegetables, or human recycled/composted waste, this releases some of the support of some of these agricultural practices.  Of course, using manure is better than allowing it to go to waste, but as far as possible these products ought not be purchased.  
Honey
As far as honey is concerned, many vegans do use honey, in the beginning I believed that if it mattered to some people to avoid honey, than I would make it matter to me.. even though I wasn't totally familiar with the process it takes to get honey.  

I was kind of stuck in the middle for a while in the argument, until I met my husband who is allergic to honey.  I appreciated the way he viewed it. 

That taking honey isn't that fair. The bees have to go on something like 1000 trips in order to make a very small amount of honey.  And in replacement we feed them high fructose corn syrup.  Something in my mind didn't quite click with this relationship, and so I do the best I can to avoid honey. 

A good documentary is 
vanishing bees




The documentary enlightens upon the best reason in my mind to consume organic :)