Classic Tofu Lasagna

Sometimes I consider halving a recipe for the sake of portion size.
However, we made lasagna for dinner last night and the idea of portion size was out the window. Why? It's lasagna and I haven't experienced the devilish pasta and sauce layers in, I think, three years..?
Yeah, I was craving. Look at our Italian masterpiece:

We got the recipe from 1,000 Vegan Recipes from Robin Robertson. She has many other lasagna variations but, since I have not eaten a smidgen of the dish in forever, I decided to go basic.
We served it with a side of simple spinach salad and lazy toasted potato bread croutons covered in Italian dressing.

We had everything but wine!

Classic Tofu Lasagna
serves 6-8

12 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pound firm tofu, drained and crumbled
1 pound soft tofu, drained and crumbled
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 vegan Parmesan or Parmasio (recipe below)
4 cups marinara sauce

1. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the noodles over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until just al dente, about 7 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large bowl, combine the firm and soft tofus. Add the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt, pepper, parsley, and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan. Mix until well combined.
2. Spoon a layer of the tomato sauce into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish. Top with a layer of cooked noodles. Spread half of the tofu mixture evenly over the noodles. Repeat with another layer of noodles followed by a layer of sauce. Spread the remaining tofu mixture on top of the sauce and finish with a final layer of noodles and sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan. If any sauce remains, save it and serve it in a hot bowl alongside the lasagna.
3. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 10 minutes longer. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Whew! A lot of work and waiting but it's worth it! (Try saying that three times fast!)

"Reunited and it feels so good..."

Here is the recipe for the Parmasio:

1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. In a dry skillet, toast the sesame seeds over medium heat, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan to cool so they don't burn.
2. In a food processor, combine the sesame seeds, nutritional yeast, and salt and pulse until finely ground. Store in the refrigerator in a dry container with a tight-fitting lid.

Delicious. The recipe says it serves 6; here is the estimated nutritional info for one serving:

Calories: 360
Fat: 7g
Carbs: 58g
Protein: 22g
Fiber: 5g

Very hearty recipe; high in protein and calcium and low in fat. I had leftovers for lunch today.
Going to search for a festive coffee recipe for an afternoon drink to share with Rick! =)

Vegan Powerhouse Cookies

Have I mentioned I get freebies at work?
I work at Sprouts Farmers Market and I love the vitamin department. Not only because nutrition part of my lifestyle but just about every time a customer returns a vegan supplement, the vitamin clerks know who to give the returns to! Rick and I reap the benefits.

Our cupboard is home to two little Vega containers and sometimes we just don't know what to do with them since we don't always make Vega shakes. However, I found a very interesting cookie recipe online that calls for Vega powder. I was sold. Click here to check out the site from where I got the recipe. I followed everything the recipe called for except chocolate chips for I just added another 1/4 cup of dried fruits (I used chopped dates).

The cookie dough resembled the green color of a PvZ zombie!

The cookies had a very interesting flavor. In summary, they were like Vega shakes in cookie form! If you are not familiar with Vega shake products, in this case the vanilla chai flavor, then these cookies will probably not be your favorite (assumption due to so many customer returns...). However, you can perhaps use your own favorite nutritional shake powder and see how it comes out.

Although Vega shake powders are ridiculously healthy, heating up the powder probably kills some of the nutrition it is intended to provide. My suggestion, quite obvious or not, is to not rely on making commonly "unhealthy foods" healthy and instead just eat healthy foods to begin with. In other words, we cannot just sprinkle ground flaxseeds on top of a sugar-loaded cake and call it a health food. There are so many delicious and healthy sources of so many vital nutrients out there that come from natural and/or minimally processed foods so go find the ones you like and add them to your diet!

According to my super nutrition powers (okay, CalorieKing), here are the nutritional estimations for one of these cookies (recipe makes about 16 cookies):
Calories: 138
Carbs: 20.4g
Fat: 5.5g
Protein: 3g
Sugar: 9.3g
Fiber: 2.6g

Also, to reply to my own ending quote on my last post, I did not share these with my family for a couple of reasons. One of the reasons is that I have failed to create delicious baked goods numerous times in the past, mainly because of choosing non-vegan recipes and attempting to make them vegan. I guess I really shouldn't force my views on others... Another reason is because I think these cookies require a second, maybe third, try before one gets to like them. In all honesty, I think these cookies were quite good in a unique way and I will make them again but I think only Rick and I will enjoy them. However, if you're curious, ask for a bite and we'll share with you. =)

Scrambled Tofu & Hash Browns Breakfast

We were going to eat brunch at Evolution Cafe but nothing is better than breakfast at home, especially if you're watching episodes of MXC along with it! Here is our classic tofu and hash browns scramble:

Is that... ketchup?! Yes! I promise it's a delicious addition!

This is one of my other favorite breakfast meals; it gives me a short break from oatmeal. =)

Here is what I do to make the tofu:

2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter
1 block of firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Heat the butter over medium-high heat. Add the drained tofu and mash with a fork or a masher. This will make sure the butter coats the tofu evenly. Let cook for about 3-5 minutes.
2. Then add in the nutritional yeast, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Mash the tofu again so that everything is mixed in evenly. The tofu should have the texture of scrambled eggs.
3. Cook for another 3-5 minutes and then take off the heat.

It's a very easy recipe and the tofu comes out delicious. The picture above is my bowl of breakfast but Rick usually has his scrambled "eggs" on toast (British!). Also, we don't always add in hash browns but it makes a yummy pair. So what is my recipe for the taters?

Yep.

Keep in mind we don't only shop at health food stores but we also shop at Costco. That buy-in-bulk store is our lazy-day-meals kind of store. We can go there and buy a container of Don Lee Farms Veggie Patties and Flatout 100% Whole Wheat Rolls and eat nothing but that for a week (if we get that lazy). It's pretty bad. But it serves us great convenience!

So, as you might have suspected, I just follow the directions on the box to make the hash browns. Easy! I also mixed in Daiya cheese (best vegan cheese ever) with the potatoes to add some extra yum. Squirt some ketchup on top and tadaa - epic breakfast time. We also had toast and jam on the side.

This breakfast is high in protein and calcium from the tofu, but I have to admit it is not very high in dietary fiber. The potatoes did not have skins and the toast we munched on was not made of whole wheat. But hey, I don't do this everyday and we all need variety in our diets. I had a nutritional Vega shake as a snack today, which contains a hefty amount of, well, everything good! I'm feeling great and healthy and I don't believe in deprivation of favorite foods. Therefore...

I might make cookies today since I'm going to see my family later...

British Shepherd's Pie / Stuffing / Gravy

Rick and I went very simple for dinner, especially since we already had early Thanksgiving at our staff appreciation day. Click here if you do not remember. =)
Anyway, let me explain to you that Richard is half-British, meaning he enjoys his shepherd's pie without vegetables. I was going to call this recipe something like "Naked Shepherd's Pie" but then I realized that it would come off as offensive.

I really should have halved this recipe...

Whether you love them or hate them with a passion, I got the recipe from Peta's physical copy of their Vegetarian Starter Kit, which you can find next to drug stores and bus stops. The original recipe called for vegetables but my British sweetie says a big nay to that. "It takes away from the flavor," he claims. Okay, so we did it this way:

serves about 6-8 people (definitely not two!)

4 medium potatoes, washed and quartered

1/2 cup plain milk alternative (I used original unsweetened almondmilk)

2 tablespoons Earth Balance butter

1 12-ounce bag of Boca crumbles, or any other ground beef alternative

1 container (14-oz) Tofurky savory "giblet" gravy, or another gravy, thawed in the microwave

Garlic powder, cayenne pepper, and paprika to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Boil the potatoes for about 20 minutes or until soft. For the record, I kept the skins on the potatoes for added fiber and nutrition.

3. When potatoes are done, you can either mash them or blend them in a blender along with the butter and milk. I used my Vitamix, of course. I think blending them would ensure a better mix, especially if you are also keeping the skins on.

4. In a medium bowl, mix the unheated crumbles and heated gravy together with the garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Then, in a casserole dish, spread the mixture evenly on the bottom. Spread the mashed potatoes on top, sprinkling with paprika.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the potatoes start to brown.

Honestly, I never had "real" shepherd's pie before. Despite that, I thought my first try at the dish came out great! Very easy and fast to prepare, especially if you are cooking for any British folks. *wink*

This was serving number one...

To make things easy on cooking a quick holiday dinner, we bought Savory Herb Stuffing from Arrowhead Mills, which was on sale at Sprouts. We just had to boil veggie broth and oil, stir the stuffing mix in, cover for 5 minutes, and it was done! Get your over-ripened tomatoes ready to throw at me because I never really had a thing for stuffing. *gets blasted with tomatoes*

But now I do! They were like tender mini-croutons infused with herby deliciousness (I always did love dressing-covered croutons in my salads, haha). We also covered them in homemade gravy, a recipe that I found on VegWeb:

I should have halved this recipe as well but maybe I'll save it to cover homemade biscuits another day. The gravy was a lovely topping to the Arrowhead Mills stuffing. Click here for the recipe. My (first!) Thanksgiving plate for the night looked like this.

And then I just could not stop.

At the end of dinner, we found that the shepherd's pie was more than halfway gone. Oops. That's what I get for feeding a shepherd's pie-deprived British man. At least we have leftovers to serve us for another two days!

So, in reference to my blog, what am I thankful for? I am thankful for being able to express myself through what makes me happy; cooking and baking up some great vegan food in the kitchen (as sexist as that sounds). Consider this blog my food journal, minus the lazy ramen noodle and veggie egg roll days.

Also, I am thankful for whoever comes around and reads my posts, whether that only be close family, Rick, or many people in the world, vegan newbies or pros. I found a hobby that takes me away from it all.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving Day this year!

Cranberry Walnut Muffins

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade at the moment. I just thought I'd share this muffin recipe that I altered according to what I had on hand.

They made a lovely breakfast!

I found this recipe at VegWeb (thanks to user Sandimac!) when I was looking through vegan Thanksgiving ideas. I made changes to a few ingredients, however. You can click here for the recipe, but I will show you how I changed it up:

makes 12 muffins

1 cup orange juice

1/3 vegetable or canola oil

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup ground flaxseeds

1/2 cup wheat germ

1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup of water, add more if needed

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

turbinado sugar or ground flaxseed for sprinkling, optional

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray/oil/line a muffin pan and set to the side.

2. Mix orange juice, oil, and brown sugar in a large bowl with a whisk. Add in ground flaxseeds and wheat germ. Let sit for a couple of minutes.

3. Then sift in the flour, baking powder, and water, mixing in a little at a time so that it's easy to distribute (this is where the recipe really had to get altered; I personally had to add a lot of water because it was way too dry without it!)

4. Finally, mix in the cranberries and walnuts.
5. Pour batter into the muffin pan. Sprinkle ground flaxseeds and/or turbinado sugar on top, if desired. Bake for about 25 minutes.

So yep, just mild alterations there. You need to make sure to add enough water so that the batter is like thick pancake batter (yes, here I go again with terrible analogies!). These muffins are hearty and high in fiber. Also, the cranberries added some antioxidant properties and vitamin C. They were just the right amount of sweet, nutty, lovely, and delicious!

Here is the nutrition information for one hearty muffin, using my CalorieKing software:
Calories: 246
Fat: 11.2g
Carbs: 32.7g
Protein: 4.5g
Fiber: 5g

More Thanksgiving recipes and postings to come later today!

Lemon Kiwi Cooler / Black Bean & Corn Salsa with Quinoa

After band practice today, which went awesome, I was in need of a smoothie, which I have not had in quite a while (what is wrong with me?). I only had a little bit of produce on hand so I chose to make this refreshing drink:

Lemon kiwi cooler - lemon + lime = delicious. Here I go again changing smoothie recipes! At least it was still great. Here is how to make it (you don't necessarily need a Vitamix for this):

makes about 5 cups

2 cups grapes, red or green
1/2 lemon, peeled, seeded
1/2 kiwi, peeled
3 cups ice cubes (if you're using frozen fruit, you can omit ice; water might need to be added instead)

1. Place all ingredients into the Vitamix container in the order listed and secure lid.
2. Select Variable 1
3. Turn machine on and quickly increase speed to Variable 10, then to High.
4. Blend for 45 minutes or until desired consistency is reached.

For dinner, lime also had a chance to sparkle in a simple and delicious salsa recipe that I found in a health magazine. Look how pretty!

Here is the recipe below:

1 cup black beans
1 cup corn
1/4 cup red onion, diced
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
sea salt and pepper to taste

In a small bowl, combine black beans, corn, onions, and cilantro. Mix together olive oil and lime juice, drizzle over salsa and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

Last time I made this salsa along with cilantro-lime marinated tofu tacos, which were heavenly! I should make that again someday... But for tonight, we had this salsa with ground pepper-sprinkled quinoa, which I cooked in our small rice cooker:

It was a very simple, easy, and healthy dinner. We ate and watched episodes of Daria. So awesome.
A lot of people are not familiar with the grain, but quinoa is a seed related to spinach and chard that is high in protein and manganese, a trace mineral that is helpful in energy metabolism, bone density, and prevention of free radicals. It has a nutty flavor and is very versatile for just about every recipe and meal.
In case you are wondering, I do not always just grab nutritional information on the top of my head. My favorite health sites to find health info include Health Castle, WH Foods, and Nutrition Data. All sites share extensive nutrition info and are extremely helpful, especially for a nutrition major like me!

PB&B Oatmeal Fusion

You can safely say that I love oatmeal, judging by my posts. However, today I used my Vitamix to whip up a very different kind of my favorite breakfast!

Yes, those are chocolate chips on top. I've noticed peanut butter and banana makes me sin. Oh, me.
So what is that anyway? It's peanut butter, banana, and cooked oats mixed in a blender. I never considered that but I wanted to try something quite new this morning. I thought it was delicious! In fact, I thought it was very nostalgic, too. It made me think of Disney's Oliver and Company when Jenny was mixing a chocolate chip cookie dough-looking meal for Oliver. If you've ever watched the movie when you were a kid, you know exactly what I'm talking about!
I will definitely be making this again. Click here for the recipe!

Time for post-brunch yoga. *wink*

Sipz / Julian Apple Pie with Tempt Vanilla Bean

I'm a couple hours late, aren't I?
Back to the topic at hand, or part two of two! At Sipz, Rick and I had our favorite caterpillar roll sushi as an appetizer lastnight:

Isn't it cute?! I was first to pick at it so I bit it's head off. Yum.

That little trail of red was hot sauce (I think sriracha) and the brown sauce on the caterpillar was teriyaki. Delicious. I fail with Japanese etiquette since I love putting pickled ginger on every roll before I eat it!

For my entree, I ordered tom kah soup, which is made with a gingery broth of coconut milk and lemongrass, cooked with various vegetables and tofu:

And Ricky ordered pho, made with a veggie broth which is made spicy or sweet depending on how much sriracha and hoisin you add into it. Cooked in it are "beef" slices and rice noodles:

I think warm and filling soup was perfect for that cold night (maybe it wasn't even cold...). We decided to pass up on dessert and just serve apple pie a la mode at home:

 I sense delicious dessert!

I got the apple pie from Descanso, which is a little more than 45 minutes from where I live. My dad owns a house up there and I went with him and the rest of my family there a couple of days ago. Up there is a small store called Perkin's where they sell Julian apple pies. I didn't know they had a vegan apple pie (most likely accidental!) so when I found out, I had to buy one! As for the Tempt ice cream, we bought it at Whole Foods. =)

So for dessert, we simply heated up slices of the pie in the microwave for a bit, then we added the ice cream on top. I sprinkled mine with cinnamon:

I usually don't eat apple pie with ice cream but that night made a huge exception. Have you ever tried just a spoonful of Tempt vanilla bean ice cream? It's like vanilla pancakes and syrup! Horrible analogy but that's the first thought that came up. By the way, no, we did not (and do not!) get high, considering Tempt is made with hempmilk. Just saying. =)

Rick and I ate our dessert and watched Love Stinks, a romantic comedy of 1999. We laughed and poked fun at horrible relationship problems, which we do not have. How self-righteous of us.

Haha, happy first, babe. <3

Apple Raisin Oatmeal with Toast / Chipotle

I can also name name this post something like, "Anniversary Day, Part 1" or but that won't be very descriptive of this post.
However, do let me explain that today is Rick and my one year anniversary together! He let me take the wheel of planning the day out, which I am horrible at, but I think I'm doing pretty good so far. Instead of stressing about new things to do and new places to eat, I just decided to go stress-free and casual.
We started the day out with the usual oatmeal and toast but the colors were so pretty I couldn't help but to take a picture:

Oh, the warmth of breakfast!

I just threw a cup of oats, a chopped apple, a small handful of raisins, and a few dashes of cinnamon into a medium saucepan with water and cooked it on medium-high heat until the oats were tender. Rick toasted four slices of Oroweat potato bread and smothered two in blueberry spread and the other two with strawberry spread (both spreads are from Crocker's). Rick and I shared. So yummy.
In the afternoon, we went mall hopping after we ate at Chipotle. I told you we were going casual!

Each of our bowls = more than 10g of fiber!

For our Chipotle order, we had brown rice, black beans, guacamole, fajitas, and lettuce (Rick adds salsa but I personally think it's an overload of sour red onions, so I skip it. I know, boo me). Apparently, we also ordered chips on the side for dipping and an extra crunch.

So you might be thinking, "Are you kidding me? I thought this blog was only focused on reviewing recipes!" My reply: yes and no. Although the name of this blog is more than self-explanatory, the blog itself it not all about cooking food from a fellow vegan source and then sharing and reviewing it. As you can see, I also share about vegan living and what to eat when out of the house, which is something that most non-vegans seem to worry about. =) So don't fear! I am attempting to make this as easy and welcoming as possible! ^_^

So yes, you can consider this post part one of two of my anniversary with Rick. I'm thinking tom kah soup for dinner; in other words, another casual dinner at Sipz! Let's go!

Stir-Fry Tutorial

Do you have time for a lot of reading? Time for a sob story.
With a mind full of angst, confusion, and all of those other negative thoughts, I left my parent's house in a huff on the morning of my 18th birthday. Whether they believe it or not, I love my parents dearly and cried almost every chance I got when I left home (and for just about every little reason, valid or invalid, it did not matter).
Whilst living in an apartment with two good friends, I got very unhealthy and even more depressed, mainly because of the huge shift in my life, hurting my family deeply, and because I ate almost the same thing every day. I was quite low on money at the time and so I sacrificed my health to raise my savings account, even though that sounds pretty dumb...
Thankfully, my family and I grew closer after slowly talking to each other over text and calls. In fact, I do believe the distance helped and put things into perspective, despite the pain I've caused. Also, during a poker party I was invited to, I eventually got to befriend Richard whom I formerly only knew as my coworker. Friends of his and acquaintances of mine overcrowded the room with beer bottles, poker chips, and candy (we don't drink, by the way, so Rick and I were not drunk!). Now, before I open a lovely can of worms about Rick (and probably go too overboard about my love for him), I just want to get to the point:
that night, he and his room mate made this epic stir-fry with tofu, ramen noodles, and mixed veggies in a sweet and sour marinade. Because all I've been eating for weeks after I left home was oatmeal and spaghetti, one bite of the stir-fry that night and my stomach was going wild, saying thank you to me over and over and perhaps even yelling at me for why I hadn't been feeding it such awesome food for so long.
Case in point, every time I cook up stir-fry, no matter what type or way, I always remember those times when I was lost but still happy and blessed to know that people care about me. I opened up about my story to my friends when the poker game was over and all of them supported me and gave me great advice. Also, I went for so many helpings of that ramen stir-fry. Goodness gracious, did my body need that.
So, enough with all that, right? However, I don't think that memorable moment will ever leave because I remembered all of it again when we made this tonight:

Need I mention the name our dinner?

It makes me happy and sad all at the same time; thoughts about my family, friends, where I'm going to sleep that night, how to stay optimistic when things seem hopeless... All in all, I am glad and thankful for that time in my life, something I need to let my family know on this upcoming occasion in four days... (I love you, mom and dad) <3

Hmm... I think I should really start talking about food now. After all, this is a food blog. Let us finally begin, shall we? =)

Because almost every stir-fry we make is different, I will not be typing out extra-specific steps of how to make it one type of way. For example, Rick and I always add different vegetables and whip up a different marinade every time (actually, he is the marinade and tofu master, while I'm the vegetable ninja). So let me sum it up this way:

To make an awesome stir-fry, you first need to choose your protein. Tempeh, tofu, and mock-meat made from wheat gluten are good ideas, though mock-meats are not my absolute favorite. I usually do tofu for stir-fry because it's more Asian that way. *wink*

Next, select which vegetables you'd like. I have to admit, I don't eat tons of veggies every day but it's ridiculously easy to do so when you either 1) own a Vitamix, or 2) think of creative and delicious ways to eat them! Adding veggies to meals is not difficult at all and can actually be fun... or maybe that's just me and my veggie-chopping skills talking. Good stir-fry veggies to consider include: broccoli, carrots, eggplant, snow peas, onions, and bell peppers. You can also add other additions like water chestnuts, pineapple chunks, or sliced almonds/chopped cashews.

You then need to make a marinade. Our stir-fry marinades are never, ever the same. We don't measure or plan it out. Rick just throws a bunch of Asian flavors into a bowl and soaks the tofu in it for a couple of minutes before cooking the tofu to a golden brown color (yum). I do apologize for not giving thorough advice here but all I got to say is make a marinade that suits your desired flavor for the recipe, whether it's sweet, sour, salty, or all of the above. Take for instance tonight's meal: Rick used a combination of brown sugar, hoisin, soy sauce, lime juice, and sesame oil, in no order whatsoever. If it tastes great, then you have a marinade. Make sure you can coat the tofu in it well.

Then it's time to cook it all! Want to know some good news? Rick bought me a much-needed wok for our anniversary! (You can hear about my troubles about not using one by clicking here!) I'm so glad and thankful because dinner was so much easier to cook than usual. I usually cook the veggies and tofu separately, which adds more time and dishes to wash, but we ended up throwing and cooking everything in the wok. So easy. I totally recommend it. However, cooking the stir-fry ultimately depends on you and how you want the texture to come out. =)

Finally, serve it with noodles or rice. Because I'm a health nerd I almost always choose brown rice for stir-fry. However, whether or not money is an issue, cheap ramen noodles do the trick, as well. Cook the rice or noodles separately and then you may add them to the wok along with the veggies and tofu, if you'd like.

So there you have it! Yes, apologies for not being entirely specific but making your own stir-fry is a very creative and fun project. In fact, cooking in general is a project of some sort, which is probably why I love it so much.

To (finally!) end my post, I want to say cheers to the magical nostalgia of stir-fry.

PS: If you read through this entire post, then congratulations: you're awesome. ^_^

Tofurky Feast / Candied Yams

Staff appreciation day! It was like an early Thanksgiving but with coworkers. It was actually quite nice. I woke up at around 8:30 in the morning today and looked outside to see a white sky (literally). I was so thankful to know that my aged oven will be on all morning, heating up not only food but our cold home. Woot.
Like I mentioned in my last post, Rick and I was given a free Tofurky roast to cook and bring in today for the staff. Unlike last year, where I forgot to thaw the roast overnight, I was prepared for a good two and a half hours of cooking! Here is how the roast came out:

This baby took an hour and a half to cook. As you can see, I cut up some carrots and potatoes along with it and I basted the roast with the savory sauce that is mentioned on the Tofurky box (wonder how the sweet version is like...).

I also cooked up some yummy candied yams on the side (recipe from VegNews):

Vitamin A!!! (I'm surprised my skin isn't turning orange yet...)

The recipe I got it from is titled "Candied Sweet Potatoes." Honestly, I really don't care what these are called. I also will probably never know the true difference between sweet potatoes and yams and why they are used so interchangeably. In fact, I saw a can of "pureed sweet potatoes" and on the front was a picture of a yam! Oh, the confusion! Oh, well. All I care about is if it's yummy because if it is, then it's a friend of mine. ^_^

This recipe calls for maple syrup but since I do not have that sweetener at the moment, I used maple-flavored agave syrup from Wholesome Sweeteners. I also used soy-free Earth Balance butter in place of margarine. Here is the estimated nutritional info for these yams (one serving is an eighth of the recipe):

Calories: 132
Fat: 3g
Carbs: 33g
Protein: 1g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 9g

So, all in all, I had a lovely time noming holiday goodies with Rick and my coworkers. A few took a bite of the Tofurky roast while others tip-toed away from it. No offense taken. =) Take a look at the vegan area of the tables:

By the way, have you tried Amy's organic chocolate cake? It comes with the Tofurky roast and is ridiculously good. I chomped it down with stevia-sweetened hazelnut coffee.

So, yep! Delicious holiday lunch. Wonder what I should cook for actual Thanksgiving day..!

Chana Masala

Ladies and gentlemen... I just want to say that I'm vegan and I like garbanzo beans over soy beans!
Being vegan is definitely not about bland tofu for protein, I assure you. For instance, soaking garbanzo beans overnight in our household usually means a protein-loaded Indian meal for lunch or dinner, like so:

Cumin power!

Yes, I had to do Indian food again. I had to do chana masala again. It's just way too delicious! My main reason why I love garbanzo beans is because they're like little potatoes except healthier, lower in glycemic level, and brimming with protein and fiber. On top of that, we had brown basmati rice on the side which added even more healthy nutrition.

All set to go to work with us. =)

You see the little green MDH box that says Chana on it? I bought it at an Indian store (it's so fragrant in there!) and it lasts me for quite a while. There are also directions for chana masala in the back of the box, which is how I get to share the recipe here. However, no matter what I do, I can almost never get the dish to be saucy even though I follow the recipe thoroughly. Today I used wheat flour to thicken it up a bit, which worked but I also refused to add as much water as directed because it often leaves the final product watered down and less spicy. For this reason, and a few others, I will share with you the way I make homemade chana masala. You may need to visit an Asian/Indian market for the chana and garam masala mixes:

serves 2-4 (depends on how hungry you are!)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon chana masala mix

1/2 teaspoon salt, if desired

1 can, or about 1.5 cups, of garbanzo beans (if using soaked, make sure they were soaked overnight!)

about 1/2 cup water (you may need more depending on how firm the beans are)

dash of garam masala, optional

In a large saucepan, heat up the olive oil on medium-high heat.

Add chopped onion and stir until golden brown. Add tomatoes and stir.

Stir in the chana masala mix, salt, and garbanzo beans. Stir for about 5 minutes.

Add water (if the beans are firm, you may need to add more until they are covered)

Bring to a boil and then simmer and cover for about 20 minutes, checking every 5 minutes to check if you might need to add more water.

When done, serve with brown basmati rice for a hearty, delicious meal. Sprinkle with garam masala for a spicier flavor.

Yum. You cannot go wrong with Indian food. Now I just need to make my own veggie samosas!

To end this post, I just want to say that tomorrow my work is hosting a staff appreciation lunch and they chose me and Rick to make and bring in a tofurky roast for everyone! In other words, they gave us a free tofurky roast. Honestly, I don't mind if they don't like it because I will gladly bring leftovers back home. *wink* For the side, we will make candied yams, which I will need to find a recipe for. Sounds like fun.

I will be updating tomorrow!

Tandoor / Vanilla Thumbprints

Lazy day today.
We went out to eat Indian food at a tiny shop called Tandoor. First walk in the restaurant and my nostrils were smiling! I love Indian food. Rick and I ordered the same thing except he chose the spiciest level they serve:

Chana masala + Jasmine rice + naan bread + lentil soup + small veggie samosas + mint chutney = heaven (and a well-deserved food coma).
It was quite cheap there, too! The chana masala was amazing and our table was steaming of authentic spices and flavors. Worth every calorie. Also, there was a huge sign on the wall that stated every Sunday is open buffet for less than $10 a person. Nice.
Of course, I cannot give you the recipe for our lunch menu but, aside from portion size, I can say the beans and lentils made it a healthy, fiber-loaded meal. I was full for hours afterwards! What I also can give you is the recipe and source for these cuties:

Jam-filled vanilla thumbprint cookies!

For our own good, I halved the recipe (I don't care what you say, Rick!) and used my favorite blueberry spread to fill the cookies. They came out crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and all-around yummy. Can you guess what my favorite part was? =)

Here is the full recipe:

makes 18 cookies

1/2 cup canola oil

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup soymilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cups flour (I used whole wheat)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3-4 tablespoons jam, your choice

They were all gone within an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix the oil, sugar, soy milk, and extract.

Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt and stir until completely mixed. Add a bit more flour if the dough looks wet.

Shape into tablespoon-sized balls and place on a lightly oiled or parchment-lined baking sheet (do not flatten) and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and, using your thumb, press into each cookie, making a thumbprint. Put about 1/2 teaspoon jam on each cookie. Return to the oven and bake for 3 more minutes.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool and enjoy!

I got the recipe from The Vegan Cookie Connoisseur by Kelly Peloza. Kelly is a creative genius. Every single cookie I baked from this book came out perfect and delicious. I recommend it. *wink*

Time for yoga and 3DS gaming.

Skinny Snickerdoodles

All righty then.
So I did yoga, drank green tea, and made cookies, just like I said I will. I texted Rick to ask what type of cookies he'd like to stuff his face with when he gets home and this is what he chose:

Sounds good to me. ^_^

I got this lovely snickerdoodle recipe from one of my favorite vegan bloggers, Katie. She makes and posts all kinds of healthy and delicious vegan goodies on her blog, including yummy desserts, dips, and shakes. I love snickerdoodles and cookies of all sorts and I noticed this recipe on her site a couple of days ago. Tonight was sugar rush night!

I made the cookies with freshly ground whole wheat flour and turbinado sugar. Also, I baked them for 12 minutes after cooling them in my fridge for about 10 minutes. Click here for the recipe.

The room was covered in an invisible cloud of sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla - all the staples of a typical snickerdoodle cookie. YUM. After taking these cuties out of the oven and letting them cool for a bit, I swear I ate almost half of the recipe. The cookies were crisp, buttery, cinnamony, vanilla-y, and soft in each and every nom. See the picture? About half of the poor cookies didn't make it alive.

Nutrition Facts per Cookie
(if you make 23 cookies)

Calories: 41
Fat: 2g
Carbs: 5.2g
Protein: 0.4g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugar: 2.2g
 

(The info is accurate if you use unsweetened almond milk and whole wheat pastry flour.)
The cookies were swimming in a biological pond of Silk Mint Chocolate in my tummy:

Oh, of all the wonders of Silk holiday flavors, I think this one is my newfound favorite. Silk Pumpkin Spice is staring jealously at Silk Mint Chocolate in my fridge. Don't hate, you two. You guys only meet once a year, for God's sake. And you're both creamy and delicious, so shut it.
Anyway, I think the sugar rush is kicking in. I better click 'Publish Post' before I get too silly.

Drunken Spaghetti with Tofu

Before I get into today's recipe review, I just want to say that this morning I made my blueberry walnut oatmeal again but this time I used Crocker's Simply Fruit Spread in Wild Blueberry to sweeten it. Why, oh why didn't I think of this earlier?! It was crazy delicious! Unless extra calories is an issue, I suggest trying it instead of Stevia. I love blueberries (as if you didn't know already).

So now onto today's recipe. It's another one from 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson, and all I have to say is this: Rick and I totally need to buy a wok. I have a bad habit of not reading through recipe directions before I decide to cook something and today, well, I paid for it. All we had was a medium skillet. Challenge accepted.
The outcome? The dish came out pretty well except the distribution of cooking oils was quite problematic so Rick and I decided to add more soy sauce and oil to the recipe (aka, more sodium and calories!). Poor Rick kept asking me if there was a sauce to this dish. Sorry, babe. Forgive me and my non-recipe-reading ways.

I liked it though and I accept the fact that my kitchen is not yet a home for an awesome wok. *tear* I thought that, although Rick and I are used to heavy sauces in Asian cuisine, this noodle dish made a delicious and healthy change! It was also good enough that Rick took some to work with him. =)
Here is the recipe:

makes four servings

12 ounces spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon light brown sugar (I used turbinado)
8 ounces extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed
2 tablespoons canola or grapeseed oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup snow peas, trimmed
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup fresh Thai basil leaves (you can use regular basil; I bought a small bunch at an Asian market)

1. In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the spaghetti over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, if using, and sugar. Mix well, then pour onto the reserved spaghetti, tossing to coat. Set aside.
2. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch strips. In a large skillet or wok, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the tofu and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. Return the skillet to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add the onion, bell pepper, snow peas, garlic, and crushed red pepper. Stir-fry until the vegetables are just tender, about  minutes. Add the cooked spaghetti and sauce mixture, the cooked tofu, and the basil and stir-fry until hot, about 4 minutes.

Nutritional info for one serving
Calories: 307
Fat: 12.7
Carbs: 33.7
Protein: 16.2

The Thai basil is so fragrant and it made the whole room smell amazing! We ate our quick lunch with vegan egg rolls (buy them at Costco!) and hoisin sauce. Good stuff.
Now, I'm in the mood for yoga and, afterwards, tea and cookies. Let's go. =)

Blueberry Walnut Oatmeal/Jamaican Red Bean Stew

It's so cold today. I'd move my precious Presto HeatDish closer to me but I can't find a closer wall outlet. Oh well. At least my tummy is warm with oatmeal and green tea.
I had this for breakfast:

And like I had mentioned before in my other post (Waffles), I get wild when it comes to blueberries. I didn't like them before but I finally ditched zombie "blueberry" muffins and got in with the health wagon (about five years ago!). Blueberries are high in antioxidants and are shown to help support good memory.
I don't think I need to list and bullet directions in how to make this recipe, since it's so easy. All I did was take 1/2 cup of oats, 1/3 cup frozen blueberries, and 1/4 cup of crushed walnuts and cooked them in water (amount varies on how thick or thin you want the oatmeal to be). It took about five minutes to cook. And then I made my cute heart bowl its home and sprinkled ground flaxseeds on top.

 By the way, walnuts and flaxseeds are high in omegas, healthy fats that we vegans need. *wink* Also, I understand if this breakfast might be bland to some, since many cereals are chock full of added sugars, but this makes a healthy, low-glycemic, and filling breakfast. Stevia may be used to sweeten it, if desired.

So what did I have for dinner last night, you ask? Well, if you must know, Rick and I devoured this:

Jamaican Red Bean Stew from 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. It was crazy good. According to the Nutrition and Exercise Manager by CalorieKing, this recipe is ridiculously high in fiber, protein, and (without a doubt) vitamin A. My eyes are happy with me. ^_^
Since the recipe is not found online, I'm just going to type it all down for you:

Makes 4 servings (not for my small stomach!)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 large carrots, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/4 crushed red pepper
3 cups cooked or 2 (15.5-ounce) cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
1 teaspoon hot or mild curry powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup water
1 (13.5-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots, cover, and cook until softened, 5 minutes.
2. Add the garlic, sweet potato, and crushed red pepper. Stir in the kidney beans, tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, allspice, salt, and black pepper.
3.Stir in the water, cover, and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes to blend flavors and thicken the sauce. If a thicker sauce is desired, puree some of the vegetables with an immersion blender. Serve immediately.

There you have it! By the way, I did not puree some of the veggies because I wanted more of a stew than a soup. I'm sure it's delicious either way though. The coconut milk really made the recipe!
Here is the nutritional facts for a serving (1/4 recipe, although I think even that is still a lot of food for one serving):

Calories - 524
Fat - 22.2g
Carbs - 58.8g
Protein - 16.8g

Let me clarify once again that the recipe makes a HUGE vat of food. Although the stats above represent one serving I usually half a serving for myself because then I'll experience a major food coma. Also, coconut milk is high in dietary fat but the fat is composed of medium-chain fatty acids, which means the fat is readily used in the body as energy, almost like how the body uses carbohydrates as its main fuel source. Coconut is used by athletes and bodybuilders alike for that reason, among the list of coconut's many health benefits. Finally, the only way one would gain weight is if energy input is higher than energy output! *whew!*
Anyway, I really hope the dietician side of me helps clear out some anxiety there. It's very important to understand that variety and balance is the key to good health in every diet. You don't want your body to only function on minimal amounts of nutrients.
To end this lengthy post, I suggest you try the recipe because it's to die for. I'm going to have some leftovers for lunch!

Mac and Cheeze

"This is bomb," Rick mumbled.

Oh, yes it was. It was... We ate every delicious calorie of this genius recipe. And VeganYumYum is to take the thankful blame. You can get the recipe by clicking here.
I made it with whole wheat flour instead of white, unsweetened original almondmilk from Almond Breeze instead of soy, red miso instead of sweet/white/mellow, and ketchup instead of tomato paste (hey, it worked!). For the pasta, I used tricolor shells from Eden Organics to give it that unique, non-traditional look. After baking the pasta and sauce together for about 20 minutes, I just had to take a picture:

It was like a pool of delicious, boiling hot goodness. I want in.

Below are the nutrition facts for this recipe. Since the recipe yields a small amount of food, you may want to consider either sharing or making this dish an occasional treat (look at those numbers!).

Nutrition Facts per Serving
(if serving three)

Calories: 493
Fat: 24g
Carbs: 53g
Protein: 16g
Fiber: 5g

Rick, sorry for not being able to take some of this to work with you. I think you're going to have to buy a tofu salad in the deli or something... Now go move boxes and work all those calories off because I'll be doing the same. I'm planning on yoga and DDR (and I will do it because I typed it down on here!). Woot!

Flatout Pizza

All right, I promised!

If you're not familiar with Flatout bread then I highly suggest you get hooked on them. They are high in fiber and great for low-carb diets. You can also create many recipes with it. For instance, I use it for peanut butter banana wraps with agave for breakfast, veggie wraps for lunch, chips and hummus for snacks, and, of course, pizza!

Finally a whole pizza that I can eat without feeling guilty. *wink*
Here is the recipe:


serves one

olive oil/cooking oil spray
1 Flatout bread (I used whole wheat)
about 1/3 cup mozzarella Daiya cheese, or more (I used cheddar because I think it tastes better)
toppings of your choice (apparently I used pineapple!)
dashes of Italian seasoning
Sriracha sauce, optional (Rick's idea, no surprise)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the Flatout bread on a cooking sheet. Spread/Spray a thin layer of cooking oil on the top side of the Flatout bread. Sprinkle on cheese, add toppings, and dash some Italian seasoning on top. Bake the pizza for about 10-12 minutes (you don't want the bread to burn so check at ten minutes). Cool. Serve with Sriracha, if desired.


Very easy and delicious. I finished off my lunch meal with pumpkin pie (I told you I'd make it again!):

Yes, unfortunately I still ended up with the pumpkin pie cracking on the top. But still, it was amazing and that's all I really care about! I think I'm going to treat myself to a second slice...

Sipz Legendary "Chicken" Salad/Spaghetti

Okay, so I did not make anything fancy today but Rick and I did go out for lunch at Sipz Vegetarian Fusion Cafe (yummy vegan food if you are craving Asian). It was happy hour and selected entrees are only $5 so I decided to order this:

They call it their legendary "chicken" salad. They sure are true to their word since I order it almost every time Rick and I go there for happy hour!
The salad consists of "chicken" (wheat gluten), red and green cabbage shreds, and sprinkles of roasted almonds all served on a bed of crunchy romaine lettuce. The dressing is sweet and savory and I think it really serves as the glue to the meal (see, I usually skip dressing but I can't resist this one). Delicious.
Rick usually orders the spicy "chicken" Pad Thai on 7 spiciness, also an excellent dish. Take a gander, will ya? =)

Spicy rice noodles with chopped onion, "chicken", bean sprouts, and crushed peanuts with a side of lime. It's very tempting and I always nag Rick to share some of the dish with me (no, I can NOT finish this entree without experiencing a major food coma afterwards).
As a treat, Rick decided that I try some Vietnamese coffee. There's a difference? Really?

Ah, yes. Absolutely. Even though I blame Rick for getting me into coffee (I'm cheating on tea!) I thought this brew was so interesting! It was like drinking a light latte but experiencing that intense extra dark chocolate aftertaste. No, I do not mean that in a bad way. It was overall a good coffee experience but I probably won't be buying it again... kind of pricy!

 *burp*

Apparently, I have no recipe listings for the above goodies (unless I get a job at Sipz and steal their epic recipes!) but I do have a simple recipe for my dinner meal:

Yep. Very simple. You can never go wrong with spaghetti. Here is what I did, even though it's nothing too fancy or new:

serves about 3-4

about 8 cups of water
1 half package of whole wheat spaghetti pasta
can of pasta sauce (I used good ol' tomato basil)
package of Boca crumbles
mozzarella Daiya cheese (optional)
various vegetables of your choosing, steamed
dash of salt

Pour about eight cups of water into a large pot and add a dash or two of salt. Boil spaghetti in water for about 8-10 minutes.
In a medium saucepan, simmer pasta sauce. After the sauce begins to bubble, add Boca crumbles. Stir. Simmer for about five minutes.
Remove the cooked pasta from heat. Drain and rinse.
After the pasta sauce is done, add the sauce to the pasta and stir until well-coated.
Sprinkle Daiya cheese on top of dish, if desired.
Add steamed vegetables as a side.

Easy! I probably didn't have to share that at all! As you can see, I did not add mozzarella Daiya cheese but I did use my cheddar Daiya cheese for a small side pizza that I baked with Flatout bread rolls (so yummy!). Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of the pizza, so I owe you all a future post and recipe guide about it. I swear.... Pinky swear.

Time to get some much needed bed rest. Goodnight all. =)