slaw

Asian Slaw

It's hard for me to really make a recipe for this because I just kind of threw it together, but it includes:
daikon radish, kale, mint, carrots, red and orange peppers, cucumbers, agave, vinegar, sesame oil, and ginger. topped with raw cashews. 

Here's a rough guess:

1 Large Daikon Radish
2 cups kale, chopped
2 tbsp mint
2 cups shredded carrots
2 cups slivered red and orange peppers
1/2 cucumber, cut into small pieces
2 tbsp agave
2 tbsp ginger, grated
2 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup vinegar (white)

This is all a guess.  I urge you to be creative with your slaws because why not?  Add some purple cabbage to keep things interesting.  Use cilantro instead of mint.  Leave out the kale (but why would you?!).  Use red radishes.  Be inventive.  Have fun!

rad(el)ish

Simple Radishes
Sometimes I'll make things that are so simple and perfect that I feel like I cheated.  It's almost as if this doesn't need a recipe.

Ingredients:3 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Vegan Margarine
5 Red radishes cut into fourths
1 Large Daikon radish cut into medallions
Fresh mint, chopped --- 2 tbsps
Salt and pepper--to taste

Directions:
In a large pan (we used cast iron), heat up the olive oil on medium heat.
Add in the butter and melt. Stir butter into oil, slowly.
Wait 2 or so minutes until the butter is melted and smells earthy.
Place chopped radishes into pan.  Add a bit of salt and pepper.
Cook for 9 to 11 minutes, stirring/flipping frequently, until they are brown and translucent.
Remove radishes from your pan.
Top with mint and serve warm.

So simple, but so freaking delicious.

first dinner of the summer

So, it is officially SUMMER!  Last week was finals week (sorry for the lack of posts), and this week, I've been enjoying the weather, my CSA, and doing a lot of biking.

My CSA has been insane! SO MANY GREENS!  Since it's been overflowing lately, I've decided to make things that would get rid of some of the veggies.

Tonight's dinner:
Caramelized radishes (red and daikon) with fresh mint
French Bread with Kale Spread
Mashed Potatoes with Mushroom Gravy
Asian Cole Slaw (without cabbage!)

 

To drink:
Mint Lemonade


LOOK FOR RECIPES (for everything except the mashed potatoes, too boring) SOON!!!

udon soup

Udon Noodle Soup

So, the cold(ish) spring weather is bringing me down.  Add in the stress of finals week, dust from spring cleaning, and spring allergies, and you have me scrambling for something warm and comforting that will clear my head (both literally and figuratively).  Vegan chicken noodle soup seems so...meh.  Plus I have a ton of bok choi from my CSA to use!  VEGAN UDON NOODLE SOUP TO THE RESCUE!!

Ingredients:
6 oz of Udon Noodles (I used whole wheat)
1/2 brick of tofu (about 8 oz)
2-3 tbsp olive oil
2 cups of Shitake Mushrooms (sliced into slivers)
5 Ramps (or green onions, or scallions, or onions)
3 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp ginger (grated)
5 cups veg broth (we used mock chicken broth)
1 tbsp white vinegar (or rice vinegar)
1/2 lime (+1 slice to garnish)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro  (+some to garnish, if you're fancy)
Bok choi (or any greens)---as much as you want (in slivers)

1.  Slice tofu into tiny cubes.
2.  Heat up olive oil in a skillet (or wok).  Place the tofu cubes in the skillet and brown them.
3.  Add in mushrooms, ginger, ramps, and garlic.  Saute.
4.  In a large pot, add broth.  Put the contents of the skillet into the pot with the noodles.  Cook noodles in the broth according to package directions.
5.  Add in bok choi.
6.  Once noodles and bok choi are tender, add in vinegar and oil.
7.  Add in chopped cilantro.  Squeeze lime for some of the juice.
8.  Place soup in a bowl.  Garnish with cilantro and lime.
9.  Enjoy and feel better.

vegan pancakes!

"You Shouldn't Feel Guilty Eating These After a Work Out"  Vegan Pancakes

So, Sundays mean one of two things:  brunch or super intense work outs.
Usually I roll out of bed, exhausted from the week, and I decide to take the day off.
Or I wake up ready to take on the tread mill.  This week, both of those things happened...kind of.
I promised my husband vegan pancakes since we got some pure maple syrup in our CSA, but I also killed 650 calories on the treadmill, and after reading recipes for 500 calorie servings, I was torn.

Then it hit me!  I can have my (pan)cake and eat it too!  So, I came up with this kind of healthy pancake recipe!

Ingredients:
1 cup nonmilk of your choice (I used vanilla soy)
1/4 cup oats (ground up into a powder)
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 banana (smashed)
1 tbsp agave or maple syrup
1 tbsp ground flax meal
1 tsp of vanilla or more maple syrup. depend how you want your pancakes to taste.

Toppings:
Fruit, carob chips, cacoa powder, nuts, whatever you like.   I used strawberries.  Dustin used vegan chocolate chips.

Step one:
Heat a nonstick skillet on medium heat.
Step two:
Mix oats, flour, and flax.
Step three:
Add soymilk and mashed banana.
Step four:
Add the rest of the ingredients.
Step five:
Place 1/8 cup batter into a skillet.
Step six:
Heat until the edges brown.  Flip and cook evenly on both sides.
Step seven:
Eat with someone you love, or at least like enough to share awesome pancakes.  No pressure.

So, how healthy are these?  I have no idea.  I do know that they have whole wheat, oats, no pure sugar, no butter/eggs/milk, no oil, and contain fruit and flax.  Plus, they are super filling.  We made them little to flip easily, and I found myself struggling to eat the last pancake.

ENJOY! :)

CSA!

Hello!

Things have been super busy with bomb threats, finals, internship interviews, husband time.  I haven't done much cooking, but I did want to update with my CSA!  This is a picture of the first share (the second share was similar and not picture-worthy).  It's so nice to have fresh, local, organic produce being sent my way once a week.

I turned some of my veggies into a tofu scramble.  They are super easy and require no recipe--- you basically throw everything into a skillet and cook it up!  I added turmeric which gives it that yellow hue, but also has a lot of great health benefits (http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/20-health-benefits-of-turmeric.html).  I also added potatoes (because I love them), bok choi, and ramps.  It was simple, but delicious.  I steamed it in a cup of water so I didn't have to throw in oil.

This is a simple, go-to meal for finals month (let's be honest. I have liberal arts classes.  We don't really "do" finals.  We have papers that are due throughout the month.)

Happy eating!  & I apologize for being MIA (not the singer.  I would never apologize for being M.I.A. the musical artist because she's a genius).  Hopefully summer brings more updates!

unpretty meals.

How has it been one week already!?

Things have been crazy around here.  It's almost finals week, I've been spending a ton of time with Dustin, and on top of all of the madness in my life, my university is suffering a string of bomb threats (12 or 13 so far!) which have been disrupting class (3 of my classes).

Anyways, I've been eating out a lot and simple meals...neither of which are worth blogging about.

So, today I decided to make something intricate (but not too hard) for myself (and you wonderful people, too).


BEHOLD!

So what is this anyway?!  Is it a smoothie?  A vegan milkshake?
NEITHER!

This is the beginning to.....

COLD PLUM WILD RICE SALAD

Ingredients:
4 Plums
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp sugar

1 cup wild rice (cooked)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
3 tbsp oil of your choice
1 tbsp agave (or sweetener of your choice)
5 mandarin oranges (1 whole, 4 in slices)

1/2 cup mint (chopped)
3 green onions (chopped)
Walnuts, pecans (optional)

Core and slice up plums (leave on skins) into small pieces.  In a bowl, add lemon juice & sugar.  Toss.
Heat a skillet on medium heat and place the plum mixture into the pan.
Heat plums until mushy.
Remove from pan and place into a blender.  Add oil, vinegar, agave, and juice of the one whole mandarin orange. Pulse until liquid.

In a large bowl, add rice, green onions, orange slices, and mint.  Pour plum sauce mixture over the rice.  Toss together until everything is well coated.

You can also add in some nuts for extra protein.

SERVE CHILLED OR ROOM TEMPERATURE!

   

Do not adjust the color on your monitors!  It IS that pink.  It looks weird but it's is absolutely delicious!

simplicity.

The number one, non-vegan related question I get whenever I'm eating food I've prepared is how I find time to prepare wonderful meals.  The truth is that I'm a pretty busy lady.  I work, I'm a full-time student, I have a husband, I manage a mental disorder, I work out, I have hobbies.  I have a lot on my plate...no pun intended.  Actually, pun intended, I love puns.

In order to eat well, both according to taste and nutrition, I plan a lot.  I make a big batch of something a head of time, I plan a lot of my meals ahead, and I always have quick "convenience" meals to eat in a jam.  I try to avoid eating out, but in a pinch, there are a lot of vegan options to choose from.

However, my number one piece of advice in eating well with limited time is SIMPLICITY!

Sometimes, meals don't have to be a great production.  Sometimes, it's okay to eat to live, not live to eat.  I do enjoy eating a great, meaningful meal, but I don't always have the time.  That doesn't mean that I don't have to skimp on eating healthy foods or eat something terrible.

For example, here is a picture of Monday's meal. 

Nothing show-stopping.
A simple spinach salad with some baby beets (I eat a lot of "baby" versions of foods.  Weird.) and some balsamic dressing that I made a while ago.
Steamed green beans with just a little salt and pepper.  I even skipped the vegan butter.
Cast-iron seared tofu cooked in a bit of oil.  I ate it with BARBECUE SAUCE.  Yes, barbecue sauce, which up until Google told me right now, I have been misspelling as "barbeque" for most of my life. If I felt fancy, I could have used some sort of sauce or other condiment.
Raw celery & cucumbers.  I had some vegan tzatziki sauce left over that I dipped these into.  I like things simple, but sheesh, I'm a vegan, not a tastebudless saint.  I need some sort of something on my raw veggies.

Simple.  This meal took like 15 minutes to make.  It took that long only because I realized my spatula was dirty, and I had to wash it mid-cooking.  Basically this meal is something that is delicious that anyone could make.  Tofu with bbq (HA! take that google spell check!) is my go-to lazy/quick meal, pair it with some veggies, a carb, maybe some fruit, and you've got yourself a meal.


stay simple,

danielle

Chickpeas 3 Ways: Part Three (A Modification!)

There's something about the idea of "the Sunday meal" that attracts me.  My family never really had a tradition of a special meal on Sunday, but since marrying Dustin, it feels right to eat a more special meal on Sunday.

First, for us, there's the practicality of it.  Sundays are our only full day home together.  We have time to cook all day, and we go grocery shopping most Sundays, so we can pick up whatever we need for a great meal.  There's also the gesture of the Sunday meal.  We know that we are facing a week of busy schedules, no time for a nice, home-cooked meal together.  Most of my meals are eaten in 15 minute spans of time at work or in between classes (these meals consist of cold/unheated foods).  It's nice to unwind with my amazing husband and eat a great meal.

Chickpea Cutlets

I would be lying if I said that I came up with this recipe all by myself.  That credit goes to Isa Chandra Moskowitz and her super brain.  Seriously, I have never tried a recipe from Veganomicon or any of the PPK recipes without loving them.  HOW DO YOU MAKE THESE DELICIOUS CREATIONS?

I started with this recipe and modified it.  Not that it wasn't perfect before, I just didn't have bread crumbs, and wanted a different flavor for mine.

Here are my changes:

1 16 oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil   ***1/8 cup canola oil***
1 cup vital wheat gluten
1 cup plain breadcrumbs    ***3/4 cup chickpea flour***
1/2 cup vegetable broth or water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme   ***1 teaspoon oregano***
1 teaspoon paprika           
1/2 teaspoon dried sage    ***1/2 teaspoon tumeric***
***1 1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke***
Olive oil for pan frying

Optional ingredients:
4 cloves garlic, pressed or grated with a Microplane grater
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

I followed her directions, and voila! Out came amazing chickpea cutlets!


So what do I eat with them?  Besides steamed cauliflower...what else?  POTATOES OF COURSE! Every Sunday meal should have potatoes.  It's a rule, I swear.

Herb & Onion Baby Potatoes

Ingredients:
-1 pound baby potatoes
-3 tbsp garlic
-3 green onions, chopped
-2 tbsp onion powder
-1 tsp salt
-2 tbsp oregano
-2 tbsp basil
-Oil of your choice.  I used canola

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small glass dish, put about 2 tbsp of oil, potatoes, garlic, onion powder, salt, oregano, and basil.  Toss until the potatoes are coated.  Scoop about 2 tbsp of the remaining spice mixture out of the dish and set aside.  Cook the potatoes for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and  checking to see if they are sticking. Add more oil if needed.  Add the spice mixture set aside earlier and cook for 5 more minutes or until potatoes are soft.

Top with chopped green onions and enjoy!

That's the meal champions eat to start their week, or the comfort food I eat to lament the fact that my week is starting and mourn the loss of the weekend.

BE WELL! 

-Danielle

Chickpeas 3 Ways: Part Two

So, it was gorgeous out today!  It was like 75 degrees and sunny all day.

I don't know about you, but whenever it's hot...the last thing I want to do is cook! I'd much rather be in the sunshine instead of near a hot oven, waiting for my meal to be done.  There's something about heated foods that sit heavily in my belly during the summer.  In fact, I'd much rather eat raw fruits & veggies instead of anything, but if you want something with a bit more substance...I have the perfect recipe! And this recipes features none other than CHICKPEASSSSSS!


 

Chickpea Salad 

This recipe is awesome because it's chilled, can be spread onto bread for sandwiches, or eaten with crackers for a lighter dinner or snack.

Yields: Enough for  Picnic
Ingredients:
-1 cup TVP (cooked according to directions)
(TVP stands for "texturized vegetable protein. You can find it at most health stores, bulk bins, and even some grocery stores.  For some reason, the name "TVP" and then explanation of what TVP stands for freaks some omnivores out.  I'm not sure why. If you can't find TVP or want to be boring and not try new things, you can certainly replace TVP with an additional can of chickpeas, mashed) 
-2 Cans (13-16 oz) of Chickpeas  (if using dried, 2 cups), mashed up
-1/4 cup relish (sweet or dill, your choice)
-1 TBSP mustard (I used Grey Poupon because I'm undeniably fancy.  You can use whatchu like)
-3 green onions, chopped up
-1 stalk of celery, chopped into tiny pieces
-1 teaspoon white vinegar
-2 tsp dill
-2 tsp onion powder
-3 tbsp garlic
-3 tbsp paprika
-vegan mayonaise***
-salt'n'peppa (push it real good. okay, actually just to taste)


*** there is no "right" amount of vegan mayonnaise.  It really depends how creamy you like your sandwich spread.  I used Follow Your Heart's Vegenaise.  It can be hard to find and a bit pricey. I'm also trying to eat a bit healthier, and vegan mayonnaise is still kind of blah for you.  For this batch, I used 4 heaping tablespoons worth.  It wasn't as creamy as I liked it, so I added the following (blended together):
1/4 cup almonds
1/8 cup water, plain soy milk, or veg broth
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp oil (I used canola)
1 tsp dijon mustard (grey poupon, kids)
2-4 tbsp of vegan cream cheese (because it's less fatty and cheaper)
If you can't find vegan mayo, you can use this recipe or this or one of these or this fancy thing and make your own!  You'd be surprised how easy it is to make "creamy" vegan things without the [bad] fat or garbage that's put into regular mayo.


Basically, mash the chickpeas, and mix everything together.  Chill for a few hours, and then get some crackers and stuff your face.

hello!

Chickpeas 3 Ways: Part One

I can't think of a better way to get things started again than to focus on chickpeas.  This is silly, you might be saying.  What do chickpeas have to do with starting over?

Well, dear readers (if you are out there), chickpeas are an extremely versatile source of protein.  Beans are great, but for the most part, I get burnt out on beans.  Chickpeas seems to have a light flavor that makes them a source of protein that I can eat without getting tired of them.  Plus, they pick up flavor well, you can process them a ton of ways (hummus, mashed, whole).  Chickpeas keep on keepin' on.

For my first recipe, I'm going to see how many puns I can make.

Vegan Falafel With Tzatziki Sauce

Do you sometimes falafel [feel awful] about deciding what to eat?  Do you want something quick and easy?  Well, here's something I falafel [fell] in love with.   Okay, I'm done being silly.

Falafel are great because I can eat them cold.  They're easy to pack.  They're a quick, cheap, and easy meal.  Plus, they're really easy to make vegan (most falafel already are!).  These are baked, so they aren't totally FALAFEL [awful] for you!


Yields: 12 small falafel patties
Ingredients:
1 can of chickpeas (you can use dry if you want to save even more money. if using dry, cook normally, and then use a cup and a half)
1 tbsp oil (I used sesame oil!)

4 green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro (fresh)
4 mint leaves
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander

3-4 tbsp chickpea flour (you can use any flour, but I'd use less)
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly oil a cookie sheet, set aside.

In a large bowl, mash up the chickpeas with the oil.  Use your muscles.  DO NOT USE A BLENDER! You will puree it to the point of hummus.

In a blender (I used a magic bullet), add green onions, garlic, lemon juice, mint, cilantro, and spices.  Puree until you get this awesome green stuff.

final product!

When you're done, add it to the mashed chick peas.
Lastly, add flour and baking powder.  Mix all the ingredients together.  (I used my hands because I am awesome).

Take a tablespoon or so of the mixture, roll into a ball, and then flatten it.  Place flattened patty on the cookie sheet.  You should have about 12 patties.

Place cookie sheet in the oven and bake until brown and crispy.  Be careful! The bottoms will brown quickly. You may want to flip them over to get a nice even browning.

Vegan Tzatziki Sauce:
Yields: A ton, but that's okay because it's light and delicious.  You can eat it on other things too, and you'll want to because...it's light and delicious.  Seriously.  It's like a delicious cloud of awesome.
Ingredients:1 Box of Silken Tofu (make sure you drain the excess moisture)
2 Tbsp White Vinegar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Oil (of you choosing, I used sesame)
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 Large Cucumber, peeled.
3 Tbsp Dill Weed (I used dried)
3 Tbsp Garlic

In a blender, pulse cucumber to chop it up.  Don't liquefy it.  Remove and place into a bowl.
In the blender, add tofu, vinegar, salt, oil, lemon juice and garlic.  Puree until creamy.  Place this mixture in another bowl.
With your hands, take the cucumber and squeeze liquid out of it.  Add half of the liquid to the tofu cream, discard (or use for something else. you can infuse mix it with some water for a refreshing drink or use it to wash your face. trust me) the other half.  Add half of the cucumber flesh to the cream.  Discard (or use for something else) the other half.
Add dill to tofu cream, stir in dill and cucumber (by hand or with a blender).
You can add the cucumber to thicken the dip, if needed.

Put tzatziki sauce on falafel.  Stuff your face.  It's amazing.



hope you enjoy!
be well,
danielle