Tuesday, April 10, 2012

New Addictions!

I hope everyone had a great Easter holiday! Nick and I went to Spiral Diner and saw the Hunger Games. Pretty good!

Also, over the weekend, I became addicted to Tumblr. Oh god, what a wonderful timewaster. I started watching Doctor Who. Why didn't someone TELL me this show was so good?! And, I got some new running shoes! More Brooks Addictions! My favorite. They were on sale for $50. It would have been irresponsible NOT to get them.

One not great thing about the holiday is that it's thrown off my workouts. I didn't get to go to the gym Sat or Sun.. then I was going to go on Monday, but I had a headache. Then today, I skipped kickboxing because I donated blood. Last time I went to kickboxing after donating blood, I felt awful. Almost like a hangover feeling. Headache, lightheaded and sick to my stomach. Ick.

Donating blood didn't go that well, either. At first, they couldn't find my vein. Then the blood flow was really slow. Then it stopped. A few different Phlebotomists tried to get it going again, but then they just let me go. What the heck. It's usually fine!

So, what I ate today. Not really great, actually. I have to get back on track. I blame holiday-minded eating.

Breakfast:
Oatmeal w/ blueberries and 1 Tbsp walnuts
Soy milk

Snack:
Ezekial toast w/ hummus

Blood drive snack:
Oreos

Lunch:
Creamy mushroom linguine
Strawberries

Snack:
Apple slices w/ almond butter

Pre-dinner snack
Ezekial toast w/ almond butter

Dinner:
Spaghetti w/ beanballs

Post-dinner snack:
Walnuts w/ semi-sweet chocolate chips
Decaf coffee

Eeeeeeeek. Need to cut down on the snacks and pick up the workouts.

Here's my spaghetti and beanballs from the Veganomicon:

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Easy avocado toast breakfast

I didn't get much sleep last night. Nick has been working day shifts and so we've been sleeping at the same time. So we're in a bit of an adjustment period. For example, he woke me up at 1am to tell me that Satine had jumped on the bed and was being cute. WHAT IS WRONG WITH HIM!

So I needed a good breakfast to get me going.

Avocado Toast w/ black beans and hot sauce

-1 piece Ezekial bread (toasted)

-1/4 avocado, smashed

-Sprinkled black beans

-Dashes of hot sauce.

YUM

And a Pineapple strawberry smoothie!


So altogether, I ate today:

Breakfast:
Avocado toast w/ black beans and hot sauce
Pineapple strawberry smoothie

Snack:
Toast w/ almond butter
Green tea

Lunch:
Creamy Mushroom linguine

Snack:
Carrots w/ hummus

Dinner:
Chickpea cutlet
Caulipots w/ vegan gravy

Nick ate it on a sandwich. I was kind of jealous I didn't think of it first. Oh, and I feel the need to mention that this is on a salad plate, to make the portions look bigger. haha

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Ahhhh Tornadoes!

So, we had some excitement here in Dallas this afternoon!

I was in a meeting when we heard the sirens go off, and we noticed it was getting pretty dark out. Then we started hearing warnings to stay away from windows. So we all took our laptops and headed into the kitchen. We were listening to the weather report and saw that funnels were actually touching down and even tossing Tractor Trailers into the air! HIGH into the air!

Fortunately, nobody was hurt. I drove home. It took slightly longer than usual, but when I got there, nothing was damaged. What a relief. I did miss my workout, though. There was just too much weather drama.

The coloring at sunset was kind of weird, too. A little more yellow than usual. Not sure it comes through in the picture, but this was taken looking down our street.



What I ate today;

Breakfast:
Green Monster Smoothie (Soy milk, banana, blueberries, spinach)
1 piece Ezekial toast

Snack:
Ezekial toast w/ hummus

Lunch:
Quinoa salad w/ mango and black beans over Romaine.

Snack:
Baby Carrots and hummus
Protein Shake

Dinner:
Ancho Chili lentil soup with Grilled Pineapple

Here it is!



First, make some Ancho Chili powder:
-2 dried ancho chiles, seeds removed, ripped into bite sized pieces
-1 Tbsp cumin
-1 Tbsp coriander seeds

Put them all in a small saute pan on medium heat, stirring constantly for about 3-5 min.
Dump into a food processor and whiz around until it's a powder. There can be chunks.

Soup:
-1 Tbsp olive oil
-1 large onion, diced
-3 cloves garlic, minced
-2 bay leaves
-1 tsp salt
-2 cups green lentils
-7-8 cups of water/veggie broth or a mix
-3 Tbsp lime juice
-6-8 pineapple rings
-hot sauce

-Preheat a big stockpot over medium heat. Add oil and chopped onion. Saute for about 5 min.

-Add garlic and bay leaf - Saute for 1 more minute

-Add Chile powder, salt, lentils, and 7 cups of water or broth. I used 4 cups broth, 3 cups water.

-Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer for 30 min.

-I used fresh pineapple and they weren't rings. But I just set the broiler for high and flipped them every 3 minutes until they were a little brown and carmelized.

-When soup is done, add the lime juice and either immersion blend or use a potato masher to mash it up a bit. I wanted kind of a chunky soup, so I just potato mashed it.

-Add the pineapple and a little hot sauce on top! It's really good. Smoky and sweet with a spicy kick of the hot sauce.

Monday, April 2, 2012

I can barely lift my arms.. Save me, Quinoa!

This Monday dragged on and on and on. And I was tired from the beginning. I had this anxiety dream around 4 am that I was missing something at work, or that I was late for something I was supposed to do. Nothing makes me more crazy than being late for something important.

So to sum up the weekend, I have my car back! Yay! Nick and I have started watching Mad Men. I tried to watch the pilot by myself once, and the sexism made me so mad that I didn't really get into it. But we're on the 3rd season now, and it's pretty exciting! Nick is starting to align himself to my schedule. Sort of. He works in the afternoon/evenings, but we're both home at night now.

Then today after work, I took an hour step class. I probably looked like an uncoordinated idiot. But that's okay. After that was Body Pump, which is the weights class. That's why I can barely lift my arms. Over 800 reps in total, she said. Ughhhh. I'm sure I'll feel the squats tomorrow.

And now I must tell you quickly what I had for dinner, because I'm falling asleep!

Quinoa Salad with Black Beans and Mango

-1 mango, peeled and diced
-1 red bell pepper, diced small
-1 cup chopped scallions
-1 cup chopped cilantro
-1 can of black beans

INTERLUDE: I had to take a picture when I got this far. Doesn't it look so pretty?


Add the Dressing:
-2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
-2 Tbsp Canola oil
-1/4 tsp salt

-Whisk all this, add to first set of ingredients and mix around.

-Lastly, the Quinoa! I did 1 cup of dry quinoa. Just follow the instructions on the bag. Rinse it with cold water, then mix it all up. It's a salad!




I love all the colors! So fresh, tangy and appetizing.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Out of control Business Lunch

Down 1.5 lbs today! First bit of good news in awhile! Looks like counting points again is working.

Today was a bit out of control for me, because we were having an Official Office Lunch in the boardroom. Turns out it was a New Year's Party. (Fiscal New Year's. hahaha. Happy 2013!) Also, one of my coworker's 20 year anniversary with the company. So it looks like today is going to be my splurge day.

Breakfast:
1/2 lentil loaf sandwich on 1 piece Ezekial bread
1 cup soymilk

Snack:
Plain oatmeal

Office Sponsored Lunch: (not vegan)
Champagne (you heard me!)
Salad
Grilled Veggies (mostly zucchini)
Cheese Tortellini w/ marinara
1 piece bread
1 piece homemade chocolate cake.

Snack:
Celery w/ hummus

Dinner:
Salad
Creamy Mushroom Fettuccini (linguine)



This is such a quick dish to make!

-8  oz whole wheat fettuccini (I couldn't find WW Fettuccini, so I got linguine)
-1 tsp olive oil
-5 cloves minced garlic
-1/2 lb cremini mushrooms (I used portobello)
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
-1/2 cup dry white wine
-2 cups creamy portobello soup (Vegan brand - Imagine)
-2 Tbsp corn starch
-2 tsp basalmic vinegar
-1/2 cup sliced green onions

-First put on the water to boil the pasta.

-Preheat the large skillet over medium heat w/ oil. Saute garlic in the olive oil for a minute, careful not to burn it. Add mushrooms to the pan, along with thyme, salt and maybe a little pepper. Sautee for 5 min.

-Add white wine and turn up the heat, bringing it to a boil. Let the liquid reduce. Takes about 5 min.

-Pour soup into bowl and whisk corn starch into it, til dissolved.  Lower heat to medium and let it thicken for about 5 min.

-Turn heat off and add balsamic vinegar.

-Add cooked pasta to sauce and mix around. Add green onions on top if you want.

Another reason I used linguine is because the thicker the pasta is, the more I want to eat it. I think I can't handle myself around fettuccini. Linguine is also questionable. Maybe I should try angel hair.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Everything falls apart. Comfort food needed.

Since my car is now being repaired, I took Nick's car to work this morning. Stuck in horrible traffic this morning. Then I get a building-wide email saying: There is a black 2008 Honda Civic with temp license plates whose lights are on. Guess whose car that is? Ughhhhhhhhhh.

So I went to turn the lights off and the battery is dead. I go back upstairs, trying to keep it together.

Fortunately, the first person who asked how I was doing.. err.. got the brunt of a long rant about cars. But she also had jumper cables in her car! She gave me her keys and said I could drive her car to mine and jump it.

-Bad news: There was no available space next to, or across from my car and the jumper cables did not reach.

-Good news: I tried to start the car again, and this time it worked!

I drove around the parking garage for awhile, and this time parked facing out.. in case I needed to actually jump it this time.

Thankfully, when I told Nick he was also like, 'what the hell! I thought the lights turned off on their own!'. Lesson learned!

What I ate today:

Breakfast:
Oatmeal w/ blueberries and walnuts
Soy milk

Snack:
Ezekial bread w/ hummus

Lunch:
Linguine with lentils and roasted butternut squash

Snack:
Celery w/ pb/tofutti cream cheese/hummus
Coffee

Dinner:
Lentil Loaf
Cauliflower mashed potatoes

Snack:
1/2 cup Coconut milk mint chocolate chip ice cream (Yes, I measured!)
Cadbury PB egg (Emergency chocolate to control freakout)

The lentil loaf: Made in my new loaf pan!

Monday, March 26, 2012

Ugh, today doesn't count.

Wow, today was a mess.

It started early this morning. I left around 6:30, and about a third of the way to work, my engine dial cranks up to RED - HOT. Dammit. So I'm able to pull over. Give the car a bit of a rest. Then I pull off the nearest exit (fortunately, the dial temporarily sank back down midway), and turned around to go back home. Nick's phone was on silent and he wasn't picking up. I had to stop the car a bunch of times so it wouldn't overheat.

Finally, I got out with my bottles of water (I keep them in the car in case this happens), and a sweater. Used the sweater to open the radiator cap, and dumped everything I had directly in there. It was enough to get me back home!

I was able to take Nick's car to work, but by that time rush hour was in full swing.

Usually this wouldn't be a problem, because Nick works the night shift. HOWEVER, of course THIS week, he's pulling double shifts. Twilight and Night. So he had to go to work at 4pm.

Thankfully I have an awesome job and a great boss and they're letting me work half days in the morning and then remote from home in the afternoon.

Things could be worse, but what a pain. Hopefully this mess will be over with by Wednesday.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

The Weekend, and Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

So it's been a pretty great weekend! Better than I originally thought. On Saturday, I went to the gym, and then met my friend Shannon at the Farmer's Market. Her brother is starting up a coffee company. Noble Coyote Coffee. I bought some Decaf, and I'm drinking it now! I know, I know.. decaf. But I'm starting to be worried about nightly coffee drinking messing with my sleep.

Then today, I met my friend Jessica out for brunch at Bread Winner's Cafe. They were having a Hunger Games Menu with Katniss Everdeen Quiche (which Jess ordered), and Nightlock Waffles and District 12 Stack of Pancakes. Haha. Myself, I had the Veggie Scramble.

So here's what I ate today:

Breakfast:
Tofu Scramble w/ Baguette

Brunch:
Veggie Scramble over roasted potatoes
Coffee

Snack:
Ezekial Bread w/ Hummus

Dinner
Portobello Pepper Steak Stew
Baguette
1/2 cup Red Wine

Snack:
2 Peanut butter choc. chip cookies

I mowed the lawn today, so I felt like I deserved them. Our lawn SUCKS. The back half is basically at a 45 degree angle. Not cool, lawn.

Also, I got these Portobellos from the Farmer's Market! :)

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew

-2 tsps olive oil
-2 cups Seitan
-1 red onion
-1 red bell pepper sliced,
-1 green bell pepper sliced
-Big Pinch of Salt
-2 Portobello caps, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed (I chop it with my knife)
-1 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp pepper flakes
-1/2 cup dry red wine
-2 cups veggie broth
-3 Tbps all purpose flour

-Preheat skillet with 1 tsp olive oil over med-high heat. Saute seitan for about 5 minutes, until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.

-Saute onions and peppers and a pinch of salt in the remaining oil until the peppers are blackened. About 10 minutes.

-Add mushrooms, garlic, and spices. Saute for 3 more minutes.

-Add the red wine and bring to a boil over higher heat, for about 3 more minutes.

-Mix flour and veggie broth in a bowl and whisk.

-Lower the heat of the saute pan and add the 'slurry'. Mix well and let thicken for a minute.

-Add seitan back to the pan and let the stew thicken furthur. About 5 minutes more.

This is a thick, hearty stew that's good for eating on rolls. Even after mowing the lawn on an 80 degree plus day. haha

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Dr's Visit and the Smoothie so nice I posted it twice..

Had a surprise Dr's visit today. I was planning on going Saturday, but the only appointment they had open (until April 2nd) was today at 3:30. Arrgh. But there was some interesting and good news I found out!

So I had been following Weight Watcher's Simply Filling plan. Basically, with this plan, some foods cost points, and others can be eaten 'to satisfaction'.

I mentioned to the Doctor that I've been having a hard time losing weight lately. She said that was no surprise, because Depo-Provera stimulates your appetite. So all this time, I've been feeling like.. I'm eating the right things, and I'm eating 'to satisfaction', but I'm gaining weight now. What the hell! It's because of the Depo! I'm glad to be able to blame my night overeating on something. Now it's time to do something about it!

Well, namely, making sure I watch my portions and eat within my points, even if I am still a little hungry.

Today I ate:

Breakfast:
Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie (recipe to follow)

Snack:
1 Piece toasted Ezekial bread w/ 1 Tbsp Hummus

Lunch:
Mexican rice and bean salsa bake
Green grapes

Snack:
Sliced carrots w/ hummus
Protein shake

Dinner:
Salad w/ basalmic vinegar/olive oil, walnuts
Smoky Chipotle Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

And I got to work out during lunch. Weights workout today.

Here's my amazing smoothie:


I put Molasses swirls on top. :)

Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie

-1 cup almond or soy milk
-1/4 cup rolled oats
-1 Tbsp chia seeds
-1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
-1 Tbsp molasses
-1 small frozen banana
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ginger
-pinch nutmeg
-ice, if wanted.

-Soak the oats, milk and chia seeds for at least an hour or overnight. (I soak mine overnight. Obviously, less to do in the morning)

-Place the rest of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Day 2 Meal log - Butternut Squash, lentils over linguine

Day 2 of strict point counting is actually going well! I know that on paper it looks like I'm eating a lot. I'm trying to eat about 5 mini meals, so my portions are not very big. I hear several small meals every 3 hours or so revs your metabolism. And when I plan them out like this, it's easy for me to forgo bites of something because I know what I'll be eating in less than 3 hours.

So today I've eaten:

Breakfast:
Tofu scramble w/ salsa
1 slice Ezekial sprouted wheat toast
1 cup plain soy milk

Snack:
Smoothie - 1/2 mango, 1/2 cup strawberries, 1 cup soy milk

Lunch:
Leftovers - Polenta w/ Seared Mushroom tomato sauce
1 cup green grapes

Snack:
Oatmeal w/ 1/2 banana
Coffee

Dinner:
Roasted butternut squash, lentils, diced tomatoes over whole wheat linguine
Salad w/ 2 Tbsps Walnuts and basalmic vinegar

Here it is:



Recipe:

½ cup brown lentils
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
½ cup minced yellow onion
4 garlic cloves
2 tsp dried sage
1 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained
1 cup veggie stock
12 oz linguine

This is prework: you need to cook the lentils and roast the squash first.

1- Bring the lentils to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 min.

2- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil a pan that will hold all the squash. Cut it into ½ “ cubes. So be careful. And then roast for 30 min.

3- In a large skillet, add the chopped onion and 1 Tbsp olive oil. Saute about 5 min. Add garlic and cook for about 30 sec. Add sage, tomatoes, cooked lentils and veggie stock. Season w/ salt and pepper. Simmer about 5 min. You can use an immersion blender or a reg. blender if you want to make this sauce creamier.
Stir in the roasted squash and keep warm over low heat.

Cook the pasta according to the directions and toss the lentil squash mixture and pasta to combine.
 
 
Actually, I have to brag about something! I just got some blood work back recently. My numbers are not too bad for a near Vegan. :)
 
Glucose: 85  (norm - 65 - 100)
Potassium: 4.9 (norm 3.5 - 5.3)
Calcium: 9.6 (norm 8.5 - 10.5)
Protein: 7.6 (norm 6.0 - 8.4)
Cholesterol: 166 (norm - less than 200)

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Polenta with Pan-Seared Mushrooms and Tomatoes

Hi, I'm back!

Well, I've gained a bit of weight. So frustrating. I have been following Weight Watchers pretty well, but I'm at a standstill. When WW introduced their new program, they made fruits and vegetables 0 points. Trying to get people to eat more of them, I suppose. The 'problem', I guess, is that I mostly eat fruits and veg! So I'm going to go back to counting fruits and veg into my daily points and see if that makes a difference.

Also, I got new shoes! I'm actually not sure if I like them. Ha! They are a little more snug on my feet than I'm used to. I'm not sure if this is something that's different in a good way, or if I need to exchange them.. But they are pretty! :)


Maybe I'll also try to log here, what I've eaten. Who knows, that kind of accountability might help! So this was my normal 'not counting points' meals. But now I am going to start with the points.

Breakfast:
Overnight Pumpkin Oats
Cup of plain soy milk
coffee

Snack:
Mango Strawberry smoothie (made with soy milk)

Lunch:
Cup of Mexican brown rice and bean Salsa Bake

Snack
Oatmeal w/ 1/2 banana
Protein Shake

Dinner:
Polenta with Pan Seared Mushrooms and Tomatoes

And here's a picture of my dinner!


Recipe:

Polenta part:
-3 1/2 cup water
-1 cup medium ground cornmeal
salt

-1/4 cup soy milk (or almond)

-In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the cornmeal and salt to taste, stirring constantly. Cook, stirring, until thick. About 20 min. During the last 5 min, stir in soy milk.

Tomato Mushrooms part
-1Tbsp Olive oil
-8 oz sliced white mushrooms
-2 garlic cloves, minced.
-1 tsp dried basil
-1/4 cup white wine
-1 28oz can crushed tomatoes

-Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over med high heat. Add mushrooms and sear on both sides. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the garlic, basil, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the wine, cook down for a couple minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Spoon polenta into the bowl, add sauce/mushrooms on top and sprinkle a little chopped basil on top, if you're trying to be a fancy pants. :)

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Lazy weekend, Salad for dinner

I've had a lazy week. Lazy few weeks, judging by my post count! Especially this weekend. I didn't feel like talking to anyone or doing anything. I pretty much watched tv on the couch the whole time. Skipped my workout and Saturday. I even skipped Monday! I drove by the gym, but was just feeling run down, and blah.

Not sure if it's a lack of motivation, or perhaps my body adjusting to higher intensity workouts. I've been feeling like nothing much has been changing in regards to my running pace. So I decided to shake things up with some speed work. Intervals.

And after kickboxing and a really good dinner tonight, I'm feeling rejuvenated!

Vietnamese Rice Noodle Salad with Grilled Tofu

Dressing:
-1/3 cup warm water
-3 Tbsp agave nectar
-3 Tbsp chili garlic sauce
-1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
-1/4 tsp salt

Salad:
-12 oz extra firm tofu
-2 tsp soy sauce
-1 8oz package rice noodles (vermicelli)
-1 med sized cucumber, sliced into half moons
-1/2 small red onion, sliced thin
-2 cups mixed greens
-1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

Gremolata
-1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
-3 Tbsp chopped mint
-Zest of 1/2 lime

-First, put on the water to boil for the noodles.

-Whip up dressing, slice up tofu and put the tofu in the dressing to marinate. Place in fridge.

-Make Gremolata. Put in a small bowl.

-Cook noodles. I put the noodles in the pot and soaked them for about 8 min, not boiling.

-Chop and slice all veggies.

-Drain noodles, and rinse with cold water.

-Mix veggies and mint in with the noodles. I used my hands. Careful, the little vermicelli gets everywhere!
Bring out tofu and pour extra marinade in with the noodles.

-Fry tofu in a pan on med high, 3 min on each side.

-Assemble salad by putting down romaine, noodles on top of that, tofu on top of that, and sprinkle the Gremolata on top of that!


YUM! It wasn't too much work, but it made a big mess in the kitchen! Oh well, I'll clean it tomorrow. :)

Monday, January 23, 2012

Pad Thai Salad

Pad Thai Salad

Today started out with a bang, ended out on a whimper... and then a bang again with this amazing salad!
It's not enough that it was a Monday, but I got yelled at in the parking garage. Worst thing is, I didn't even deserve it! Some jerk cut off a car, and almost hit them while they were backing up. I stopped and waited until they backed in, passed them, and parked. When I got out of the car, they started yelling at me. Mistaken identity. Oh well.

Then, I was supposed to do double workouts today, but I was so tired when I was driving back home. So I went home and wound up taking an hour and a half nap. Guess I needed the rest! I think it's a good thing to take an unplanned day off, once and awhile. Especially when you're feeling run down.
This pepped me right back up, though!

Pad Thai Salad (serves 4, but I just made two big salads)
-8 cups of romaine lettuce
-1 thin sliced red onion
-1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
-1 peeled and grated carrot
-4 cups sprouts
-1/4 cups roasted peanuts
-Peanut lime dragon dressing

-Fill a bowl with Romaine lettuce and thinly sliced red onion.

-Add grated carrot

-Add sprouts, peanuts and cilantro.

-Mix completely

Add dressing:
Mix in a blender or food processor
-2 Tbsp peanuts (blend first, a couple pulses)
-Add 1/2 cup water
-2 Tbsp (or 1 small) shallot
-1/4 cup lime juice
-2 Tbsp Agave Nectar
-2 Tbsp Soy
-1 tsp Sriracha (garlic chili sauce)
-Mix completely until smooth. Add 2 Tbsp peanuts, pulse one more time.
-Pour in salad and completely mix it up.

It's a little sweet and hot. Really good. The only thing I might do differently is to not add so many red onions. I thought the dressing might be too hot, but it's the onions that were getting to me!

I also thought that so many sprouts might be a little too.. sprouty? But they were great at soaking up the delicious dressing!

If I were you, I'd make this for dinner, instead of lunch. That way, you have access to a toothbrush. :)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Chipotle Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes and a Secret Ingredient!

Hooray for rest days!

Today was a good day. Traffic wasn't too bad. Work wasn't too hard. Nick changed the oil. (Finally!)

So I thought I'd take a little extra trouble with dinner tonight. That's right, I'm actually making cornbread along with the chili. I don't do side dishes often. Heck, as a vegetarian, side dishes ARE my main entree! So it always feels a little luxurious when I do it.

Chipotle Chili w/ Sweet Potatoes (w/ a secret ingredient)

 -1 tsp olive oil
-1 red onion diced
-4 garlic cloves minced
-1 Tbsp coriander seeds, crushed
-2 tsps dried oregano
-3 chipotles in adobo, chopped
-2 average sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
-12 oz Brussel sprouts, quartered lengthwise
-2 tsps ground cumin
-1 Tbsp chili powder
-1 (28oz) can Crushed Tomatoes
-1 cup water
-1 16oz can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-Fresh squeezed lime juice

-First, chop onions, and sautee in 1 tsp of olive oil for 5-7 minutes in a big saucepan.
-Add in minced garlic, coriander and oregano. Stir around and cook for about a minute.

-Add the rest of the ingredients. Chopped tomatoes, water, beans, chopped sweet potatoes, and chopped chipotle.
-Stir in. Drain and rinse beans. Add beans, salt, chili powder and cumin.
-Here's what we've got so far. Ready for the secret ingredient?
-Brussel Sprouts! Chop them up lengthwise. It didn't say to use fresh or frozen. But I couldn't find fresh. So I used the frozen ones. They're a little tricky to slice frozen, so be careful! Use a big knife you can lean on.

-Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about a half hour.

-Turn the heat off. Squeeze 1/2 the lime into the pot and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

Enjoy with cornbread if you've got the time and inclination.(Yes, the cornbread is vegan, too!)

I really like this chili. It's got the smoky chipotle flavors, with the lime citrus kick and I like the brussels sprouts in it. It gives it a certain something. Of course, I love brussel sprouts on their own. So I asked Nick if he liked the chili and he said 'Yeah, it's really good!'. He doesn't not like brussel sprouts, but he won't eat a whole pan of them roasted or anything. This may have something to do with the fact that I'm the one removing the roasted brussel sprouts from the oven, though. (I beat him to them!) :)

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie and the Big Bang

Whew, I've been working my butt off! Yesterday, I ran 2 miles, then did a 1 hr. weights workout. Then, today, I went to kickboxing class! I'm going to enjoy my rest day tomorrow. :)

So this week, I haven't really posted. I've done some repeats. That Big Taco Salad is just so quick and easy!

I thought I'd give you a great smoothie recipe, though. I've been eating this one for breakfast. Surprisingly, it's kept me full until lunch.

Pumpkin Gingerbread Smoothie

-1 cup almond or soy milk
-1/4 cup rolled oats
-1 Tbsp chia seeds
-1/2 cup pureed pumpkin
-1 Tbsp molasses
-1 small frozen banana
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ginger
-pinch nutmeg
-ice, if wanted.

-Soak the oats, milk and chia seeds for at least an hour or overnight. (I soak mine overnight. Obviously, less to do in the morning)

-Place the rest of the ingredients in the blender and blend until smooth.

Delicious!

In other news, I'd like you to meet my new favorite particle physicist, Dr. Brian Cox. (You'll always be my favorite theoretical physicist, Michio Kaku!)

He's British, and a professor at the University of Manchester. He does the series Wonders of the Universe and Wonders of the Solar System on the BBC. They are really good! He got me really thinking about the Big Bang.

I know this sounds stupid, but I thought the Big Bang created our solar system. You know, our galaxy. Seems legit. BUT NO! It created the entire UNIVERSE! Everything we've ever seen, billions of miles away, billions of light years away, and we were all created together? But if it created everything, then what was there before? Nothing? How could nothing make a bang? How massive it must have been! The beginning of time, literally. (or is it? Can time begin?)

Needless to say, it really blew my mind. I've been picking Nick's brain and he lent me Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time so I can figure out the universe.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

You! Yes, you Miss Scarlet! Scarlet Rice!

This has been a long long week. Long. It's not even over, yet! We've still got Friday. Ugh.

Did a weights workout tonight. Short, but intense!

I was a little skeptical of this dish. I've had beets before, but not really as a main dish type thing.  But it looked so easy to make. I had all the ingredients, I just needed a beet! Could someone give me a beet?

Scarlet Rice
-1 tsp olive oil
-2 cloves garlic, minced
-1 bay leaf
-1 cup pearl barley
-2 1/2 cups veggie broth
-1/4 tsp salt
-1 beet, grated (I couldn't find a fresh beet, so I minced the hell out of about 3/4 a can of whole beets)
-juice of 1/2 lemon

-Preheat a pot over medium heat. Saute the garlic in the olive oil for about 30 seconds.

-Add several pinches of pepper and the bay leaf. Add the barley, broth and salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 20 min, stirring occasionally.

-Mix in the grated (or minced) beet. Cook for about 20 more minutes.

-Add lemon juice and taste for salt. Cover and let sit for about 10 more minutes.

I had roasted cauliflower and a salad with chickpeas with it!

The Scarlet barley was delicious! Lemony with a chewy texture. I heard that beets might make your urine red, though. So if you eat this dish and you pee red, you probably aren't bleeding internally. In all other cases, go to the hospital!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Caribbean Curried BEP with Plantains gives you a kick!

It was rainy and cold today, and I had a headache for most of it. I really think it was the sudden weather change that was responsible. Regardless, I went to kickboxing anyway. Surprisingly, I felt better after!

Well, I'm being brave tonight. Trying a couple things that I've never done before. You'll see what I mean. I made:

Caribbean Curried Black-Eyed Peas with Plaintains (from Appetite for Reduction)

-1 tsp olive oil
-1/4 cup chopped shallot
-1 red bell pepper
-1 habanero pepper (YES, AN HABANERO PEPPER!)
-3 cloves garlic
-2 tsps minced fresh ginger
-2 bay leaves
-1 star anise (I couldn't find this, so I used 1 tsp of ground anise)
-2 tsps mild curry powder
-pinch cinnamon
-3 sprigs of thyme
-1/2 tsp salt
-3/4 cup light coconut milk
-3/4 cup water
-1 can drained and rinsed Black Eyed Peas
-1 tsp light agave nectar (oops, I forgot to add)
-juice from 1/2 lime (forgot to add this, too!)
-2 ripe plaintains, cut into 1" chunks (I only used 1)
-Cooked brown rice

-First, I put the rice on. Because I didn't have any leftover rice. I use Texmati Brown rice, which is a type of basmati.

-Then I sliced the plaintain, and put it in the steamer basket. Steam for 5 min.


-Chop up shallots, red bell pepper and habanero pepper, and Sautee in 1 tsp of olive oil for 5 minutes.


-Add minced garlic, ginger, bay leaves and anise. Sautee for two minutes.


-Add a splash of water, curry powder, cinnamon, and thyme sprigs. Stir for about 30 seconds.

-Add salt, coconut milk, water, and beans. Cover and heat for 5 minutes.


-Add agave and lime, and turn off the heat. Let it sit for about 10 minutes.

-Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves, and star anise if you could find it. I'd have a hell of a time removing the anise powder. haha.

-Serve Beans over brown rice and top with the plantains.


That's right, you guys! I tried habanero pepper for the first time in my cooking. We're still alive! It was actually a nice heat, combined with the rice and sweet plantains, it was a great flavor. It definitely put a kick in my blah day!

Monday, January 9, 2012

To sore to cook.. Big Taco Salad time!

Oh god. I can't feel my legs. Haha, that's not true. They're actually wicked sore.

On Saturday, I did some heavy weights. Back of my legs are sore from squats and step ups.
Then today, I went to the Body Pump class at the gym. But that was at 6, I had an hour to kill. So I walked for about 30  min, and ran for 15 min.  After all that, it's hard to even lift my arms.

Therefore, we need a quick easy dinner. I'm going with the Big Taco Salad from Appetite for Reduction.

Big Taco Salad

It starts with a salsa dressing:

-Chop 3 big tomatoes
-1/4 cup chopped cilantro
-1 clove garlic, minced
-1 Tbsp Red wine vinegar
-2 tsp cayenne hot sauce (I didn't have, so I just added 1 tsp cayenne powder)
-pinch of salt
-few shakes of pepper

-Mix it up and let the flavors meld for about 10 minutes.

This was perfect timing while I put together the guacamole
Guac
-2 med avocadoes
-1 Tbsp lemon juice
-Pinch salt
-pinch garlic powder

-Mash Mash Mash Mash Mash. I usually use two forks to kind of cut, rake and smoosh them.

Actual Taco Salad!
-Romaine lettuce
-1/2 cup cilantro
-1 can black beans rinsed and drained
-Vegan corn chips

-First, put Romaine Salad in two big bowls.. or however much you feel like eating. I felt like eating a lot after double workouts! Also add the cilantro and kind of mix it in with your fingers.

-Divide beans up into the salad bowls.

-Top with the fresh Salsa dressing (Not all of it. Just however much you want to use)
-Top that  with a scoop of guacamole.

-Okay, now we're going to break out our special Vegan Corn chips.

Surprised? People usually are, when I tell them Fritos are vegan. Always remember! Vegan does not always equal healthy!

-I just use a few to give the salad a good crunch.

Nom nom nom!

Today was definitely a good day for doing things right! I successfully avoided the coffee cake and cookies left in our break room at work! Also, I was SO CLOSE to talking myself out of going to the gym today. I was all *whine* my head kind of hurts! It's raining! My legs are still sore!

But right when I got to the exit, I remembered that I'm going out for lunch tomorrow with some coworkers. Middle Eastern. Damn. No skipping workouts this week.

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Pasta e Fagioli with Spinach

New year! New beginnings! I'm having a lot of fun cooking out of my Appetite for Reduction book. Lots of great, low fat, vegan recipes.

The one I made tonight is Pasta E Fagioli with Spinach. There was also a Caesar Chavez Salad, but we'll go with the pasta recipe tonight.

-1 tsp olive oil
-6 garlic cloves, minced
-2 lbs plum tomatoes, chopped
-1/4 cup dry white wine
-1 tsp dried oregano
-1 tsp thyme
-1 tsp salt
-1 can Navy beans, drained
-8oz whole wheat shells
-1 lb baby spinach

-First, put on a pot of water to boil, for the shells. Cook according to box.


-In the pan, sautee garlic in oil for about 1 min. Add chopped tomatoes, wine, oregano and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the beans and lower the heat to medium. Cook for about 15 minutes.


-In a separate bowl, alternate adding batches of pasta, bean mixture and spinach to the sauce.

-Wait for about 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt. I killed this time washing my dishes.

Mix it all up. I added a little black pepper, and it was awesome!