Wednesday, February 10, 2010

What's Up?

I have not written since January 23rd, but that's no shock to me! I have issues committing at times...

I will more than likely update my blog when I create a new recipe or something. I spend so much time on the computer as it is for school, design, and job searching...sometimes I get tired of having my beloved MacBook Pro as another appendage!

Anyway, I hope all is well with you guys! I am well...just celebrated my 37th birthday on Monday 2/8 and could not have asked for a more beautiful winter day! Here are some pics I took at the park:









Saturday, January 23, 2010

Pad Thai


My latest creation. I have to say it was an interesting one, too! And here I go again with only providing estimates, as I did not measure.

Ingredients

quinoa, cooked according to package directions
1 block tofu, cubed
5-6 green onions, chopped (all parts)
2 tbsp safflower oil
4 cloves garlic, sliced
ground mustard
Sheryl's Duck Sauce
liquid aminos
Thai chili sauce
peanut butter
peanuts, chopped (for garnish)

Saute tofu in garlic and safflower oil; add a few dashes of liquid aminos and sprinkle on a little bit of ground mustard; cook until slightly brown. Add green onions and cook until soft, but do not burn them! Add a few dollops each of Sheryl's Duck Sauce, peanut butter, chili sauce, and more liquid aminos if necessary; mix well. Add quinoa to the pan and continue to cook; the amount is up to you. I used quinoa as a noodle substitute and because I had so much leftover that I needed to kill! I poured the entire mixture over some cooked, seasoned kale, and then topped the dish with the chopped peanuts. What a splendid meal, choc full of flavor! Who needs noodles anyway??? :o)

The Last 3 Days

19, 20, 21...the end...or is it only the beginning?

The reason I committed to the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart was to get myself back on track by making more of my own food, focusing on eating more fruits and veggies, and cutting down on fat content. Yes, as a vegetarian it is easy to just grab something quick and meatless, but that does not certify it "healthy." In the past, I found myself eating too much processed food and not enough live food. Believe me, I immediately felt the difference once I started the Program. Cutting out the "filler" foods and dairy (mainly cheese) gave me more energy, and I never felt like food was weighing me down.

I lost 6 pounds on the Program, which is awesome! I still need to lose more, but that's where the workout comes in, and I need to force myself to do that most of the time as it is difficult for me to focus. Most importantly, I feel better overall, mentally and physically. I also learned some new ways to cook foods I used to be leery of and found some really cool vegan alternatives I had never sought previously.

The last 3 days of the program I ate healthy, but honestly did not document the food I ate...sorry, got busy with school. I know I ate the Asian Bake at least 2 more times since I made so much initially. And, ya know, it tasted better as leftovers! The juices really had a chance to absorb and the flavor was unbelievable!

On Day 21, I did make something new with random ingredients I needed to use up. It was my own version of Pad Thai which will follow in the next post.

So, to answer the question "the end...or is it only the beginning?" It is only the beginning, my friends. While my current lifestyle may not be vegan in entirety, my eating habits will remain as close to vegan as possible. It really is not all that difficult, it just takes more time and creativity, which I have!

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Day 18

DAY 18
Breakfast: 1 cup Cascadian Farms Hearty Morning cereal with Silk soy milk

This has become my breakfast of choice when I need something quick and don't feel like investing a lot of time first thing in the morning.

DAY 18
Lunch: Tofurky, Cheese and Romaine on Spelt Bagel with my special Sun-Dried Tomato & Cilantro Mayo (of course)

Again, something quick since I was knee deep in cooking and making fruit smoothies!

DAY 18
Dinner: Asian Bake

Please refer to the post before this one for the recipe. It was a crafty, tasty way to use up a bunch of veggies before their time was up!

***

So far I have lost 6 pounds even though I am no longer following the Kickstart Program. It was a good way for me to get started, trying out new, healthy recipes from PCRM, and investing time in learning about alternatives to all that is dairy. Again, I was not a huge dairy freak as a vegetarian. What this has taught me is that I can live without those things as long as I take the time to experiment with the alternatives!

Asian Bake

Here's a little something I threw together to clean out my fridge. High in fiber, protein and plenty of other essential nutrients...and tasty to boot!

Ingredients

1/2 head green cabbage
2 heads fresh broccoli, cut into pieces
2 green peppers, cut into squares or larger chunks
1 vidalia onion, cut into chunks
1 sm. pkg white mushrooms, cut into chunks
2 cups cooked quinoa
8 oz. tempeh (I used the Lightlife Organic Flax variety)
Newman's Own Low-Fat Sesame Ginger salad dressing
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbsp liquid aminos
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp wasabi powder (optional)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp sesame seeds
spray olive oil

Boil cabbage in large pot. Cook quinoa according to directions.

In large wok-type pan, steam broccoli, green peppers, onions and mushrooms in about a cup of water...I cover the wok with a round cookie sheet, because I am unconventional like that! Steam until the onions become translucent. Drain excess water. Add the following to the veggies: vegetable broth, liquid aminos, wasabi powder, and minced garlic. Cook until coated, but do not overcook since the entire dish will be going in the oven. Set aside.

Slice tempeh thinly, similar to filleting a fish - sorry, I could not liken it to anything else! You should end up with 6-8 thin slices depending on how you do it. In medium fry pan, add enough Sesame Ginger salad dressing to coat the tempeh slices. I would estimate 3-4 tablespoons...I did not measure; I just eye-balled it. Keep turning the tempeh until all liquid is absorbed and temped appears slightly burnt and caramelized.

Spray large glass casserole dish with olive oil. Line the bottom of the casserole dish with large pieces of cabbage. Spread the cooked quinoa evenly over the cabbage. Add 2-3 more tablespoons of the Sesame Ginger salad dressing to ensure juiciness. Lay slices of tempeh over the quinoa. Top with vegetable mixture. Drizzle on maple syrup. Throw on the sesame seeds. Bake uncovered in oven at 350 for 20 minutes. Then switch to high broil for about 10 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

I know this sounds like a lot of prep work, but it is actually quite simple. The lengthiest part is waiting for the cabbage to cook! Again, some of my measurements might be off since I did not document the recipe while I was constructing it, so you may want to adjust it to your liking!

Day 17

Well, one thing's for sure...when I don't eat enough or regularly, my memory suffers! I honestly don't remember what I ate on Sunday, which was Day 17. I remember eating a So Delicious (which is my new favorite line for yogurt, coffee creme and ice cream!) yogurt at dinner time because I was not all that hungry, but I have no clue what I did for lunch! I think I had some cereal for breakfast at least...

It was actually a lazy day for me. It was my dogs' 5th birthday, I was done with all my homework and I felt like veggin' on the couch watching TV and movies. Finally, a day I was not focused on the computer...it was nice! And, of course, the Golden Globes were on, so I had to watch them! :)

Happy 5th Birthday to Parker and Payton, my "kids"!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Pumpkin Soup


With 2 cans of pumpkin staring at me from my cupboard, I decided it was time to make something with it. It is winter here in Michigan, so wouldn't soup be just perfect? Of course! This luscious soup is now in the freezer to be eaten on one of those days where I just do not feel like cooking. Served with a side of steamed, seasoned kale sounds perfect to me!

Ingredients

2 15 oz. cans pumpkin
2 cups vegetable broth
3 med-large carrots, sliced
6 green onions (whole onion), sliced/chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
4 tsp maple syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Cook onions and carrots in olive oil in a pan for 5 minutes. Once cooked, transfer to a pot; add remainder of ingredients to pot. Cook covered for 45-60 minutes. Mix and throw in blender to puree. Serve.

This is a good way to use up green onions and carrots that have been sitting in the fridge waiting to be featured in a spectacular dish!