Food!

I know. It's been a long time...um, nearly six months? Sorry. BUT I do have good reasons...I moved back to Atl from an unexpected detour to Baltimore this summer. I worked at Johns Hopkins' new children's hospital. Loved it...great experience.

Soooo..when I got back to Atl in October, I then went to NY (following me still?) because my honey was officiating his cousin's wedding on the 14th. He then proceeded to PROPOSE to me during the reception...with his cousin Vernon and his wife's prior permission, of course (unbeknownst to me!) Thank GOD I looked decent! Ha ha.

I say all that to tell you guys that I'm engaged! So my life has been a tiny bit hectic, on top of the usual frantic. Yet, I still find time to cook and shop...yep! I'm excited to share some of the details of the planning and fun stuff for our 2013 wedding, but for now here are some good vegan eats for you.

Happy Holidays, lovelies!


1. Hearty veggie burger sandwiches with home fries AND sweet potato sticks****

I made these using two types of bread for variety. The one on the left is on a Telera roll (so good) and the other is a rosemary potato bread that I sliced and baked in the oven for about 5 minutes. I found both at Kroger.
Other ingredients for the sandwich:
Boca burger vegan patty sauteed in olive oil
sliced avocado
sliced onion, pickles, tomato, Dijon mustard, baby spinach leaves
mayo (for my honey as he is not vegan, but vegetarian)
ground sea salt, pepper to taste
potato wedges and sweet potato sticks, baked in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt for about an hour in 350 degree oven
One of my BEST sandwiches ever!!!

2. Sweet potato pie****

I made 2 of these for Thanksgiving...one with raisins and one without. Really, it's the only pie I eat. I also made 2 different types of apple/fruit pies for the rest of the fam. This pie received great kudos, even from the kids =)

Ingredients for two pies:
2 graham cracker crusts (ready to bake), or your choice of crust
4-5 moderate to large sweet potatoes/yams, baked for about an hour, then peeled when cooled
cinnamon, cloves, vanilla, nutmeg (to taste...I never measure-sorry)
1/4 cup white sugar, 3/4 cup  dark brown sugar
1/2 cup orange juice, grated rind of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup or so of vanilla almond milk
                                 3-4 tablespoons flour, raisins (optional)
                                 bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until toothpick comes out clean

3. Vegan Asian stir fry****

If you don't try ANYTHING else, please try this stir fry! Absolutely delicious. I was inspired by my love of Chinese food growing up in Brooklyn. This is my vegan version.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of sesame oil, heated...stir fry 1 chopped onion and 3-4 cloves of garlic, and about 1/2 tsp grated ginger
-add about 1 cup of broccoli heads, chopped along with salt and pepper to taste
-add about 2 cups frozen vegetable mix (peas, corn,carrots, etc), and about 1/2 cup zucchini or other squash (optional)
-add Chinese 5 spice powder and red pepper flakes to taste. I also add genuine pepper sauce from Trinidad to make it EXTRA hot...but that's just me =)
-now add about 3-4 cups cooked hot white rice, tamari sauce, and one package of veggie crumbles. Stir together and enjoy!!!


   

4. Black Bean Salsa and Guacamole***

 This was a joint effort between the fiance and myself. We were craving Mexican food this past Monday night, and we came up with something delicious!

He made the black bean salsa:

1 can of black beans, drained, chopped onion, garlic, celery, diced tomatoes, fresh cilantro, salt, pepper, more pepper sauce (see above), and a dash of Old Bay seasoning. Mix together and heat through.

I made the guacamole:

2 avocadoes, juice of 1 lemon, ground sea salt, pepper, 1/2 cup of salsa sauce (hot)  or 1 small tomato, cilantro, and 1 clove of garlic. Mix in food processor until you reach desired consistency. Done!

We added a dollop of salsa, chips for dipping, and of course a glass of red wine...Fab!!!

Hope you enjoyed some or all of these. Until next time, lovelies!

Love & Happiness!

Nikki

Listen Up!

Happy April!!! I hope all is well with you all. If you've hit a bump and a slump, allow yourself time to release the pain and then press on.
Have you ever just allowed yourself to be HAPPY, no matter what? If you have, kudos to you. If not, you should try it...life opens up so many new opportunities when you do.

Soooo, what have I got for you guys today? I did a YouTube vid yesterday to answer the ongoing question of the "mystery" of what I eat as a vegan (see vid below, to your right).

I know I've posted some vegan recipes and foods that I enjoy in past blog posts, but I thought I would review some of my staples today and extrapolate on the video a bit. Fellow vegans, feel free to share you faves and suggestions as well. I'm always looking for new and fun foods to try!

Like I mentioned in my video post, I tend not to eat breakfast during the week. I usually have a cup of java with Splenda, or unsweetened herbal tea. On the weekends, I love me some Kashi cereal!!! Lunch is usually a big salad of some sort, or veggie soup if I'm not really feeling too hungry. Lunch is pretty much the bulk of my calories during the day. Dinner may be some hummus and veggies or crackers, or bean salad...maybe salsa and blue corn chips, etc. Depends how I'm feeling. I do usually have a glass of red somewhere around 8 or 9pm. Hey...don't judge me!

Here are my top 10 staples and/or faves:

1. Almond Milk

I love Blue Diamond's Almond Breeze brand, but in a pinch, I will use another kind. The taste is so much smoother and lighter than soymilk (for me). I use it in my cereal, to cook with, and drink it straight as a snack. Yum!

Usually $2.50-$2.99 for 1/2 gallon, but I buy so much that I usually have a store or manufacturer coupon for 50-75 cents off.

2. Kashi Go Lean Crisp

My favorite is the Berry Crumble. What I love besides the taste, is that I can get 9 or so grams of protein per serving! Who needs eggs? =)   There is also regular Go Lean, which tastes a bit bland, but the protein count per serving jumps to about 13g. Costs anywhere from $2.50-$3.50 per box, but check out the web or in store for coupons.

3. Perrier

You will never NOT see this in my fridge. Not sure why, but the taste is the MOST to me. Lime is my favorite, and I found a new flavor yesterday--Pink Grapefruit. Heaven.
$1.50-$1.89/bottle. Kroger had a sale for $1 each last week and I stocked up like a fiend. Ha!


4. Baby Spinach

I typically use this in my salads in place of lettuce (great source of vitamin K, A, C, protein, the list goes on). I prefer raw to cooked, unless I cook it myself. Some places will cook the heezy out of veggies and destroy the nutrients! I buy the prewashed bag/carton, or if I'm cooking for a group, I''ll buy in bunches. Usually $1.50-$2.00 per bag.

5. Fruits

No need for explanation really, right? My favorites are grapes, pineapple, berries, grapefruit, oranges. Pomegranates are good too...albeit time consuming to eat!
I have a sensitivity to apples, so I can't eat them =(
I either fruits as is, or make a fruit salad.

6. Couscous, brown rice, roasted potatoes, rice noodles, pasta, sweet potatoes

I have to admit that I eat these foods sparingly just because starchy foods tend to trigger me to eat more. I used to have a TERRIBLE carb addiction, so I have to keep it in check. The good thing about these grains are they tend to be whole grains, and have a low glycemic index (less blood sugar spike). Couscous is almost like a nutty rice flavored grain. If you haven't tried it..do so! I love it with roasted veggies or stir fried tofu.

7. Tofu

I know...most of you who are not vegan/vegetarian are thinking "yuk". However, tofu is truly versatile! It basically takes on the flavor of whatever you cook/season/marinate it with. My main source of protein is tofu, which is really just soybeans!
 You can choose from silken (for baking) firm, or extra firm. I buy the silken to make vegan cheese cakes and other desserts. I use the extra firm for stir frying with veggies or making curry dishes. Try a tofu scramble recipe if you are transitioning and miss scrambled eggs. Here's a recipe to get you started. I buy the organic option. Cost is $1.00-$2.00, depending on where you shop. 

8. Beans/Lentils

My obsession! Another good source of protein if you're vegetarian/vegan. I eat some type of bean daily. Chick peas (or garbanzo beans, depending on where you're from!), red (kidney) beans, lima beans, butter beans, black beans...oh man! Delicious. They are inexpensive (you can buy a can for as little as 50 cents on sale, $1.20 at the most), and versatile. I make 3 bean salad with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper, onions, cilantro and a dash of sweetener-so easy! Or add beans to corn and salsa for a dip with nacho chips. #hungry

9. Fresh Herbs

I add these to my stir fry recipes, or my roasted veggie dishes. Thyme, cilantro, rosemary, oregano, and dill are my faves. Nothing like fresh herbs to add great flavor! About $1.50-$2.00 per package. Keep refrigerated.

10. Veggies

Come on...I'm vegan! Veggies are my foundation. I LOVE them. So many to choose from. The ONLY one I would say I don't get down with too well is okra. Blech.
I also marinate veggies such as green/red/yellow peppers, garlic, onions, tomatoes, etc in vinegar and a touch of brown sugar and add seasonings, dijon mustard, olive oil , and a non-dairy based dressing for a bomb ass vegetable salad. Get familiar!

My marinated veggie jar

Bonus:

My (not so) guilty pleasures...

Teriyaki Tofu and Veggies from Pei Wei Restaurant, about $7.00. I drank water with lemon.

Cabernets and Malbecs are my faves, then Pino Noir. I love dry wines. Prices vary according to your taste and pocket book =)

The DEVIL!!! LOL...I could eat an entire bag of these if I didn't pay attention. Add salsa (hot and spicy, please) and it's a damn party. I had to chill on these for a while. I haven't bought any in about a month, because this was becoming all I'd eat on the weekends =/

When I get it together, I will resume buying the plain flavor...the other flavors have milk ingredients...CHECK LABELS! Don't hold me responsible if you chow down on the Hint of Lime flavor and realize there's a milk situation involved =)

$1.99-$2.50 Tostitos
$2.50-$3.00 typical price for salsa


AND NOW A MOMENT OF SILENCE.....

<--Goodbye, my <3

I just found out that Morning Star Farms have added EGG and MILK ingredients to their veggie crumbles!!! WHY????? DAMN DAMN DAMN! This was my go-to for pasta and taco dishes.
I'll have to see for myself.
Just goes to show...READ the DANG LABEL...always.



Guys, thanks for stopping by and spending time with me. I am challenging myself to post at least every other day this month! Pray for me. My schedule is ridiculous, but I love a challenge!!!


As always,
Love and Happiness!
Nikki