Category Archives: Lunch

Meatless Mondays! Mongo Salad

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I celebrated Meatless Monday today with a huge lunchtime vegan salad:

Organic baby lettuce
Organic bibb lettuce
Organic green onions
Organic carrots
Organic cucumbers
Chickpeas
Walnuts
Fennel*
Organic pink lady apple*

I’ve added apples to my salads before, but since Kate introduced me to adding FENNEL I’ve become a fennel devotee. Wow is it delicious! I never would have thought of it as I didn’t think I liked fennel. But when chopped up small and added in along with an APPLE it’s awesome.

For the dressing I whipped up a vegan cumin-mustard vinaigrette that consisted of:

1/3 c extra virgin olive oil
1/4 c rice vinegar
1-2 T mustard
splotch of agave
pinch of cardamom
pinch of cumin
pinch of salt

And for dessert… a square of vegan dark chocolate!

Did you celebrate Meatless Monday? What did you have for lunch? :)

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Loaded Mashed Sweet Potatoes

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Sweet potato, an indigenous tuber found in Nat...

Image via Wikipedia

Tami over at Vegan Appetite hosts “Food Network Friday” – a call to cooks everywhere to “veganize” the chosen Food Network recipe. I was excited that I got to pick this week’s recipe: Loaded Mashed Potatoes by Paula Deen. Paul Deen, as you probably know, is the Queen of Cream…and Bacon and Cheese. So modifying her recipe for Loaded Mashed Potatoes, which was loaded with cream, bacon, and cheese, was lots of fun.

Paula Deen’s recipe uses Idaho potatoes. I decided to go a different route and use sweet potatoes as my base. My mom used to make that sweet potato casserole – you know the one with the mini marshmallows – and I had that in mind as I put this together.

loaded sweet potatoes(I learned it’s not easy to photograph mashed potatoes and have them look as good as they really are!)

Loaded Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients
Serves 6

  • 4 medium sized sweet potatoes, cut into quarters
  • 1/2 C So Delicious Coconut Beverage (OR you can use soy milk)
  • 1/4 C Earth Balance natural buttery spread
  • 1 t cinnamon
  • 1 t freshly ground nutmeg
  • 1 t vanilla
  • 1.25 t salt
  • 6 T packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut
  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

  1. In a large stockpot, cook potatoes in enough  water to cover for 15 to 20 minutes or until tender.
  2. Drain potatoes and return to stockpot. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth; adding all other ingredients except the pecans. With a spatula stir in the pecans if you are using them. Add more salt or other spices, if necessary. Serve immediately.

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Brussels Sprouts

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Hello!

Hope you had a super awesome weekend. For me, it was great to be home after traveling last weekend.

A big shout out to Meatless Mama! Thank you for the Blog Award! That was just such a nice surprise and really made my day.  :)

Eats

Brussels sprouts are one of those vegetables that for a long time I had never tried and just assumed that I didn’t like them.

Do you ever do that?

Then, a few years ago I was talked into giving  them a try and I discovered that I ♥ Brussels sprouts!

Brussels sprouts are among the same family that includes cabbage, collard greens, broccoli, kale, and kohlrabi. they grow on big stems like this:

Brussels sprouts on stalks

Image via Wikipedia

But usually when we see them in the grocery store they are no longer attached to the stem.

brussels sprout

They look like little cabbages. Or maybe they look a little like brains!

Here’s why you want to eat Brussels Sprouts. They:

  • Protect against cancer (colorectal, prostate, lung, bladder, breast, ovarian), rheumatoid arthritis, and birth defects
  • Facilitate detoxification of your cells
  • Are an excellent source of vitamin C (take THAT swine flu!)
  • Are high in vitamin A (good for glowing skin!)
  • Are high in fiber
  • Contain indole-3-carbinol, which provides cardiovascular benefits

brussels sprouts

When purchasing Brussels sprouts, look for smaller sprouts that don’t have any yellowing or discolored leaves on them. They should be compact, and bright green in color.

Here’s my favorite way to prepare Brussels Sprouts. Brussels sprouts have a slightly bitter taste to them and when combined with the sweetness of yams or sweet potatoes, they are divine.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

  • Bunch of Brussels Sprounts (about 30-40 sprouts)
  • 1 large yam or sweet potato
  • 1-2 T olive oil (NOT extra virgin!)
  • salt
  • pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 400F.
  2. Prepare the Brussels Sprouts by cutting off the woody stem at the base and discarding any discolored outer leaves. Wash by immersing in a bowl of water.
  3. Cut a criss-cross shape into the bottom of each sprout.
  4. Cut the sweet potato into 1 inch cubes (I always keep the peel on the potato but unpeeled works too).
  5. Place the Brussels sprouts and sweet potato cubes in a dutch oven, and mix with the olive oil. Add sSalt and pepper to taste.
  6. Bake at 400F for about 20 minutes. Stir the pot and then place back into the oven for about another 20 minutes. It’s done when the sprouts and potatoes are tender – the sprouts may be a little crispy on the outside.

brussels sprouts and potatoesEnjoy!

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Everyday Eats

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veganmofo

Eats

A typical day of vegan food…

Remember the Pumpkin Pie Smoothie?

smoothieThat was breakfast this morning.
Mmmmmmm!! Delish.

And lunch was another oldie but goodie: Apple Cherry Oatmeal

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For dinner I tried a recipe from Eat, Drink, and Be Vegan, Blackened Tofu, which would easily fit in here:

burnt museum

So in a last minute play, I rebounded with this:

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which went very nicely with our brown basmati rice and steamed broccoli.  :)

Run

I hopped on the treadmill today and went for a run. I know…it was beautiful outside today. But the treadmill is SOFT and the gym has WATER and so I opted to run inside.

Distance: 6 miles
Pace: 8:40 minute mile

I found out the gym now has BodyPump classes – has anyone tried this? I think I might give it a go next week. Right now I am running 6-8 miles every other day, and on opposite days getting on the elliptical machine or going to a vinyasa yoga class. I also have gotten back to walking the dogs 2x a day – about 2 miles each time. I LOVE running, walking, and yoga but the elliptical machine is…well…dry. So I’m looking for something else to add in.

On another note…

I came across an article in the Baltimore Sun called Turn Over a New Leaf: Vegan Diets are Moving Solidly into Mainstream. How awesome is that? The article says there are about 1,000,000 vegans in the USA, and that the rise of “eating locally” has resulted in an increase in vegetarian and vegan cookbooks. It also includes a recipe for Manhattan Vegetable Chowder that looks awesome!

Have you seen an increase in people going vegan?

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Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

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I LOVE this time of year for many reasons.

One of which is…PUMPKINS!

Pumpkin ice cream, pumpkin scones, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread, and Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks. Mmmmm…..

So today I created…Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for the hubby and me.

smoothie1smoothie

Vegan Pumpkin Pie Smoothie
Makes 2 12oz smoothies plus a little extra

What you need…

  • 1 12 oz glass full of ice
  • 1/2 container vanilla silken tofu (or plain – I thought this would be a good use for the vanilla tofu I had in my fridge)
  • 3/4 cup pumpkin
  • 12 oz So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Beverage (you could use any vanilla milk – this is just what I had on hand)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract – maybe 3/4 teaspoon if you didn’t use vanilla tofu
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  • agave nectar to taste – I used about 2 tablespoons

Add all to the blender and buzz it up…

Enjoy!

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Vegan Yum Yum: Hurry Up Alfredo

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Today for lunch I made “Hurry Up Alfredo” from Vegan Yum Yum’s new cookbook, called Vegan Yum Yum.

It was delicious! I served it over egg(less) noodles with sauteed kale. It was so yummy I forgot to take a picture! It was also super easy to make – just toss all the ingredients into the blender and whip it up! So technically it’s  not only vegan, it’s raw too. :)

The recipe for Hurry Up Alfredo is posted on Vegan Yum Yum’s website. I highly suggest you check it out and enjoy!

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I Heart Colorado

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I’m having the BEST time in Colorado. Here’s what we’ve done so far:

Sunflower field outside of Denver

Sunflower field outside of Denver

  • Yesterday we drove to Fort Collins and visited our friends Gary and Tiffany and their beautiful kids. They took the afternoon off to show us their hometown and wow did we love it! We ate at Avogadro’s Number where I had a delicious homemade tempeh sandwich.
  • When we got back to Denver we ate dinner at WaterCourse – our favorite veggie restaurant of all time. We ordered a Buffalo Tofu Sandwich with sauteed greens and broccoli (amazing!), a bowl of green chili soup (D. loved it but too spicy for me. since when am I a spice wimp? Is this a sign of old age?), and the “Frings” – a basket of 1/2 french fries and 1/2 onion rings (thumbs down on the fries but the rings rocked!).
  • This morning I went for a run through Cheesman Park and City Park. The weather was perfect and surprisingly I was not winded from the higher altitude. I ran 6.6 miles in 60 minutes – a little slower than usual but I felt great.
  • After I showered and dressed, D. and I hiked all over Denver. We went to “Lo-Do” (lower downtown Denver) and ate breakfast at Organixx where we got delicious scrambled tofu with fresh (really fresh!) fruit.
  • From Organixx we walked to a cute neighborhood called “Hi-Lo” (between The Highlands and Lo-Do). We stopped at the Savory Spice Shop and loaded up on vanilla sugar, dutch cocoa, berbere Ethiopian seasoning, chat masala, vietnamese saigon cassia cinnamon, freeze dried shallots, and Italian herbs. I loved this store and cannot wait to cook and bake with my new spices!
  • We then hiked up to The Highlands. I wasn’t too impressed with The Highlands. Maybe my expectations were too high?
  • Then…back to WaterCourse! Tonight we ordered the blackened tofu with coconut cream, rice, broccoli, and avocado, and the  Po Boy sandwich – a crispy cornmeal crusted portobella with coleslaw and garlic ailoi. We topped it off with a Ho Ho Cupcake and a slice of chocolate pie. All vegan of course! I can’t believe I forgot to take a single picture…it was all so good.

We walked a total of 10.8 miles and that was after my 6.6 mile run! I think I might sleep for a very long time :)

Have you been to Colorado? What do you love most about it? What do you love about Denver? Fort Collins?

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More Than It Seems

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What a weird day! My internet is AWOL so I’m writing this in a Word doc for posting later. WAH! Where is my IT support? I’ve had a busy morning –  I went for a run with “Runner In Training” (RIT), then I was met Cheryl Harris of Conscious Creations for a “practice” walk in preparation for our Walking Women Mastermind, and then I taught yoga at Beloved. Whew! Now I have a big stretch of time to “get stuff done.” So what do I do? Make pasta salad of course!

Eats
The Pasta Salad That Grew and Grew
What started off as a benign pasta salad has turned into a Monster! I started in this bowl:

DSC_0001

Then, as I kept adding veggies I had to transfer to a bigger bowl:

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Finally I ended up with this (!):

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Yikes!

Here’s what I made – just keep in mind that this made a TON of pasta salad!

Pasta Salad
Makes a billion servings

Ingredients
10-16 oz dry short pasta – I used spirals – cooked according to package directions and cooled. (Use 10 oz for higher veggie to pasta ratio)
3 large carrots, diced
2 large red peppers, diced
½ large red onion, diced
2 cucumbers, diced
1 15oz can artichoke hearats, diced
6 oz sundried tomatoes
½ cup toasted pine nuts
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped small
¼ cup fresh thyme, chopped small
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (don’t skimp here – used the best quality you can get!)
juice of two oranges
3-5 tablespoons red wine vinegar (you may want to use a little more or less so start with 3 and then play around with the taste)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Combine pasta, veggies, and nuts into a super huge bowl. Toss to mix well.
In a small bowl, mix together the remainig ingredients. Pour over the veggies and enjoy!

Anyone want to come over for pasta salad? :)

Run
RIT and I went on our second run today. This is only the second time she’s gone running (well, with me) and this is what we did:

5 minutes walk
20 minutes of alternating 1 minute jog with 1 minute walk
5 minute walk cool down.

That’s it! This is what we did on our first day out too. This might not look like much but when you are just starting out this is plenty! If at the end you feel like you could have run more, that’s terrific. The idea is to be injury-free and feel good. We’ll up the mileage and pace as we progress.

RIT reports that she feels really good after her run this morning. Yay :)

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A Big Running Day

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IT. IS. SO. HOT. OUT. SIDE.

When I drove to the gym at 1030am this morning my car said 91 degrees! The girls are lounging around the house as usual -  they were pretty beat after our walk this morning.
yoga

I got up at 6am this morning and practiced yoga for 1/2 hour. I’m still practicing in the viniyoga tradition – right now I am following a sequence that focuses on neck+shoulders that I found in Yoga for Wellness by Gary Kraftsow. It’s a great book but I didn’t really get it until I studied with Gary last month at part 1 of my Yoga Therapy training. Anyway, the practice might be working because I had a really tight neck all of last week and it’s finally starting to relax.  :)

Run

Man I got a lot of running and walking in today!

First I went for a walk / run with Kate. We went out for about 30 minutes. It wasn’t boiling hot out yet and it felt really good to be outside. It’s so much more fun running with a friend!

When I got home the girls were giving me Big Eyes and so I took them out for a walk. We walked our normal 2 miles + change.

THEN I went to the gym! I ran on the treadmill 6.5 miles at average of 8:13 mph. After two jaunts outside it felt SO GOOD to be in air conditioning!

I really love my Monday mornings – lots of “me” time.  :)

Eats

Breakfast was…guess…c’mon just guess…a SMOOTHIE! Today was:

  • 2 bananas
  • 12 oz lite vanilla soy milk
  • 2 scoops Spirutein Vanilla Protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons Smooth Operator peanut butter
  • 2 huge handfuls of baby spinach
  • cinnamon
  • salt

This made two smoothies.

That was before I went out with Kate. Then after my run at the gym I had a slice of Honey Kissed Peanut Butter Bread with cherry preserves spread on top. YUM! That really filled me up so I wasn’t hungry for lunch until mid-afternoon.

Then, using my Reston Farmers Market loot I made this:

DSC_0005

  • 1 onion
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1/2 of a huge yellow squash
  • 1 huge fresh tomato
  • 1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes with Italian herbs
  • some fresh basil
  • 1 tablespoon of dried Italian herbs
  • salt
  • pepper

I sauteed the onion + garlic in 2 tablespoons of water until the onions were soft. Then I added in the rest of the ingredients and let them simmer until the squash was soft. I scooped about 1/3 of what I made into a bowl, and after I took the picture I decided to put some mozzarella Veggie Shreds on top. Delish.

While I had that all going on I whipped up a batch of spelt Blueberry Muffins from the Babycakes cookbook.

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I ate one of them while I was waiting for the squash to be ready and then I ate another one after I ate the squash! They were really good. I’ve noticed that when I ate wheat today – in the Honey Kissed Peanut Butter Bread – I felt a little bloated afterwards. I didn’t feel that way after I ate the spelt muffins. Hmmmm…interesting.

Right now Stella The Cat is trying to go up the stairs but Marty The Big Black Lab is blocking her way and just daring her to try it. LOL – I love watching them.

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Revenge of the Bees + Why I Do Yoga

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I just got stung by a bee in my backyard! OUCH! At least I think it was a bee – I’m really not sure since it stung my BOOTIE! Wow that really hurt. It’s a good thing you weren’t near me when it happened cuz I was cussin’ like a sailor! I bought a jar of honey this morning from Bees n’ Blossoms at the Reston Farmers Market - could this be revenge? Maybe this bee misunderstood because Bees n’ Blossoms treat their bees really well, using only organic and natural methods.

Eats

Anywho, this morning I had….a SMOOTHIE! Yes, surprising I know. Here’s what I had:

  • vanilla rice milk
  • banana
  • baby spinach
  • Spirutein vanilla protein powder
  • 2 tablespoons of Better n Peanut Butter

And just now I enjoyed my current rave for lunch:

DSC_0004DSC_0003That would be:

  • 1 cup cooked oatmeal
  • 3/4 cup fresh blueberries from the Farmers Market
  • 2 tablespoons Chocolate pb2 (you can see it peeking out of the top left side in the second picture)
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • pinch of cinnamon

SO YUMMY! For those of you who count, it’s 6 WW.

yoga

Yesterday I spent some time with a yoga teacher friend and she asked me “What do you want from your yoga practice?” I didn’t’ have an answer right away but I’ve been thinking about the question. During my practice this morning it came to me. I want to feel connection.

Connection with my mind.
Connection with my body.
Connection with my breath.
Connection with my True Self.

This is why I practice yoga.
During my regular non-yoga practicing hours, I move through my day running errands, talking on the phone, surfing the internet, teaching, cooking, exercising, eating, etc. My mind jumps from one thing to the next. I am not thinking about my body or my breath. I associate with whatever it is I’m doing in the moment – I’m a wife, I’m a daughter, I’m a yoga teacher, I’m a customer.

But during my practice this changes.
I quiet my mind and bring my attention to my breath, and I feel…whole and…happy.

Why do you practice yoga? Or…why don’t you practice yoga?

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