Kinpira

I was stumped for dinner ideas tonight. I like trying something new if I can, but I also try and make it quick and easy for me to do. Had extra celery left over (always do...and it tends to always go to waste), so I decided to make a fancy side of kinpira along with some tofu and rice. I never sauted celery before, but heard it was yummy. So why not?


1 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 stalks of celery
1/2 red onion
1 cup of kale
salt
pepper

Chop up your veggies, saute them in extra virgin olive oil, and then salt and pepper to taste. Very quick side that turned out incredibly delicious. So simple, and now my celery will never go to waste! Most root veggies will work for this. I think I'll use a bit of daikon tomorrow since I have one left.

When the Moon Hits Your Eye, Like a Big Pizza Pie!

Have to update with this yummy, thrown together at the last minute deliciousness. XD

I grew up in Brooklyn, and pizza was always a big deal to me. The crispy bottom and puffy edges of crust, with the gooey cheese melted so geneoursly on top of a sweet tomato sauce. I remember when I was new to veganism and how I was devastated that first night my family bought pizza, and I could participate with them. This went on a few times after, but I managed to find a way to adapt to this. I started just eating pizza without the cheese, but loaded with veggies. It made it bareable, and later I just loved the taste on it's own. Sometimes I think about the cheese...and as much as I want to test out some vegan cheeses, the cost and reviews of some haven't made me confident in using them just yet.

I think this alternative worked out very nice though! A mock pizza that pulls on the flavors I missed so much.

Mushroom Personal Pizza

Very simple to put together. Used some shiitake mushrooms I had in the fridge, sauteed with olive oil and a bit of salt to sweat them out. Set that aside, and made a quick pizza sauce that had a bit of tomato paste, canned tomatoes, black beans, pinch of dried basil, little olive oil, and salt.

I bought some mini wraps at my local health food store for $0.99! Took one, sprayed a bit of olive oil on top. Spread the sauce on top, then spread the mushrooms on top. Then to bring all the flavors together, I topped it with the fabulous crumbly tofu "cheese" recipe taken from the ppk. It doesn't melt, but the flavor is there, and it's good enough for me. Carefully placed this bad boy in my toaster oven, and cooked it until the edges got a bit crisp. Ate it with a nice cup of warm tea. Definitely made my afternoon. If anyone tries this, feel free to throw anything you want on this thing. I'm sure a lot of things could work on this. All I would advice is cooking any veggies you throw on top. It prevents the crust from getting all soggy.

Cravings

My local health store inspired me to make something yummy tonight. And instead of going all the way down there to get the desired item (ravioli stuffed with squash....yummmm), I decided to make it from scratch and improvise slightly. I mean, why not? I had frozen winter squash in my freezer (which I had no idea what to do with), some left over frozen spinach, freshly made tofu ricotta (courtesy of the ppk) and lasagna noodles. It turned out pretty good, surprisingly! Very easy, and cheap. Took me about 15 minutes to whip up, and the most tedious part was trying to unfreeze the frozen squash.


Almost Ravioli (makes 10 large ravioli)

4 lasagna noodles (I used 100% whole wheat version)
1 package of frozen winter squash (I'm sure fresh squash is better)
1/4 cup frozen spinach
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp EVOO
tofu ricotta (optional...but sooooo tasty)

Cook lasagna noodles according to the directions on the package. While noodles are cooking, place frozen winter squash in a small pan with EVOO over medium heat. Once completely thaw, add spinach, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Stir continuously until flavors blend. The squash shouldn't be soupy at this point. Turn heat off, and set aside.

Carefully remove noodles from water and place on flat surface. Cut each noodle into equal parts. I got about 5 pieces around the same size for each noodle. Take one piece of the cut noodle on a plate, scoop the squash mixture onto the noodle slice, sprinkle tofu ricotta ontop of the mixture, and then cover the filling with another noodle slice. Continue this process until you have 10 ravioli. I sprinkled some excess tofu ricotta on top....just because....*drool*...and if you have a suace or what not you want to use...go for it! I didn't because I ran out. Ooooppppssss!

Will be reheating some for tomorrow at work. Can't wait.

Breakfast

My favorite meal of the day is always breakfast. It used to be the meal I skipped the most, but now it's the time of day where I indulge the most. Normally I eat some kind of oatmeal variation. But on the weekends, I like to change it up and make something fancy. I owe it to myself after having worked so hard all week. Today, I think I out did myself.

Stuffed French Toast

Thinking about it is making me drool. I took the idea after watching an episode of Iron Chef America last night. Obviously, the recipe was modified to give it some vegan yum. Very simple, and I'm sure anyone can modify the inside to their liking.
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Stuffed French Toast

the sandwich
2 slices of whole wheat bread
1 TBS peanut butter
1 ripe banana

the sandwich coating
1/2 c non-dairy milk
1 TBS whole wheat pastry flour
1 TBS nutritional yeast
1/2 TBS agave nectar (or sweetner of choice)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of salt

The first step is to design your sandwich. I only put enough peanut butter to coat the inside of both slices. Excess peanut butter isn't really my thing, but if you want more, slather it on! I then make a single layer of banana slices on the peanut butter to stick. Put both slices together and set aside.

Mix the coating for the sandwich in a bowl until mixed smoothly together. Try to get rid of the lumps so it doesn't look too soupy. Heat a skillet on medium heat and either spray or coat with your oil of preference. I happen to like coconut oil. Leaves mine crispy, which I love. Dunk your sandwich into the mixture. And then place on warm skillet. Wait till the first side is browned and then flip over. Once cooked to your liking, place on plate. Top with agave nectar (maple syrup if you prefer, both are delicious!) and some organic preserves. I topped mine with strawberry preserve because that's what I had hanging out in my fridge (very cheap at Trader Joe's ;D).

And there you have it! Delicious way to start the morning. Sophisticated way of having your PB&J if you want to look at it that way. Serve it with a warm cup of green tea, and I say your morning is set!

Cheers <3

Food Matters

Welcome to my humble little corner of the internetz. I want to share with you my experiences, my discoveries, my ups and downs as I explore this new lifestyle of mine. I am vegan. I have been since late August, and while people claim that I will get tired of it and eventually go back to my old ways...I honestly have no desire to ever go back to that way of life. It was so empty back then and I didn't feel very much alive. I just felt like I was making it to the next day and that is it.

Then, one day I picked up a book. Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat by Naomi Moriyama. It snow balled from there. I became so fascinated by health and how food had so many incredible properties to lift us up. I changed my ways. Increased my veggies and fruits, started working out, and cooking my own meals. I never thought I would continue changing after that. I had what I wanted. Lost the weight, gained more confidence, and even smiled more then I had in years. My body still wasn't satisfied though! Something was missing, and I couldn't figure out what. So, I did more reading. Stumbled upon some crazy stuff...veganism. I remember smirking when I saw the term. These people are crazy! Yes, I said it. But I found myself lingering over the thought for some time. The benefits seemed interesting. I didn't think I could do it though. What about the delicious meat, and the cheese! Well, I decided to at least cut down my meat for health reasons. It eventually got to the point where I really just....didn't really care for it. Eggs were easy to give up. Milk and cheese...a little longer. But once they were out of my life, I didn't miss them surprisingly.

I felt, so good! Better yet, I was enjoying food so much more then I ever had! So many different tastes, so many different options. Cooking became a passion. Even after a long day of work, I would always wonder what I could whip up for myself when I got home. It's been a fantastic journey so far, and I really want to share it with more people. Veganism really gets a bad rap. People instantly think things like "no flavor!" or "boring" or even "disgusting"! But I would never use those words. I've discovered so many delicious foods and techniques to prepare them. It's so visually appealing too! So many colors, it just inspires me to make these dishes look as appetizing as I know they are.

These foods heal, they are yummy, they make me feel so balanced, and full of energy! I want everyone to know this. I don't want veganism to be associated with horrible images, I want it to be shown through my eyes in all it's beauty. It's not just about cutting out the meat. It's all about the choices we make in order to better ourselves. So here I will share my cooking experiences, everyday life challenges, as well as the choices I make every day whether that has to do with fashion, the environment, or self awareness. Mistakes happen, and I won't be afraid to share those either. Life is about making mistakes, and what you do as a result of it. I plan to grow.

I don't want to shove my beliefs down anyone's throats. I want everyone to be able to get something out of these posts, even if it just makes more of you aware of the choices you make and how they effect you.

Cheers <3