Pizza Night turned Stromboli Night

 

I have mentioned before, that Thursday nights is usually pizza night. Since we were celebrating the last day of school, I thought I would make a boli  with some curly fries and onion rings.  A salad had to be added in there for some fresh, “living” food.  I used the wheat dough I picked up at the store to make this amazing “Cheese Steak” Stromboli.  This is my family’s version of take out Italian food. No Pizza boxes required.

I have been making Stromboli's since my mom and dad taught me how as a pre-teen.  That was our Saturday afternoon treat on cold winter days.  A good movie on the VCR, after spending an hour at the Video Rental Store fighting over what to rent.  Remember VCR’s and video rental stores?  I am sure Mya will have no idea what a VCR tape is, just DVR, iTunes and You Tube. We used to come home, pull out a tube of Pillsbury French bread dough, roll it out, fill it up, and bake into a beautiful boli.  Then devour while watching our flick. Pillsbury was a convenient option back then, they did not sell fresh dough at the store. Now, however,  I prefer my food without the Hydrogenated oil that is in the Pillsbury dough. So, fresh dough it is, preferably wheat. After years of practice making these bolis, my method has been perfected. Here is my recipe.

Vegan Cheesesteak Stromboli

• 1 ball of wheat dough (or white if that is what you have)
• 1 bag Gardein Beefless tips
• 1 cup sliced sweet peppers
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 2 cups mushrooms, sliced (regular or portabella)
• 1 cup Daiya Mozzarella Shreds (your favorite vegan mozzarella)
• 2 tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• Italian Seasoning
• Sea salt
• Hot crushed red peppers (OPTIONAL)
• Ketchup (OPTIONAL)

One hour before making boli, bring your dough out of the refrigerator and to room temperature. It will make it much easier to roll out. At the same time, make your filling, so it has time to cool before adding to the dough.

For the filling:

To a skillet, add 1 tbsp. coconut oil.  Over medium heat, cook the peppers and onions until they begin to soften.  Then, push them over in the pan and add the mushrooms, sprinkle with a little sea salt and cook until almost soft.  While they cook, pour Gardein Tips onto a plate, microwave for 1 minute, to soften. Then, slice your Gardein into small pieces.  Then, move the mushrooms to the side of the pan with the peppers and onions. Next, add remaining tbsp. of coconut oil to empty spot in the pan, add the Gardein tips to the coconut oil.  Place a lid on pan and cook about 5 minutes. Open lid, stir Gardein, then add 1 tbsp. of Worcestershire sauce to the Gardein.  Turn off. Let this rest until cool.

Once the filling is cooked and cooling, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. After about an hour, when the dough has reached room temperature, prepare a sheet pan with foil and spread with cooking spray or a tsp. olive oil.  Place dough on sheet pan, and stretch out gently until it it makes a large rectangle in the pan.  Careful not to tear the dough.

Sprinkle about half the cheese onto the whole surface.  It won’t look like a lot.

Now, evenly spread all of your cooled filling over the entire surface, sprinkle with rest of cheese.  Optional, add a little ketchup and some crushed red peppers to the middle of the filling.

Now to roll, stretch the end one side over the steak about 3”. Flip the end over onto the filling, and then again, and once more.  It is like a three flip Jelly Roll.  Press down on the roll and make sure edges are sealed along the side and ends. Sprinkle top with some Italian seasoning.

Place on middle rack in oven at 425. Cook about 20 minutes until golden brown.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before slicing.

I serve with salad, onion rings and fries!

Have a wonderful Father’s Day Weekend!  Maybe even make Dad some Stromboli, we will have the rest for Friday breakfast!  Leftover boli reheated is even better in my book. 

What I Ate Wednesday #18

 

YAY! Final week of school!  I am so excited to have Mya home for the summer.  Although a few day camps are planned, mostly we get to make lots of fun plans.  I am really looking forward to each and everyday.

This WIAW was a variety of foods to eat before I grocery shop again.  I used up the last of the tofu and most of our veggies, so a grocery trip is planned for today or tomorrow.

Breakfast: Spicy Mexican Style Scramble

Just what I needed after cardio. My scramble was, a mix of 1/2 block tofu, 1 tofurky sausage, 2 cups kale, 1 potato, 1/4 cup corn, 4 oz. mushrooms, 1/2 cup peppers, and a fresh salsa made from avocado, onion, tomato and taco sauce. I love a hearty and spicy breakfast.  This was huge and I ate about 1/3 and Andy 2/3’s.  Mya had a homemade blueberry bagel from one of our customers. 

This breakfast got me through my weight training and 2 hours in the office.  Then I was ready to make lunch.

Lunch: Tacos

Is there anything more addicting than tacos? It is one food that I can eat till I am stuffed and then eat one more. I purposely only made six shells, 2 for me and 4 for Andy.  I was excited to try Tofurky Chorizo as my base.  It did not disappoint, probably the best vegan taco filling I have bought.  Great texture and flavor.  I will be stocking up on this stuff!

I loaded up our tacos with a little “meat”, Daiya Cheddar, Tofutti sour cream, chopped romaine, tomatoes, olives, avocado, and taco sauce.  I was not quite full after two tacos, but, I did step away from the plate and drank a big glass of water. 

Coffee on the road followed after lunch. I came home to a little more office work and then another 1/2 of cardio.  My hamstrings were still a bit sore from yesterday, so I had to push myself through it. 

Dinner: Pepper Steak with Sesame Green Beans & Bok Choy

More office work and then dinner. I was craving Chinese. I again ransacked the freezer to see what was still on hand. We had mixed Asian veggies, green beans, vegan pepper steak, 1 bag of jasmine rice and some fresh Bok Choy. Sounds like a meal to me.

This is one of Mya’s favorite meals.  All plates were cleaned and everyone was totally full.  Mya liked the fortune cookies for dessert.

I finished the day with a few glasses of water and a cup of cranberry apple tea.  I Hope you enjoy your Wednesday!

TGIF Ten Minute Very Veggie Lunch

 

Veggies, veggies, everywhere.  I just adore this time of year.  Fresh asparagus, squash beginning to bloom and tons of aromatic tender basil taking over the garden.

This is my ideal vegan lunch.  I could eat this everyday, frankly, I am not sure why I don’t.  Considering it only took me 10 minutes to make this flavorful lunch, I should have it way more often.  I was fully stocked after a quick trip to the store to stock up on some fruit and snacks for Mya, now that she will be home more.  It was really hard this morning, realizing that I had just pack my last third grade lunch.  As I preformed the same task I do every morning, I was totally overwhelmed with sadness and excitement all at once.  I am so happy she will be home for the next few months, but sad my baby will be entering fourth grade in the Fall.  

TGIF Ten Minute Very Veggie Lunch:

I cooked 1 bag of brown rice in the microwave for five minutes, although, ideally, I would use stove cooked leftover rice over microwave, but no leftovers today.  While that cooked I had my favorite double burner pan pre-heated with 1 tbsp. coconut oil.  To the pan I added 2 huge portabellas sliced into 1/4”-1/2” thick pieces .  On the other end of my pan I added 1/2 lb. fresh asparagus, then beside that went one whole green zucchini sliced into 5 pieces length wise.  As the mushrooms shrunk. I added one small yellow squash sliced length wise also.  I seasoned with a few drops of Braggs Liquid Aminos and some black pepper.  I added a few shakes of Mrs. Dash Garlic blend to my asparagus.   I removed the asparagus as soon as it was slightly cooked but still crisp, about 5 minutes. 

While the veggies were cooking on the stove, I cut up grape tomatoes and 1/4 of a red onion thinly sliced and placed them in a bowl.  I seasoned them with two cranks of sea salt, black pepper and 1 tsp. olive oil.  These were gently tossed together before I added 4 big tender Basil leaves from my garden that I sliced into thin ribbons.

When the rice was done, it was seasoned with 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast, 1 tsp. Earth Balance Butter spread and a crank of sea salt and pepper.

I spread on rice on each plate and layered the hot vegetables all around,  I put the tomato mixture on top.  It was a divine lunch.  We ate every bite.  I only wish I had added some cooked kale to this dish, I definitely will next time.

My plate was a half cup of rice and 1/2 of the veggies, so here are the stats for my serving,

STATS:   287 calories, 10g fat, 11g protein, 8g fiber.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  Enjoy this weather.

Open Faced Breakfast

 

What a treat.  I was really hungry after 30 minutes on the elliptical this morning, so I wanted a protein rich breakfast that would sustain me through my mid morning weight training workout and keep me full until lunch.

This breakfast met all my expectations and more.  It was a perfect balance of flavors and packed with all the protein I needed. 

I made my tofu “egg” by poaching my sliced tofu in simmering salted water about 10 minutes.  This gives it a perfect egg-like consistency.  In my double burner skillet, I cooked one link of Field Roast Apple Sage Sausage.  I sliced it into thin pieces and cooked it about 4 minutes on each side until the edges were crisp.  On the other part of the pan, I cooked sliced mushrooms in a few drops of coconut oil and a drizzle of Braggs liquid aminos.  When the mushrooms were cooked, I moved them aside and lightly sautéed some shredded Kale that De gave me again (thanks De). Once the tofu eggs were perfectly “eggy”, I transferred them to the pan with a tsp. of Earth Balance, seasoned them with turmeric, nutritional yeast and black pepper.  I cooked them for one minute before flipping.  Then I added a little Daiya Jack “cheese”.  I served this combo open faced on whole wheat English muffins.

The stats: Two Open Faced Muffins 405 calories, , 28g protein, 16g fat and 8g fiber!

Have a great day!

What I Ate Wednesday #17

 

Happy WIAW! Only one more week of school for Mya. I cannot wait for this school year to be over.  I look forward to the long days of summer.  Swimming, bike riding, trail hiking, camping, no rushing out the door, and most of all, no homework!  I am beginning my summer meal planning so I have plenty of great options for our meals and lots of snacks for Mya and her friends to enjoy by the pool.

My WIAW meals are my recap of what I actually ate Tuesday.  Breakfast was a simple Tofu Scramble with lots of veggies and some field roast sausage mixed in.

For lunch, we had vegan chicken salad sandwiches with kale chips and watermelon.  I was at Whole Foods and had picked up a small container of Veggie Chicken Salad. It is delicious, and it’s a treat not to have to make it from scratch for a change.  I don’t indulge in convenience food often, but this is a nice option.

 

A bread customer of ours was generous enough to supply us with some samples of his NY Bagels.  They were huge! Crisp on the outside and really dense on the inside.  I froze some to take camping, I think they will be good toasted on the grill on a chilly morning with hot coffee and homemade veggie cream cheese spread.

 I had my chicken salad on a slice of toasted Rye, I thought the bagel was too much bread for me, but Andy enjoyed it.  I filled it with the chicken salad, spring mix and fresh ripe sliced tomatoes.

My friend Dee is working on a huge organic garden.  She was overwhelmed with Kale and was kind enough to supply me with a whole bag of her tender kale.  Kale chips were my first thought.  I forgot how much I loved them until the crispy leaves emerged from the oven. ~Thanks Dee!

Kale Chips:

• 1 bunch Kale
• 1 to 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Sea Salt

Pre heat oven to 350.  Line a baking sheet with foil.  Thoroughly rinse and dry kale.  I use a salad spinner to remove excess moisture, then lay on a paper towel.  Once dry, tear kale into palm size pieces, discarding large spines, and place in a bowl.  Add 1 tbsp. olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. massage into kale until all is coated.  If you have a huge bunch of kale, use a second table spoon of olive oil.  Place all your glossy pieces  onto the foiled pan, not overlapping kale.  Place in oven for 12 minutes, check on kale, if it is all crisp and none is moist, it is done.  Keep checking on it after 12 minutes, it does not take long to over cook.

A few slices of sweet watermelon rounded out our plates.

We loved the whole meal, the kale chips were addicting, I think I will pick up some more Kale today.  Mya didn’t get to have any and she loves kale chips. 

My late afternoon snack was five organic blue corn chips dipped in Spicy Hummus.  This is by far the best hummus I have ever bought.  The spiciness was just perfect, hot, but not overwhelming.  I also picked this up at Whole Foods while I was there.  I will buy this again and again.  The heat also keeps me from eating too much, which I often do with hummus.

Dinner was a vegan version of Fettuccini Alfredo with chicken and veggies. It was a surprise that came together on a whim.  Mya loved it and ate a huge bowl and asked me to make it again tomorrow.  Andy and I both enjoyed it as well.  It tasted super decadent and totally sinful, but it was not.  I will put together a recipe, this was an experiment that worked out perfectly, now I just have to get ingredients measured.

I used a new rice fettuccini that I had not tried before, Pasta Joy.  It is a gluten free rice pasta that was so good, it is now my new favorite pasta and I will use it again and again. The noodles were creamy and tender but did not break apart at all.

For the sauce, I made a béchamel from earth balance butter, some unbleached flour and unsweetened almond milk.  I seasoned it with Mrs. Dash Garlic blend, nutritional yeast, sea salt, black pepper, and a handful of vegan mozzarella to melt in.  It was thick and creamy and coated the pasta perfectly.  In a separate pan I cooked up some Gardein Chicken that I cut into small pieces.  During the last 2 minutes of pasta cooking time, I added frozen broccoli, cauliflower and peas to my cooking water.  Then, I drained the pasta and veggies and added them to my sauce along with the chicken.  I mixed them all together and it was a gorgeous sight!  I topped our bowls with fresh pieces of tomato.  YUM!!!!!!

Me and Mya both had some after dinner decaf, she loves coffee once in awhile!

Today, I plan on spending my Wednesday catching up on laundry, office stuff, work in the garden, and maybe even the hundred pots and pans in the kitchen, I think I still have two pans in the cabinet to use before I officially run out!!!  I hope you all enjoy this gorgeous weather we have today in the North East, it looks like it is going to be a beauty.