East Meets West Veg

Easiest Weeknight Pasta Ever (this one is extra saucy because I felt like having a lot of sauce)

Florence, Italy

Florence, Italy

The food at this restaurant was simple and absolutely delicious! I still dream about that pasta. It's unlike any I've had in the US, even though you can find authentic Italian food in the US. Maybe it was just the whole experience that made it seem more magical to me. When we arrived, we actually talked to the owner and she knew what 'vegano' meant so we were in luck. We just trusted her to make us something delicious. Being a person obsessed with food, I think about this pasta often and I sometimes crave it but haven't been able to find an exact recipe for it. I kept asking my husband and mom if they remembered this pasta and I had to have a way of describing it. Since I don't remember the name of the restaurant where we had this, and, we had pasta at several restaurants in Florence (leaving out the name Florence Pasta), I sometimes refer to this as 'Locked in an Italian Bathroom Pasta." (Luckily, THAT only happened once)

Maybe my mom just needed a sign like this

Falling in Love with Italy

You could certainly eat this pasta alone for a quick, easy, tasty, lycopene-filled weeknight dinner, but if you have a couple more minutes you could pair it with a nice salad topped with cannelini beans, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil like we had throughout our trip to Italy. This could also be paired with an easy side dish like my Spicy Lemon Garlic Broccolette, my Super Easy Chickpea Salad, some vegan Italian sausage, or Chocolate Mousse Pie.

Ingredients:

If you think going vegan or giving up dairy means that you have to give up chocolate covered strawberries, or even desserts in general, you are so wrong! You can quickly, easily make inexpensive, dairy-free chocolate covered fruit at home in just a few minutes. You don't have to be a cook to make these and you can have the kids help out too.

Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous

Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous is one of those "accidentally vegan" products. It seems to be available in just about all of the grocery stores around here. I bought it because it says "cooks in 5 minutes" and that's about all the time I had. Not only does it cook in 5 minutes, but it is very easy to make.

To make it, you only need to combine the couscous and spice packet with boiling water and olive oil (not actually required), wait for 5 minutes, and it's ready to eat. The directions tell you to combine it in a saucepan on the stove, but this time I just boiled the water in my teakettle and poured it over everything because I needed a hot cup of tea anyway and I thought I'd save energy this way. It turns out delicious both ways. You can also cook this couscous in the microwave, which makes it great for cooking in a hotel room (if you have a bowl) or in a dorm room.

One of my favorite things about this product is that it doesn't have a lot of unnecessary packaging and it doesn't have any plastic bags! Lately I have become really aware of packaging and I've been trying to reduce my environmental impact. I do realize that going vegan is the biggest thing you can do to lessen your environmental impact, but there is still a lot I can do. Knowing that there is so much plastic in the ocean makes me sick and I find myself picturing those bird skeletons with undigested plastic pieces in their stomachs when I look at unrecyclable plastic.

My husband will eat couscous, but it's definitely not his favorite thing (which is really surprising to me because he could live on wheat alone). He said this was "really good" which means a lot coming from someone who likes his grains to be jazzed up with vegetables and Indian spices (unless they come in the form of bread.)

I do realize that couscous only takes 5 minutes to cook and you could add your own seasonings, but I thought I'd give this one a try and I am glad I did. You can't chop onion and garlic and roast the garlic in 5 minutes anyway. The Near East Roasted Garlic & Olive Oil Couscous has the convenience most people want nowadays without a giant list of unrecognizable ingredients and a ton of unnecessary plastic bags.

This product makes a great side dish, snack, small meal, stuffing for a squash or vegetable. It's also good with some added ingredients like vegetables, legumes or nuts.  It is totally something I would pack for travel, especially travel to those not-so-vegan-friendly places in Middle America. You could even use the coffee maker to get boiling water if you are staying at a hotel room that didn't have a microwave.

Based on the popularity of my first Grocery Shopping 101 post, I decided I need to post some 101 type meal ideas. Sometimes it can seem overwhelming transitioning to a more plant-based diet or it might seem like you need to make long, complicated recipes. The truth is that you can eat very simple, healthy foods that take little or no prep time.

Not too long ago, we had a get-together with a mixed group of meat-eaters and non meat-eaters. We made a do-it-yourself wrap bar and everyone loaded up on what they liked. Here's my wrap.

I was in a local warehouse store and I happened to notice a giant bag of a new-to-me vegetable, Broccolette. It looked like broccoli, but I knew that it must be different somehow or else it would just be called broccoli. I took it home and decided to do a little research on this veggie so that maybe I could figure out what to do with it. I read that it has a slightly sweet, asparagus-like flavor, but I thought it couldn't be true. Nonetheless, I took my inspiration for making it from a favorite asparagus dish I used to get at a local grocery store deli. I have made this several times, but every time using a different amount of EVERYTHING based on how much we have left, the preferences of those eating it, etc. so I'm going to leave it to you to figure out your own measurements. You can't really go wrong here if you know what you like. (And by the way, it really does taste like asparagus!)


Ingredients:
Broccolette
Lemon Infused (or Flavored) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Crushed Red Pepper, to taste
Garlic, chopped (we use at least 4 large cloves, but we love garlic)
1 lemon
salt

Cooking Time:
Keep in mind that this whole process should take you maybe 10 minutes. Do not overcook.

Method:
1. Put a little bit of water at the bottom of a pot - maybe 1/2 inch, depending on how much you're cooking. (I use my stockpot because it's very tall, but not too wide at the bottom and you're essentially going to steam the brocolette, not boil it.) Put your washed brocolette into the pot, turn it on medium-high and put the lid on.
Note: Could you use a steamer? Absolutely, but that means more dishes and this is the quick and easy method so I don't.

2. Check the broccolette after a couple of minutes. You want it to be bright green and just tender crisp. Even if you're making a lot, it shouldn't take more than 5 minutes or so. Do not overcook.

3. Once it's bright green and tender crisp, drop it into an ice bath to stop the cooking process and keep it's beautiful color.

4. Rinse out your pot and return it back to the burner.

5. Turn the burner on medium heat and add enough olive oil to almost cover the bottom of the pot.

6. Add crushed red pepper flakes.

7. Add garlic. Saute for a couple of minutes.

8. Add broccolette and stir constantly for a couple of minutes. (You are just trying to infuse it with the flavors you have in the pot already and get the broccolette warm again. Do not overcook.)

9. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice on, mix.

10. Add salt and serve.

Ingredients:
Rye bread
1 small onion, chopped
1 package tempeh
sauerkraut, to taste (I recommend Bubbies)
non-dairy thousand island dressing, to taste (I used OrganicVille brand)
non-dairy cheese to taste, optional (Daiya works well)
oil to saute
tamari, to taste
cayenne pepper, optional (for those spicy food lovers)


Method:
1. Slice the tempeh in half as shown


2. Now lay it flat and cut into triangles as shown below

4. Add the tempeh and drizzle the tamari over top trying to get all the pieces.
5. Continue to saute, flipping tempeh as needed until both sides are golden.
6. Layer the tempeh & onions, sauerkraut, cheese and thousand island on the bread.
Optional: For my husband, I sprinkle a little cayenne pepper on with the thousand island dressing.
7. Cook on the George Foreman (or other) grill for a couple of minutes until it's hot and has those nice grill lines on it.

Alternatively, you could put the sandwiches together and then fry them in the frying pan. 

Throughout my life, there have been many times I eliminated or tried to minimize my processed sugar intake and I've been mostly successful. I find that it makes my body feel better and my mind feel like I am doing something good. However, last fall was a different story.

In late 2012, my dad died unexpectedly and I was deep in grief in a way I never imagined I could be. It seemed to me like an adult shouldn't be so devastated by her dad dying, even if he was young and it was unexpected (though not from unnatural causes). I hardly felt like eating. All I wanted to do was sleep and cry. It's weird that I am willing to admit this because I always try to hide my crying from people and act as if I am fine. I guess admitting it is different than actually breaking down in front of someone. After the initial shock wore off, the whole thing really debilitated me. If I ate something - anything, I considered that a success. And I felt strangely drawn back to my sometimes friend, sometimes foe - sugar. I was craving sugar all the time. I tell people that I was on a vegan ice cream and french fries diet for a while.

So, it's been a few months now. . . They say that grief gets better in time and I honestly did not see how that was possible a few months ago. I wanted to believe it, but I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can tell you that it HAS gotten better. It is still difficult. I still cry almost every day. I still miss my dad. I still think of him all the time. I still think of how things could have been different. But things are getting better. I am awake for more than 8 hours a day! Yay! Little by little, I am starting to enjoy things again. I see a little glimmer of hope on the horizon.

But the nasty sugar addiction I picked up along the way is still hanging on. And I can remember how good it feels to be free from that addiction! I'm not eliminating sugar right now, but I am trying to reduce my dependence on it. As I found myself jonesing for cookies the other day (after indulging myself several days in a row), I decided it was time to try out a healthy alternative. So, working with what I had in the house, I came up with something that combined the sweetness (fruit) I was looking for with a rich taste (from the avocado & coconut milk). Now I know it's not hot out of the oven, but it did help me boost my willpower and I was able to skip the cookies that night!


Ingredients:
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 ripe banana
1/2 large avocado or 1 small avocado
3/4 cup coconut, almond or other non-dairy milk
1/2 cup tart cherry juice - actual juice, not the concentrated kind (or any juice you like)

Method:
Put it all together and blend, adding more juice or non-dairy milk if required for your blender. Enjoy! 

So, rewind to 2009, the first year of my marriage. I had been thinking for a few days that we needed to incorporate more greens into our diet. I know, I know, we're vegan but we weren't really eating many greens. We hardly even ate salad. That's weird because when I was a kid, I ate (and really looked forward to eating) salad almost every single day! Plus, when I was old enough, I was the one entrusted with the responsibility of making the salads and I loved decorating them and making them beautiful. I took pride in my work. Maybe I got sick of all those years of doing the same job? Or maybe I'm waiting until I have a child of my own so I can employ a family salad maker?
At any rate, I was really concentrating on this - how to incorporate more greens into our diet and how to keep it interesting. Then, I happened to turn on the Food Network and catch an episode of 'Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller.' Lo and behold, she was cooking bok choy - a green I had never worked with before! Sure, I had eaten it in Chinese restaurants. At least I thought that's what it was I had eaten! But I never dreamed of cooking it. Here it was, the answer to my prayers (or, at least, my concentrated contemplations), a new AND EASY way to incorporate greens into our diet! Hooray!

It seems like greens are the big thing right now. We just keep hearing more and more about the health benefits of greens. They are full of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Bok choy in particular is an excellent source of vitamin C and a very good source of vitamin K, which helps with bone strength and alzheimer's disease. It also has many B-complex vitamins including folic acid (great for pregnant women), calcium, phosphorous, potassium, manganese, iron, and magnesium. As a cruciferous veggie, bok choy helps protect against different cancers and reduce LDL, the 'bad' cholesterol. And, I can not forget to mention that bok choy is a great source of fiber. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, this is most likely not an issue for you because you're probably getting adequate fiber since fiber comes from plant foods. Bok choy is also low in calories and can help with weight loss. Need I say more?

Little effort, great taste, great nutrition! This is my kind of recipe! This became a recipe I would make when I'd come home starving after work or running errands! You can certainly make tofu or tempeh with this, but I find it to be a satisfying meal with brown rice alone (or another grain). I have included a simple, easy tempeh recipe, that would go well with this without adding much more cooking time.

Quick & Easy Tempeh:

Ingredients:
1 block tempeh (about 8 ounces)
1 Tbsp canola oil
1&1/2 Tbsp tamari, soy sauce, or Bragg Liquid Aminos

Method:
1. (Optional) Steam or boil the tempeh for 10 minutes. (Many people swear by this. I almost never bother for this recipe, but I really love tempeh, any way you serve it)
2. Cut the tempeh on the diagonal into 1/2" wide slices.
3. Heat the oil and tamari in the pan on medium heat.
4. Add the tempeh. Try to flip the pieces so that more than one side gets tamari.
5. Cook for about 5-10 minutes, stirring a few times, until the tempeh is hot and golden.

Warning: If this is your first time eating tempeh and you do not like it this way (especially if you don't steam or boil it first), try a different method - marinade it, get a chargrilled tempeh burger, get creative. This is just the quickest and easiest method I know and that was the aim of this post.

Wilted Bok Choy:

The recipe calls for reduced-sodium soy sauce, but if you use tamari or Bragg Liquid Aminos (which I do), this becomes a gluten-free recipe.



Recipe:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/robin-miller/wilted-bok-choy-with-soy-sauce-and-cashews-recipe/index.html