Recipes

Weekend? What Weekend?

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We have been so busy this weekend! Friday was beer fest, saturday we did some grocery shopping and went to Costco and then we went to a Lake Monsters game for work because our Honor Guard was presenting the colors.

The Worlds Most Unhealthy-yet free- dinner ever! Vegan Burger with potato chips and diet cola....I cringe as I type this but oh well...it was good after a night at brew fest

Now it is Sunday and I have been busy attempting to unpack as well as having to run to the office to get some emergency items done. We got quite a bit done today however there is still more to do boo! I can’t wait to be totally moved in.  I am happy to say however we have gotten back into our active mornings and finally eating at home.

This morning I knew we had a lot to do so I decided to make a yummy and filling breakfast

Polenta topped with Tex-Mex TVP

Ingredients: (makes 4 portions)

  • Tex-Mex TVP
    • 1.5 cups vegetable broth
    • 1/2 cup TVP
    • 1/2 large onion, minced
    • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
    • 1/4 cup salsa- I used my Salba Mild Salsa sample
    • 1t cumin
    • 1T nutritional yeast
    • 1t paprkia
    • 1/2t garlic salt
    • 1t chili powder
    • 1/2T oil

Directions:

  • Polenta
    • Bring the water to a boil and stir in the corn grits polenta, nutritional yeast, and salt.  Turn down to low and continue to stir until the polenta has thickened.
  • Tex-Mex TVP
    • Bring the vegetable broth to a boil and stir in the TVP; turn down and simmer for 5- 7 minutes. Saute the onions and garlic in oil over medium-high heat until translucent. Add in the cumin, paprika, chili powder and salt and stir to evenly coat the onions and garlic.  Pour in the TVP; it should be soft and expanded some- there should be a little left over vegetable broth.  Stir the TVP and onion mixture together and add the salsa and nooch.
  • Assemble
    • Take 1/4 of the polenta and put it on a plate, top with 1/4 of the TVP mixture and then 1/4 of an avocado.  ENJOY! Other suggestions: add your favorite hot sauce, fresh diced tomatoes, pickled jalapenos or cilantro to add even more flavor to this dish.

After breakfast I tried out my new sneakers and walked a few miles to the Short Stop to redeem my free iced coffee ticket. Then it was off to work for an emergency that had to get taken care of.

After running to work we headed to Bed, Bath & Beyond to pick up some organizational items, the natural food store for a few items and then home to make some lunch- a recipe from Ani Phyo’s Raw Food Essentials– Pad Thai!  Since the only kelp noodles I had were still frozen I made the recipe with zucchini noodles, cabbage and carrot noodles on a bed of baby spinach.

Ani Phyo's newest raw book is really amazing! The book has such a clear layout of recipes which is great for easily navigating it and finding recipes that interest me. I absolutely love the photos that are in the book; they are a huge improvement over Ani's Raw Food Kitchen. The recipes are also even better than her first book! We loved the pad thai, BLT Club and Chinese Chickenless Salads- I can't wait to try more recipes! One thing that I loved about these recipes is that they were easy to follow and they all turned out amazing! There is also a great balance of recipes that require special appliances (i.e. dehydrators, high powered blenders, spiralizers) and recipes that are easy for anyone who doesn't have these special items and doesn't want to go out and purchase them. I would really recommend that if you have any interest in raw foods to pick this book up because you won't be dissappointed.

After recharging with this lovely raw meal it was time to get down to work and unpack our place.  We gave ourselves 20 minutes to relax, check e-mails and twitter then it was time to get unpacking.  We did pretty well over 2.5 hours of unpacking the place but unfortunately there is still more to do- we need more furniture so we don’t really have places to put things…like books.

I attempted to  write this post earlier but my blog has been down all afternoon so, what would have been a separate dinner post is going to be wrapped up into this post. Dinner was simple (see below) since it is a million degrees in our apartment and I’m exhausted.  Enjoy!

Tomato & Cuke Salad, Trio of Dips (leftover TVP from breakfast, Spicy Peanut Hummus and Salba Mild Salsa) with Salba Blue Corn Chips and Carrot Sticks, Lastly, Olives & Caper Berries

The Salad That Will Make Your Friends Say "WOW"

This simple salad will impress your guests:

Ingredients:

  • 1 large tomato, sliced
  • 1 large cucumber, sliced
  • 1 cup baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 shallot, sliced
  • 2T olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

First place the balsamic and shallots in a small sauce pan on high heat and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low  and reduce by half.  Set aside and let cool slightly while you prepare the remaining items.  Create a bed with the spinach for the tomato and cucumber to lay on; alternate the tomato and 2 slices of cucumber until all is used.  Down the center top the cucumbers and tomatoes with the balsamic shallots and then drizzle the remaining sauce over.  Drizzle the olive oil over and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Recipe: Bean Burgers, Carrot Fries and Sauteed Kale

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Three Bean Burgers

  • 2 cups of black eyed peas, kidney beans, and chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup chickpea flour
  • 1/2-3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
  • 1/2t chili powder
  • 1/2t cumin
  • 1/4t garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1T hot sauce (I used VT Pepperworks Chocolate Chipotle)

Preheat the oven to 400F.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Mash the beans up and add in the spices, chickpea flour, panko breadcrumbs and hot sauce. Form the patties into 1/4 cup patties and bake for 10 minutes on each side.

Carrot Fries

  • 5 large carrots, sliced into thin strips
  • 1t Montreal Chicken Spice

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Toss the carrots with Montreal Chicken spice and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Sauteed Kale

  • 1 head of Red Russian Kale, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup vegetable broth
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/2t garlic powder
  • 1T nutritional yeast
  • pepper to taste

Heat a sautee pan over medium-high heat and add in the vegetable broth and kale.  Sautee until the kale begins to wilt and stir in the salt, garlic powder, nutritional yeast and pepper.

Oh Oats I Missed You

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I used to eat oats all the time but lately I’ve been having soyogurt, scones and green juice but finally yesterday I returned to my old friend oats, if only it could have been oats in a jar.  I also had oats this morning as well and I think tomorrow OIAJ will happen.

On Monday I got home from work to find my Easy Lunch Boxes sample had arrived and I couldn’t wait to try them out.  My husband and I bring lunch everyday to work because it’s healthier, cheaper and easier than going out for lunch, besides the fact that we don’t really have time to go out for lunch during the work week.  I have to say one of the hardest things at our house however is finding containers to pack our food into. The Hubz We are notorious for leaving our tupperware at work or in the car so it is nice to finally have some new ones.

I went right to work putting together my lunches for the week and because they stack so great I could just stick them in the fridge and grab them when I head out the door.  This makes like so much easier because I don’t have to get up in the morning and make lunch or do it the night before they are all ready to go.  I also received a cute purple lunch box that fits the containers perfectly- I think this is my first real lunch box since elementary school. If you check back later today I think there might be a giveaway post for your own chance to win these eco friendly lunch boxes.

For my lunches this week we have some fruit, salad and the most delicious GF vegan raw sprouted crackers from Livin’ Spoonfuls I have ever tasted.  I tried the coconut curry yesterday and they were amazing I am sure I will post more about these later.

Dinner last night was delicious and filled with healthier versions of two of my favorite things- chili and quesadillas. I know I have blogged about these before but Maria and Ricardo’s Low Carb Tortillas are my favorite tortillas for a few reasons  they are low in calories, fat and carbs and are made with ingredients that are all natural.

In my quesadillas I put some scallions and a serving of cheddar Daiya cheese- I couldn’t hold myself back from buying it the other day when I saw that it was on sale for $2 off.  We tried the mozza a few weeks ago and I decided that a sale was a good excuse reason to try the cheddar;  I think I am a bigger fan of the cheddar so far.

To go with our quesadillas I made up some chili with kidney and black beans that I had soaked the night before and I added a bunch of great veggies to it including mustard greens.

Beans and Greens Chili

Ingredients:

  • 1/2T olive oil
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2 carrots, diced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1.5 cups cooked kidney beans
  • 1.5 cups cooked black beans
  • 1T tomato paste
  • 2 t cumin
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1/2 t oregano
  • 1T nutritional yeast
  • 2t chili powder
  • dash of cayenne
  • 1t garlic powder
  • 1t onion powder
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1/4t black pepper
  • 3 cups mustard greens, chopped
  • 1/4 cup scallions, sliced
  • 1T chipotle hot sauce or 1t chipotle chili powder (optional)

Directions:

In a medium pot heat the oil over medium-high and add in the onion and carrots; saute for 3-5 minutes.  Stir in the garlic and cook for a minute.  Add in the vegetable broth, tomato paste and beans and bring to a boil; turn down to medium low and let simmer for 15 minutes.  While the beans simmer mix the cumin, paprika, oregano, nutritional yeast, chili powder, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder salt and pepper with 2T of water to make a paste. Stir the spice paste into the beans and then top with the mustard greens and cover; let the greens wilt. Stir in the greens and scallions.  At this point you can eat as is or if you want you can add in the chipotle hot sauce or chipotle chili powder- I think that with the beans and greens this smoky flavor and heat is a great addition to the chili but it is yummy without it as well.

Readers Request: Nutritional Yeast

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Last week Kara sent me an e-mail inquiring about nutritional yeast and I’ve decided that it is a perfect question for a ‘Readers Request’. Here is her question:

When I became vegan I was clueless as to what nutritional yeast was and what to do with it.  Now I am a nutritional yeast addict and my husband and I constantly joke that I should go into therapy because of it.

So what exactly is nutritional yeast?

  • Nutritional Yeast is an inactive yeast that has a nutty cheesy flavor and is frequently used to make vegan cheeze sauces.
  • Nutritional Yeast is low in sodium and fat and is a great source of Vitamin B-12 which can otherwise only be found in animal products.

Where can you find nutritional yeast?

  • Check out your local natural food store or co-op in the bulk section.  You can find it in large flakes and small; also try to find Red Star- it is my favorite brand.
  • If you can’t find it in store you can go online and there are a number of vegan sites that sell it as well as online bulk shops.

How do I use it?

  • It is great as a topping for popcorn or sprinkled on edamame.
  • Mix a little in with your Earth Balance and garlic to make a great garlic bread spread.
  • Sprinkle into a stir fry, in/on pasta dishes or in soups/stews.
  • Make a great mock parmesan by pulsing 1/2 cup nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon salt in your food processor and sprinkle on soups, salads and over pasta.
  • Then of course there are cheeze sauces such as the one I made tonight:

  • 1/2T olive oil
  • 3 large cloves of garlic minced
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, quartered
  • 1T arrowroot (or cornstarch or potato starch)
  • 1/2t Italian Seasoning
  • 1/2t chili flakes
  • 1/2T garlic powder
  • 1/2T salt
  • 1/2T black pepper
  • 1 heaping tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or your favorite non-dairy milk)

Place garlic and oil in a cold pan and heat on low for 5 minutes; this will infuse the oil.  Add in the tomatoes and turn the heat up to medium and saute for 5 minutes until the tomatoes start to soften. Stir in the spices and arrowroot until everything is mixed together.  Stir in the almond milk and the nutritional yeast; bring to a boil to thicken and then turn off.  If the sauce gets too thick add a little more almond milk.  Serve this over pasta or your favorite veggies.  I served mine over vegan ravioli and steamed broccoli.

Q: What is your favorite way to use nutritional yeast?

Open Faced Sandwiches and Tomato-Vegetable Soup

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Neil and I got our workouts in this morning so we could relax tonight.  As I said yesterday I found some Daiya cheese and so I have been thinking of different ways to use it so tonight on some nice open faced sandwiches.  To make the sandwiches I turned the broiler on to high and let it heat up while I put the toppings on. I topped local Red Hen bread with a drizzle of olive oil, balsamic, thinly sliced tomatoes, basil, Daiya and a sprinkle of garlic salt and pepper.  I placed under the broiler for about three minutes until the cheese had melted and the bread browned.

Lazy Sunday and a Greek Feast

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I decided to take the morning/afternoon off from blogging today so that I could relax with the husband and grocery shop and watch movies. It’s been a lazy Sunday around our house and I am happy to finally have a lazy day. This morning I started off with a bowl of oats topped with cinnamon, Sunbutter, banana and a couple drops of chocolate chips. I haven’t had oatmeal in many days and it was nice to be back in my routine.

This afternoon we did some grocery shopping and hubby requested that I make some banana soft serve with strawberries for an afternoon snack.  He sure had a great idea because this was yummy!

Ingredients:

  • 3 small frozen bananas
  • 8 strawberries
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk
  • 1T raw almond butter

Blend this all together and enjoy.  You can make this completely raw if you substitute raw almond milk.

Dinner was the exciting event of the night.  We have been trying to cut back on eating out so hubz and I decided to do themed date nights in.  Tonight we did a Greek feast in memory of our trip to Ft. Lauderdale last September where we had the best Greek food. For our feast I picked up some marinated mushrooms, artichokes, and olives.  I then made some lightened up Greek which included skordalia, hummus, oregano & lemon roasted potatoes and some tomato, tofu, onion salad with Drew’s lemon herb dressing.

Hummus

Ingredients:

  • 1T lemon juice
  • 1/3 cup chickpea liquid
  • 1-28oz can of chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 3 cloves of garlic

Blend in a food processor until smooth and top with paprika and chopped olives.

Skordalia

Ingredients:

  • 1 large potato, boiled
  • 3 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 2T olive oil
  • 1T white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper

Toss in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Lemon and Oregano Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients:

  • 1 large Yukon Gold Potato Sliced
  • 1/2 the juice of a lemon and 1/2 a lemon sliced
  • 1t oregano
  • salt and pepper
  • 1T olive oil
  • 3 cloves of minced garlic

Preheat oven to 425F. Place potatoes in one layer in a roasting pan and sprinkle with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and oregano.  Place the lemon slices on top and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Now I am stuffed and am enjoying a nice pom-vodka spritzer and watching New York, I Love You. Q: What are you doing this evening?

A Yummy Day of Eating

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I know I have been pretty absent from my blog lately but I am working on getting back in the swing of things and the posts should start to flow again.  Hubby and I spent the day trying to be productive and yet relaxing and fun as well.  We started out with a trip to Plato’s Closet so that we could see how much dinero they would give us for our old clothes.  We made out pretty well so we treated ourselves to a huge veggie sandwich at Martone’s that was filled with veggies, hummus and tabouli it was massive so we got one to share, I wish I had taken a photo of it.  After a wonderful lunch we decided to go to a matinee and we saw Date Night which was absolutely hilarious!

After our relaxing lunch and movie it as time to get down to business and by business I mean shopping.  Grocery shopping that is! We picked up some great finds at Costco (greens, broccoli, mushrooms and Organicville no sugar added BBQ sauce). Then we were off to pick up a few more veggies and such for lunches.  We picked up this yummy treat to share, a little one serving container of Ciao Bella Sicilian Blood Orange Sorbeto:

For dinner I made a yummy dinner of baked BBQ tofu, roasted broccoli, green salad and garlic-saffron quinoa:

Baked BBQ Tofu

  • 80z of pressed tofu cut into 4 thin slices
  • 1/3 cup BBQ sauce of your choice (I used Organicville no sugar added)
  • 1T soy sauce
  • 3T water
  • 1t sirracha

Preheat oven to 425F. Mix the BBQ sauce, soy sauce, water and sirracha together and pour into a small baking dish. Place the tofu in the sauce and flip over a few times to coat.  Bake for 40 minutes, flipping half way.

Roasted Broccoli

  • 4 cups of broccoli
  • 1T olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • Aluminum Foil

Preheat oven to 425F.  Toss the broccoli with the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Place the broccoli in aluminum foil and create a closed packet. Place in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes.

Garlic-Saffron Quiona

  • 1 small onion, minced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1/2T olive oil
  • 10 strands of saffron
  • 2 cups of water
  • 1 vegan chik’n bouillon cube
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/2T nutritional yeast

In a small pot heat the olive oil over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic for 3-5 minutes.  Add the water, bouillon and saffron to the onion and garlic and bring to a boil.  Stir in the quinoa and return to a boil.  Cover and turn the heat down to medium, and cook 12-15 minutes until the water has been absorbed.  Take off the heat and fluff with a fork.  Add the nutritional yeast and salt and pepper to taste.  Let sit covered for 15 minutes before serving.

For dessert we were cravings something sweet and banana like:

Chocolate Banana Soft Serve

Ingredients

  • 2 frozen bananas broken into pieces
  • 1 T nutbutter (today I used Sunbutter)
  • 1/3-1/2 cup unsweetened chocolate almond milk

Directions

Place everything in a food processor (a blender really won’t work not even a Blendtec or Vita-Mix) and processes until fluffy smooth and softserve like.