A Very Merry Vegan Christmas!

So I wanted to make a delicious Christmas breakfast since I love holiday breakfasts, but this was my 1st vegan Christmas so I had to rethink the eggs and cheese, etc. So here's what I ended up with:

I made some super yummy blueberry buckwheat pancakes with vegan sausage and sliced apples and oranges.
I just make the pancakes with ground flaxseed as the egg substitute and added some blueberries and we were in business. *(To substitute 1 egg, take 1 heaping Tablespoon of ground flaxseed and mix it with 3 Tablespoons water over a low heat lightly whisking it until the consistency looks about like that of an egg.)
I also used tubed SmartSausage... and cut it into round patties and cooked in a frying pan with a little olive oil for 5 minutes per side. It was yummy... and I'm not one for meat substitutes.

These are the cookbooks I got for Christmas... Can't wait to start making some of this stuff! And hopefully host some parties!
The rest of the day turned out pretty well too... Dinner with the parents and grandparents. Although they did have meat, I helped make squash, beets and carrots roasted in fresh rosemary, olive oil and brown sugar. We also had red potatoes with mushrooms and onions. And stewed cinnamon apples for dessert!
OH, and it SNOWED... IN GEORGIA... on CHRISTMAS!!!!

One last picture.... of the snowy manger scene in my parents front yard. 

Here's what's for dinner!

So, as you read two posts ago, the date day dinner was a hit! So when the boyfriend said he wanted pasta again (which I promise you is not all I cook), I went for a modified version of that dish.
I went to the store and decided that eggplant and broccoli looked good. I already had some mushrooms, and a little bit of squash, zucchini, and red bell pepper. I chopped up all the veggies, along with some white onion, and cubed tofu, and threw it in a baking dish... added some vegetable stock, a little EVOO, chopped fresh rosemary, salt and pepper, then threw it in the oven at 375 degrees for about an hour (covered for 45 mins, then uncovered for 15). After 45 min I added a generous amount of balsamic vinegar (which apparently is great to eat along side of pasta because it helps with the digestion and absorption of the carbs), then went on to make the pasta (whole grain spaghetti).

I'm hoping to branch out a little and maybe make a fun dessert or muffins (which the boyfriend has been asking for). So shortly there should be a dessert post!

Simple Dinner

So I'm a little behind, but I'll attempt to catch up... One night last week I was by myself and I hate cooking for one so I went for something super simple. What ended up on the plate looked like this...

I bought everything earlier that day at Trader Joe's. An easy package of Basmati Rice Medley and Vegetable Masala Burgers. I made the rice according to package directions (even though I made about 1/3 of the bag and only put a little Earth Balance butter in), then sauteed mushrooms and onions to put on top of the burger. I toasted some Ezekiel Bread and added some Veganaise, baby spinach and salt and pepper... it wasn't my favorite meal ever, but definitely easy and filling!

A Night (or at least dinner) In

On Friday the boyfriend and I had Date Day... So fun...
We started off with a trip to take Bella (my precious pup) to the park.

Then took in an afternoon movie (Love and Other Drugs; it was only ok).
Followed by dinner, of course made by me... and oh so yummy.

I made Creamy Spaghetti with Roasted Eggplant, Portabello Mushrooms and Tomatoes. I got it off of one of my favorite blogs, Little House of Veggies. Such a great resource for me and her food is always DELICIOUS! I did make a small substitution of using a bed of fresh spinach under the pasta because I didn't have any parsley and I wanted some kind of "green." And of course I added a piece of toast because I'm Italian and you always need something to sop up the sauce!

Well the boyfriend LOVED it... He said it was his favorite meal yet; but then again, he says that every time I cook something new. But this one will definitely be making it's way into the rotation.

After dinner we went and met some friends for a drink at The Sound Table and really just had a lovely time. Gotta say, Date Day is the BEST!

A Night Out

So I admit, sometimes it's hard for me to go out to eat. Which can really put a damper on my social life, because let's face it, socializing revolves around food (or alcohol). And I've never really been able to justify spending money on a tiny little salad with practically no nutritional value, that I could have made at home for $2.
But with that being said, it's nice to have back-ups and places I can go and feel like I'm eating a decently healthy meal.

I can always eat at a Moe's, or Willy's, or Chipotle', etc. Burritos have a good culmination of nutritional ingredients; tofu, rice, black beans, guac, etc. and they're pretty easily accessible and quick.

However, if you're an Atlanta local, Shiek Burrito, located at 1877 Piedmont Rd. is a pretty great spot.

 I've been there 3 times now and went on Wednesday night with one of my girl friends for a night of catch up. It's a Persian/Southwestern fusion according to the owner (a guy I actually used to work with, plus I love the idea of supporting local, independent businesses) and is full of unique flavors.
All of his stuff is organic, local, free range, etc. And since he doesn't use any butter or animal fats/oils in the kitchen I don't have to worry about what I get. I get the Happy Vegan, either in a wheat tortilla or a persian wrap, then add all kinds of goodies. Naturally I start with the tofu, which has like a curryish flavor to it, then you build it with different sauces and such. There's a lentil and eggplant sauce that is super hearty and yummy and just feels good to eat when it's cold. Or a greens and kidney bean sauce that makes me feel like I'm getting my nutrients... then it's served with chips and a persian salsa that is really good too. I can never eat the whole thing which makes me happy to have lunch for the next day taken care of. So in short, vegans take heart in eating out in the way of burritos... and if you're looking for something out of the ordinary try the Persian style place! It's good stuff!

What's for dinner?

Monday night I heard the usual question from the boyfriend, "What's for dinner?" To which I respond the usual way, "Well, what do you want?"

"How about that quinoa thing you make with the stuff in it?" 

"Ha. Ok, sure thing!"

The Mediterranean Quinoa dish, as I've appropriately titled it, is one of my favorites and so easy to make that we end up eating it almost once a week. It's super yummy, almost comfort food. And is practically a complete meal, although this time I served it with steamed carrots, yellow squash and broccoli on the side.
Here's how you make it:
I'm not good with measurements when I cook, I kind of just eye things and taste as I go, but this is a decent shot...
1 cup quinoa (cook according to directions, basically like rice; boil it with about twice as much water til it's fluffy)
1 handful of sun-dried tomatoes (mix into qunioa about 1/2 way through cooking)
1/2 can chick peas
1/2 can sliced black olives
1/2 diced cucumber
Mediterranean spices (I use McCormick's Perfect Pinch Mediterranean Herb; which is a blend of chili pepper, oregano, rosemary, thyme, paprika, garlic powder)
Sea salt and ground pepper to taste

Mix all other ingredients into the qunioa immediately after it's removed from heat.
I then mix in about a Tablespoon of Tofutti Cream Cheese... I know it sounds weird but it makes it creamy and delicious.
Sliced tomatoes to garnish.

Volia'!

And then of course I had to make his favorite dessert... I think it's actually become the favorite dessert of everyone I've ever made it for!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

These guys are A-MAZ-ING! The boyfriend would eat a whole batch if I'd let him!

The recipe for these can be found in Alicia Silverstone's book, "The Kind Diet," or on her website, here. 

They are super simple to make and actually not that bad for you at all. Alicia says to put them in the fridge to set, but I like keeping them in the freezer! YUM!

Enjoy... hope this inspired you all to make a yummy dinner tonight! Guaranteed to satisfy even the non-veggie! 

"So... What do you EAT?"

I get this question a lot, so I figured I'd just go over what a typical day looks like on the meal wheel...

Alicia Silverstone notes in her book, "The Kind Diet" (a MUST read), that the standard vegan plate should be loosely comprised of 50% vegetables, 25% whole grains and 25% proteins/beans, but that a protein isn't required at every meal. I try to stay close to this, but every day is a little different.

Breakfast examples:
Oatmeal (not instant, but organic whole rolled oats), with either apples, bananas, walnuts, almonds, raisins, cinnamon or any combination of the aforementioned. I might get crazy and throw a little almond milk in!

Whole grain blueberry bagel, topped with earth balance spread, tofutti "cream cheese," natural peanut butter, or bananas.

Whole grain cereal with almond milk and a fruit (bananas, raisins, strawberries, blueberries, whatever is in season).

Lunch examples:
Sandwiches! I love them... I start with a great whole/multi grain bread and then pile on the veggies.
My favorite combination includes; avocado, tomato, red leaf lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms and roasted beets. Add some veganaise (mayo substitute), salt and pepper, and you're good to go... So good!

Leftovers from the night before or earlier in the week. When I cook dinner, I always make enough for leftovers so lunches are easy!

Dinner examples:
Spinach salad to accompany a whole grain pasta dish. The sauce is what's key here. A variation of tomato sauce, but chockful of veggies! Carrots, yellow squash, green peppers, mushrooms, onions, maybe some chick peas and black olives!

Mediterranean Style Quinoa (I'm going to do a whole blog post with picture and recipe the next time I make it because it is SOOO good), It's got quinoa, black olives, sundried tomatoes, chick peas, cucumber and spices in it. Complete meal by itself!

Baked butternut squash, wild or brown rice, black beans, collard greens and maybe cauliflower. Basically a good old fashioned vegetable plate!

Ok... let's discuss pantry staples! (a.k.a. everything I just mentioned)
Rolled oats - I get them at the farmer's market 1lb/$1
Whole grain bagels - Also from the fm... yum
Cereal - My fav is Peace Cereal "Vanilla Almond Crisp"
"Milk" - I used to do soy, but since I've tried almond it has my heart. Silk Pure Almond (original) is my fav!
Bread - Once again, I get a multi grain artisan from the fm that's got all kinds of seeds and grains in it. I've also heard good things about Ezekiel brand, but haven't tried it yet.
Veganaise - I like this brand mayo substitute... I used to love mayo so this is a biggie for me and I can still make macaroni/pasta salads using this!
Earth Balance - This is my pick for a butter substitute, but you can get Smart Balance at Publix, which can be more convenient.

Then just LOTS of different veggies: Leafy greens (collards, turnips, darker lettuces, spinach, etc), Squashes, onions, cucumbers, carrots, eggplant, etc. (Just try and get lots of colors too!)

LOTS of different beans: Black, pinto, chick or garbanzo (same thing), kidney, lentils, adzuki, etc. This includes soy beans, i.e. edemame and tofu!

LOTS of different grains: brown rice, barley, rolled oats, millet, quinoa
And grain products: whole grain pastas, cous cous, polenta

Ok, so in closing many of you may have never heard of QUINOA... I know I hadn't before I got into this whole adventure, so I'm going to give it a little shout out. I LOVE this grain. It's so good... I'll just mixed it with beans and veggies or come up with an exciting recipe for it. So I encourage you to experiment with it. I'm copying a section from it's wikipedia page so you can read about all it's GREATNESS!

"In contemporary times, this crop has become highly appreciated for its nutritional value, as its protein content is very high (12%–18%). Unlike wheat or rice (which are low in lysine), and like oats, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods.^[9] It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Because of all these characteristics, quinoa is being considered a possible crop in NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support System for long-duration manned spaceflights.^[9]"

Introduction

So I'm just going to elaborate a little more on why I'm here and why I think people should read my thoughts and activities!

I've been vegan for 8 months now and have truly found a new passion. I always liked to cook (kind of)... but now I LOVE it. I love learning about new grains and vegetables and going to the farmer's market and just getting foods that speak to me and then figuring out how to turn them into dinner. This lifestyle has forced me to become creative and adventurous in my cooking...

People ask me all the time, "How do you just eat vegetables all the time? How do you get enough protein? What, you don't eat cheese? I'd die without cheese? Don't you miss REAL food" Etc.... But here's what they don't know; I eat a larger and better variety of foods now then I ever did and I have yet to feel deprived of anything! As for the protein, calcium, iron, or whatever else people are convinced I'm deficient in, I would explain to them that you can't just take the typical American diet, extract meat and dairy, and expect to have a nutritionally sound diet. I've taken a lot of time to make sure I'm putting the right things IN my diet so that I get plenty of nutrients. Additionally, the food media (yes it exists) has infiltrated our minds with the thoughts that we need massive amounts of protein and calcium, which can only be derived from animals, and that is just FALSE!

Anyways, moving on... So as you can see I'm pretty passionate about this stuff, which comes out in daily conversation, and as it does, inevitably, someone states, "You know, you should really start a blog!" Now maybe it's because they're actually interested in what I'm telling them, or maybe it's their way of telling me to talk cyberspace's ear off instead of theirs, but either way... I'm going for it.

So I hope to use this outlet to explain to people why I've chosen this lifestyle, why I think it's important and healthy, and to give them ideas for the kitchen, and help other people think that they can eat and live a different way than the mainstream of traditional Meat and Potatoes America!

And if you're on this journey with me, please share your trials and adventures with me... Any road is a hard road alone, some company is always welcome!