Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Update

I just wanted to make a post to let everyone know that I haven't abandoned this blog! I've just been sick with a head cold over the past week+, and I haven't been cooking anything interesting because I've been so tired and haven't been able to taste much anyway.

This has been a good learning experience, though. Here are some things I learned in one short week:
1. Dustin IS capable of cooking things on his own... good things!
2. I'm more dedicated to the vegan thing than I thought I'd be at this point. I thought the transition would take much longer.
3. Vegan food doesn't need to be complicated. When I was sick, I made easy stuff like chili and awesome tacos out of soft corn tortillas, beans, leftover homemade salsa, and Daiya cheese!

Dustin and I are starting the Couch to 5k program as soon as we're both done being sick. (Hopefully on Wednesday!) I'm trying to work up the courage to do some "before" photos, but I may not post them right away.

I promise I'll make a substantial update soon! (Hopefully tonight!)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Leftover Chili Burritos!


We had a lazy dinner tonight made from leftover chili + extra beans and seasonings. I melted cheddar Daiya on top, wrapped them up, then topped them with homemade salsa (very chunky because, like I said, I was lazy!) with lime. I also attempted to rip off that orange ranchy sauce that Mad Mex uses on top of their burritos. I used Veganaise and Tapatio hot sauce and it was good, but next time I think I will add some chili powder or cumin or something as well. The tortillas are habanaro lime from Trader Joe's.

Now Taking Requests!

Now that I am more comfortable with vegan ingredients, I want to start coming up with more of my own recipes and posting them for you to try. So far, I only have a few on deck: chili (sooo close to being perfected,) brownies, meatloaf and mac and cheese. I'm really, really excited about the last two!

So what do YOU want to see me veganize? And don't say bacon, you jerks, because eggplant + liquid smoke is the closest thing you're gonna get in my chemical-free kitchen!

Please leave your requests below, not on facebook! You don't have to sign up for anything to comment as long as you have a lj/google/AIM/etc. name!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Brownies and Better Photos!

Okay, so I admit that I don't know the first thing about photography. I always used my iPhone camera because it was always around and it was so easy to upload photos. However, the app I was using (Blogspot) has been making my photos look totally crappy and blurry randomly (see the chili post.) So I decided to bust out the Ott-Lite that Dustin's mom got me for xmas one year and my newish digital camera that I never use to take photos of the chocolate chip brownies that Dustin and I made tonight. I think I did a decent job for my first one:



I'm not posting the brownie recipe yet, because even though they were good, I think I can still improve them. If you have any suggestions for how to improve my photos, please leave a comment!

Alicia's "Nothing to Say but 'mmm'" Alfredo!

My friend and fellow foodie/weight loss buddy Alicia over at Beyond Willpower is my hero for the week (at least.) Why? Because she came up with this recipe for vegan alfredo, with which I am in looove! I was hesitant to try it, because I'm not a big fan of regular alfredo... let alone a variation that's made with silken tofu. Right? WRONG!

I made it for dinner last night and again tonight, because I couldn't stop thinking about it. I haven't missed very many foods since going vegan, but the creamy texture of cheese sauce is something that I thought I'd be mourning the loss of for a very long time.

I modified it slightly by adding 1 cup of chopped fresh spinach and halving the sauce recipe (that was more than enough for 2 cups (dry) of pasta!) I also let it simmer on the stovetop for about 3 minutes to wilt the spinach, and that really thickened the sauce nicely! (I think I may have used a little less milk tonight to make the sauce even thicker!)

Go here for the recipe!

Friday, January 14, 2011

Seitan Lunchmeat?!

So I've been looking and looking for a good seitan recipe. After several failed attempts at boiling and baking, I found this recipe on Vegan Dad's blog His instructions included wrapping the dough in foil and steaming and THEN baking, which I thought could be the key. I (more like he) was right! This made a HUGE loaf of seitan that will be amazing for things like BBQ melts and cheesesteaks!

First, I had to figure out what I was going to use to steam it since I don't have a steamer insert. I went with this colander, which actually fit into my biggest pot very nicely! Then I put the pot lid on top, and I suddenly had a free steamer! I will be using this to steam other things in the future!

After an hour of that, I put the log on a (sorry ass) pan and baked for another hour.

When it came out, it had grown to almost twice the size of the dough loaf, and the foil pressed on it, which I think made it more dense and meaty. The bottom was browned and crispy, and it was just plain amazing. If you need a good seitan recipe for sandwiches, this is definitely the one. Now I just have to figure out how to slice it thinly without cutting myself (deli slicer?) Thanks, Vegan Dad!


UPDATE!!!

Dustin was able to slice it pretty thinly!

We made paninis with homemade bbq sauce, daiya and caramelized red onion!

(I apologize for the crappy quality of my photos lately, but there's an issue with the Blogger app that they're hopefully going to resolve soon!)

Two New Goals

Now that I have the vegan thing down as far as cooking goes, I am going to start working these things in this week:

1. Setting a calorie limit each day.
This is how I've lost weight in the past, and it's really the only way to go. If I'm not paying attention, unlimited calories seem to enter my piehole! I'll be using sparkpeople.com to track what I eat.

2. Shop frugally!
This is a tough one, because vegan stuff can be daunting and it's easier to buy expensive packed foods like Tofurky. However, my recent (post forthcoming!) foray into veggie lunchmeat making was a HUGE success. Seriously, Dustin slapped my hands because I kept sawing pieces off of the still-hot loaf. Anyway, we want to buy a new car soon AND I have to start saving to pay for my grad school classes in the fall. (My employer provides tuition reimbursement, but I will have to front the money until after the class when the reimburse me, because some of the "pre-admission" courses I have to take aren't covered by federal loans since they're not part of a specific track for a degree. Pain in the ass!) This will involve a lot of experiments like one Dustin did yesterday where he made bread in the bread machine with all-purpose flour ($1.99 a bag) instead of bread flour ($5 a bag.) It was perfect! I'm using an app for my iPhone (I think it's just called "Groceries") to organize my shopping list before we go shopping so I don't end up with a bunch of crap that I don't need!

Choices


Like I said before, being vegan is hard sometimes. Today is a good example: I forgot to bring food to work. I had a nice chunk of vegan lasagna all packed up, but it's not doing me any good in the fridge! Also, my plans for making another batch of waffles fell through when Dustin came home from tour early, so I didn't have breakfast either.

As I drove to work, I weighed my options. I passed a McDonald's. No problem... I don't even like their breakfast at my fattest and most unhealthy! It's so gross! Then I passed our old carpool favorite, Einstein Brothers Bagels, and didn't even pause. I did consider getting a mocha at Starbucks, but then I realized that my hatred for soy milk makes it impossible for me to have one of those. So I came to work with no food.

At 10 AM, I decided that I was going to die, so I checked my wallet and was pleased to find $7! I hardly ever have cash- usually just my debit and credit cards. I was excited, because that meant I could go to the vending machines! However, my excitement quickly diminished when I realized that I wasn't going to be able to read the labels to see what was vegan.

So I half gave up. I got a bag of wasabi trail mix, and it was vegan. But I also got a bag of Cheez-Its, which I know damn well were not. But they are my #2 exception to the rule (second only to Vincent's Pizza!) So I'm eating them and thinking about how doing anything to the extreme is kind of unreasonable (see also: Straight Edge.) I think too many people give up on being vegan after caving and eating something non-vegan. Really, it's not the end of the world! I feel great about what I've done for my body and animals in the last two months. I'm going to celebrate that and realize that I get to make the choice every time I decide what to eat.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Eggplant... Bacon?



Dustin made "eggplant bacon" from Appetite for Reduction today, which consisted of baked eggplant srips dipped in soy sauce and liquid smoke. I was skeptical about it, but it was actually really good! It wasn't bacon, of course, but it's a good substitute considering it's a vegetable!

I also replaced 1/2 of the tofu in our usual tofu scramble (adapted from Vegan Brunch) with zucchini and served LightLife fake sausage on the side. I decided that the sausage was not nearly as good as the eggplant bacon, which is good because I want to stop buying most meat substitutes anyway.

Also, we got some kind of expensive fair-trade organic coffee at the Co-Op, and I think it was worth it! (My mom got me those mugs for xmas! Thanks, Mom!)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Brookline Cart Tacos, Veganized!

Before I cut out meat, one of my favorite foods was a taco from Las Palmas in Brookline, a Mexican grocery store with a cart out on the sidewalk. Unfortunately, they have no non-meat options. Fortunately, the meat was pretty questionable anyway... to the point where I definitely don't miss it enough to be tempted to actually eat it.

Yesterday, Dustin and I stopped there to pick up some red peppers, and I realized I could buy the corn tortillas they use to make the tacos! Then I realized that I had several packs of extra firm tofu at home, so I picked up some carne asada seasoning. I mixed it with some cumin, sprayed the tofu chunks with olive oil, then tossed them in the seasoning and broiled them for a while. I sauteed some red and green peppers with some onion, then threw in some Daiya at the end to melt it, then threw all of it into a steamed tortilla with some homemade salsa with TONS of cilantro and a squeeze of lime. I seasoned some black beans as a side. Holycrap, it was amazing!

Friday, January 7, 2011

Cookbook Review Time!


Okay, so I know that this looks like a "diet" cookbook, but it's not. I mean, it could have been... if everything in it hadn't turned out so delicious! This book is the reason that I am doing so well with the vegan thing. Seriously, everything we've made from it (with the exception of the soy-saucey seitan) has been AWESOME.

Here is the review I posted on amazon:

Let me preface my review with this- I am not a vegan, but I am very interested in vegan cooking and baking. I make vegan stuff whenever I can, and that's becoming more and more frequent thanks to Isa's books. Her creations will please meat-lovers so much that they won't even think to ask "but where's the meat?!"

Here are the reasons why I LOVE LOVE LOVE Appetite for Reduction:

1.) It doesn't use ingredients that are expensive or difficult to find. If you think being vegan is too expensive, you need this book.
2.) Every time I wonder something about a recipe or ingredient, surely enough, I find the answer in a "tip" included for each recipe. It's like she reads my mind!
3.) The serving sizes are realistic! I can pretty much put a buffet out of business, so I was happy to see that I couldn't put away more than 2 servings of anything in this book!
4.) The book itself is the best cookbook I own. I really hate hardcover cookbooks, so I was so happy to see that this one was softcover. It's light and stays open when you press down on it a little (without messing up the spine,) and I don't feel like the pages are going to fall out.
5.) The nutrition facts. I have made about 6 meals from it so far and they have all fit into my diet plan perfectly. I love being able to cook my own food without adding up all of the calories myself... try to do that with fiber and protein too... ugh.

Basically, this book is amazing, and I recommend it to vegans and non-vegans alike!

Indian... and More Waffles

Last night's dinner, from Appetite for Reduction: eggplant chickpea curry and potato spinach curry! There was enough left over for several lunches, and the flavor/texture improves as it sits, so I will be making this in huge batches from now on!

The waffles I made and froze earlier this week have made an awesome weekday breakfast! Today, I mixed crunchy peanut butter and my favorite new discovery, some sort of organic concord grape spread that I found at the Co-op. All I can remember is that it has a hilarious looking bear on the jar, which I will readily admit as my reason for buying it!



UPDATE: Found it!!

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Transition Complete?

I thought it would take me a LONG time to get to this point (if ever!) but our kitchen is almost 100% vegan now, with the exception of things like horseradish mayo that I LOVE and need to find a vegan replacement for before I run out! I'm thinking about making my own using Veganaise.
I feel like it was easier because I didn't try to force it... and all of the new recipes in the vegan cookbooks I've bought helped too! I wouldn't ever say that it's easy, because it's not. It involves a lot of grocery shopping at multiple stores on the other side of town, prep work like chopping and grinding spices, and cooking, of course. It's kind of sad how modern people view preparing what goes into their bodies as "too much work" or "a waste of time." Our ancestors had the time and energy to cook real food... is our health really worth the extra hour a day? What would we be doing with it, anyway? Sitting on the couch?

I don't know why I thought you'd enjoy seeing the current contents of my fridge and cabinet... maybe because you're a creep? :)

I'm still trying to wean Dustin off of soda... that's the last Diet Coke and he'll hopefully be drinking the cans of natural cane sugar soda (to the left) in moderation from now on. Also, I wish the crisper drawers were bigger! I wonder if you can buy extra crisper boxes... do aftermarket fridge parts exist?


Did you know that Americans typically spend less than 10% of their disposable income on food? That's HALF of what we were spending in 1950. We'll drop $2000 for that new LED TV, but spending a couple extra dollars to eat ACTUAL food is unacceptable? Scary stuff.

That said, this is the least eating-disordered I've ever felt in my life. I'm not always hungry and looking for things to munch on (and it's a good thing, since we aren't buying prepackaged/prepared foods anymore!) We walked past a Little Caesar's in Kmart yesterday and both decided that it smelled gross. THAT is progress!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Whole Grain Wheat and Peanut Butter Waffles

Adapted from a recipe from Vegan Brunch (check out the link to the right!) I used half whole wheat flour.


The waffle iron that Dustin's mom got us and wasn't sure we'd use... I swear it wasn't even in the house for an hour before it was full of fresh waffle mix!


I'm going to freeze them individually so I can toast and peanut butter them for breakfast!


Sooo good! (The peanut butter was organic salt and sugar free, so I drizzled a little pure maple syrup on top of the peanut butter after I took the photo!)

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Some Things are Better Left to the Pros

I've decided to stop making vegan ice cream at home. I just can't seem to get it right, and with the availability of great flavors and reasonable prices at Whole Foods (and the one below from Trader Joe's,) it doesn't even make sense to. As a base, I've tried almond milk, coconut milk and cashews, and the cashews were the only thing that worked well. But 2 cups of raw cashews is expensive, and it's really just not worth the work. I'm not going to bother trying soy, because I typically HATE soy (the Trader Joe's below is pretty much my only exception,) and if I have to add a ton of sugar and chocolate to cover up the taste, I think my purpose will be defeated. So yeah, back to the depths of the small appliance cabinet goes the ice cream machine!



One thing that I will definitely NOT leave to the pros is my veggie and bean chili... no meat substitute needed- it's THAT good! I actually wrote down what I put in it the other day and I am SO glad. It's hands down the best I've ever made. If you want me to add the recipe, just let me know! Just know that it requires cumin seeds to be freshly ground (I used a mortar and pestle.) Seriously, try it and you will never use the pre-ground stuff ever again!

Monday, January 3, 2011

Soft Pretzels and Quinoa!

Dustin made soft pretzels last night! The recipes that came with the bread machine pretty much suck (except for the French bread!) so the dough was too tough to form into nice pretzel shapes. Despite their log-like unattractiveness, they tasted REALLY good! I had one for breakfast. :)


I also made quinoa salad that I brought to work for lunch today. Every time I eat quinoa, I am unsure if I like it. I am completely indifferent to it, and indifference is not something I usually feel towards food. I do like toasted cumin seeds, beans and curry powder, though! (The recipe is from Appetite for Reduction, but I thought it was kind of bland so I added some curry powder.)



I saw that "I Used to be Fat" show on MTV last night, and it encouraged me to start counting calories again. I need to stop being an unhealthy vegan who eats too many carbs (thanks, bread machine!) so I'm thinking maybe veggie chili of some sort tonight? And maybe just a small piece of the French bread that Dustin made last night... haha.

Speaking of Dustin, did I mention that I'm proud of him? Because I probably should. This guy lived on fast food for most of his life, and the only things he could "cook" when we met were Campbell's condensed soup (he didn't add water, wtf?) and cheese sandwiches in one of those $10 sandwich press things. And I forgot to mention that he made and piped the frosting border of the ice cream cake a couple of posts back... he has come a loooong way! :)

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Vegan Birthday Buffet

For Holly's birthday, I made a vegan feast!

Buffalo seitan and celery pizza!



BBQ seitan, corn, red onion and cheddar pizza!


The BBQ was homemade!




DQ ice cream cake, veganized!


(I'm not really sure what that design is... the stamp came with a Wilton set.). The crunchies and fudge in the middle turned out awesome!



I made nachos, too, but everyone was starving so I didn't get a photo!

Also, I've been wondering where I will store all of these awesome vegan cookbooks I've been amassing (see the links in the sidebar to the right for my current recommendations!) It just so happens that I've also been trying to figure out what to put in this weird cabinet over the sink! It had a glass shelf that made it a little awkward. It still needs the glass door that opens upward... that's what those ugly lifts on each side are for... we couldn't decide if we wanted one with clear or frosted glass, but now I know it should be clear!




And seriously, back to actual HEALTHY eating tomorrow!