We tried this recipe last night. Some of the comments are helpful and interesting, too.
Over coconut ice cream (not the mouth feel of the real deal, but works when you've got a wicked bad ice cream craving - kind of fudgsicle texture). We used Almond Milk though. It was a nice treat. Creamy. Decadent.
Rob shared that now that he's kicked his final bits of plague he's feeling terrific on his new no-animal lifestyle. However, he is looking forward to the kick-off of the Flexitarian part of the experiment. In other words, he is planning for his reentry into eating occasional meat dishes. Told the people he was talking to that he had his first meat meal planned out in his mind. Hmmm. Wonder what it will be. I also wonder if it won't have some kick-him-in-the-head negatives. This stands to be seen.
The TJ's pizza crust was okay. I like Naan as pizza crust way better. So I'm going to have to perfect that Vegan Naan recipe so we can do that.
Day 13 delivered a fabulous dinner of Kamut pasta (delicious, didn't taste or feel whole grain. And it's an ancient grain with high protein), the marinara sauce I posted yesterday, topped with sauteed mushrooms, spinach and zucchini. Garlic bread (a dribble of Olive Oil, a smear of Earth Balance and Garlic in whichever format you prefer spread over lengthwise split Italian bread and broiled.) Tasty salads. Yum.
We made enough sauteed veggies for pizza tomorrow, too, and with the leftover sauce, pizza will be easy breezy. We are going to try the Trader Joe's $.99 whole wheat pizza crust. I made a bunch of "meat" balls last week that aren't quite ready to share with you. But decent enough for tonight's pasta and tomorrow's pizza. (It is my goal, over the next couple of weeks, to tweak/create/find the perfect "meat"loaf recipe that works as burgers and "meat"balls, too.
We've found a cheese we really like, too. Dayia. It doesn't taste amazing just out of the bag, but it melts well and tastes good. Not cheap, about $5 for 8 ounces. But we use less and get the taste and feel of cheese, not a thick, melty layer. (If you put this on your list, know that you need to use it once you open it. Within days. We open it and place it in 1/2 cup portions in small bags and freeze it.
This adventure is turning out to be less painful and more pleasant than I expected. I really thought I would feel very, very deprived. We are training our taste buds. Some training is not so pleasant....I guess it's a lot like Jillian Michaels' Shred at 5:30 in the morning. So good to know I'm making that choice to do something great for myself but i sure don't like it. But. The thrill of mastering a move, or having done the workout bright and early thereby starting my day off right feels fine. And knowing that the food choices that we are making are good for our bodies is kind of the same. And finding a recipe or item that tastes great is a yippee moment.
I don't have a lot of exciting things to report on Day 12. I'm working out plot details in my sleep. Trying to think like my character. That's a good thing.
My do-it-yourself water kefir kit seems to have worked. I found a website that said I could train milk kefir grains to adapt to water/sugar so I could make my own sugar-free "soda". I'm on my second batch and the first one was tolerable...took awhile...thought I killed the grains but I think I'm cooking with gas now. Literally. : )
I saw a tree full of hawks? Vultures? on my way to work yesterday. Something creepy about multiple carrion eating, massive birds in a tree, especially a tree hovering right over a day care center. Shudder.
Dinner was so-so last night. Used up some leftovers. But here's an easy and light but tasty spaghetti sauce that is getting raves.
Marinara Sauce
1 Large can chopped tomatoes (not huge as in Sam's/Costco sized but like the 20-28 ounceish size)
1 Tomato paste (small can)
Dump into crock pot. Add 1 and 1/2 Tomato Paste cans of HOT water (and stir to get all the tomato out).
Add 1 and 1/2 tsps (approx) Italian Seasoning
1 teaspoon (approx) Granulated Garlic (or powder or 2 0r 3 minced cloves)
On low for 4 or more hours to let the flavors marry. Even better if put together the night before. I added the basil to the one that got the raves.
Additions. Chopped Black and Green olives. Fresh Basil. Chopped Garlic. Mushrooms, green or red peppers.
I have had a few questions about Veganism directed toward me. I'm stewing those thoughts, too. And will comment later when something forms.
Lots of activity over the weekend. Lots of food trials and errors and a few successes like Asian night and "meat"balls. Another coconut kefir lover won over. (Remember, kefir is the less scary, and much more socially acceptable first cousin to THE MOTHER of all teas.)
A birthday party with veggies and fruit and that made the fudgy cake not so difficult to pass up.
And a family party where these cookies drew raves and requests for the recipe and disappeared like ice cubes spilled on a parking lot on a 98 degree day. Of course, as pointed out, these cookies are in no way "diet" cookies. Good thing this Vegan adventure is not about counting calories.
Orange Cranberry Pecan Coconut Cookies
1 Cup Coconut Oil
1/2 Cup Sugar
Zest of one small orange. (zest before juicing)
Juice of one small orange
1 Cup chopped nuts of choice
2 and 1/4 Cups flour (I used King Arthur, unbleached and Oat flour blend)
1/2 to 3/4 Cup of dried cranberries
Set oven to 350. Blend coconut oil and sugar until mixed. Add zest and juice. Mix. Add flour, stir. Add nuts and cranberries. Roll into small balls, or use small cookie scoop. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in 350 oven for 11 minutes. These are really fragile when they come out of the oven. Loosen and let sit on the cookie sheet for a few minutes. Then place on rack or plate, let cool and then store them in the fridge.
Dinner was SUPER delicious last night. Way better than the picture.
The details...
Mushroom Onion Scrambled Tofu
1 Pkge firm or extra firm Tofu, drained, and patted dry. 12 to 14 ish ounces.
1 Onion chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz of sliced mushrooms (approx)
1/2 Cup chopped frozen or fresh red, green, yellow, or combination of all of them, peppers
2 - 3 TBSP sundried tomatoes
1 tsp onion or garlic powder (or use onion or garlic salt and skip the salt below).
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp tumeric (this is for the color...if you don't have tumeric you could use curry)
In a large frying pan or on a griddle, place a dollop of olive or canola oil. Heat and add the onions, garlic, peppers. When they begin to shrink, toss in the mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes. When mushrooms cook down a bit, slide the veggies to one side of the pan. Lay the tofu in the pan. Sprinkle it with the tumeric, salt, garlic or onion powder (or garlic or onion salt, skip the salt). Begin "chopping" the tofu and the spices into it, thoroughly working the yellow throughout the tofu.
That's it. You can either keep the veggies to the side or mix it all in together.
The Blueberry Lemon Waffles are AMAZING, too. Here's the link.
We made the following changes.
For the dry ingredients we used a Vegan pancake mix. (2 cups)
The wet ingredients were only 2/3 Cup of plain non-dairy yogurt (couldn't find blueberry).
1 1/3 cup almond milk,
No water, no oil.
SUPER fabulous.
Okay meatloaf fans. Here's the scoop.
I looked at seven different "meat"loaf recipes. There was something I didn't like in each of them so I combined the best each had to offer in measurements that seemed to be consistent. Here's what I came up with. And the parenthesis will be things I'll be changing in my next batch and why.
"Meat"loaf
1 Cup Black Beans (or half a can, mostly drained)
1/2 Cup Mushrooms
1 Carrot. (Next Time: I will chop the tip off and dice in tiny bits, then toss the remainder in the processor)
3 Garlic Cloves (Next Time: 4)
1 Cup Brown Rice (also Next Time, I will add an additional 1/3 cup rice)
1 tsp soy sauce or Bragg's Liquid Aminos (Next Time: 2 tsp)
1 TBSP Lemon Juice
1/3 tsp dried celery
1/2 tsp salt (Next Time 1 tsp)
3 TBSP chopped onion (Next Time: 4 TBSP)
2 TBSP ground flax seed, in 1 cup of water, let sit for 10 minutes. (Next Time I will use 1 Cup of salsa or 1 Cup of pasta sauce).(This is a binder and replaces eggs)
2 TBSP of sun dried tomatoes (Next Time: 3 TBSP or Kalamata olives).
1/4 Cup favorite nuts
Blend in a blender or food processor but not too much. A few whirs will do.
Add 1 tsp dried parsley (Next Time Cilantro if using salsa, or Italian seasoning if I use pasta sauce.)
Add the additional 1/3 cup rice
And 1 Cup Old-Fashioned oatmeal (1/4 additional Oatmeal)
And add the carrot bits.
Grease a loaf pan. Place the contents in the pan. Bake at 350 for approx 45 minutes.
The texture of my trial loaf was a little too blended. I think the additional rice, oatmeal and carrot bits, and a lighter blending touch will help.
The taste was pretty bland. Goodish, but bland. So I will increase the flavor quotient. It was pretty easy. Lots of ingredients. But once I am satisfied with the results it will be easier to throw together.
And, Kim, I so didn't take any comments of yours as snarky. I know I tend toward crazy. And this is the new crazy trip we have embarked upon. Glad you are enjoying the ride. And who knows, you may develop a hankering for Booger Tea. wink. wink.
Day 6 into my 21 Day Project. Writing/Editing every day on my co-written mystery. So far I've written three scenes and have edited each of them. I've also thought ahead a bit about what will be happening to bring the skeletal plot to life. I've been reading the first several chapters out loud, looking for glaring issues.
I can't say I'm having "fun" with this. I'm enjoying parts of it. I like putting my thoughts down in coherent word pictures that are supposed to evoke some sense or other. And when something I've written survives multiple edits and still makes me see, hear, smell or taste what I was describing...well, that's pretty cool. Especially since the co-writer is a ruthless editor. She loves to murder darlings. Lives for it, actually. : )
Day 6 Vegan = will usher in my first attempt at Vegan meatloaf. I'm not a meatloaf fan. So this could be interesting. I think I don't like it because I've chomped into things that I've not been able to chew and had to hide in my napkin. Oh, and the ketchup frosting always gives me pause. However, I'm thinking a bean/mushroom/nut/oat meatloaf might be delicious. I'll let you know.
