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 :)
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)
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!
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
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 :)
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?
-- 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
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
Pizza plus salad Store bought vegan pizza or make your own
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.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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 :)
This is a hearty breakfast, great for celebrations.If you like vegan sausage, this is a good one
to add it to, but it’s not missing if its not added.Guacamole or choppedchives would be a fabulous adornment but not
necessary.
1 bunch dandelion greens chopped
1 russet potato chopped small
Steam the potato pieces, and once done, put them in a
bowl.Put the greens in the steamer for
just a few minutes enough time that they just barely wilt.
Saute the garlic and onion in 2 tbsp of water until onion is
rather clear.Mix tofu and seasonings in
another bowl and then add to the pan.Cook until hot.Add chopped tomato
to end.
These dishes can be served side by side or mixed, based on
preference.
At bare minimum, add the salt, balsamic and lemon zest... and for added flavor add the garlic and ginger.
Fry the garlic in oil along with the stems of the leafy greens. Add the ginger and asparagus. When the asparagus becomes bright green add the yellow pepper and the rest of the seasonings and vinegar. Add the leafy greens, when the leaves become just wilted, add the fresh herbs, lemon and orange juice-- if using.
This morning I had:
Granola with almond milk
chia seeds
toast with vegan butter
Green smoothie (Kale, bananas, berries)
And a bowl of berries (blueberries, blackberries and raspberries)
For lunch we had:
Spinach and a choice of vegan ranch dressing, tomato basil or vinaigrette
mini bell peppers
snap peas
chips
quinoa salad
leftover guacamole and salsa
some kind of a butternut squash lentil soup which was amazing!!
The lunch was really so filling and wonderful!
For snacks they have lara bars available as well as apples and oranges.
Not sure what dinner tonight might look like :) we will see
This dish is best served with rice or quinoa (prepare separately)
2 eggplants roughly chopped
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soysauce (braggs)
1 cored pineapple blended
Corn from 1 corn on the cob
2 inches of ginger minced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 tbsp sucanat
1 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp tomato paste
1tbsp soy sauce (braggs)
1 tsp sriracha
1 tsp vinegar (white wine)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
Before chopping the eggplants, throw them in the oven for 20 minutes at 450 degrees.
Mix the chopped eggplant with water and soysauce in a bowl to soak for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 F, chop and mix the rest of the ingredients together. After the eggplant has had a chance to marinate, mix the all of the ingredients together with the eggplant. Place it all in a baking dish. Bake at 400, for 35 minutes, Turn it down to 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Alternatively this dish could be made in the crockpot. 4-6 hours on high.
This recipe came to be, because I had some dying eggplant in the fridge along with a dying pineapple and corn. It took me a while to figure out what to make, as I was going to make separate dishes but I was thinking about how the dishes wouldn't mesh that well together. I finally decided to mix them all in to one dish. Anyway, it turned out pretty amazing, definitely a keeper! :)
Wash the lentils and quinoa, and put in a pot, fill the pot with water until the water covers the lentils and quinoa by about an inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer until water is evaporated, about 20 minutes.
After lentils have been set on the stove, steam the vegetables until the broccolini is bright green and the radicchio has wilted slightly. While the vegetables are steaming, cut the salad ingredients and place in a bowl. Place all of the ingredients for the dressing in a high powered blender like a vitamix and blend until smooth. Garnish with sriracha.
Place 1-2 cups of salad on the plate. Follow with a 1/4 cup of steamed vegetables, 1/4 cup of quinoa and lentils and 5 tbsp of dressing. Garnish with tomato and beets.
Chikn Tomatillo Quesadillas
makes one quesadilla
3 vegan gluten free chicken strips (we used 'beyond meat' brand)
1 tortilla (the good life, rice tortillas) 3 tbsp tomatillo salsa
3 tbsp daiya cheese
1/4 tomato chopped or sliced
1/4 avocado sliced
Fry or the microwave (lazy style) the chicken strips until hot. Spread out one tortilla on a pan. Put cheese on one side of the quesadilla. Put it into the oven for broil, for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese starts to sizzle/bubble. Remove from the oven, add salsa, tomato, avocado and chikn. Fold in half and eat with sriracha sauce, BBQ sauce or more salsa :)
This recipe came out a little more complicated than perhaps I would have liked, however, the ingredients I had on hand needed a little assistance to balance the tastes. Using flours other than wheat, can give the bread a grainy or other interesting flavors that need a bit of adjustment in some cases. It's possible that by only using sorghum flour, many of the flavor adjustments and sweeteners could be reduced.
Banana Bread:
3 mashed bananas
1/2 cup of oil
2 flax eggs (2 tbsp of ground flax seed per 3 tbsp of water for 1 egg)
1/3 cup agave
3/4 cup of garbanzo bean flour
1 cup of sorghum flour
2 tbsp of tapioca starch mixed with 1/4 cup of water
1/4 cup of whole oats
1/4 cup of sucanat ( or sugar)
1/4 cup of lucuma powder
1 T cinnamon
1/2 tsp baobab powder (optional or tamarind paste could be used)
1 tsp vinegar
Mix all of the wet ingredients together. Mix the dry ingredients separately and then add them to the wet ingredients. Bake at 350 F for 30-45 minutes.
I really didn't feel like putting much effort into cooking yesterday, so this was a minimalist effort kind of throw-together. Steamed Asparagus and Radicchio
1 package of asparagus chopped in 2 inch pieces
1/2 medium radicchio roughly sliced
Yes, radicchio is bitter especially cooked with only water, but I think it's important to strengthen our tolerance for bitterness in our meals :)
Steam for 5-10 minutes, just before wilting point of radicchio.
Chopped Greens
3/4 bunch of red lettuce chopped/ripped into bite size pieces
as simple as that, the table needed something fresh looking :)
Seasoned Mixed Potato Rounds
7 small purple tomatoes roughly sliced
1 large sweet potato roughly cubed
1 large yam roughly cubed
2 tsp of oil
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp sage
Preheat oven at 375 F. Mix all of the chopped potatoes in a bowl add the owl and seasonings and mix. Place in a pan or a baking dish, and bake for 30 minutes. Take potatoes out, stir well and put them back in the oven for another 30 minutes.
Scrambled Chorizo in Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup of chorizo
1 can tri- bean mix
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4-1/2 cup of water
1/4 tsp of basil
1/2 cup of sliced cabbage
Mix all ingredients together in a pot. simmer until cabbage softens.
I invited our friend to dinner, who brought along chips and salsa, which made a perfect contribution to the meal :)
I took equal servings of salad, vegetables, potatoes and chorizo and it was the best all mixed together with a spoonful of salsa and a couple chips :)
Typically my attempt at Indian food always turns into an Indian- American fusion. So I apologize for the lack of authenticity in it's taste. Despite the taste not immediately bringing you to India, it is unique and flavorful in it's own right. It has a tinge of bitter green taste yet the sweetness and the spice from the flavor combinations satisfy the palette. Ultra healthy with lots of vegetables, it does take a bit of time to prepare but worth it ;)
Vegan Malai Palak
2 large zucchinis (alternatively eggplant or mushrooms could be used)
Juice of one lemon
1 medium red onion sliced 4 cloves garlic minced
1 inch stick ginger minced
3 adobo peppers
1 tsp each, garam masala, and turmeric powder
1/2 tsp of fenugreek powder 2 bunches baby bok choy and 1 bunch large bitter greens of your choice -- such as dandelion greens
1 can of kidney beans
dash of salt
1/2 cup of cashews
1 cup water 1/4 tsp of baobab powder 1/4 tsp of lucuma powder *I used the baobab and the lucuma powder as sweet tangy ingredients, alternatively tamarind paste could be used or lemon and a little bit of agave.
*If using eggplant, marinate the eggplant with salt for 10-20 minutes, squeeze out the excess water, and then marinate it with the lemon and adobo peppers. Marinate the zucchini in the lemon juice and chopped adobo peppers for 10-15 minutes. In the meantime the rest of the vegetables can be prepared. Saute
the zucchini (or eggplant or mushrooms) for 5-7 minutes. In another pan, saute the onions, add the ginger
and garlic and then the chillies and fry till cooked. Mix in all of the powdered
spices. Then add the greens. Cook till the greens wilt. Remove the mixture, and put it into a food processor. Return the processed greens to the pan, turn on the heat
and add a cup of water. Add the zucchini. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes stirring at
intervals. Grind the cashews into a powder and then blend them with 2 tbsp of water or just enough water to make it thick and creamy. Add them to the vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Serve
with rice or rice tortillas (we like to cut the rice tortillas in fourths and toast them, they make a great healthy chip, depending on how long they are heated they will be less crispy)
I ended up making this salad because I wanted some kind of a taco salad, but I had no tomatoes, but I did have strawberries. It may sound like a pretty strange combination, but it's amazing.
Tri-bean and Falafel Salad
5 servings
5 cups of chopped romaine or other salad greens
1 yellow bell pepper chopped
3 celery sticks chopped
1 can of tri-beans
5 roughly chopped falafels
Strawberry Chipotle Salsa
8 oz strawberries chopped or roughly food processed
1/4 cup of cilantro chopped
2 tbsp of adobo sauce
juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp of lemon zest
1 tbsp of oil
4 dashes of pepper
2 dashes of salt
Garnish
1-2 sliced strawberry
1-2 peel streaks of lemon
Toss the ingredients of the salad together. Mix the ingredients for the salsa. Combine both the salsa and the salad together, garnish the top of the salad (optional) and serve.
1 head of cauliflower thinly sliced and roughly chopped
1/4 head of purple cabbage sliced and roughly chopped
1 onion sliced
1 bunch of swiss chard
2 tbsp of sesame seeds
Sauce:
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1/4 cup of almond butter
2 tbsp of vinegar (balsamic, rice or wine)
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1 1/2 tsp of sriracha sauce
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1 1/2 tbsp of molasses
1 tsp of ginger powder
1/2 tsp of onion powder
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
dash of salt
Garnish:
3 sprigs of cilantro (optional)
1-2 tbsp of peanuts (optional)
Put 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and fry the onions until soft. Add the cauliflower and cabbage, cook until slightly soft, but still mostly crunchy. Mix the sauce separately until well combined. Add to the cooking vegetables, add the swiss chard and sesame seeds. When the swiss chard wilts, then the dish is done. Turn off the heat garnish with cilantro and peanuts and serve with tortillas, rice or plain.
It's seriously unfortunate my camera is out of batteries, because it looks absolutely amazing.
Tip ** never steam or boil your vegetables long enough that they lose more than 70% of their original crunch. They should only ever be cooked enough so that their colors brighten and as much of their crispness is in tact.
I made a mistake yesterday and I overcooked my broccoli for the holandaise dish. I know, seriously a pity. I think it's the main reason why after a few hours the broccoli gave off that typical funny broccoli smell.. so sad. Don't overcook veggies :):)
Unfortunately the chilled version of my dish yesterday was a no go. So best advice, serve it FRESH or, make the amendments that I made today, and you got yourself a whole new thing!
Jambalayan Fry
1 to 2 cups of leftover Ultimate Hollandaise Veggie Toss
1 tbsp of nutritional yeast
1-2 tsp of smoked paprika
1 tsp of mixed herbs
1 tsp of sriracha sauce
Mix everything together in a nonstick pan. Fry for just enough time to get it sizzling and even a little crispy. This is an excellent dish, in fact if you made the same mistake as me.. and made the veggie toss recipe to be served a couple hours later.. best is to make these amendments to it, so it can be a new exciting and flavorful dish for hours to come!
I went to a potluck yesterday, as I am the only vegan that I know at my work/school I had to choose something that could work even if it was the only thing that I could eat. I thought about bringing dessert too, I just didn't have that much time to do it as well.
I had a bunch of veggies in the fridge, but I wanted a really nice sauce to go along.
I wanted the sauce to remind me of a hollandaise sauce.
Surprisingly I did a really good job at getting that 'eggy' flavor and consistency. Not quite sure how I did it, but the interesting this was, this sauce could also be made with a little less liquid and really tastes reminds me of deviled eggs! It would be interesting in future recipes to play with this recipe a little more.. and combine it with some kind of a tofu recipe to actually make vegan deviled eggs!! It would certainly be a fun experiment.
Ultimate Hollandaise Veggie Toss:
Serves 8-10
1 small head of broccoli chopped
1 bunch of kale chopped
1 small head of cauliflower chopped
1/3 head of purple cabbage chopped
3 carrots chopped
1 bunch of asparagus chopped
1/3 cup of tahini
1/4 cup of oil
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 1/2 lemons
1tbsp of 1/4 tsp of agave
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp of tapioca starch
1/2 tsp of mustard or powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp of broth powder
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp of black pepper
1-2 tbsp of smoked paprika
1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper
1 tbsp of all purpose herbs
Steam the asparagus, carrots, cauliflower, and broccoli together in a pot until a bit softer but still with a crunch. Put steamed veggies in a big bowl to stir. Then steam kale for a minute, add to the other vegetables. Steam the cabbage for a very short time, 1-2 minutes, it shouldn't lose it's dark purple color. Let the cabbage cool a bit before blending it with the other vegetables so it doesn't bleed its color onto them.
Whip the rest of the ingredients together, if it's looking anything but creamy, keep whipping :)
If it's still too bitter, you can always add more agave, salt, and apple cider vinegar.
If it doesn't have enough flavor, you can always add more smoked paprika, salt, mixed herbs and
cayenne.
mix the sauce with the veggies, and serve hot!
Unfortunately a couple hours had past before it was served at the potluck and it didn't hold up as well. I may have been overly judgmental of it, because I was very disappointed, but someone did still come up to me and complimented me on the dish... so it's possible that it was fine but I was too critical of it.
I will find out today, if chilling before serving would have improved it. Some dishes are really incredible once chilled, so I am crossing my fingers on this one! I will let you know as soon as I eat this for lunch if chilling it prior is the best method for this guy.
Also, the hosts were so gracious and made the two main dishes vegan--- I'm pretty sure for me, because I'm the only vegan I know in that circle. Amazing, it's these small -- to me big-- acts that really touch the heart!
I haven't been that great lately at making proper meals. My last final was yesterday and now I have a proposal to really hash out and get done asap. It's due in 10 days, and proposal writing is a whole new endeavor on my end.
Breakfast was the same old chia plus chocolate plus apples. See Busy Mondays for the recipe.
Today I put closer to 3 tbsp of cocoa powder and it was amazing, so chocolatey. Somehow I've misplaced my stevia.. so I haven't been using it, but apparently with enough cocoa powder it's still amazing.
Lunch I was super lazy today, I had 3 half face toasted sandwiches with coconut peanut butter and vegan chocolate chips. I know, what can I say, finals.
Dinner I had made some very easy
Jalapeno Hummus Quesadilla
makes 1 quesadilla
1 brown rice tortilla (I use Food for Life brand)
2 tbsp of Jalapeno garlic havarti 'cheese' (Daiya brand)
1/2 zucchini sliced thinly
1/2 tomato chopped
2 tbsp of Jalapeno cilantro hummus (Hope Foods brand)
2-3 tbsp salsa (I thought I had some, turned out I only had tomato sauce, I know completely college student of me, but I used it, and it was actually pretty good as a dipping sauce)
Spread the 'havarti cheese' on half of the rice tortilla. Place the zucchini and the tomato pieces on the other half. Put it in the oven on 'broiler' for 3-4 minutes or when the 'cheese' starts to melt/bubble. Remove from oven, sweep the vegetables atop of the cheese and add the hummus to the empty side of the tortilla, close the tortilla, put it onto a plate and serve with salsa -- or in times of no salsa, tomato sauce will do :)
Hopefully I will find my battery charger for my camera sooooon
