For my birthday last year, R made me a garden. It's seen several planting cycles, but the most notable has got to be the tomato plant that was taller than our house! Fortunately, we now have the garden under control again.
We are growing red leaf lettuce, curly kale, rainbow chard, spinach, habaneros, mint, lemon verbena, thyme, celery, and chives. I've been going into the garden and picking off the baby green leaves - remember to pick no more than 1/3 of your plant at a time - and using them in my green smoothies. This green smoothie has an entire grapefruit, banana, coconut oil, apple, a large basket of mixed greens, mint, and water. I've really been on a kick with mint in my smoothies - yum!
And the finished product
The taste was very tart. I think it's because I didn't remove all the pith - white stuff - from the grapefruit and because I didn't segment the grapefruit. I really like tart flavors and drank this immediately, while R was hoping for something sweeter. For him, I blended some oranges, carrots, and water to make an orange carrot smoothie. This had a sweeter taste. If the thick texture isn't your thing, you could strain this so you remove most of the orange and carrot pulp.
For dinner we kept it simple. I roasted an acorn squash and two garnet yams. I mashed them with salt and honey. R made steamed kale with homemade preserved lemons and sauerkraut. He used Mark Bittman's Quick Preserved Lemons a try. I had a grilled shitake tofu burger patty that I got from Whole Foods, and R had some salmon. The kitties were very happy about the salmon :)
The hubby and went to New Orleans for a work thing a few weekends ago.
He was excited about the food there, and I was suspicious about what I would eat there. Boy, was I wrong! Anyone ever tried a vegan po'boy? Ah-mazing! We found them at a bar called Erin Rose Bar in the French Quarter. The veggies were grilled, and there were two homemade sauces on the sandwich.
We ordered our po'boys to-go and walked to a nearby street where we found some live music. I was continually impressed with the quality of music all over the city. Very talented musicians everywhere! The French Quarter was beautiful.
At night, however, it got a little crazy seeing that it was almost time for Mardi Gras.
I don't have a picture, but for my birthday dinner we ate at The Wandering Buddha. This was really, really good vegan Korean food. They have temporarily closed while they are relocating, but are planning on opening soon. We got homemade Chai, scallion pancakes, tofu stirfry, and homemade sesame ice cream over something like Korean french toast. The meal was awesome! We ate with a very nice couple that informed us of a New Orleans birthday tradition. When it's your birthday, you pin a dollar to your shirt. Everyone you walk past then wishes you a happy birthday and some pin more money to your shirt. It made for a very fun night! We also enjoyed a meal at Carmo while we were there. The food was delicious and we would highly recommend it.
On our last day, we went to Whole Foods to grab snacks and drinks, and had a picnic in the park near the Audubon Zoo. Our snacks consisted of carrot cake, my favorite, and a cantaloupe stuffed with fresh raspberries and mint. The cantaloupe was so simple, delicious, and pretty! Would definitely bring this on a picnic again.
Fast forward 2 weekends to Superbowl Sunday. While we were busy most of the day, we did make it home in time for R to watch the tail end. In an effort to make something for dinner that was Superbowl-esque, I decided to make grilled cheese sandwiches and soup. For the sandwich, I spread cashew cheese and dijon mustard on the bread. I sprinkled a little nutritional yeast, and added a generous layer of sauerkraut. You could sub marinated artichoke hearts for the sauerkraut. I then toasted the sandwiches in my cast iron skillet with a spray of olive oil. They looked burned and unappetizing, but were delicious! R approved :) It was a perfect balance of toasted outside with a moist and flavorful inside. Instead of soup, I felt like something a little more refreshing and ended up making a veggie drink instead. I blended tomatoes, cucumber, cilantro, onion, and water. This got a mediocre rating from R, but I liked it.
I've been playing with these (http://detoxinista.com/2012/01/sweet-potato-noodles-with-roasted-red-pepper-cream-sauce/) noodles and trying them in different recipes with pretty good results. When I came across this recipe (http://asmallsnippet.com/2011/03/spicy-thai-noodles.html) I knew I had to try it. My goal was to make it healthier without compromising the taste. Instead of using the 3/4 cup of oil, I used 1/2 cup of sesame oil and heated it over low with 5 cloves of chopped garlic, 1 fresh large Thai chili, and about 4 inches of fresh sliced lemongrass. If I made this again, I would put more Thai chili in. Let this heat slowly, keeping a close eye on it, until the oil starts to sizzle. Turn off heat and prepare veggies. I did not strain the oil as the the recipe calls for.
The recipe calls for 1 lb of pasta. Instead, I used my julienne peeler to shred 4 medium garnet yams. (Sorry for the blurry photos!)
I was left with "cores" from the yams that I couldn't shred, so I put them in tin foil and baked them until soft. (The next morning I mashed them with a fork and added homemade almond milk for breakfast - yum!)
Let the oil sit as long as possible to become really flavorful. When you are ready to eat, turn on heat and add yam noodles, half a sliced red onion, and stir until the yam noodles are wilted but not mushy. Mine still had a little crunch to them that I liked.
Mix in the soy sauce and honey as the recipe calls for, but also add 6 tablespoons of vinegar as well. I used a cinnamon basil vinegar my cousin made me for Christmas. Also stir in 1 chopped red bell pepper and a can of white beans, drained. You could easily sub another protein source here. Plate your noodles and garnish with green onion and cilantro.
This recipe makes excellent leftovers! I chopped a fresh mango and put it on the side. In the container on the right I have Chinese broccoli with mashed avocado mixed in and cinnamon basil vinegar on top. This was a very filling lunch!
Here's a simple idea to think about for any meal - bring a large container filled with washed and chopped fruits and veggies to snack on. I do this at work so when mindless snacking urges begin, I'm eating something healthy.
This is my double layer tiffin I use to pack my lunch, as well as leftovers from a Thai place we went. (They also come in much larger sizes with many more layers.)
On the top half I have a cucumber salad, made with shredded cucumber "noodles", grape tomatoes, oranges, and a drizzle of vinegar or fresh lemon/lime juice. It would be really great with fresh herbs and more veggies, but I was limited on time. The oranges in here really made this taste amazing!
Delicious Thai leftovers
And for the grand finale - mixed fruits and veggies. Here I have red bell pepper, apple, and kiwi, but you can really get creative with this. Think carrots, berries, pears, nuts, cubes of tofu, anything!
When I get home from work, I'm starving! I usually try to slice a cucumber or carrot and snack on it while I make dinner. If I don't plan ahead of time, my predinner snack will be a bar of chocolate or way too many handfuls of almonds. We've been slicing veggies and putting them in tupperware so healthy snacks are available at any time to eat instantly or throw in a bag to bring to work.
Small changes like this have really made a difference in our eating habits!
You really can't get much healthier than eating beans and dark greens. They are loaded with protein, iron, calcium and more. I try to eat this combo often, but recently got in a rut with it. I made a slight tweak to how I typically make bean and greens and now I can't get enough of them again!
This may sound super simple, but for me it's made a big difference so I'm sharing anyway. I take any combo of the following: kale, chard, collards, spinach, bok choy, tatsoi, etc, and chiffonade them. I fill a soup bowl to the brim with greens. Then, I boil any type of lentil or bean that I have around until tender. See this post for saving time when cooking beans Next, pour the beans/lentils and their cooking liquid over the bowl of greens. Now you have soup! Add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar, a little salt, and you are done if you want.
I've experimented with some other ideas that worked well, too. You can throw in a bullion cube or spices in the boiling pot to add more flavor. This is my favorite bullion. R likes a giant spoonful of homemade habanero hot sauce mixed in his. Try miso, soy sauce, umeboshi plum paste, seaweed, sesame oil, flavored vinegar, fresh herbs, etc. The possibilities for flavors are endless here. I have also thrown in quinoa or rice to make it more filling. You can also tear up pieces of bread and add them. I like to keep my Ezekiel bread in the freezer so it doesn't go bad, so I just tore pieces of frozen bread and put that in once.
What I like most about this soup is the simplicity of ingredients and how easy it is to get a huge serving of greens. I've literally eaten it for every meal of the day and found it to be delicious. It's also practically effortless, especially if you have greens washed and chopped. You get a substantial, hot, homemade, cheap meal for very little time and effort. Hope you enjoy it as well!
Holy tempeh, I met Dr. Neal Barnard this weekend! He spoke at Powells, then stayed after for book signing. Here's proof:
Check out The Cancer Project for excellent nutrition info and dietary guidelines, and take a look at Nutrition MD for some great, health conscious recipes.
The Cancer Project is current hiring Food For Life cooking instructors to teach their Food For Life series at least 4 times during each year. Portland is definitely not a targeted city on their list, however, I'm applying anyway because why not!? Here's the cooking demo I recorded as part of my application. Big thanks to R for editing this!
In no particular order, first up we have a banana nut milk. This is a great quick snack, especially good for pre or post workout, or on the go. Simply blend a banana, a handful of pepitas, and about 2 cups of water. I like to buy my pepitas raw from Trader Joes as that's the cheapest I can find them. Adjust the amount of water until it's the right consistency for you. I love the quick energy, protein and sugar I get from this. Pepitas are super high in iron and I usually add a handful to my morning smoothie as well. This picture was taken looking down into my Vitamix.
Next we have some limes. When you are juicing citrus, firmly roll it before cutting and juicing it.
After I juice citrus, I like to freeze the peels and toss them in water later.
Does anyone else love using bulk beans but never remembers to pre-soak the the day before using? This solution works really well for me and I hope it helps you, too! I soak beans overnight then drain and rinse them. Put them in a tupperware, cover with water and pop into the freezer. When you want to cook the beans, dump out the giant ice cube of beans into a pot and add water. Bring to a boil and simmer until beans are soft.
This is a newer habit of mine, but every night while I'm making dinner I try to cut up a fresh veggie and snack on it. This is a cucumber with black sea salt sprinkled on top.
I have R to thank for this next tip. I purchased some puffed millet cereal from the store and was putting OJ on and eating for breakfast. I wanted a snack, but wanted something salty instead of sweet so R recommended a snack that he tried while traveling in India last summer. It's something like millet popcorn. I took a bowl of millet, drizzled olive oil on top, and sprinkled the following to taste: nutritional yeast, salt, and cayenne pepper.
This last tip is from one of my favorite sites, The Kitchn. It has instructions on how to make a week's worth of steel cut oats for breakfast without slaving over the stove for an hour like steel cut oats usually require. And, they use cute little mason jars!
Frozen Key Lime Pie
I used this recipe from Kimberly Snyder. I didn't use the stevia because I don't like the taste. I didn't have honey so I used maple syrup instead. I added a little extra maple syrup to taste and maybe used a quarter cup of water total. I poured this in a pie dish and froze it for about 3 hours. This was a big hit! Next time, I will likely pour it into a deeper container and scoop it out more like ice cream. There is enough fat in here so it doesn't get icy and stays very creamy when frozen. Delicious!!
I'm doing a little experiment with two of my hens and chicks succulent arrangements that's called "wick" planting. The basic idea is that there is a piece of fabric buried in the plant, and the other end of the fabric has access to standing water. This way, the plant can draw up as much moisture as it needs through the bottom of the plant. If done properly, watering can be done less frequently and the root system should become stronger since it's finding water near the bottom of the planter.
This first planter is a single unit one, meaning that the plant and the reservoir are in the same container. During my mom's recent visit to Portland, we checked out an antique sale at Edgefield. She bought me this planter, an upcycled old rain gutter, that was filled with hens and chicks. First, I removed all of the plants and dirt from the gutter. I cut the little sprouts off, which can just be planted to start a new plant.
I cut up an old kitchen towel to make a long string.
A few inches from the end of the "string" I tied a knot and began winding the fabric around the knot.
I kept going until it was about the same diameter as the hole in the bottom of the planter. Then I stuck the knot into the drain in the gutter (you want this to fit very snuggly) and left the few inches of tail hanging down.
I then twisted the string and laid it down into the planter.
I replanted all of the plants. Next, I took a tin tea container, filled it with water, and placed it under the drainage tube in the planter. The few inches of string sat nicely in the water. For balance, I used the lid of the tea tin and the lid of an old stainless steel thermos that I don't use anymore, and put them under the other side of the planter.
This is now sitting on my mantel. All I need to do is check the reservoir to make sure there is always standing water available for the wick to absorb into the planter. This really takes the guesswork out of watering.
This next one is an example of a wick planter with an exterior reservoir.
Now for all those extra clippings I had...I really wasn't sure what in the world to do with them, until I noticed an old candle holder that R had made in highschool.
I filled it with dirt, and stuck the clippings through the various holes on the container. The wick is just planted in the middle, kind of spread out to allow the most contact with the soil. To the right, you can see the wick hanging out and laying in a bowl of water. I'm going to replace the bowl of water with a smaller container. This planter sits on top of our bookshelf, and the bowl of water hides nicely out of eyesight. As I cut off more clippings, I can add those to this planter as well.
Cantaloupe Avo Lime Salad
After making this recipe by Martha Stewart, I was pretty disappointed. It was pretty boring, and not very flavorful. I decided to add red onion, almost an entire bunch of cilantro, white balsamic vinegar, garlic, and extra olive oil. The result was fantastic and a huge crowd pleaser!
It didn't take much to liven it up, and it really did come out great. We had this for dinner with a side of tempeh and then again for a picnic lunch at the river.
I love Heidi's recipes. She features vegan/vegetarian recipes only and focuses on healthy, whole ingredients. I've tried countless recipes of hers that I just love. Here are just a few that I'm thinking of now...
(this is the best marinade I've found for tempeh. keep the unused chipotles in the freezer to whip this up anytime)
OK, back to the bread.
The only thing I changed on this recipe was that I substituted coconut oil for butter. It was super easy and fast. Of course I'm thrilled that it's completely whole grain and even has oats in there. As a side note, even for recipes that call for white flour, I ALWAYS use white whole wheat flour that I buy at Trader Joe's. This flour provides all the fiber that other whole wheat flours have, but since it's a blonder variety of wheat, it's light and makes an excellent substitution. I served this bread with extra coconut oil for spreading and homemade jam that a friend gave me. This loaf didn't survive more than an hour or so between the four of us (mom, JB, R & I)
And now for my latest headband...
This one is made of felt. I've been wanting to make something that is mustard and grey colored for fall.
My mom was visiting recently and we decided to visit the farmer's market held at Portland State University on Saturdays. This is the biggest farmers market that I know of in Portland and it's fantastic! There is a huge variety of offerings, including kimchee, nut-based cheese, pastries, jams, food carts, flowers, candles, local meats and eggs, and of course tons fresh produce.
My mom was craving eggplant, so I decided to make what I thought would be more of an eggplant lasagna, but really became a dip. I sliced the eggplant lengthwise and coated it in olive oil and salt. I sliced red onions, chopped kalamata olives, and steamed about a pound of fresh spinach. I also purchased a bag of Daiya Mozzarella style cheese. This cheese is soy-free and tastes fantastic. The only vegan cheese I've ever enjoyed has been the Dr Cow Nut Cheeses and was surprised that I liked the daiya brand so much.
I took a glass bread pan, about 4 inches wide or so, and coated it with olive oil. Then I began layering all the ingredients, adding salt and olive oil to the layers of eggplant. I popped it, uncovered, into a 400 degree oven and cooked it until the eggplant was soft. My pan was packed to the brim before cooking and afterwards it had sunken down quite a bit. I probably had it in the over for maybe an hour, but was busy enjoying time with R & JB and quickly lost track of time.
I served it with bread on the side, but ended up adding it as a spread to the bread instead. This was fantastic for leftovers! I just topped leftover rosemary bread with the spread and put it into the toaster oven.
For dessert, we picked up Almond Coconut Minis by So Delicious which are chocolate-dipped ice cream bars made with coconut ice cream and covered in almonds.
First we'll start with some crafty goodness then move on to lots and lots of food pics.
-headand swap-
So I joined the headband swap hosted by Pink Lemonade (http://www.pinklemonade-blog.com/2011/08/headband-swap.html) and couldn't be more excited to participate.
Here is the lovely headband I received from Christina May at The Andrews Update (http://theandrewsupdate.blogspot.com/)
Thank you, Christina May!
And here is a picture of me modeling the one I made for her:
I used this tutorial (http://www.rufflesandstuff.com/2011/05/no-sew-fabric-flower-tutorial.html) from Ruffles and Stuff. It was super easy and fun!
Here's one finished flower, with the Bachelorette playing on my computer, and R cooking dinner in the background - life isn't bad :)
-now for the food-
In no particular order, we'll start with my peanut butter filled apple snack. This is so simple that it feels almost silly to write about it but I love them so much that here we go:
All you do is cut an apple in half, use a spoon to scoop out the core, cut little triangles out around the stem, fill with peanut butter and put the halves back together. The apple doesn't really get very brown this way and it's an awesome on-the-go snack!
Next up we have homemade Promethus (http://www.prometheussprings.com/)
R loves this drink but at $4+ per drink I decided to give making it a try. So, I took a ton of ginger, washed it, threw it in the vitamix, covered with water, and blended. If I did this again, I would peel the ginger first (remember to peel your ginger with a spoon, it's easier than a typical veggie peeler) and then blend it. Then I made simple syrup by simmering 2 parts cane sugar with 1 part water. For the spice, I added whole dried chilies and also added fresh mint leaves to the simple syrup when it was done cooking. Next you strain your "ginger juice" through a fine mesh strainer and pour into ice cube trays to get ginger ice cubes (pictured above.) To make a drink, I threw one or two ginger cubes in a glass, added ice, a tablespoon or two of simple syrup and topped it off with water. Delicious! I've been also throwing a cube or two of ginger in my water bottle in the morning in an effort to drink more water.
Now for Ani Phyo's raw spanish scramble which I posted about last week. Here is my version:
I mostly followed her directions, except I added extra tomato, cilantro, and hot sauce. I didn't have any tumeric so I added nutritional yeast instead. This came out awesome, R and I both loved it!
For this last one I'm using a video I found on google instead of my own photo. Although I've made these twice in the last week, both times they were eaten so fast that there was no thought of taking a picture for the blog. Here we have fried padrones with kalamata olive bread:
Basically you wash padrone peppers and dry very well (otherwise you with have splattered hot oil everywhere.) Fry the padrones until browned, salt with course sea salt, and pour into a bowl. Add extra olive oil to the bowl and serve with bread to dip in the padrone flavored oil at the bottom of the bowl. You can eat the entire pepper except for the stem. These are so delicious and have never lasted very long in my house. Enjoy!
Off to enjoy some delicious Ethiopian food at Queen of Sheeba (http://queenofsheba.biz/) with 2 of my besties, JB & KT.
