Soup and Salad

Lunch yesterday consisted of a healthy spinach, spring mix, and romaine salad.  Mine was topped with tomatoes, onions, red beets and sunflower seeds.  Andy hates beets, so his had olives instead. Simple yet so healthy and tasty.  A blush vinaigrette was the dressing I chose for mine, and Andy had a creamy Italian. We also had some spinach bites on the side. 

I made a pot of chicken-less chicken noodle soup on Monday.  We shared the last bowl with our salad. It was divine.  Andy requested a clear broth for a change.  I always add so much to my soups, sometimes simple is a refreshing change.  I used my favorite broth base “Better than Chicken Bouillon” .  It is amazingly flavorful.  I used just the classic vegetables.  Carrots, onions, celery, and some baby spinach at the end.  I also added a ton of herbs.  For the noodles, whole wheat angel hair pasta, and the chicken was Gardein filets broken in small pieces.  It was a great refreshing soup that my grandmother would be proud of.  I am still amazed how I make meatless dishes that are so much like my favorites my grandmother made.

Today my dad is coming up for a lesson in soup making.  I can’t wait.  It will be fun to show him how fast and easy it is to make soup that does not come from a can or carton.

Dairy Free Mac & Cheese

Rich, creamy, and dairy free.  This is one of Mya’s favorites.  You would think this decadent dish would be fat laden, but no, it is quite the opposite. 
I used an organic whole wheat elbow macaroni.  It is a much better alternative to the traditional white pasta.  I cook the macaroni while making the béchamel sauce. 
My simple béchamel sauce is made of almond milk, blending equal parts  buttery spread and flour to a smooth consistency.  Once the sauce thickens I add some nutritional yeast, which lends a salty cheesy taste,  then dash of Turmeric gives the sauce a beautiful golden color.  A 1/2 cup of Dayia cheddar shreds adds extra cheesiness.  Once everything is smooth and creamy in the pot, I add the noodles to the pot and stir until well coated.

“Cheese Steak” Salad

I will eat less bread this week.
I want a "cheese steak”.
I will eat less bread this week. 
I should eat a salad…
Ah ha!  Enter… “cheese steak salad”.  Load up the spring mix, baby spinach, tomatoes, onions, olives, drizzle with some creamy Italian (who knew this stuff was vegan), and top with all the cheese steak essentials.  My cheese steak essentials are:

• Fried Onions
• Fried Peppers
• Loads of Mushrooms
• Gardein Beefless Tips as my “steak”
• Daiya “Cheese”
• Crushed Hot Italian Peppers

Cook all ingredients as you would for your sandwich, but place on top of super healthy salad instead.  This is a great salad you will really enjoy.  Give it a try sometime, it will pleasantly surprise you!

French Toast Breakfast

Day old Italian bread turned French!  I hate waste.  How could I toss away a perfectly good Italian Bread when it could be transformed into a delicious breakfast.  You might be wondering, how a vegan can eat French toast when the main ingredients after bread are eggs and milk? I make an awesome “batter” of almond milk, cinnamon, vanilla protein powder, vanilla extract, and for an eggy consistency, chickpea flour.  It works amazingly well. I love when I can completely duplicate a classic meal and make it healthier and animal free. I topped my French Italian toast with a little pat of Earth Balance Buttery Spread and some agave nectar.  You can also use maple syrup, but I am just an agave kind of girl!

I only ate one slice.  It was quite a big loaf of bread. It’s called a BOMBER, so you can imagine!  Each sliced was about 6” x 8”, they were huge.

I have been working on an office makeover for the past 4 days.  I can’t wait to show you the before and after shots.   Stay tuned for lunch…

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi Everyone, Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope you all enjoyed this beautiful day.  Here in PA it was a gorgeous sunny 60 degree day.  That was one of the many things I was thankful for today.

I cooked Thanksgiving Dinner for my family, and luckily, everyone is okay with vegan holidays.  I always tell everyone to bring something else if they want to, but most of them are vegetarians anyway, so it does not pose much of a problem.  In fact, this is the first year that my father-in-law did not bring his plate of turkey.  So it was a Field Roast Celebration Roast for everyone!

This is a picture of my own plate.  I did eat a small piece of my new cheesecake  recipe that is not pictured here.  On my dish was: Celebration Roast with gravy that I made, stuffing with celery, onion, carrots, apples, cranberries and raisins, cranberry apple sauce from scratch, delicata squash halves, candied cinnamon sweet potatoes, and red potato cauliflower mash.  No one suspected I put a whole head of cauliflower in the potatoes.  Everything was delish…all plates were cleaned.  I was thrilled.  I cannot wait to have leftovers for breakfast.

Enjoy this article before you get stuffed!

Burning Off High Calorie Foods: Thanksgiving Edition

· by Dana Angelo White in Thanksgiving

It probably comes as no surprise that a Thanksgiving meal can pack in tons of extra calories. What’s really eye-opening is how much exercise you need to burn those calories. Don’t get us wrong, Thanksgiving dinner is a meal to be savored; just keep some of these numbers in mind before you pile those goodies too high in your plate.

Crunching the Numbers
The values below are averages based on a 155-pound person. We left turkey off of the list below on purpose. At about 150 calories for a 4-ounce (skinless) serving, it’s hands-down a healthy choice.

Starters
•    6 stuffed mushrooms (made with cheese and meat) = 350 calories = 1 hour of belly dancing
•    1 serving spinach-artichoke dip  = 320 calories = 35 minutes of sit ups

Sides
•    ¼ cup gravy = 50 calories = 15 minutes of vigorous house cleaning
•    1 cup stuffing = 350 calories =2 hours of yoga
•    1 cup green bean casserole = 400 calories = 45 minutes of push ups
•    1 cup sweet potato casserole = 500 calories = 45 minutes of jogging (10 minute mile pace)

Desserts
•    1 slice pumpkin pie = 400 calories = 45 minutes of basketball
•    1 serving apple pie a la mode = 575 calories = 1 hour 10 minutes of spinning
•    1 slice pecan pie = 500 calories = 1 hour of high impact aerobics

Damage Control
We don’t want to scare you away from the dinner table. Use these tips to enjoy your turkey day meal without getting stuffed.

•    Truly pay attention to portions.
•    Keep calories from alcohol to a minimum.
•    Share dessert with a relative.
•    Get an extra workout in before you start your post-turkey day holiday shopping.

Soup’s On

This is my "”Spicy Chick’n, Orzo, & Vegetable Soup”. 

I love how quick this soup cooks.  Just 45 minutes to a robust vitamin and mineral packed lunch.  I love to make a pot after breakfast so it will have rested and developed a full flavor by lunch time.

For the “spicy” part of the soup I use diced tomatoes with green chilies. They add a great flavor to the broth.  I like using the Orzo pasta at the last 15 minutes of cooking time to add more heartiness to the soup.  I also add a can of beans for fiber and protein. And lots of herbs for both flavor and nutrition.

Soups are a great way to have a filling meal that includes a ton of vegetables without a ton of calories.

Tofurky Sandwich on Whole Wheat

Sandwiches are so good when you need something quick and filling. They are not “bad” food, if they are made with lots of healthy ingredients, and are not eaten at every meal.  Here I used a whole wheat roll, oven roasted Tofurky , veggie mozzarella, romaine lettuce, thick slices of tomatoes, super nutritious onions, and a smidge of vegan mayo.  Enjoy a healthy sandwich today!

Two dinners…

Dinner for Andy and I was a simple, tasty, healthy, and took no time.

I cooked Gardein Chick’n filets, over a couscous medley with dried apricots, dried cranberries, raisins, toasted hazelnuts, cooked celery, onion, carrots, and apples, along with quick blanched green beans.  All of the above were flavored with my homemade Black Balsamic Fig Vinaigrette.   I had the couscous left over, so all I did was heat that.  Greens beans were cooked in under 5 minutes, and Gardein filets only take maybe 7 minutes.

Hope you will try this fast and nutritious dish.  It tastes like something you would get a a fancy spa.

Mya wanted mac and cheese all day, so I made her a healthy version of that for her dinner.

I used 100% wheat elbow macaroni, I made a simple béchamel sauce, then I added nutritional yeast, turmeric, for color and health benefits, and a 1/4 cup of veg cheese just for extra cheesiness.  Dairy free and still tastes decadent.

 

Portabella Burger

Finally, I got to the grocery store!

Dad and I had an adventure at Wegman’s today.  I got to drag him around and show him all the great foods I buy there and persuade him to get some of the same.  He already eats a pretty healthy vegetarian diet, but, I am always trying to get him to taste some new veggies too.

After over a hour of watching me fill a cart top and bottom, we finally checked out and were hungry for lunch.  We went back in to get a few goodies from their buffet, I love their Kung Pao Tofu, until, I noticed their big price increase.  There is no way I am paying almost $9.00 a pound for tofu and salad.  So, I said, “we just bought some great varieties of veggie burgers , and I have all the fixin’s, plus I have homemade vegetable soup at home, let’s just go home and eat”.  So we did.  We had a veggie burger feast, some vegetable soup and my awesome coffee.  I think dad really enjoyed it.  He keeps trying to talk me into running a healthy café…not ready. 

Thought you would like to see how great these burgers turned out.  And by the way, they tasted even better than they look!

Happy Friday.

Thanksgiving Prequel?

Thursday night.  I week till Thanksgiving, and I still have not made it to the grocery store.  I went through the freezer and saw a chick’n roast.  I was inspired.  I had celery, onion, carrots, baby potatoes, and 1 Delicata squash.  That sounds like a good oven baked meal on a coldish day.

I got out my favorite white casserole dish, and began our mini feast.  I loaded the bottom with sliced carrots, celery, baby potatoes and sliced of the squash.  I poured about 1/2 cup water into the bottom of the dish.  I had the oven preheating at 400.  Notice I forgot something, one of my favorite things, onions.  I didn’t notice until I served our plates!   Anyway, when all the veggies were on the bottom, I seasoned them with sea salt, pepper, and thyme.  I hit them with a drizzle of olive oil, then I popped the dish in the oven for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes I added my chic’n roast, put foil over the whole dish, and back in the oven 20 more minutes.  When those 20 minutes were up, I removed the foil, added a little more water and cooked another 15 minutes to brown my “roast”. 

During the final 15 minutes, I made a new side I love.  I had 2 crisp Granny Smith apples and fresh cranberries.  I heated a small pot on the stove, added 1 tbsp. buttery spread, then my diced apples.  I tossed them around and then hit them with some cinnamon and sugar.  Just a little.  I let them cook a few minutes before adding the fresh cranberries.  I also had a Myer lemon which I zested into the pan with the cranberries.  It was still a little tart and need some liquid.  So I added 2 tbsp. agave nectar, and 1/4 unsweetened cranberry juice from the fridge.  It simmered into the BEST apple cranberry sauce I ever tasted.  We all were crazy over it.  It will absolutely 100% be on my Thanksgiving table. 

I also made a little pot of gravy on the side.  It literally took 3 minutes and tasted fabulous.  All in all, this meal made me really look forward to Thanksgiving.  Or, as Mya says in our house, because we don’t eat animals, THANKSLIVING. 

I apologize the pictures are not my best, I just could not get the indoor lighting and camera to cooperate.

I am looking forward to Mya having off next week, I hope I can get my office rearranged for the millionth time.  I will take some before and after shots once the renovation begins.

Enjoy your day.

Vegetable Soup

The chill in the air made me want something warm and cozy.  After scanning the fridge, realizing I really need to grocery shop, I found I had just the right ingredients to make a batch of vegetable soup.

Here’s what was in it:

Here I have onions, celery, carrots, potatoes, white kidney beans, peas, corn, broccoli, cauliflower,diced tomatoes and my favorite soup starter,”Better Than Bouillon”.

I always soften my onion, celery, carrots, and potatoes in olive oil.  Then I add a hefty handful of Italian seasoning, a few bay leaves, and then, 1 large can of diced tomatoes.   Then I add 2 cans of water from the tomato cans and two tbsp. bouillon base.  Once it comes to a slow boil I add my frozen veggies and keep on low 15 minutes.  I also add a handful of barley at the end, I put the lid on and let it go another 10 minutes.  Turn off to rest.  Serve hot with a chunk of whole grain bread on the side.

Nice warm lunch.

Grilled Asparagus & Portabella Slices over Brown Rice

Dinner was a simple vegetable solution. I had a fresh bunch of skinny asparagus and some hearty portabella mushrooms.

I brushed olive oil on my heated grill skillet and placed thin slices of portabella mushrooms on it.  I also brought a pot of water to a boil to blanch my asparagus before grilling. 

Once my mushrooms were wilting, I flipped them and seasoned with sea salt and pepper.  I blanched the asparagus in the boiling water less than two minutes before transferring them to my grill pan. 

Right before the asparagus was done I brushed 2 tbsp. of a lemon vinaigrette on them.  At the same time, I added just a tiny drizzle of Worcestershire sauce to the mushrooms to give them a steak flavor.  I heated up a bag of Trader Joe’s Multigrain Rice and plated the dish.  It was so good.  Bursting with flavor.  Andy and Mya were both looking for more after they finished their plates.