One of the things that people say to me is, "don't you get bored eating the same things?" They say this because they have a very limited view of what vegans eat because they probably have a limited repertoire of their own when it comes to veggies. When I first started the vegetarian route I did have a limited menu. Over time, I broadened my horizons, but often fell back on junk food when I got bored.
Going to vegan and plantstrong was limited in the beginning too. But I promised myself I would try different things and try to cook as a means of actually creating a vegan palate! I continue to have success, although with a lot of trial and error. I see posts on Twitter and other blogs from beginning vegans who feel boxed in with their options, especially for eating out. You have to be patient in the beginning until your palate blossoms and things take on an enhanced flavor for you. I'm enjoying foods now that I never would have liked before because my palette can distinguish subtle flavors. When you are used to a lot of salt and fat, you can't taste the differences in a lot of subtle food preparations.
Today I had a wonderful home-made smoothie with fresh strawberries, banana, oj, and almond milk. There is no need for yogurt or ice cream or sherbert, just use ice. I can taste each flavor in the smoothie making it very enjoyable! Later I made a new dish with whole wheat elbow pasta, fresh tomato, salsa, corn, olive, and red peppers. A dash of apple cider vinegar is great! The dish thickens and the pasta cooks in the tomato and salsa juice as well as almond milk. Totally yummy!
No meat, no oil in these dishes. And the flavors in everything were just great! I learn to savor these flavors making eating very pleasurable - without eating junk, sugar, or oils.
I experiment a lot with whatever I have in the fridge. Trying different veggie combinations, using different ingredients for dressings, seasonings, and methods of cooking. I eat a lot of raw food, which is perfect as the weather changes. In the winter it is a lot of beans and soups. Now it's salads added to the mix.
One of my new favorite seasonings is turmeric, which is in the ginger family. I put it in salad dressing, I add it to chili, and it adds a wonderful new flavor. I can't describe it, so you will have to try it. Turmeric also has great health properties, which is why I tried it in the first place.
So mix it up and try new things, new combos, new spices, new methods. You won't be bored :)
Evernote
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Spring is Coming - Eat Well!!
Finally, the spring thaw is coming. Puts me in the mood for fresh food and cold food. In winter I can barely eat a salad. But as the temps climb, my menu broadens! Here's my celebration of spring today. Enjoy <3
And as food prices rise :(, organic choices may need to be made. I'm noting the items where it is a good use of your organic dollar to spend it. These foods give you the biggest result because they are most susceptible to pesticides. I'm really struggling with organic beans...$2.00 a can vs. 69cents for non-organic. Sigh.
Fresh Smoothie
Banana
fresh organic raspberries (berries are a priority for the limited organic budget)
OJ with pineapple (that's the kind I like)
Almond milk
ice
Puree the banana and raspberries with OJ
Then add ice and almond milk and smoothie it!
Garden Bean Salad (with canned and frozen until the garden bears)
Edamame
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Sweet Corn
Red Pepper (fresh! and organic - another must on the limited organic budget)
Dressing:
1 Tbs Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Tamari Sauce
1 Tbs (suite to your taste) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs veggie broth (I don't use oil)
sea salt
pepper
tumeric
sesame seeds
And as food prices rise :(, organic choices may need to be made. I'm noting the items where it is a good use of your organic dollar to spend it. These foods give you the biggest result because they are most susceptible to pesticides. I'm really struggling with organic beans...$2.00 a can vs. 69cents for non-organic. Sigh.
Fresh Smoothie
Banana
fresh organic raspberries (berries are a priority for the limited organic budget)
OJ with pineapple (that's the kind I like)
Almond milk
ice
Puree the banana and raspberries with OJ
Then add ice and almond milk and smoothie it!
Garden Bean Salad (with canned and frozen until the garden bears)
Edamame
Black Beans
Kidney Beans
Sweet Corn
Red Pepper (fresh! and organic - another must on the limited organic budget)
Dressing:
1 Tbs Seasoned Rice Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs Tamari Sauce
1 Tbs (suite to your taste) fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs veggie broth (I don't use oil)
sea salt
pepper
tumeric
sesame seeds
Friday, March 18, 2011
Enjoying a Vegan-Free City...New Orleans
I'm enjoying New Orleans while here at a conference. Great city, great weather, fantastic food - unless you are vegan. This is a challenging city to find vegan options. I am not opposed to eating seafood when that is my only nonplantstrong option and when in great seafood cities. NOLA would qualify as a seafood city!
But the seafood here is fried, covered in sauce, and nary a vegetable in sight. But with a little creativity, a vegan can survive and eat well :)
Salad is essential. Fortunately, even the finest restaurants will have a dinner salad.
NOLA has wonderful red beans and rice. It may have been cooked with ham or bacon grease, but you can avoid the sausage. Tonight at a great seafood place, I had red beans hummus for appetizer!
Breakfast in New Orleans are killer - cheese grits, steak and eggs, fried eggs on top of pancakes. Yikes! But I found a great little place this morning and had breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, and fresh orange juice. And of course, wonderful coffee. Sides can be a great menu option and cheaper than the giant omelet meal with cheese, eggs, and sausage...My breakfast bill was $7.00. There was no main entre course on the menu under $8.00.
I've had catfish, fried oysters, crab fingers, and lump crab, but otherwise - plantstrong.
I searched for vegan or vegetarian restaurants on my Veg Out phone app, but there was nothing! That qualifies NOLA as a nonvegan friendly city. But if you scour the menu and get creative, you can find some good options to keep you on your path without too much deviation.
But the seafood here is fried, covered in sauce, and nary a vegetable in sight. But with a little creativity, a vegan can survive and eat well :)
Salad is essential. Fortunately, even the finest restaurants will have a dinner salad.
NOLA has wonderful red beans and rice. It may have been cooked with ham or bacon grease, but you can avoid the sausage. Tonight at a great seafood place, I had red beans hummus for appetizer!
Breakfast in New Orleans are killer - cheese grits, steak and eggs, fried eggs on top of pancakes. Yikes! But I found a great little place this morning and had breakfast potatoes, fresh fruit, and fresh orange juice. And of course, wonderful coffee. Sides can be a great menu option and cheaper than the giant omelet meal with cheese, eggs, and sausage...My breakfast bill was $7.00. There was no main entre course on the menu under $8.00.
I've had catfish, fried oysters, crab fingers, and lump crab, but otherwise - plantstrong.
I searched for vegan or vegetarian restaurants on my Veg Out phone app, but there was nothing! That qualifies NOLA as a nonvegan friendly city. But if you scour the menu and get creative, you can find some good options to keep you on your path without too much deviation.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
School Lunches
I'm finding that as I continue my plantstrong journey, I see outlets for furthering exposure to others. #1 is school lunches, especially in urban core schools where obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are rampant! As I look into this, I'm finding some interesting issues and opportunities. Here are some thoughts.
There is a national Farm to School advocacy effort. One national organization is FarmtoSchool.org and they work to connect local farmers to school districts to help bring healthy and fresh foods to school lunch tables. Apparently, NJ has an effort going with a state Farm to School program in the NJ Dept. of Agriculture. NJ is, after all, the Garden State, and super tasty fresh produce is available in abundance here! There was a recent conference in the state and this website has a great deal of info on "how to" connect farm to school and build a supply chain.
The US Dept. of Agriculture is about to implement new nutritional regs for school meals as part of the 2010 legislation for Healthy Kids. School Districts will have to work with their food suppliers, cafeteria kitchens, and state offices to revamp menus to make them healthy. Some districts are way ahead of the curve. Here in NJ there are several vendors that already take advantage of bulk produce buying and stock the cafeterias of hundreds of schools Informative article in the Courier Post today
One of the issues about fresh food is cost. The NJ vendors quoted prices of $2.75 and $2.50 for lunches purchased in schools. These prices provide students with options such as turkey blt, fruit bar, and fresh veggies. Apparently when kids are paying for their lunch, there are many more options than the prepared standard tray that urban school kids get. In the school where I volunteer in Camden the kids all get the same lunch preloaded onto a tray. While this year's fare is a big, big improvement over last year - adding whole grain buns and fresh fruits - it is far from great. In Camden, kids are on free lunches. The government pays for their lunch. According to the USDA, reimbursement rates for free lunches are $2.72. If the kids in Voorhees can pay $2.75 and get fruit bars and Cesar salads, why can't the kids in Camden have the same?
I also came across a story about how diet can be a big factor in AHDD and that diet not drugs should be the first line of approach. Every urban school district needs to give more attention to nutrition since they are the primary food source for many children during 2/3 of their potential meals for the day. I realize that education is priority #1 and they have a great deal of difficulty managing success. But as a school DISTRICT that is the administrative operation, the question of how food is supplied, the source, and the content needs to be addressed.
Many areas around the country have CSA - Community Supported Agriculture co-ops. Schools can be co-op members and schools can help parents learn about joining and overcoming the inequities of urban food deserts.
We tend to be so silo-ed in our work. The school people are busy over in their area. The CSA and farm people are busy growing crops. The Food to School folks are a bridge, but they need support from parents, administrators, teachers, and students to get nutrition on the table in our schools. Here is an example group that I follow in Los Angeles - School Garden Co-Op. Even DonorsChoose has gotten involved in supporting agriculture/nutrition in schools as part of the causes they enable support for.
Vegans and plantstrong advocates could be a huge support network for this work. Get involved!
There is a national Farm to School advocacy effort. One national organization is FarmtoSchool.org and they work to connect local farmers to school districts to help bring healthy and fresh foods to school lunch tables. Apparently, NJ has an effort going with a state Farm to School program in the NJ Dept. of Agriculture. NJ is, after all, the Garden State, and super tasty fresh produce is available in abundance here! There was a recent conference in the state and this website has a great deal of info on "how to" connect farm to school and build a supply chain.
The US Dept. of Agriculture is about to implement new nutritional regs for school meals as part of the 2010 legislation for Healthy Kids. School Districts will have to work with their food suppliers, cafeteria kitchens, and state offices to revamp menus to make them healthy. Some districts are way ahead of the curve. Here in NJ there are several vendors that already take advantage of bulk produce buying and stock the cafeterias of hundreds of schools Informative article in the Courier Post today
One of the issues about fresh food is cost. The NJ vendors quoted prices of $2.75 and $2.50 for lunches purchased in schools. These prices provide students with options such as turkey blt, fruit bar, and fresh veggies. Apparently when kids are paying for their lunch, there are many more options than the prepared standard tray that urban school kids get. In the school where I volunteer in Camden the kids all get the same lunch preloaded onto a tray. While this year's fare is a big, big improvement over last year - adding whole grain buns and fresh fruits - it is far from great. In Camden, kids are on free lunches. The government pays for their lunch. According to the USDA, reimbursement rates for free lunches are $2.72. If the kids in Voorhees can pay $2.75 and get fruit bars and Cesar salads, why can't the kids in Camden have the same?
I also came across a story about how diet can be a big factor in AHDD and that diet not drugs should be the first line of approach. Every urban school district needs to give more attention to nutrition since they are the primary food source for many children during 2/3 of their potential meals for the day. I realize that education is priority #1 and they have a great deal of difficulty managing success. But as a school DISTRICT that is the administrative operation, the question of how food is supplied, the source, and the content needs to be addressed.
Many areas around the country have CSA - Community Supported Agriculture co-ops. Schools can be co-op members and schools can help parents learn about joining and overcoming the inequities of urban food deserts.
We tend to be so silo-ed in our work. The school people are busy over in their area. The CSA and farm people are busy growing crops. The Food to School folks are a bridge, but they need support from parents, administrators, teachers, and students to get nutrition on the table in our schools. Here is an example group that I follow in Los Angeles - School Garden Co-Op. Even DonorsChoose has gotten involved in supporting agriculture/nutrition in schools as part of the causes they enable support for.
Vegans and plantstrong advocates could be a huge support network for this work. Get involved!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Mushrooms and Pine Nut "Gravy"
Invention in cooking can turn out well or really suck!
Tonight, it turned out really well!
I love pesto, but on a no-oil plantstrong, vegan regimen - you have to be inventive to sample flavors you love. I don't eat the faux vegan foods - like the vegan cheese everyone raves about. OIL and CALORIES I can skip. But I do love pine nuts, italian flavors, and mushrooms. Here is my latest creation
Italian inspired Mushrooms with Gravy
Tonight, I used red and white qunoa as my pasta. You could use whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke pasta instead. I make a full cup of dry quinoa so I have leftover to make a salad tomorrow :).
1/2 C white quinoa
1/2 C red quinoa
2 C vegetable broth Pacific Natural Organic
Put all in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, simmer, cover for about 15-20 minutes. Check out the "learn to make: quinoa" recipe on Whole Foods recipes at their web site or on the iphone app!
First - 8 oz of mushrooms. I used white pearl. I also like brown pearl or crimini. Cut them up, slice them up or throw them in whole. As you like it!
I use a spoonful of veggie broth to coat the bottom of the saute pan, and add the mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat. About 5 minutes or so and they start to soften and release water. Add more veggie broth if it evaporates. Push the mushrooms around to coat their surface in the broth so they don't stick to the pan.
I also added about 1/4C white wine for flavor. My current favorite is Eco Domani Pinot Grigio. The best < $10 wine around!
While the shrooms are cooking, start the "pesto gravy."
First you make a roux or paste-like base:
I didn't have any fresh basil, but next time I'll definitely have some.
I used a half bag, 1.5 oz of pine nuts Melissa's Organic
Add a teaspoon full of chopped garlic (I use the prechopped organic kind that is already a little creamy) or 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic depending on how garlic-y you like it.
Add your fresh basil here. Or do as I did and use about a 1/4 tsp or so of dried Italian seasoning.
Chop in a food processor and blend till creamy. You may need to add just a bit of veggie broth or wine to keep it from being dry.
Turn this out into the pan with the mushrooms. There should be liquid in the saute pan and that will turn the roux into gravy. Stir until the roux and liquid are mixed into a nice sauce. Add 2 sliced and halved Roma tomatoes and cook on low heat. You don't want to turn the tomatoes to mush, so keep the heat low.
Meanwhile, finish the quinoa and put your serving onto your plate. Top with the mushrooms, tomatoes and pine nut gravy.
Enjoy!
Tonight, it turned out really well!
I love pesto, but on a no-oil plantstrong, vegan regimen - you have to be inventive to sample flavors you love. I don't eat the faux vegan foods - like the vegan cheese everyone raves about. OIL and CALORIES I can skip. But I do love pine nuts, italian flavors, and mushrooms. Here is my latest creation
Italian inspired Mushrooms with Gravy
Tonight, I used red and white qunoa as my pasta. You could use whole wheat or Jerusalem artichoke pasta instead. I make a full cup of dry quinoa so I have leftover to make a salad tomorrow :).
1/2 C white quinoa
1/2 C red quinoa
2 C vegetable broth Pacific Natural Organic
Put all in a pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, simmer, cover for about 15-20 minutes. Check out the "learn to make: quinoa" recipe on Whole Foods recipes at their web site or on the iphone app!
First - 8 oz of mushrooms. I used white pearl. I also like brown pearl or crimini. Cut them up, slice them up or throw them in whole. As you like it!
I use a spoonful of veggie broth to coat the bottom of the saute pan, and add the mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat. About 5 minutes or so and they start to soften and release water. Add more veggie broth if it evaporates. Push the mushrooms around to coat their surface in the broth so they don't stick to the pan.
I also added about 1/4C white wine for flavor. My current favorite is Eco Domani Pinot Grigio. The best < $10 wine around!
While the shrooms are cooking, start the "pesto gravy."
First you make a roux or paste-like base:
I didn't have any fresh basil, but next time I'll definitely have some.
I used a half bag, 1.5 oz of pine nuts Melissa's Organic
Add a teaspoon full of chopped garlic (I use the prechopped organic kind that is already a little creamy) or 1-2 cloves of fresh garlic depending on how garlic-y you like it.
Add your fresh basil here. Or do as I did and use about a 1/4 tsp or so of dried Italian seasoning.
Chop in a food processor and blend till creamy. You may need to add just a bit of veggie broth or wine to keep it from being dry.
Turn this out into the pan with the mushrooms. There should be liquid in the saute pan and that will turn the roux into gravy. Stir until the roux and liquid are mixed into a nice sauce. Add 2 sliced and halved Roma tomatoes and cook on low heat. You don't want to turn the tomatoes to mush, so keep the heat low.
Meanwhile, finish the quinoa and put your serving onto your plate. Top with the mushrooms, tomatoes and pine nut gravy.
Enjoy!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Asian Inspired Veggies
I try new ways of cooking veggies (sorry to all you raw enthusiasts, but I sometimes need to cook 'em).
Here is a fast, easy and tasty method and you can alter the recipe to suit your own flavor favorites.
I love Asian flavors and this suits my palate!
Use a large microwave safe bowl - I prefer a pyrex or heavy glass bowl
I cut up and throw in whatever I have handy or sounds good. Last night it was:
brown pearl mushrooms
petite fresh green beans
green pepper
sliced leek
broccoli florets
red swiss chard
Put all but the chard in the bowl.
Add a marinade that also will serve as a cooking liquid
In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine:
about a 1/2 cup of mushroom broth Pacific Natural Organic
2 TBS of Tamari Sauce (I use low sodium when I can find it in the store)
1 TBS of chopped garlic (I use it prepared in the jar) Christopher Ranch Organic
1 TBS of chopped ginger (I use it prepared in the jar) Christopher Ranch Organic
sesame seeds
add red pepper flakes, curry powder, or white pepper if you like a kick
Mix the sauce and pour over the veggies. Toss the veggies and let sit for a few minutes. The broccoli and mushrooms will absorb some of the liquid.
Cut the chard into pieces and layer over the top of the veggies, about 1-2 large leaves
Microwave the veggie bowl and cook as you would normally cook raw vegetables.
Spoon the veggies onto your serving dish and enjoy!
If you want, cook some rice or quinoa and spoon some of the remaining liquid over it for flavor!
Onward <3>
Here is a fast, easy and tasty method and you can alter the recipe to suit your own flavor favorites.
I love Asian flavors and this suits my palate!
Use a large microwave safe bowl - I prefer a pyrex or heavy glass bowl
I cut up and throw in whatever I have handy or sounds good. Last night it was:
brown pearl mushrooms
petite fresh green beans
green pepper
sliced leek
broccoli florets
red swiss chard
Put all but the chard in the bowl.
Add a marinade that also will serve as a cooking liquid
In a separate bowl, thoroughly combine:
about a 1/2 cup of mushroom broth Pacific Natural Organic
2 TBS of Tamari Sauce (I use low sodium when I can find it in the store)
1 TBS of chopped garlic (I use it prepared in the jar) Christopher Ranch Organic
1 TBS of chopped ginger (I use it prepared in the jar) Christopher Ranch Organic
sesame seeds
add red pepper flakes, curry powder, or white pepper if you like a kick
Mix the sauce and pour over the veggies. Toss the veggies and let sit for a few minutes. The broccoli and mushrooms will absorb some of the liquid.
Cut the chard into pieces and layer over the top of the veggies, about 1-2 large leaves
Microwave the veggie bowl and cook as you would normally cook raw vegetables.
Spoon the veggies onto your serving dish and enjoy!
If you want, cook some rice or quinoa and spoon some of the remaining liquid over it for flavor!
Onward <3>
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Black Bean Soup
UPDATE: I just made a batch and put the leftovers in the fridge without all the liquid. Today I spooned the leftovers on a bed of romaine lettuce and had a tasty. tasty salad! No dressing needed. If I hadn't been lazy I would have added cucumber and some other veggies...
Perfect for a cold, wet day. I trolled the online recipes for black bean soup and came up with this. I think it is yummy! I list the brands I use, but you can use your faves :) . I give measures so you can see the proportions of ingredients. You may want more or less of certain ingredients depending on your taste. I like it spicy, so adjust accordingly.
Black Bean Soup
25 oz can (large can) Westbrae Natural Organic Black Beans
1/2 jar Muir Glen Salsa with Black Beans and Corn (or use diced fresh or canned tomato if you don't like spicy)
1/2 C or so Cascadia Organic Frozen Corn
1 C Pacifc Natural Organic Vegetable Broth
2 stalks or so celery chopped
1/2 green pepper or so, chopped
1/2 red onion or so, chopped
2 cloves garlic (I use the jar of minced in water which equates to 1 spoonful = 1 clove)
1/2 tsp (about) cumen
a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
juice of half a lime
Cook for about 45 minutes on low heat. Let the flavors mingle and the veggies soften.
Smells fantastic as it cooks!
Perfect for a cold, wet day. I trolled the online recipes for black bean soup and came up with this. I think it is yummy! I list the brands I use, but you can use your faves :) . I give measures so you can see the proportions of ingredients. You may want more or less of certain ingredients depending on your taste. I like it spicy, so adjust accordingly.
Black Bean Soup
25 oz can (large can) Westbrae Natural Organic Black Beans
1/2 jar Muir Glen Salsa with Black Beans and Corn (or use diced fresh or canned tomato if you don't like spicy)
1/2 C or so Cascadia Organic Frozen Corn
1 C Pacifc Natural Organic Vegetable Broth
2 stalks or so celery chopped
1/2 green pepper or so, chopped
1/2 red onion or so, chopped
2 cloves garlic (I use the jar of minced in water which equates to 1 spoonful = 1 clove)
1/2 tsp (about) cumen
a few shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
juice of half a lime
Cook for about 45 minutes on low heat. Let the flavors mingle and the veggies soften.
Smells fantastic as it cooks!
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