Meatless March Day #20: Taco Salad (Vegan style!)

Taco Salad is one of our favorites! and the favorite meal of our 11 year old too! So, I was a little nervous about doing a meatless version of it, but it turned out very good!  This has a very fresh taste to it from the cilantro, which I love!

I forgot to take a picture, but this is what it looked like!!

 Ingredients 

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernals, thawed
4 large tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked long-grain brown rice (see Tip)
1 15 ounce can black, kidney or pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup prepared salsa
2 cups shredded iceberg or romaine lettuce
2 1/2 cups coarsely crumbled tortilla chips
Lime wedges for garnish

1 cup shredded pepper Jack cheese (optional-we did without)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and corn; cook, stirring, until the onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes.

Coarsely chop 1 tomato. Add it to the pan along with cooked rice, beans, chili powder, 1 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato cooks down, about 5 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Coarsely chop the remaining 3 tomatoes. Combine with cilantro, salsa and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano in a medium bowl.

Toss lettuce in a large bowl with the bean mixture, half the fresh salsa and 2/3 cup cheese if using. Serve sprinkled with tortilla chips and the remaining cheese, passing lime wedges and the remaining fresh salsa at the table.




ENJOY!!


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original recipe from EatingWell

Meatless March Day #19: Raisin Nut Balls

DAY 19!

We have been talking a bit more about the difficulty of handling the expectations from others with this way of eating and that is what I may struggle with a bit. I never want anyone to feel like I don't appreciate food they have prepared for us and in my southern upbringing, that is kind of what I have been taught.  My lovely mother asked me today if we would be eating ham and pork on Sunday(Easter) or if we still "can't do that".  I told her that no and that we were choosing not to eat meat still. I am bringing lots of food to Easter dinner, so there will be lots to eat, but from the sounds of it, we may only be eating the foods we bring, and that seems so rude to me!  So anyway, that is a bit of a struggle.

I can't wait to write our 30 day review, by the way!! :)

Anyway, on Friday, day 19.  We ate leftovers for dinner!  But, I did make some Raisin Nut Balls for snacks, so here is that recipe.

Raisin Nut Balls

3/4 cup oats
2 cups raisins
2 cups walnuts
3/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla

Pulse the oats in the food processor until ground. Add all other ingredients and blend until a batter forms. Roll into 1" balls and refrigerate.  They will firm up a little more in the fridge.

These are a favorite in our house too!!  I used to flatten them out to make bars, but really like the balls better I think.  :)  Enjoy!

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Meatless March Day #16: Broccoli, Macaroni & Cashew Cheese Bake

This was a hit and really easy!  I used the cashew cheese that I made for the creamy cauliflower recipe and just added broccoli and noodles and turned it into a bake.

 Note: We had about 1/2 oz. of daiya cheese left from Friday's pizza so I threw that on top, in case you are wondering what that is in the picture.

Ingredients:
cashew cheese to coat nicely
1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
4-6 oz. of whole grain noodles (I used spirals)
2 slices of whole wheat bread 
2 tsp. Italian seasoning

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Steam broccoli according to package directions.
Cook noodles according to package directions. 
In a small food processor, add bread slices and Italian seasoning and process until you get crumbs.
In a large bowl mix broccoli, noodles and cashew cheese.When all is well coated and mixed, pour mixture into casserole dish and add breadcrumbs on top.  Bake 15-20 minutes.

Enjoy this super simple, healthy, kid friendly dinner!

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #15: Easy Healthy Spaghetti

After a couple weeks of trying so many new things...Spaghetti! Yay!

Kind of a crazy week this week and I did not have any sauce previously made from scratch and wasn't up for doing it today.  I have found a good organic and additive free sauce at Trader Joe's that we like, so I got some of that when I went to the store this morning to do the shopping for the week.  I also picked up a pound of mushrooms and some chopped spinach to add.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp veggie broth
2 jars of additive free, organic, spaghetti or marinara sauce (or use my from scratch recipe!)
1/2 lb frozen chopped spinach
1 lb chopped mushrooms (my kids eat them better chopped)
1 onion, chopped
4 oz. whole wheat spaghetti noodles
4 medium zucchini, shredded

Directions:
In a large skillet over medium heat add veggie broth,onion and mushrooms and saute over medium heat until most of the juices from the mushrooms have cooked out. Add spinach and stir for a few minutes. Add sauce and simmer, covered over medium low heat, stirring occasionally.

Cook noodles according to package directions.  Shred zucchini, with a cheese or vegetable shredder and put in a small saute pan with a couple tablespoons of water and cook covered on medium high until it reaches soft desired texture.

I prefer all zucchini, but Nate and the boys like noodles with theirs!

This took such little effort that while it was cooking, I also made another batch of hummus, and boy was Nate happy about that!

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Meatless March Day #14: Pomegranate-Glazed Portabello Steaks

This, I thought, was absolutely SO yummy and I would have it all the time, except for the fact that Nate did not particularly care for the textures in it.  Seriously?!  It almost never happens that we are on such opposite ends with our opinion of dinner, but none the less that was the case.  I would love for you to give this one a try and let me know who you agree with!!

For the glaze:
1 cup pomegranate juice
1 tbsp xylitol or raw sugar or stevia powder
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp coconut oil

Other Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine or a substitute
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp sea salt (if mushrooms are thin, do a little less salt)
4 portabello mushrooms
2 lbs fresh spinach leaves
1 lemon
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
handful mirogreens or sprouts for garnish (I didn't do these)

Directions:
To make the glaze, combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.  It should thicken. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, red wine, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt.
Snap the stems off the portabello caps and discard.  Brush both sides of each mushroom cap thoroughly with the marinade.  Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and place the mushroom caps inside, ribbed side facing up. Pour any remaining marinade over the mushrooms in the pan.  Cook until the mushrooms are soft, about 5-7 minutes, flipping sides halfway through cooking.

While the mushrooms are cooking, wilt the spinach by either steaming lightly, or simply heating in a spearate non-stick pan fpor a minute or two until just wilted. Toss with the juice of one lemon and season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble, place a bed of spinach on four plates.  Place mushroom on top of spinach.  Drizzle the top with pomegranate glaze, then sprinkle with pomegranate seeds and add sprouts.

Please let me know what you think!!
-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #13: Mexicali Burritos

We made a new "vegan" Mexicali Burrito recipe Saturday and were SO not impressed, so I am giving you the recipe for how we typically make them, minus the meat & cheese and amp up the veggies, because that is how we will be having them from now on.  Sometimes change doesn't really need to be so drastic! :)

Ingredieants:
1 can refried beans (oil free)
2 cups of frozen corn kernels (organic recommended)
1 cup salsa (homemade or carefully chosen otherwise)
1 small onion
1/2 cup veggie broth (water will also work)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups cooked whole grain brown rice (organic recommended)
whole grain totillas
shredded lettuce
guacamole & hot sauce optional

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute the onion in the veggie broth for 5 minutes or until translucent.
2. Add the chilli powder, cumin, turmeric, and cayenne and saute for 1 additional minute.
3. Add beans and corn and cook, stirring until heated and smooth, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in flour and rice and cook another few minutes, until flavors are well blended and mixture has thickened enough to put on your tortilla.
5. Warm tortillas in a pan or the microwave for a few seconds.
6. Spoon mixture onto half of tortilla and top with shredded lettuce, if desired add guacamole, then fold into your burrito.


Note:  I have been using the veggie broth some to saute stuff, in the place of EVOO and it works great!

Meatless March Day #13 French Toast-No eggs!! YAY!

Vegan French Toast!  Nate laughed hysterically at the idea!  I mean...it's french toast! But, I did it and it was great!!!  French toast is one of mine and the kid's favorite breakfast foods and I am really glad we will still be eating it, without the egg!

Ingredients:
10 slices of bread (click here for my vegan whole wheat bread recipe)
2 c. almond milk
4 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1-2 tsp of pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp ground cinnimon
1 Tbsp raw sugar

Whisk all the ingredients together until well blended and then dip and soak bread for a few seconds, then place on the griddle (you will need to use non-stick spray or vegan butter to keep from sticking). Cook a few minutes on each side. Serve with fresh fruit and pure maple syrup.

YUMMY!!

Meatless March Day #12: Shamrock Pizza

Since, it was Friday night and almost St. Patrick's Day we decided for dinner to make it kind of fun for the kids (and us!).  So, Nate made these Shamrock pizzas with our typical spinach pizza crust that you may have seen us use before and we just switched up the toppings.  We don't really want to be eating much of the pre-made vegan products, such as this daiya cheese, but we did want to try a few vegan products to see how they stacked up and it was treat for the kids. Which, by the way, they noticed no difference at all!   This crust makes about 3 large pizzas or 2 large and some crackers, which is what we typically do.  In this case we made 8 shamrocks and had some left to make crackers with.

Crust:
6 c. whole wheat flour
2 Packs or 4 1/2 tsps. of Active Dry Yeast 
3 tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Sugar
16 oz. Bag Frozen Chopped Spinach, thawed - if you use fresh spinach, add more water
3/4 c. Warm Water
6 Tbsp Olive Oil
More Water if Needed

Pesto:
1 c fresh basil
1 c fresh parsley
1/2 c almonds or pine nuts
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 Tbsp nutritional yeast
1/4 c. olive oil

Toppings:
20-30 cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 c mushrooms, sliced




can add fresh spinach also
8 oz. daiya cheese

Directions:
1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and water and let sit for five minutes or until foaming.
2. Using a food processor, pulse the thawed spinach until half-way pureed.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, salt, sugar.
4. Add pureed spinach and olive oil followed with the yeast/water mixture. Stir until fully incorporated and proceed to knead until mixture is elastic-about 10 minutes. You may need to add a couple Tbsp of water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cover dough and let sit for 20 minutes.
5. Grind almonds up a bit in the food processor.  Then add the basil, parsley, nutritional yeast and garlic.  As you process those, drizzle the oil until everything is will mixed.
6. Roll dough out as thin as possible! About 1/8” is good. Use 4 glasses and paring knife to make Shamrock shapes. Be careful not to push the glasses down.
7. Top with pesto, cheese and toppings..
8. Bake for 20-30 minutes in 400 degree oven.

Meatless March Day #9 & 10: Conquering Snacks!

So, here is what I made the last couple days to snack on and might I say, YUM!!

All of these turned out great and I will be making them again!!

Chocolate Chia Seed & Berry Pudding

Berry-Banana Chia Muffins

Hazelnut Balls

Hummus

Chocolate Chia Seed & Berry Pudding

1/2 cup chia seeds

2 Tbsp cocoa or cacao

2 cups almond milk

1 1/2 cups of berries (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry)

Mix all ingredients and refrigerate for a couple hours.  Really good!

(original version from mywholefoodlife.com)

Berry-Banana Chia Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup of whole wheat or brown rice flour

1/2 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats

1/4 cup raw walnuts, chopped

2 Tbsp chia seeds, ground or whole

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 c applesauce with 1/2 tsp cinnamon stirred in

1/4 c maple syrup

1/4 c almond milk

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 Tbsp grapeseed or canola oil

1 cup fresh blueberries

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  

Whisk together the flour, oats, walnuts, chia seeds and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in the applesauce, maple syrup, almond milk, mashed banana and oil. It will be a thick consistency.

Fold the blueberries into the batter. Fill cupcake openings no more than 3/4 full. 

Bake 18 minutes.

Let sit 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Hazelnut Balls

2 cups of hazelnuts

2 Tbsp of cacao or cocoa powder

10-12 medjool dates

1-2 Tbsp almond milk

If using raw hazelnuts, you will need to roast in the oven on 375 for 7-10 minutes. 

Grind hazelnuts into a fine powder in the food processor.  Add the other ingredients and combine in the food processor until it forms a dough.  REMOVE the blade from your food processor before you start digging in to roll out the balls, just saying. Roll into balls and place in the fridge to set.

I made 24 balls with it.  Each-Calories: 85, Fat: 5.4g, Carbs: 8.5g, Protein 1.8g.

Hummus

3 1/2 cups cooked or 2 cans of chickpeas

1/4 c tahini

Juice from 1 lemon

2 tsp cumin

3 garlic gloves

1/2-3/4 tsp salt

1/4 c water

Grind the chickpeas in the food processor until a powder forms.  Add the other ingredients and process until it is all blended well. May need to add water to get the consistency you want.  I added about 1/4 cup.  I have never had it or made it before, but I thought it was delicious and so did Nate!  Used it as a dip with veggies for a snack and also put it on bread for a sandwich for Nate to take to work today. 

original recipe from www.mywholefoodlife.com

Meatless March Day #10: Massaged Kale Salad - my favorite salad!

So, Day #10!!  We are surviving very nicely! Who knew?!  Day 10 was a Wednesday and as discussed before that is our on the go day, so we will probably most often have something cold like a salad on that day.  The pizza they serve at church smells so good, but we have set a clear boundary and that is so important for me!  It really makes is a lot easier.  I don't even have to think, maybe just a bite or just 1 piece, because there is a clear boundary there.


Anyway, I packed Nate and I my favorite salad!  Massaged Kale Salad.


Did you know that kale is an  anti-inflammatory, low in calories, full of antioxidants, low in carbs, high in Vitamin K, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Potassium, Lutein. Per calorie, Kale has more iron than beef, more calcium than milk and 10% more vitamin C than spinach! 

Ingredients:
1 bunch kale
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/2 green apple, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar/balsamic vinegar
*optional goat or gorgonzola cheese if you are a dairy eater

Directions:
-De-stem kale by pulling the leaf off of the stem. Wash and dry the kale leaves. Stack leaves, rollup and cut into thin ribbons. Sometimes you can find it already washed and trimmed and skip this step.
-Put kale and salt in a large bowl. Massage salt into kale with your hands for about 2 minutes or until it looks wet and broken down.
-Put kale in a fresh bowl and discard any leftover liquid.
-Stir in onion, cranberries, apple and sunflower seeds.
-Dress with oil and vinegar and toss.
-Add cheese if desired.

But beware this will give you major onion breath! :)

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #8: Creamy Cauliflower & Tomatoes

Today was definitely and experiment! but it was one that Nate described as delicious, so I guess it didn't turn out half bad! :)

For the cream sauce I used about 1/2 cup of a cashew cheese recipe from Color Me Vegan.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 head cauliflower
1-1/2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped
4 oz. whole grain pasta noodles, cooked
1/2 cup cashew cheese

Directions:
Chop cauliflower into small pieces and steam with about 1/2 cup of water.
Heat oil in a large saute pan and add chopped tomatoes. Cook for a few minutes and add cauliflower, parsley, noodles and cashew cheese.  Cook for a few minutes until well combined and flavored. Salt to taste. 

  
Recipe for Cashew Cheese
Ingredients:
1/1/4 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
2 teaspoons onion powder
1 to 2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 canola oil
1/4 cup light (yellow or white) miso paste
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

Directions:
Add the cashews to the large bowl of a food processor and using the pulse button, finely grind the cashews.  Don't allow the cashews to turn into a paste.  Add the nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, adn white pepper.  Pulse three more times to blend in the spices.

Combine the milk, cornstach, and oil in a heavy saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over high heat.  Decrease the heat to low-medium, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the cornstarch is dissolved.

Withe the food processor running , gradually add the milk/oil mixture to the cashew/nutritional yeast mixture.  Blend for 2 minutes or until very smooth and creamy.  Next, blend the miso and lemon juice.

The cheese will keep for 4 days, covered and refridgerated.

Meatless March Day#7: Cauliflower Chili

Well, day # 7 was Sunday and typically as a rule of thumb only like to cook one meal per day, but on Sundays sometimes I end up cooking two.  We had amazing cauliflower chili for lunch, which I doubled to freeze for an easy meal later.  Then for dinner, I threw together a green bean, tomato and mushroom type stir fry and we drank Shakeology for breakfast. Our Shakeology is really an important part of this diet change because we want to be sure we are still getting everything we need, like B-12 and protein.

Cauliflower Chili

4-6 servings
This tasty chili recipe is as easy as it gets! It is also a great one to double and freeze half for another meal later!

Ingredients:
· 1 tablespoon olive oil
· 1 small onion, chopped
· 1 head of cauliflower, chopped to small pieces
· 4-5 tablespoons taco seasoning mix (or one store-bought packet); recipe for making your own taco mix at www.TheYummyLife.com/recipes/76
· 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted recommended) – can also use fresh diced tomatoes and add some salt
· 2 tablespoons tomato paste
· 1 (15 oz) can pinto beans or 1 ½ cups of dry pinto beans fully cooked
· 1 (4 oz) can or fresh diced green chilies
· 1 1/2 cups of veggie broth
· salt to taste

Direction:

Add olive oil to large pot over medium-low heat. Add onion and cook until soft.  Add all other ingredients and simmer until the cauliflower is done, about 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.  Note if you are using can chilies they are typically hotter than the fresh ones.

ENJOY!

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #6: Spaghetti & Quinoa Mushroom Balls

Saturday for breakfast we had Shakeology and we had company visiting for lunch, so I baked 2 loaves of bread and gave a choice of natural PB& fruit spread or turkey and cheese (a chance for us to get rid of the temptations that were still lying in the fridge :) ).  I also made a large spinach salad and fruit, which is what Nate and I ate.  Snacks are requiring a little more time and creativity than before, but we will get there.  It is snack time that has created the moments of "there is nothing that I can eat here, maybe I will go out in the yard and chew on some sticks!" So...just having to do a little more planning so my darling husband has something other than sticks to chew on when he needs a snack! :)

Although it does take some time and prep work, it is a good make ahead dish too. I recommend doubling the sauce and meatless ball recipe so you can get more than one meal out of your work.  Just freeze half or stick it in the fridge for next time. Leave the meatless balls separate from the sauce until you get ready to serve.  We had a bunch of family here this weekend and so Friday night I made 70 of the balls and put them in the fridge. I was hoping for some left over to eat for a meal next week, but apparently they liked our meatless food pretty good because they all got eaten! :)  The sauce, I like to make huge batches of and freeze, so I will have some whenever I need it, but you can actually get some pretty good organic jar sauce if you look for it and be sure to read the ingredient list.  Then just add some frozen spinach and maybe chopped mushrooms or onion to it to jazz it up.

Ingredients for Sauce:
4-5 large tomatoes, largely cut & most (good to leave some) of the seed removed
fresh herbs, I use basil, sage, & oregano
3 oz. tomato paste
salt & pepper to taste, I use about 1/2 tsp salt & 1/4 tsp pepper
pinch of sugar
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Directions for Sauce:
In your food processor add, tomatoes, herbs, tomato paste, salt, pepper and sugar. Run food processor until desired smoothness is reached.
Pour olive oil in a large skillet on med-low heat. Once oil warms and starts to shine, add onion and garlic.  Cook for a few minutes until fragrant and the onion is tender. 
Add tomato mixture form the food processor to the garlic and onions in the pan. Stir and let simmer on med-low to low heat until it is time to eat dinner. The longer it simmers the better it taste, but I have served it after only 15-20 minutes and it was still really good.


Ingredients for Meatless Balls:
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme leaves
salt and pepper
8-12 ounces mushrooms, finely chopped-I put in my mini food processor to save time!
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 large eggs, lightly beaten (can use flax seed egg as a substitute here for vegan)
1/2 cup whole wheat bread crumbs
1/3 cup  nutritional yeast
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, plus more for garnish

Directions for Meatless balls:
Cook the Quinoa with the water according to package directions.
Place a large frying pan over medium heat and coat with the oil. When oil shimmers, add the onion, salt and pepper, and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in the mushrooms and continue to cook until lightly brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and scrape into the quinoa. Set aside to cool, at least 5 minutes.
Add the eggs, bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley and mix thoroughly. Dampen hands with water and then measure out 1 tablespoon portions and roll into 30 to 32 (1-inch) “meatballs”.  If you have a cookie spoon, that works great to keep you hands from getting messy! Just dampen it every couple scoops.
Arrange “meatballs” on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with oil, and bake at 350 until warmed through, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Noodles:
I usually eat zucchini noodles without the regular noodles but I do mix them together for the rest of the family. To make the zucchini noodles, I shred the zucchini lengthwise with a vegetable shredder or cheese grater. Then put them in a pan with a little bit of water and put the lid on. Remember, they will cook down too, so cook at least 2. Cook with medium heat for a few minutes until they become translucent and they are done!  Of course if you use regular noodles too, be sure they are 100% whole wheat!

Enjoy!

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #5: Peanut Noodle Stir Fry

This recipe really reminded me of the shocking comparison between the way I used to eat and the way I eat now.  This was pretty impressive!  It also reminded me of those THAI dinners that have the powder mix with them in the box, not in the quality or way it tasted but just because that was the way that I used to get Asian style food.  That used to be my definition of cooking!  Like noodles, powder and meat, if you were lucky there may be some dried and processed pieces of vegetable in the powder.  I had never even bought the actual foods-onions, tomatoes, celery, carrots, spinach or garlic before!  Now these are without a doubt things that stay on my grocery list!  So anyway, lesson here is to season your food with actual food! :)

Ingredients:
8 oz. of rice noodles, cooked
1 lb. broccoli, steamed
2-3 cups carrots, shredded
4 green onions, chopped
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced or chopped
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/3 cup orange juice
1/3 cup Bragg's liquid aminos (can sub. soy sauce)
1 tsp red pepper flakes

Cook the noodles and chop all your vegetables.  In a small bowl, whisk together peanut butter, orange juice, soy sauce and red pepper flakes and set aside. In a large skillet, saute the carrots, mushrooms, celery, broccoli and onions until they begin to soften.  Takes about 5-7 minutes.  Add the sauce and saute for another few minutes.  The add the noodles and saute until everything is nicely blended.  Remove from heat and serve immediately or refrigerate for later.

Enjoy!  Feel free to comment with your favorite vegan recipes or advice.  We really appreciate everyone's support!

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #4: Sweet Potato 3 Bean Chili

So, on day 4 we had an obligation in the evening and would not have much time for cooking or eating really, so I was thrilled that on the menu, I had chosen something that I could make in the early afternoon and just let it simmer until dinner.

The only real cooking here is chopping everything up.  Nothing fancy here, just chop it up and throw it all in the pot on med-low.   It was really good too!  And there was enough left for Nate to take to work the next day and froze enough for another meal!!  This is my kind of thing!

Once again, the kids ate it and we felt full and satisfied.  I think I must feel the need to mention that after each meal (if it is true), because going into this a lot of people, myself included, wonder if you can really get enough to fill you up without the meat. And yes you can!  If it can fill up Nate, anyone can get full off of it! :)

Super healthy and super yummy!

Ingredients:
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups black beans
2 cups kidney beans
2 cups pinto beans
28-40 oz. of tomatoes, diced
1 onion diced
1 cup corn, fresh or fozen
2 sweet potatoes diced
4 med-lg garlic cloves minced
1 Tbsp chili powder
3/4 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 T oil (we used grapeseed oil)
Salt & hot sauce to taste

Typically I do buy dry beans and soak them, but this week there was just so much going on, that I opted for can beans. So, I used 4 cans of beans, total: 2 of one kind and 1 of the others. For the tomatoes, I prefer to dice my own rather than use can tomatoes, but you can use a 28 oz. can of diced tomatoes instead of fresh, if that is your preference it will still work.

Directions:
Throw it all in a big pot and cook on med low for about 3 hours covered stirring occasionally.  For the last 1/2 hour cook uncovered and you can also add about a Tbsp of flour to thicken the sauce if needed.

I would imagine you could put this in the crock pot on low all day and it would be really yummy also, possibly better!  Also, as stated you can freeze any leftover for another day when you may not feel like cooking.  This recipe makes a good amount!

Remember why you make healthy nutritional choices as you go into the weekend when you will be faced with a mound of temptation, at least I know we will!  This is a birthday party weekend for us! Evan is turning 3 and Zac just turned 10! So, we are celebrating!  I am making vegan chocolate cupcakes with chocolate moose and well of course there is now chocolate, peanut butter ice cream in my freezer for tomorrow.  We will also have company and family visiting, that will say we have lost our minds and "take the fun out of eating" since we do not make the same choices that they do. Temptation is everywhere! But, I remember why I make the choices I do, as far as my nutrition, and remember the commitment I have made with Nate.  We really want to see how our bodies are going to react after being meat and dairy free for a month and we won't be able to do that if we lose focus and start thinking about the short-term (chocolate) pleasure!

Have a great weekend everyone! Stay strong! :)

-Nicole

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Meatless March Day #3: Dinner on the Go...!

So, day 3, being a Wednesday church night presented the challenge of eating away from home and veering off the menu.  I had originally planned to cook but because of Nate's commute home after work and then back to church, we don't have time to eat at home. So, we typically meet at church or the park to eat.  We don't really eat out for a number of reasons, so that isn't an option. At church, they serve Domino's pizza and a drink for $1.  That is tempting and I won't lie, we have done it before.  But, we just decided not to anymore because we felt yucky after eating it and now of course it isn't meat or dairy-free, so it wasn't even an option.

So, I threw together salads for us and gave the kids the choice of pizza or salad, they chose pizza. So...yes we had to smell it and on the off chance they didn't finish theirs, which they did, we had to prepare ourselves to throw any leftovers away.  I wanted to make a salad that would be filling, tasty and healthy in addition to meat and dairy free, so here is what I came up with.

1 bag of Spinach & Arugula mix greens
3 Tbsp raw almonds, sliced
3 Tbsp pistachios
3 Tbsp sunflower seeds
1 Granny Smith apple, chopped
3 Tbsp Balsamic Italian dressing from Trader Joe's, wanted to make my own dressing but ran out of time!

I tossed everything in a big bowl and then divided into 2 containers.  Don't forget the plastic forks, like I almost did! I also packed a clementine and bottle of water for everyone.  It was pretty filling but I do think we like all spinach better, rather than the mix of greens. Also, a bag and a half of spinach will be much better for our appetites next time.  As we are adjusting to no meat I am having to get used to seriously bumping up our portions of the veggies.  Like on day #2 with the 2 lbs.of broccoli! :)

But overall, we are feeling great and the biggest challenge has been still having the meat and cheeses in the house, because we didn't want to throw out what we had and figured we had company that was coming this weekend that would eat it...so, there it sits, waiting to be eaten...but not by us!! 

-Nicole

Meatless March Day #2: Broccoli Stir-Fry

So, today was day 2 of our meat and dairyless month and it is going good!  I wasn't sure about this one because it seems so plain and a recipe we developed from a chicken recipe, but it was actually very filling and good!  Nate and I both felt surprisingly satisfied!  The kids ate it too!

For breakfast, I had 1 1/2 slices of homemade whole wheat bread with a tablespoon of almond butter, for lunch was Chocolate Vegan Shakeology and snacks were an apple and a homemade lara bar (recipe not posted yet).

Ingredients:
4 Tbsp Bragg's liquid Amino Acids (or soy sauce)
2 Tbsp vinegar
2 Tbsp honey
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 lb. broccoli florets (we use frozen)
juice of 1 small lemon
2 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
2 cups of cooked brown rice

Directions:
In a bowl, whisk together liquid aminos, 3 Tbsp water, vinegar, honey, garlic, and crushed red pepper.

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook broccoli and lemon juice, tossing often until broccoli is bright green, about 3 minutes.  Add 1/2 cup of water; cook until broccoli is tender, about 6 minutes, maybe a little longer if using frozen.

Add liquid amino and vinegar mixture to pan. Stir and add cornstarch mixture.  Bring to a boil; cook stirring until thickened, 1 minute. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Add brown rice and stir.  Serve.

Meatless March Day #1: Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

This of course is our dinner meal.  For breakfast was 3 whole wheat pancakes with 2 tsp maple syrup, lunch was Chocolate Vegan Shakeology, and an orange and homemade cliff bar were my snacks.

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 cup carrots, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
28 oz. diced tomatoes, canned or fresh work.  I prefer to buy and chop them!
1 (15 oz.) can white cannellini beans, drained & rinsed or equivalent from dry soaked beans
4 cups fat free vegetable broth
1 oz. chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind (optional-will add good flavor)
1 fresh rosemary sprig
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 medium zucchini, chopped
2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
2 cups small pasta (cooked al dente), like elbows or shells

Directions:
Rinse and drain beans. Puree beans with 1 cup of broth in a blender.

In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, pureed beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, Parmesan rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Forty minutes before serving, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more.  Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, Parmesan rind. 

Serve and enjoy!!  I like to double this recipe and freeze!  Makes a quick and easy meal next time.  Just freeze without the pasta in it, but I have forgotten and just froze with it before too.  It was still good!!

-Nicole

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