Quinoa "Pilaf" and veggies

This is adapted from a recipe called "Quinoa Pilaf" that I found on the phone app - 21-Day Vegan Kickstart. It calls for toasting spices and quinoa etc. I can't be bothered. So I adapted to a fast version that I made in under 30 minutes.

This is serving for one.

Prepare your quinoa - I always use 1/2 veggie broth and 1/2 water.

Dice/chop veggies: 2 stalks or 1 large stalk celery, 1/2 yellow onion, 2 small cloves garlic, about 3/4 C carrot.

Heat a bit of veggie broth or water to fill about 1/4 inch in bottom of a skillet. Add spices: cumin, oregano, cilantro (I use 2 parts cumin to 1 part oregano and 1 part cilantro). I like a lot of spice so I use a tsp of cumin and go from there.

Add the garlic and let it soften. Then add the rest of the veggies and cook about 10 minutes or until desired doneness. I like my carrots firm, but not crunchy. Stir the veggies to get coated with the spices. Then stir several times as it cooks. The steam and hot liquid will cook the veggies without boiling them. Don't put a lid on it or they just stay soggy.

Combine with 1 C of Quinoa, stir, and add any additional flavorings. I add a bit of Sriracha sauce and a dash of tamari sauce (low sodium) - maybe a tsp.  Stir again and enjoy the spicy goodness of great flavor combo!!

According to My Fitness Pal app, here are the approximate nutritional values:
324 calories, 63 grams carbs, 4 grams of fat, 11 grams protein, 1029 grams salt (use water instead of broth to reduce sodium), 11 grams sugar.

Sodium is everywhere - even in celery and carrots! Adding veggie broth and tamari sauce (even the low sodium kind) produces a high salt content for the meal. Adjust ingredients accordingly to lower the sodium. You can drop 500+ grams of sodium by cooking the quinoa in just water.

Be a Happy Herbivore!
Onward <3

3 Weeks on the Slow-Carb express!

Just an update on my eating adventure. So far I have been able to stick to the plan and the result is lost pounds and inches. I expected to lose weight since I dropped all the junk food! The question is whether my body will actually turn into a fat burning machine or burn out.

Because mornings have been chilly to downright cold here, I have taken to cooking breakfast. I have chosen a routine a a quick skillet dish that consists of:

• bean: usually white northern or black
• 3 veggies from this group: mushrooms, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peas
• spinach or kale and/or chard
• seasoning style: salsa, cumin, garlic/pepper grind; herbs de Provence; onions; cumin, rosemary, paprika, simple sea salt and ground pepper; and don't forget the balsamic vinegar on top of the spinach
• sometimes tofu

I use tamari sauce and veg broth combined in lieu of oil to cook the veggies in a skillet. Add the beans once the veggies are tenderizing. Finally, drop handfuls of spinach on top and let it reduce. When the spinach or kale is cooked, it's done. 

At first it was a chore, it was not familiar and I resisted, but I persisted. Now it is just routine and I enjoy it. 

If I'm on the run its almond milk shaken with protein powder. 

For a main meal lunch or dinner I cook a variation of the skillet dish in a large skillet or wok with asian spices or other bold flavors and more veggies in the mix. I found a wonderful artichoke tapinade at Trader Joe's that goes great on the breakfast skillet when you want just a bit of bite. It also can be mixed with veggie broth for a nice salad dressing. 

Costco has been stocking a wonderful salad mix called Sweet Kale Salad mix. It has 7 super foods in it that are extra good for you - cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, chicory plus pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries (those 2 are in a separate pouch). I eat it as salad, put it in the wok, and sometimes add it to the skillet meal. 

Winter provides opportunity to make chili and soup. Finding a canned soup is a little tricky since potato and pasta are everywhere, even in vegetable soups. Amy's split pea soup is great and there is a black bean soup that is tasty too. 

Spaghetti sauce can be a great base too. I use Muir Glenn because the sauce is very thick. I add mushrooms and broccoli (don't knock it - broccoli and sauce is a great combo!), and Trader Joe's Meatless Meatballs. They come frozen and I pop as many as I want in the oven for 10 minutes and then add them to the sauce. I could add beans, but usually don't. And yes, this is a no pasta spaghetti dish :)

Getting off of sugar and processed fat is not easy. But knowing that I have Saturday as my indulgence day, enables me to practice delayed gratification. Try it. It is a good skill to sharpen. 

When I first began I found I was eating huge portions for fear that I would be hungry all day. Gradually, I have found that I am regaining my actual hunger sensors (leptids) and I am eating less. If I get hungry, I eat some veggies or a scoop of peanut butter or hummus with celery or carrot. Again, Costco carries the Savas brand hummus and offer a 16 mini-cup package. I put some carrots in a little bag, grab a hummus cup and I have a snack for an afternoon meeting when they start serving cookies as the afternoon sugar rush. Another good snack to stash is sunflower seeds or nuts. 

Most interesting to me is that I am enjoying drinking coffee without sugar or cream! I just auto used cream and sugar, never drinking it black. But coming off the sugar, I find I don't miss it in coffee and I am learning what coffees taste like, lol. 

Bon Appetite and Be a Happy Herbivore!

Starchy Carbohydrates = Sugar > bye-bye

January is the month when we all make resolutions that we don't keep. So, I made some goals this year that are quantifiable and measurable. I also made the goals attainable so that I will not fail. One of the goals is to reduce starchy carbs because they turn into sugar. I think this is the basis of the Adkin diet that was so popular a few years back.

As a vegan, I should be thin and healthy, right? Wrong. There are lots of plant-based foods to eat that will pack on the pounds - the opposite of what I need!  So my goal is to follow The 4-Hour Body plan (Tim Ferriss) and see if it works for me. Six days on, one day off. No rice, bread, quinoa, pasta, squash, corn, potato, cereal, tortilla, pastry, muffins. No fruit, fruit juice, soy milk (almond milk unsweetened is ok). At first it seemed radical, but when I read the science in the book, it made sense. If carbs turn to sugar, you store it as fat. Not good for me. If I were an average weight, then I would not need this. But since I have not lost weight being a junk-food-eating vegan, I am trying to find a path that will help me reach that goal of being just a bit smaller :)

What do you sub for these carbs? beans, lentils, edamame, chickpeas/garbanzo beans and peas. Luckily, I already eat these things. If you don't, ease into it. It's a big change to your digestive system. Start with one or two days a week and ease into the program.

• Beans, luckily, come in many varieties and many come canned for easy prep. Black, white northern, chili, pinto, kidney, and lima. 
• See my recent post on green lentils. I also have some pre-made Indian lentil dishes that should be good. 
• Edamame is very tasty and also is wonderful in salads. Just be sure to get the shelled ones, not the ones in the pod. 
• Chickpeas can be roasted with taco seasoning for a snack or made into hummus. 
• Peas can be green or black-eyed.

Two things I like to do with beans are - black bean burgers (sans the bun) and combine northern white beans with cauliflower to make mashed "potatoes."

Not eating fruit is a tougher goal for me. I love fruit...a lot. I often have bananas at the ready for an out-the-door breakfast. Apples are a favorite snack. But their sugar is a problem. I'm not sure how I will fare with this, but I'm giving it a try.

The kicker on this approach to eating is that on the 7th day - you eat as you please. Fruit, pasta, eclairs - go for it. The physiology is that when you change your diet your body goes into a conservation mode. The 7th day is designed to fool your body and kickstart your metabolism. So if I know I can eat brown rice and fruit at least one day a week, I have a fighting chance. If I know I can eat junk food at least one day a week, I can wait till that day to do it. Of course, all restricted items have to be eaten on the same day :) I should mention that red wine (2 glasses per day, no more) is acceptable. Something in the science that enables the sugar in wine to not get stored in your body as it does with carbs turning to sugar.

Here are some fun nutrition facts that help:

• bananas are a great source of potassium - but so are avocados, chard, spinach, pinto beans, lentils, black beans, and mushrooms.
• soy milk has calcium - but so do tofu, spinach, and black-eyed peas
• magnesium is necessary so eat peanuts, almonds, cashews, pine nuts (if you can afford them!), and spinach
• fat is essential to your diet. Many plant-based eaters avoid cooking oil, but you can get essential fats in avocado, nuts (almonds and walnuts are my faves), peanut butter (read label for no added sugar!), and almond butter
• for protein you can get all you need from a combination of beans, lentils, nuts, and veggies - most beans have 10+ grams per cup, nuts have 5-10 grams per cup, and spinach, broccoli, and almost any veggie have 3-5 grams per cup. I like hummus and carrots or celery for breakfast or snack! And tofu has 11 grams in 4 oz. Just be careful with how much soy-based product you eat as it can affect hormone levels. Go easy on the Morningstar veggie burgers, sausage, and TVP.

Learn to spice flavor your food with spices and condiments. Just watch for sugar (be a label reader).

• Ketchup is loaded and many salsas add sugar too! I like Pace picante and salsa and they have no sugar :)  
• my go-to items are organic veggie broth, mushroom broth, and tamari sauce
• balsamic vinegar can be wonderful on roasted brussels sprouts or asparagus as well as cooked with chard and spinach. Or try rice wine vinegar flavored with garlic! Apple cider vinegar would be a no-no.
• herbs de Provence is a wonderful blend of spices that goes great with almost any veggie, bean, or lentil. Try the grinder type spice bottles. I like pepper and garlic. 
• tumeric is great on tofu and veggies
• try this blend - cumin, paprika, and rosemary - it's tasty!!
• garlic goes into everything, right?
• siracha sauce, like ketchup, has sugar. But I may have to make an exception here since jalapeños are not always available and I gotta have my hot!
• onions - red, green, white give zest to a dish
• curry powder for, well, curry! Just have your curry without coconut milk and no rice - maybe better left to the 7th day :)

I'll let you know how it goes. Keep going plant-strong and eat well!!

Be a Happy Herbivore :)

Green Lentils

I don't know much about lentils except that they are an excellent source of protein - 18grams per cup!!

Upon investigation I learned that green lentils, usually referred to as French green lentils, are the tastiest! Like me, you may have had brown or red lentils, often the supermarket variety, and they are not great. I have tried them dried and canned and was not a fan. Determined to find a lentil that would please my palate, I tried Bob's Red Mill brand. I've had wonderful luck with his products before and his record remains intact!

Green lentils are firm, but tender - not crunchy, not mushy. They have a wonderful flavor that I can't describe. But I know it is a flavor and not the gritty, bean-y taste of red or brown lentils.

Here is how I simply fixed them:

1 C green lentils
2.5 C vegetable broth
bring to a boil and boil 2-3 minutes (per instructions on the bag)

Add:
3/4-1 C sliced carrots
1/2 onion chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 bay leaf
1/2 to 1 tsp herbs de Provance

reduce heat and cook covered for 25-30 minutes

Vegans are often asked - "but where do you get your protein?" Just answer - green lentils!!

This dish is great for lunch on its own, as a side for dinner, or reheated as a quick breakfast. No starchy carbohydrates that turn into sugars  (unlike pasta, rice, or breads).

Here's another recipe and some more info on lentils from Seventh Generation (yes, the soap product people!) http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/blog/foods-we-love-lentils 

Plant-Strong Fettuccine

As a plant-strong vegan, it is sometimes difficult to create textures and flavors that mimic high oil, rich, dairy-based foods. I've adapted this recipe http://www.flourishingfoodie.com/2012/03/creamy-avocado-pasta.html for creamy avocado pasta and made it plant-strong!

Using avocado as the cream base (instead of tofu and nutritional yeast) creates a wonderfully thick coating for pasta. I included 2 cloves of garlic and then changed up the rest of the recipe. I used a sun-dried tomato and garlic salad dressing, about 1 TBS instead of oil. It gave more flavor and fewer calories. I also added some poblano pepper - about 1 TBS chopped and threw it in the food processor with the rest. I think lemon juice would have been good and definitely pine nuts - but sadly, I was lacking both. After the pasta is cooked and drained, return to the pot and add the avocado mixture. The hot pasta warms the avocado sauce. It's thick, rich, and wonderful - as you would want an Alfredo sauce to be, but no cream, milk, or cheese.  I didn't have any tomatoes and could have done the roasting as the recipe suggests.  I would prefer chopped fresh as garnish.

2 avocados
linguine or fettuccini
2 cloves garlic
1-2 TBS of oil-based salad dressing (not creamy)
1-2 TBS chopped pepper - poblano for mild, jalepeno for hot
2 TBS lemon juice (if using, then reduce amount of salad dressing)
1/4 cup of pine nuts (if using, then use more liquid - full amount of salad dressing or lemon juice)
salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh tomato for garnish

Quinoa - versatile, nutritious, TASTY!

Rice seems to be a staple for a lot of vegetarians and herbivores. Most of us eat brown rice since it is more nutritious than the essentially non-nutritious white rice.

But rice has limited nutrition when compared to the superfood - Quinoa. It is a whole protein and can be cooked in 15 minutes and served like rice.  That makes it a staple in my kitchen.

I like to dress it up with some flavors as I cook it. I do the same with rice or potatoes, but quinoa seems to take the flavors on and wears them nicely :)

Quinoa
Tonight I cooked the quinoa with mushroom broth instead of water. In the pot before cooking I added minced garlic, chopped mushrooms, and a few very thin slices of jalapeno peeper. I added about 1/4 tsp of Provance herbs.

Asparagus & Brussels Sprouts
I served the quinoa with roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts that I had mixed in a plastic bag with olive oil, Provance herbs, sliced garlic and pepper. Mixing them in the plastic bag ensures the veggies get well coated. Brussels sprouts take about 25 minutes and the asparagus 10 in a 400 degree oven. Just put them on a cookie sheet.

I'm a happy herbivore :D

breakfast / lunch tofu scramble

I really like having tofu around. It is so versatile! If you don't like tofu food texture, then you may not have had it made the way you would like it. I like mine dry. I don't like the silken tofu unless it is made into a sauce.  I only buy extra firm (and organic). Then you must press the water out. Cut off the amount of tofu you will use from the whole block, then cut into 1/2 inch or so slices (not too thin). Then use paper towels or dishcloth to wrap the tofu in several layers and press down. You'll feel the water getting absorbed into the cloth. Some people put the wrapped tofu on a plate and set a big can on it and come back in 10 minutes. I just wrap and re-wrap and press with my hands. It's also wise to use just a drip of oil when you cook tofu. It helps crisp up the outside and makes it tastier.

Today I fixed a breakfast/lunch meal that really rocked! The secret is in the flavors you add.

Tofu with Green Peppers. 

I like my food spicy, but when it is the first meal of the day and I haven't been bouncing around, I like something a little tamer. For some, this will be spicy, so adjust accordingly.

1/4 of a tofu block, pressed and cubed - extra firm, organic tofu
1/3 of a large green pepper, diced
1 or 2 small fingerling potatoes sliced or small cubes, if you like. You could add mushrooms or onion instead of potatoes.
oil, tamari sauce, siracha sauce (or hot sauce), tumeric, pepper, cumin, cilantro (fresh or dried)

• Heat a small frying pan with 

1 tsp oil (about)
1 TBS Tamari Sauce (about) or veggie broth if you don't have Tamari, but it won't be as tasty :)
1/2 tsp Siracha sauce (depends on how hot you like it). If you don't have Siracha, try hoi sin sauce or red chili paste. If you only have hot sauce, add it at the end because it does not fry well.

• Mix together and let it heat (medium high)
• Add tofu and generously season with tumeric (tumeric gives it a lovely yellow color and makes it look like scrambled eggs. 
• Add the potatoes and peppers and stir to coat all. Break up the tofu cubes with your spoon or spatula. 
• Season with a few shakes of black pepper, cumin, and dried cilantro. I can't use fresh cilantro fast enough to warrant buying it in the winter. So I keep a jar of dried flakes around. If you are using fresh cilantro, you probably want to wait until the cooking is nearly done to add it. 
• Cook in the pan and toss/stir frequently to be sure it doesn't stick (depending on the pan you have). Should be 5-8 minutes on a medium heat to thoroughly cook potatoes and peppers. 
• If you didn't use Siracha or other cooking sauce, now add your hot sauce!

Another way to make this is to add spinach or chard halfway through the cooking. 

Eat and Enjoy!