Vegan Enchiladas

These enchiladas sure were delicious, but no photos (sorry--lazy!). These flavorful enchiladas broke the boundaries of my usual bland cooking. These could be filled with many things, but I used veggies from my CSA box and stuff I found in the fridge.

Since I don't have photos of my yummy food, I'll post my yummy dogs instead.

Vegan Vegetable and Black Bean Enchiladas

Rating: 5 stars

Omnivore's opinion: He ate waaaay too much ; )

Filling:

Saute onions, carrots, unpeeled potatoes, yellow beets. Cover with vegetable stock and add salt and a can of black beans (drained and rinsed). Cook uncovered until the stock cooks down, and then cover until stock is absorbed and potato is soft.

Wraps:

Spelt Flour Tortillas

Enchilada Sauce:

Make a roux over medium heat out of flour and vegetable stock. Add chili powder until the color is darkish red. Stir until smooth. Add some garlic powder (a teaspoon or so) and salt. Add small scoops of tomato paste until the flavor and color seem right. A dash of rice vinegar or lemon juice adds a nice zing.

Not-Cheese:

Hummus, a whopping amount of nutritional yeast, and a few cilantro leaves with water to process, lightly drizzled on top of everything.

Sides:

Rice

Braised baby bok choy

Enjoy!

This Week's Recap

I've disappeared into the non-cyber world due to a really, really busy week. Had to plan our preschoolers' Halloween Party (it was super fun!) plus get ready to go out of town this weekend (aaah, a women's retreat where all the cooking and cleaning is done for us--I can't believe I won't be washing another dish until Sunday night).

I did come across this article on saffron (however, I usually take these things with a grain of sat). Summary: There was a study in which the women who took saffron capsules snacked 50% less by the end of the study than the women who took placebos, likely due to the stress-inhibiting component of saffron. Makes sense why so many Indian snacks have saffron.

I can't wait to make these dehydrated (I'll use my oven) multi-seed crackers, or some variation of them. They look so easy and filling and use flax seed as the binder. She also posted Homemade Pumpkin Spice Lattes earlier this week which I am also excited to try, just because of the pumpkin in the latte!

I heard an interview with Mark Bittman the other day on NPR and got a really good idea--vegan BLT's. Of course, if you are me, you like to splurge on fried, veggie bacon (I know, I know). They turned out really good, and are a nice compromise for the omnivore-vegan divide. Tristan loved them : ) I think this guy may be a good resource for Tristan, who is still 99% vegan (he had to get cheese on his burrito the other day!). Bittman is all about increasing plant-food intake for health, much like Tristan. For me it's about animal cruelty and the horrifying ways that we raise our animal products. I'm sure that for some people animal protein is healthy. Not this vegan, though.

Can't wait to catch up on my rss feeds and see what everyone has been blogging about this week!

Vegan Neatball Dinner, OMG He Made Me Dinner & ACV for my cold

I took a good meatball recipe and made it better.

That photo is leftovers (ie. tomorrow's lunch) from tonight's dinner. It contains:

Vegan "Meatballs", but let's call them "Neatballs"

This Garbanzo Spread from Ali at Vegan Epicurean

Brown Rice Fusilli Pasta w/store bought pasta sauce

Chopped Steamed Spinach

Toasted Pine Nuts

The Neatballs:

I will try to remember the ingredients

In a large bowl, I mixed:

2 cups cooked brown rice

1 1/2 cups cooked french lentils

1/4 cup tomato paste (I found some sold in a glass jar! Yippee!)

Dry mixture (1/2 cup rolled oats, 1/4 cup wheat germ, 1/4 cup toasted brown rice flour, 1/4 teaspoon italian seasoning mix, 3/4 cup nutritional yeast, 5 grinds of black pepper, a shake or so of garlic powder)

Sauteed mixture (onions and garlic, to your liking...I browned the onions and barely cooked the garlic)

Bragg's Liquid Aminos or salt to taste (added at the very end)

Water to make a nice sticky consistency

Scoop into balls (I used an ice cream scoop). Bake on lightly oiled baking tray (I used glass) for 20-25 minutes on 375. Optional: halfway through the baking, brush BBQ sauce (but warning...it has sugar).

The texture was nice, they didn't fall apart. The perfect "bite" was a little bit of everything on the fork.

Warning: My mouth still tastes of garlic. I used three cloves in the garbanzo spread and 3 or 4 in the meatballs. To be honest, I probably could have left the garlic out of the neatballs altogether.

OMG He Made Me Dinner

So my omnivore is still a vegan. At this point, I don't know what his hold up about eating meat is. However, while I was making dinner tonight, he went out and did yard work (after a whole day of work!), and then came in and literally started doing push-ups and sit-ups. I guess the toxins have passed and he's in vegan euphoria.

So this is what he made on Saturday night, probably because I've been so sick that I've not been cooking.

Spanish rice

Pinto beans

Fresh heirloom tomatoes

Guacamole

Store-bought whole wheat tortillas

The whole meal was very good. I was impressed. I don't know where he got the recipes except that they were online.

Apple Cider Vinegar

I've had a rough past few days. I had the beginning of a cold, so I got some extra rest and it started to go away. Then I worked too hard for too long and my cold just went berserk. Green mucous, coughing, a lot of irritation in the sinuses, eyes, ears, and throat, and even got a little feverish yesterday.

This morning I woke up and drank a glass of water with 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar mixed in (ugh...I actually only drank half of it), and within thirty minutes, my mucous turned clear and I had energy. Not a lot of energy, and my nose was still runny, but what an improvement from yesterday, where I spent the entire day in bed.

I'm going to try it again tomorrow to try to kick this thing. I'm only about 50% restored at this point.

Papaya Salad

I can't for the life of me remember where I saw this idea. It was on someone's blog, I believe. All I remember is that someone was in Thailand and found a restaurant attached to a health spa or something that served all raw food. And this was a fave on the menu for that person. For lack of a better term, I'm calling it a salad. But for me it's lunch.

Papaya Salad

Ingredients:

Papaya

Salsa fresca

Avocado slices or guacamole

Stack, and enjoy!

The irony: it's cold, wet, and rainy here, and I have a cold. I should be eating hot soup!

Breakfast for Dinner

Well, would you look at that. Post #50. I'm a half a century old in blog years. And I have to say that those 50 posts did what they were intended for. I have found my groove in the kitchen.

My husband, being the omnivore that he is, loves a hearty, filling, protein-rich meal. Especially after Bikram yoga class, which is where he is at the moment. So I made spelt-quinoa biscuits and spelt-flour gravy with sausage (Gimme Lean--healthiness debatable) and collard greens. I don't like that the greens are a "side", as I feel that vegetables should make up most of the meal, but to be honest, we seriously need to do some grocery shopping.

Need. Biscuits. Now. Spelt-Quinoa Biscuits

These turned out better than expected. Flatter than the average biscuit (and smooth on top--I prefer bumpy biscuits), they are fluffy enough to enjoy with gravy. And they do taste like quinoa, so if you don't like quinoa, use all spelt flour.

1 cup spelt flour

1 cup quinoa flour

1 tablespoon aluminum-free baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups almond milk or soy milk

1 tablespoon vegan margarine, coconut oil, or canola oil

juice of 1/2 a lemon

-Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

-Sift dry ingredients together. Different combinations of flour can be used (I chose this combination because I would have a low-gluten, high-protein flour)

-Melt the oil or margarine and add it to the milk and lemon juice, whisking vigorously (or use blender).

-Pour them all together and stir with a wooden spoon.

-Drop onto greased baking sheet (I used a pyrex casserole).

-Bake until they are golden and the bottoms become visibly brown.

Spelt Flour "Milk" Gravy

Adapted from the New Farm Cookbook.

Much like a traditional flour gravy, but without the canned dairy crap and the bacon grease! Delicious and flavorful. The original recipe is a flour gravy, but I changed it up a bit to make give it a creamier taste. Both versions of the recipe are delicious and fulfilling.

1 cup spelt flour

3/4 cup nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons oil or vegan margarine

1 cup water

1 cup almond or soy milk

1/2 vegan vegetable bullion cube

Braggs liquid aminos to taste

black pepper to taste

-In a large saucepan, toast flour over medium heat till brownish and gives off toasted smell.

-Add nutritional yeast, bullion and oil. With a wooden spoon, stir to mix everything together.

-Add water and milk and whisk until most of the lumps are out.

-When mixture begins to bubble, turn down to low, stirring frequently.

-Add braggs and black pepper.

-Optional: to create a more lumpy gravy, toast flour on the side until extra brown and add it to the gravy. Stir to coat lumps and cook a little longer.

Collard Greens

Sautee 2 cloves of garlic in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add 1-2 cups pre-steamed collard greens. Sautee for a couple of minutes, remove from heat. Add lemon juice and salt to taste.

My rating: 4

Omnivore rating: TBD

Foodborne illness is not just an omnivore's dilemma!

Recently, I changed my veggie prep practices after a friend told me that she washes her veggies in a vinegar rinse because she's heard of many foodborne illnesses that live on fresh veggies and fruits. I usually, at the start of my prepping, fill a bowl with water and a dollop of vinegar and scrub the veggies in the solution for a few seconds. I change the water if it gets too funky, or if I wash something not labelled organic. I've become a bit obsessive about all of this, actually.

Well, now I'm wondering if I'm being cautious enough after reading this article about the Texas celery plant contaminating ten people with Listeria monocytogenes and killing five of them. While I'm not informed on what that is exactly, it definitely sounds like something I'd like to keep off of my plate.

Salmonella-infused peanut butter, spinach laced with e. coli...what's a vegan to do?

Kinda makes me want to just grow my own food.

My, Oh My, My Vegetable Pie

This Harvest Root Pie recipe from The Front Burner was way too easy to be so good. I saved a lot of time cooking in the evening because I peeled my veggies while the preschool kids were sleeping. And my biggest cheat of all:

I bought a pre-made pie crust from Whole Paycheck.

The middle layer (start this prep first):

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a baking dish, add 5 cups of cubed vegetables (I used ½ of a butternut squash, 4 small beets, 3 medium carrots). Coat lightly in olive oil and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

The first layer (start this layer while the middle layer roasts and the top layer steams):

In a small bit of olive oil, sautee 1-2 shallots and 2-4 cloves of garlic. When they are slightly browned, add 4 cups of sliced crimini mushrooms. Cook through until they are nice and dark and shiny, then add ½ cup veggie broth. Cook until the liquid is almost gone.

The top layer (start chopping and steaming once the veggies are roasting):

Steam two large sweet potatoes. When they are very tender (10-15 minutes), mix them with ½ almond milk and a tablespoon of vegan margarine. (This can probably be omitted). Mix on medium-high until fluffy.

Add mushroom layer, and then veggie layer, and then spread sweet potato layer on top, and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.

Halfway through, take out the pie and add almonds and sprinkles of cinnamon on top. If pie cooks sooner, then broil to brown the top slightly. (Here's my pie with my favorite kitchen gadget...the nut chopper/grinder).

Done!

I used the quantities from the recipe, but that produced more than my pie crust could hold. I ended up using only about 2/3 of each of the ingredients. So I made another pie…a pizza pie! The only thing I added was apple slices and thyme sprinkled on top. Everything else was a mere re-construction of the pie ingredients.

My, Oh My, a Pizza Pie!

I was stuffed full of vegetable pie, but I had a slice of this anyway (I baked it for tomorrow's lunch). Yum! The gluten-free crust actually was quite delicious.

Indian-inspired. And beets.

The longer I participate in the food blogging community, the more I realize just how much I don't belong. "Participation" may be a strong word, but hey, I blog and I read others' blogs. And the more I eat my own cooking, the more I realize how little I have to offer! (Tonight's dinner was a humble exception, I might add).

A friend today referred to me as "the food blogger", meaning to imply that I'm the expert chef between the two of us. I tried to defend myself, to explain that I'm horrible in the kitchen and that my purpose wasn't to display my skills, but to document a journey from nowhere to somewhere. But since we work with children, we don't have time to philosophize and explain any more deeply than a few seconds allow. So I left it.

Tonight's dinner was inspired by recipes from many different sources. I can't bring myself to type out all the recipes but I will note my adaptations here.

Mung Bean Stew

(my own recipe, thank you very much)

Cook mung beans so that there is a little water left after they are soft. Heat oil on medium; add a teaspoon of mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add a teaspoon of cumin seeds, then immediately add one chopped serrano pepper and sautee for one or two minutes. Next add two cloves of garlic and about 1/2 inch piece of ginger (minced) and one red sweet pepper. After sauteeing those for another minute or two, add the cooked mung beans (I just kept adding spoonfuls until the balance between the peppers and ginger and beans looked right, probably about three or four cups of cooked beans). Add a bit of salt then bring to a boil. Cover and turn down the heat to simmer for 30 to 60 minutes (I suspect the longer the better, and these turned into a nice, mellow yet bold gravy).

Lemon Rice

(inspiration here but it's a pretty standard recipe)

Adaptations: added raw cashews after adding the rice to the skillet and omitted the cilantro (this part is a staple as it backs up the kick of the lemon juice but we just didn't have any!).

Chickpea Flour Khandvi

(inspiration here but adapted to veganize it)

Mine took on the texture of playdough (delicious vegan playdough) and if you've ever made playdough at home, expect a similar process.

Adaptation: substituted 3 cups of buttermilk for 2 1/2 cups of almond milk (unsweetened) and the juice of a quarter of a lemon. I only used one green chile (instead of three! yikes!). I processed all of the ingredients before pouring it into a saucepan to cook (on medium-low) and used a whisk to stir for the entire 20 to 30 minutes that this was cooking (I stirred intermittently but when I did I really went for it to get rid of lumps and scrape the bottom of the pan). And rather than making rolls, I made cubes by dumping it into a pyrex dish (once it was "ready" by the standards of the OP). After it cooled enough to handle, I dumped it onto a cookie sheet and cut the pieces into squares. Again, I omitted the cilantro garnish because I didn't have any. Time for this chef wannabe to get some cilantro!

Roasted Beet Salad with Sunflower Sprouts

(inspiration here)

This was the dish that didn't fit in, but boy was it good! I didn't change anything big about the recipe, but I wanted to note that I used one clove (?) of shallot as the OP didn't include the quantity. It was a good amount. I also tripled the orange zest, doubled the olive oil, and doubled the vinegar and halved the orange juice and it turned out superb.

Smoothie Win and Bean Dip Fail

Fig and Date Smoothie

4 stars (my star rating standard changed since visiting this awesome vegan restaurant last night)

2 cups almond milk (or vegan alternative)

3 fresh purple figs

3 pitted dates

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon raw almond butter (optional)

Blend until smooth. Try not to let anyone see you licking the blender.

***

Bean Dip FAIL

Remember this bean dip? I finished it off today and wanted to make more. I didn't have the ingredients. I tried to improvise. It was awful. So I just kept adding stuff until it was not as awful. Then I cooked it on low to see if heat would give it the magic touch, and it was still awful. But I saved it as an emergency bean dip for tomorrow.

What I did differently:

garlic powder to sub fresh garlic--FAIL

butter beans to substitute cannelini beans--FAIL

I added spinach to turn it into a spinach dip--FAIL

I suggest (to myself!) following the recipe next time. Just because I've successfully copied others' recipes of late doesn't mean I have turned a new leaf in my cheffing skills.

Green Goodness: Two-bite Balls and a Farm Fresh Smoothie

If you've ever been to a reggae festival or any type of hippie gathering like that, you've seen dreadlock-sporting folks cruising around with baskets of sticky balls. I love them because I can make them in an instant and the flavor never strays too far off course (ie. very forgiving recipes).

I whipped up one of my own today. Why? Because darn it, sometimes I want something that compliments a warm cup of joe and a kale chip just doesn't fit the bill.

***

Two-bite Quicky Balls

In a bowl large enough to stir, mix together with a wooden spoon (so you get good squishing action):

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup carob or other vegan chips

1/8 cup cranberries

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 teaspoon spirulina powder (optional)

2 tablespoons coconut butter (I use Artisan)

2 tablespoons raw almond or other nut butter

enough maple syrup, agave, or rice syrup to moisten (I used about a tablespoon of maple)

Mix it around until it's a very firm dough. Use a cookie dough scooper or spoon to make little balls, and roll them around a small dish with:

1/8 cup raw cacao powder or other chocolaty powder

They will look like this on the outside (and green on the inside):

After a couple of minutes, the powder will begin to absorb the nut oils and syrup. You can speed up this process by rolling them by hand. They will then turn dark like this:

You won't be able to eat more than one, so stick the rest in a dish and freeze. I bet if you want them to look like truffles, you can roll them around in powder after freezing. But you wouldn't want to disappoint someone expecting a truffle, now, would you?

***

My CSA Box Smoothie

Yum!

Blend until smooth and date chunks disappear:

1 banana

5 pitted dates

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 teaspoon spirulina powder

1/2 teaspoon chia seeds

enough water to fill halfway up once the blender has this stuff in it

and this many kale, chard, spinach, and ripani leaves (these are washed with a vinegar solution):

Makes two sweet 15 oz. smoothies.

Here's too a healthy weekend!

Sweet and Savory Pizza, Oh My!

Oh, my!

Inspiration: Chef Chloe's Flatbread

It's the closest thing I've had to pizza since becoming vegan.

Pizza--5 stars!!!

Dough

I used store bought whole wheat dough (next time--a gluten-free crust for us)

"Cheese" layer: Chef Chloe's Garlic White Bean Puree

1 can white canellini beans, drained and rinsed
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon dried thyme (I used lemon thyme)
3 cloves garlic, peeled (this was a bit too much; next time I'll use 1-2)
juice of ½ lemon
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Combine in food processor until smooth

Toppings

I adapted this part just a tad

Pre-cut butternut squash (I had a raw one but I was lazy). I baked it for twenty minutes on 400 before adding it to the pizza.

1 cup chopped spinach (this goes right on top of the bean puree layer)

1 apple, thinly sliced and some of it diced

a few crimini mushrooms (also baked for a while before adding to pizza)

salt and pepper

I rolled out the dough very thin before adding the bean spread and the toppings.

I also used the bean dip for dipping my pizza in afterward (we used to like dipping our pizza in ranch dressing, so this was a more than adequate substitute).

Before baking (so fresh! so savory!):

Tristan made his own pizza because mine didn't sound traditional enough for him.

But it looked pretty good, and he ate most of it!

The Vegan Project Update (countdown):

Saturday is his last vegan day. I seriously think he's looking forward to being done, but I don't really know. My intention was to force feed him lots of fruit smoothies and veggie salads this week but I haven't had much time for kitchen stuff this week. His cholesterol check is scheduled for Saturday. I'm a little curious about how that will turn out.

Hope your week is going beautifully!

Easy Breakfast-Ready Oats and a Vegan Project Update

Pretty good. Pretty, pretty good.

Now that my definition of breakfast has expanded beyond coffee and cookies, I just love when there's already something waiting for me. I love these pancakes from Vegan Yum Yum (sans sugar of course) and I don't get the heavy pancake feeling after eating them, but I've really been on a mission to find a healthy grab-and-go recipe that accompanies coffee so I have the option of oversleeping and skipping my morning smoothie.

I was inspired by these vegan overnight oats from Oh She Glows, but had to add my own twist bringing this recipe from culinary cleverness to a whatever-I-happen-to-have modge podge.

Breakfast-Ready Oats

p.m.

Place in bowl with lid:

1 cups oats (I used quick oats)

1 mashed banana

1 teaspoon chia seeds

enough water to cover (plus a little more)

Cover, place in fridge.

a.m.

Add almond milk, a dash of maple syrup, and a dash of cinnamon (optional). (Comment: I also added cardamom. Don't recommend it.)

Very satisfying, and requires no thought or planning in the morning.

So, just to give an example of where I'm at in my eating habits these days, this oatmeal was accompanied by a spinach-blueberry-banana smoothie, and followed an hour later by a banana-almond milk-date-almond butter smoothie (that rocked). I'm Little Miss Hungry these days.

The Vegan Project Update

He's got an ulcer. So we have a whole new list of off-limits foods.

One thing I read about ulcers in several places is that foods high in antioxidants (kale, spinach blueberries, which we eat all three almost daily) are useful in calming the symptoms of ulcers. My poor husband. That sounds so painful.

My vegan cuisine is not as satisfying to him these days. I think he's in the brunt of detoxing from his old (regular) way of eating. Hopefully he'll pull through and see the light, where we feel great and crave healthy foods, but I'm not sure that's going to happen.

And to be honest, as much as I blog, I resent that I have to do this to stay motivated. But I like the blogs I follow and get inspiration daily, so I keep it up and walk through another day of food.

Vegan Slaw

WOW! I feel like new after my fast yesterday. My hunger feels normal, my cravings are for healthy foods, and I feel all around cleaner and better. Since today was all about eating light and clean, I wanted a light but fulfilling dinner.

Antioxidant Super Juice

Handful of spinach

A few kale leaves

Water

OJ (from fridge)

Carrot juice (from fridge)

I wanted the satisfaction of drinking it green, so I went light on the other juices. It was quite good!

I made this tasty little concoction to go with the soup Tristan made yesterday (that I didn't get to eat!).

Vegan Slaw

3 shredded carrots

1 shredded daikon radish

1 shredded apple

2 celergy stalks, cut into small slices

1 handful of cranberries

1 handful of sunflower seeds

lime zest (1/4 teaspoon)

1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional...cilantro might be nice instead)

For the dressing, blend together:

1 avocado

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

pinch of salt

a few grinds of pepper

1 tablespoons nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon tahini (optional)

juice of 1 lime

Coat everything well with the dressing and enjoy.

And can I just say...why did I use this...

instead of my food processor? That thing was a pain in the butt!

A Sunday Detoxifying Fast

Even though most of my posts are about food, this one is about the opposite of food! It's about fasting and its ability to keep the body and mind fresh and toxin-free.

Too much food...

This week, I made breakfast and lunch every day, and cooked a hot meal each night. I ate all of those things, too. For those of you who know me, that is very excessive eating for me. By Thursday, I told Tristan that next week we'd have to eat more salad and raw vegetables, and by Friday I felt like I was literally "full" of food, weighed down internally and externally by the insane amount of food I have eaten this week. My insides felt like they couldn't process all of the food I had eaten during the week (I accidentally typed 'weak' there...freudian slip?). Friday night I went on a bike ride with a friend, hoping to get the GI track moving in the right direction. Saturday morning I did yoga with Tristan with the same goal in mind. By the end of yoga, I had a headache, felt hot in my head, and nauseated. I think the exercise and yoga pushed all of the leftover goods around in my body and forced me to release toxins into my system.

When I could barely walk from the truck to our front door because of my screaming headache, I knew I needed to fast. I spent all day yesterday on the couch, and am happy that today is fasting day.

About Fasting

I've heard that we typically have a pound or so (probably more for meat-eaters) of undigested food in our GI tract at a given time. Regular fasting (and drinking water, eating fiber, etc.) helps eliminate all of this waste before it becomes toxic to our system.

When I was a yogi, I used to fast 2-4 times per month. Twice a month I would fast "dry", meaning not taking any solid or liquid food (not even water). The other times I would eat fruits and drink liquids (even milk back then). I never got sick, always had beautiful, glowing skin, and lots of energy. And, I remember most fondly, I could eat whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Of course, I was a few years younger back then, too, so the ailments of age hadn't set in yet.

Fasting resets the system. When the body is purified, it has more resources for fighting illness, thinking clearly, and performing its functions without interference from toxins in the blood and organs.

Starting the fast

I start the morning with a ball jar full of warm water with the juice of half a lemon and a teaspoon or so of salt. The salt in the water prevents the fluid from absorbing into the system (so the salt doesn't get absorbed either, which is a good thing). The water passes all the way through the GI system, using the lemon water to break down organic particles, and out the bowels. It literally makes the trip all the way, taking toxins and waste with it. Ideally I would start each day with a lemon water cleanse. But I really, really like my coffee first thing in the morning, what can I say? (I'm even drinking a little bit now that my lemon water has done its job to help the rest of it pass, and also so I don't get a caffeine-withdrawal headache later on).

Cleaning on the cellular level

I remember hearing about another benefit of the lemon water is that due to its salinity level, it creates an osmosis effect that cleans the body on the cellular level. The cells in the body have little waste receptacles, and when the salt water pulls water out of the body and cells, these little waste receptacles empty out. I wish I could site the source of this information but it's something I read years ago and have always trusted it's validity, given my good fasting experiences.

I remember the first time I fasted, the mucuous in my nose was literally orange-ish colored. That was the hardest fast because I wasn't used to feeling hunger. But after that first one, it got a lot easier. The feeling of hunger just reminds me that my organs are doing their jobs during the cleansing experience.

The temptation to eat or drink

So imagine you are mid-fast, it's noon and you start to feel hunger. What would a nice refreshing glass of water do? It would mix with the toxins that your body has already eliminated into the GI tract, and wash them back into the body when that water is absorbed in the intestines, bloodstream, etc. I had a friend who broke a fast with a bowl of soup, resulting in a big migraine. I couldn't help thinking it was because all those toxins re-entered her system. It's therefore very important to break the fast properly.

Breaking the fast

So during the rest of the day, my body will use its digestive powers to clean out what is already in there wasting away. I may do a dry fast, I may have some fresh juice, but by the end of the day I will have detoxed. But only halfway. The fast really begins in the evening, when I go to bed. During sleep, my body finished the fasting process, and in the morning, I will take another full jar of salty lemon water. Since it's been a while since I have fasted (a few months at least), I'm afraid of what will come out the other end once I have my lemon water tomorrow. But I will like knowing that my body is cleaner.

I have heard it suggested to break the fast with lemon water, and then after that works its way through, to eat a banana (without chewing it too much) to absorb the leftover toxic stuff, and then salad/roughage to "sweep" the system clean. Of course, the official breakfast should be juicy fruits and simple foods.

A monk from Ananda Marga once told me, "When you fast, you stop listening to the body and start to listen to your soul." Jesus spoke of fasting as a way to get closer to God.

But today, I'm fasting because I was feeling gross. And now, 2pm on fasting day, I feel much, much better. I have much more energy because my body has spared the energy it would have used in digestion. We went on a bike ride through the neighborhoods (to look at houses that we can't afford), and now I feel complete. The circulatory system is now engaged.

There are many other physical and mental benefits of fasting, but as usual I've written too much already : )

I am planning on doing my next fast on Oct 17, which is an official "Ekadashi" (a day in the lunar phase whereby fasting is most beneficial according to some Eastern yoga practices). There are two per month, so if the next one doesn't happen, I'll always have more opportunities later.

Meatballs and a Sugar-Free Chocolate Dessert

First up...meatballs! This recipe was improvised and adapted from a recipe I came across a while back but don't remember where. The meatballs are rice and lentils based.

Unforunately they only get 4 stars even though my new vegan enjoyed them very much : ) I will definitely make them again, though, but I'm not sure how to adapt them so they are more flavorful.

My star rating standards are going up now that I'm cooking every day and following other recipes...I have to stop dispensing the five stars for everything, lol. So starting now...

5 stars= really 5 stars --flavor, texture, aroma

4 stars = good and will eat again (and look forward to it)

3 stars = I'll eat it again but only after revising the recipe

2 stars = probably wouldn't serve it to anyone else but might eat again in a pinch

1 star= If I post a 1 star recipe it's to warn you to never try the recipe.

I feel like a goof sharing recipes at all when there is such a plethora of amazing vegan chefs doing their thing in the blog world, but I guess this is for my own documentation as much as it is to share. Like I say in my intro, I have to write about it to be excited, otherwise I literally stop eating. I get lazy and unmotivated and suddenly tortilla chips + salsa starts to convince me that they constitute an entire dinner.

Brown Rice and Lentil Meatballs

Yields about a dozen medium meatballs

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 cups cooked lentils (any would do)

3/4 cup oats, processed and lightly toasted

1/4 cup spelt flour, lightly toasted

1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons Italian seasoning or whatever seasoning combo sounds good

salt to taste

Let rice and lentils cool off so they can be handled. My rice was leftover so it was cold to balance out the hot lentils.

Preheat oven to 350'. Scoop the lentils with a slotted spoon into the flour, oats, nutritional yeast, garlic, salt, and spices. Use a wooden spoon to squish everything together. If it is dry, use some of the lentil water to moisten and continue to mix until it is a nice texture, not crumbly and not sticky. Then add the rice and squish that in, too. When the mixture is workable, use hands (or a cookie dough scooper if you want to make small balls), to make balls. I had to oil my hands between each ball with olive oil.

Place balls on oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until outside feels crisp.

Take tray out of oven and brown meatballs in oil on medium-high. They are firm enough to roll them around in the pan and they will not crumble.

Serving: I served them with whole wheat fusilli (I could have done without the wheat but the preschool cook used my rice pasta--grrr). I also made an oniony-garlicky-tomato and broth sauce and put it on top of the meatballs...that was delicious. I think the meatballs, sauce, and mozzerella Daiya cheese was the perfect combination. The fusilli stuck out like a sore thumb and did not do anything for this meal.

***

I tried improvising a dessert today, too, and it was delicious. I think I will try to make it again but improve the crust so that it stays together better, but I want to post the recipe anyway (for myself!) so that I don't forget in case I don't get around to revising it. As you can see, this is what is left at 10pm and I made it at 3pm.

It's sugar-free but not gluten-free as it uses spelt flour, which I tolerate very well. I can't say I've systematically tested my gluten intolerance, but it's something I've definitely been noticing.

Sugar-free Chocolate Dessert

This one deserves it's 5 stars

Crust

Oats and spelt flour, processed with a pinch of salt, a dash of cinnamon and a dollop of oil

Squish it into a pan (I used a ceramic 8x8) and bake on 350 for 10 minutes or until you can smell the toasted aroma

Topping

1 cup pitted medjool dates

1/4 cup dried cherries

1/2 cup grated dried coconut

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

1/4-1/2 cup raw cacao powder or cocoa powder

(I didn't but I suggest adding nuts as well, especially almonds or walnuts)

In a large food processor, process everything until it forms a ball. Or pulse so you get even processing. Probably doesn't matter.

Oil a plate or dish about the same size as the baking dish. I used nonstick spray.

Squish the chocolatey dough onto the plate or dish until you have about the size of your baking dish. Make sure it is uniform in thickness because it won't melt or anything in the oven. Layer this on top of the crust and bake for another 15-20 minutes.

***UPDATE: forgot to add this step! I didn't put the vanilla and cacao in the processor. I microwaved a couple tablespoons of Earth Balance (soy-free but any margarine will do) until melted, then mixed in the cacao and vanilla into that mixture. Then I poured it on top of the final product before putting it in the oven. Sorry for the oversight!***

Eat warm, or let cool. Refridgerate and it will be so yummy.

I can't believe I made this up and it was so good [pats own back]!

***

The Vegan Project Update

He said his mood feels better and there were only two or three times when he craved "outside" food (like when he saw a co-worker eating Cheez-Its, which I don't even view as food anymore). I told him I could pack him better snacks like home-toasted sunflower seeds with salt (have you read the ingredients on the ones at the gas station? It's scary how much crap they put in there sometimes!)

My own personal update: last night I went on an easy but tiring bike ride with a friend (15 or 20 miles but at a pretty slow pace, maybe 15 mph). When I got home, I made the meatballs and ate but felt too tired to clean up. I went to bed, but had a major case of restless leg syndrome (I haven't been diagnosed by a professional, but I get weird nerve stuff that makes it impossible to relax unless I actually go to sleep and I have to keep moving). It was almost unbearable and came very suddenly. I know that potassium and magnesium usually alleviate this feeling (and sugar and caffeine exacerbate it) so I broke down and took a multi-vitamin. It went away very shortly thereafter. So I guess this body isn't perfect just because it's vegan : )

Welcome, oh Wonderful Weekend! Here I come!

Thai Coconut Rice and Veggie Sushi

Last night's dinner was Super Easy Thai Coconut Rice from VeganDad. I'm embarrassed to say I only served that for dinner because I was tired from work and in a hurry to run out the door. It was delicious, and good for Tristan's transition to vegan cuisine. It offers satisfaction from the fatty coconut milk and intense flavors from the curry mixes. I will *asterick where I made adaptations.

Thai Coconut Rice

5 stars

3 cups brown rice* (recipe calls for two, but I wanted leftovers and this gave four servings)

1 bag asian mix frozen veggies (I would use fresh next time)

2 Tbsp Thai curry paste

4 Tbsp lemon grass slices* (the recipe calls for lemon grass paste but I subbed for lemon grass slices that I found in the Asian food section at Whole Paycheck)

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 small can coconut milk

tofu, cubed and browned in oil* (protein for the honey)

avocado cut in squares to garnish

I followed the instructions from the OP's link in order so go to VeganDad for the step-by-step.

My husband sent me a text to tell me he loved it, so it is definitely omni-friendly.

And while rice was cooking, these happened:

Veggie Sushi Rolls

Since I had leftover rice from last night's dinner, I added a dash of rice vinegar, cut some cucumber and carrot slices, added some gomasio inside, and rolled them up. I topped them with some watered down wasabi powder and more gomasio. I also made some packed with spinach and wasabi on the inside with less rice. These will be out lunch or snack today.

The Vegan Project

Tristan's willingness to stick to this diet is surprising, given how it's not the most convenient thing for him. He claims to enjoy my cooking, and that's rewarding for me. He has not had his late night junk food cravings (like for cereal, or peanut butter cookies). I was planning on making a late night "sweet" snack like banana smoothies or peanut butter smoothies, but this hasn't been necessary.

Last night he weighed himself and came in at a surprisingly low 155 lbs. Now I'm starting to wonder how to fatten him up without raising his cholesterol? He's usually around 165/170. Time to bring in the carbs. And protein? I don't believe the protein myth but maybe his body is different than mine and he needs more.

Next week, now that he's "transitioned" so to speak, I'm going to do more raw vegetables and salad based meals. I'm going to aim for half of our food to be raw. This will be more nutritious and I've heard that the natural digestive enzymes found in raw veggies are cooked out so to eat lots of raw stuff (or take digestive enzymes if it's a problem).

Beans and Rice and Chickpea/Quinoa Crusts

No photos today. Sorry!

The Beans

2 cans pinto beans

2 bay leaves

a bit of tumeric (for the anti-inflammatory properties)

a bit of cumin

a pinch of cinnamon

onions

garlic

salt

pepper

kale, two leaves

Saute onions and garlic, add salt and pepper, add beans, spices, and a can full of water, and almost at the end add the kale, sliced.

Very mild, almost bland, but very healthy.

The Rice

brown rice, soaked all day then cooked regular.

The Crusts

I didn't know what to call them, but they weren't tortillas. I set out to make a tortilla with quinoa flour and chickpea flour and the recipes I could find online sounded messy (roll out the dough with saran wrap? Nah.). This is what I came up with. They are good, protein packed, and not as gluten-y as other tortillas (maybe gluten-free, I don't know about spelt flour but we didn't get that weird heavy feeling after dinner so we think they are low in gluten).

I was loose on the measurements here, because I don't think anyone will be making this, but if you are interested, email me! I'll know what I mean if I ever need to reference this : ) If you have any suggestions, I welcome them because improvisational cooking is not my specialty!

a dump of chickpea flour (I don't know how much, maybe a half cup?)

a dump of equal size quinoa flour

a dump of equal size cornmeal

a tiny dump (oh, a teaspoon maybe) of baking powder

a pinch of salt

Mix all that together and then add water and mix (with hands!) until a sticky ball forms. Let the ball sit covered for a while (not sure how crucial this step is). Later, heat a little oil on medium in a lare skillet. Take pieces off of the dough (just smaller than a donut hole size) and form balls with oiled hands. Take a plate with a nice layer of spelt flour and roll one ball around in the flour. Start pressing the ball flat, flipping as needed to coat the pancake in the flour and so it doesn't stick to the plate. Then throw the flat thing onto the skillet and it will puff just a bit in places. I even pressed it flatter onto the pan with my fingertips. After a minute or so, when the bottom is browned slightly, flip the crust. Re-oil the pan with each crust.

Place two of these on the plate, with the brown rice and beans. We put diced tomatoes on the side to make it feel like bean-burrito-ish, but the beans didn't feel very Mexican. They seemed more cross between American and Indian.

It's the new culture of my household emerging--Healthian. For the time being, anyway.

The Vegan Project Update

Tristan is sleeping better, claims his gas smells like grass (but that he has gas is still a problem), says his skin feels dry, and his nose isn't stuffy in the morning.

All the while I'm in the kitchen almost every spare minute I get, either cooking or cleaning up or packing lunch for the next day (or snacking). It's exhausting being this kind of spouse! It feels good, though, to be able to contribute significantly to my husband's health and well-being.

Veggie Wash

Tap water + Friction = The cleaning power of soap and veggie washes.

10% Vinegar solution works for reducing micro-organisms.

Click here for the NY Times article

Now that I'm eating all these whole foods, I have to make sure I'm doing my due diligence about keeping pesticides and pathogens off of my plate!

Chili Dinner

Another 5 star meal! I'm in disbelief at my own awesomeness.

The menu

Sprouted mung beans

Bean chili

Quinoa

Daiya mozzarella-flavored "cheese"

Since Tuesday tends to be a busy day for me, I thought it would be a good day to start dinner in the slow cooker (I chopped everything last night and even drained and rinsed the beans so I'd just have to plop it all in the cooker this morning). After work, I put on some quinoa (brown rice takes too long!) and was eating in no time.

The chili

1 14 oz. can black beans

1 14 oz. can adzuki beans (an experiment...they are a bit light for chili)

1/2 can garbanzo beans

2 medium carrots

1 cup frozen corn

1 small bell pepper

4 cloves of garlic

1 scoop of cumin powder

1 scoop of chili powder

a tablespoon or so of white vinegar

a sprinkling of fenugreek seeds

1 bay leaf

salt

zest and juice of one lime (could have used one more zested and juiced lime)

I know I'm forgetting something...

Slow cooked all day, half the time on low, half the time on high.

I think the absence of tomatoes and onions made this dish even more appetizing for me.

(Side note: Yesterday's kitchari got two of my omni co-workers' stamp of approval today).

The Vegan Project Update

He loved his lunch today (spelt tortilla wraps with vegan mayo, mustard, spinach, cranberries, sunflower seeds, and garbanzo beans) and he is excited to come home for chili dinner!

Rewiring the brain...junk food!

I love the blog Healthy Bitch Daily. They posted an article today comparing the addictive nature of junk food and why it is as addictive as a narcotic.

My quick detox (at least it felt quick) was a gift, as I almost didn't have cravings but for sugar and white flour, and those only lasted a little while (week or so). Now I don't even crave that stuff.

I like looking back and being able to talk about this stuff in past tense : )

Kitchari for health!

Kitchari and Spinach salad

Brown Rice and Mung Bean Kitchari w/Spinach Salad

Kitchari:

(This is how much I used, but it made, like, 6 or 8 very large servings)

2 c brown rice, soaked overnight

2.c mung beans, soaked overnight

2 sweet potatoes

1 head cauliflower

1 inch fresh ginger

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

4 Tbsp dried coconut

1 Tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 Tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp tumeric

1/4 tsp aseofotida

1 Tbsp cumin powder

black pepper

pinch cloves, ground

pinch ginger, ground

1 cup chopped cilantro leaves for garnish

Lots of water. Lots and lots of water.

Saute onions and garlic, then add ginger, then add spices, then add rice and beans, after 30 or so minutes, add the coconut and potato and cauliflower. When it's done, stir in cilantro.

Very loosely based on this ACD Kitchen Sink Kitchari recipe from Diet, Dessert, and Dogs.

Salad:

baby spinach

cranberries

sunflower seeds

walnuts, soaked overnight

sesame shitake dressing (purchased)

He loved everything.

It was delicious. We ate so much that we opted out of our late night dessert smoothie. Probably for the better!

***The Vegan Project Update***

He swears he's lost weight already (he doesn't need to, but hey). Also, he said that he hasn't felt bloated in the whole 24 hours that he's been vegan : ) In bed tonight he even said that his teeth feel cleaner.

"Frenzied", Burgers, Shelf Life, and The Vegan Project update

Why am I "frenzied", you ask?

Okay, you didn't ask but I'm going to tell you anyway : )

Because beyond operating my at-home preschool, taking care of my dogs and husband, fish and rabbit, employees and parents of the children in our program, I have to be an over-the-top conserving-the-environment crazy person who saves every plastic bag (washes it out and everything) in order to get one more use out of it before recycling.

My husband got very upset with me today because I asked him to wash out the bottles that we had excavated from our refrigerator (salad dressing, old mayo, all that expired stuff). He thought it was a waste of time...just throw it away! Well, it's not like I wash everything to recycle it, I do throw some things away (like jelly jars...jelly doesn't like to come out of the jar!). But according to me, I'm saving the planet by washing and recycling.

And this way of thinking and behaving causes me to live in a "frenzied" manner.

Burgers Yum Yum!!!

Remember these burgers? Well, I made them again tonight. Here are my comments:

1. Yum.

2. I made the "beef" wetter and they formed much nicer patties. Just a little water made a difference.

3. We decided to try gluten-free (as if we need something else to deprive ourselves of) because we suspect gluten sensitivities. Well, we suffered through the most brick-like kamut flour bread only to realize later that I made the darn burgers with bread crumbs! Duh! And we both felt very sleepy after the meal, so it made us think it was the bread crumbs. Next time I will try it with some roasted chickpea flour or maybe just more cornmeal (or quinoa flour?).

4. I replaced half of the carmelized onion for a half of a green bell pepper (roasted and diced). They were quite good.

The stack from top to bottom: gluten-free bread, mustard, baby spinach, heirloom tomato, burger, vegan mayo, bread.

One of the best things about cooking with whole foods is that almost all of the waste is compostable (or recyclable)

Side of braised garlic cloves, zucchini and shitake mushrooms (heavenly, seriously, and so easy!)

Tristan's plate...seeing him clean his plate always feels great!!!

A couple hours after dinner, Tristan felt like peanut butter cookies, so I suggested a nut butter smoothie to satiate the urge. He was very excited about it!

Contents:

1 banana

scoop of peanut butter (hey, we're transitioning here)

almonds, soaked overnight to promote digestibility

cup of almond milk

1/2 tsp. spirulina powder

3 frozen cherries

a scoop of raw cacao powder

ice cubes

love

(and yes, that is my manly hand holding that cup)

Shelf life of rice tortillas

In case it ever comes up for you, these expire after the expiration date! I ate this for dinner last night:

and stupidly checked the expiration date of the tortillas after I ate them. I didn't die. So they're still good, although they "expired" on 9/24.

See, that's why I just prefer to make stuff from scratch. I'd rather have my own mediocre home-made tortillas than have to keep wondering about expiration dates.

The Vegan Project Update

This would be my new label for my husband's vegan adventure.

1. He decided (on his own) that two weeks would be a better testament to what veganism could do for him.

2. He claims to not be eating for "taste" but for health during this time. He wants to detox, clean out his system, eat healthy, and go in for bloodwork at the end of the two weeks to see if it made a difference.

The fight is on! Stephanie vs. Tristan's Cholesterol!!!

And now I have something to focus on (a goal if you will) rather than trying to guess what wild hair made him want to go vegan.