7 layers of heaven

I made a miniature 7 layer dip inspired by a recipe in The Kind Diet (I'm not sure mine actually had seven full layers...). This was supposed to be my dinner one night since I made about a quarter of the actual recipe. I ate this for FOUR meals! So you can imagine how big of a crowd the full recipe would feed!

I won't quote the entire recipe here, but 7 layer dip is pretty standard and made several changes to the recipe so I'll describe what you see in the pics.

This is a side view before I baked it. In a small Pyrex bowl I layered black refried beans, fresh avocado mixed with key lime juice, Tofutti sour cream mixed with a couple tablespoons of Bearitos Taco Seasoning, and Nacho Teese. I then baked it for a while until everything was hot throughout.

Then I added a layer of salsa, kind of in a heart shape...

Lastly, and I consider this a layer :), I ate it up with Have'a Corn chips- my favorite corn chips with a hint of soy sauce and lime.

I ate until I was full and there was so much left over. The next meal I crisped up an Ezekiel tortilla and cut it into wedges, the next meal I ate it cold with a toasted whole wheat tortilla and then just a spoon!

This was my first experience with Teese. I liked it okay. It has a slightly strange tang to it, and I think the dip would be just as good without it. The spiced-up sour cream gives it enough 'cheesyness' on its own. But it was still YUMMY and satisfied many cravings!

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa

I made something that I think might be my new favorite thing to eat, ever!

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa!

I mixed about 1/2-3/4 cup pumpkin puree with a tablespoon of brown rice syrup, about a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and about a 1/4 cup unsweetened soymilk. This alone would make an awesome sweet pumpkin soup/pudding snack or dessert. But to ramp up the filling-ness and nutrition factor- I poured it over cooked quinoa for breakfast.

As I was preparing it the night before I had to force myself to stop eating the pumpkin mixture so there would be something leftover for breakfast! I am such a fan of anything pumpkin and have been really craving it lately. Fall will do that to ya, right? This would be good over any cooked grain you like.

First Meal from The Kind Life- Success!

The other night I tried my hand at a recipe from Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Life. I made the Ginger Zucchini Pasta. It was so simple, clean, and awesome! It has an Asian-y taste because of the Shoyu and ginger. The recipe makes two servings so it was perfect for dinner and then breakfast the next morning. I will definitely be adding this to my regular weeknight rotation.

It isn't super colorful since it is primarily whole wheat pasta, tofu and zucchini, but it is colorful in your mouth! The next time I make it I will probably have a side of veggies or a salad, for more color, but as a quick, healthy, filling meal- it is a hit!

Grrrrrrrains!

I’m getting busy with the whole grains!

Quinoa with apples, agave, spices and soy milk- where have you been all my life?

I had some cooked quinoa in the freezer (it held up quite well) that I wanted to use up. I also wanted something quick to put together last night to take with me to work this morning for breakfast. So I put about 1 cup of quinoa in a pyrex bowl, added a giant chopped Jonagold apple, about a ½ cup unsweetened soy milk, about 3 Tbsp Agave syrup ( I went a little crazy with this on accident- but it was nice and sweet!), and some ground cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. When I got to work this morning I heated it in the microwave and the apples got nice and soft. It was seriously good!

 you can always click on the photos to see a close up

For lunch I got inspired by The Kind Diet’s ‘Clean Mean Burritos’. I had some simple black bean soup leftover from lunch a couple days ago, so I strained a ½ cup of the beans, added a ½ cup brown rice, and then some chopped veggies- romaine, jicama, red pepper, radish sprouts. I drizzled all of this with some of my sesame vinaigrette and wrapped it up in a warmed Ezekiel tortilla. Hearty, filling, yum. I don’t know if I could ever get tired of rice and beans and their infinite possibilities!

 The beans are there in the middle and the rice is at the bottom.

Veggie Pot Pie- I love you.

For dinner a few nights ago I made a veggie pot pie. The temperature outside is just barely getting a slight chill in the air here in South-Central California, but it feels autumn-y and I’m workin’ it. Pot pie is autumn comfort food at its best, right? I took a traditional chicken pot pie recipe and adapted it to be a little healthier and, of course, chicken-free. I used Smart Balance Light to make the crust, but only as much as seemed necessary and I used whole wheat pastry flour. I also only put a crust on top- even though I REALLY LOVE a double crust pot pie… *sigh*.

the crust is 'rustic' :)

For the veggies I used the traditional carrots, celery, onion and peas. I had it for dinner and then breakfast the next morning. It made an awesome breakfast!

I really enjoy eating dinner-type foods for breakfast. They seem to fill me up and satisfy me better and for longer than 'breakfast' foods. I'm going to continue to work with this recipe to make it even healthier but still 'comfort-food-ish'.

Usin' up the leftovers and last bits!

Seriously delicious food day today. My meals today were a combination of food inspired by The Kind Diet (lots of whole grains, veggies, non-processed foods) and leftovers (which is also very 'kind diet-ish' as Alicia advocates using up everything and getting creative with leftovers!).

I started my morning with some oolong tea. Coffee just sounded icky to me today. But the oolong has just enough caffeine since it is a mixture of green and black teas.

For breakfast I had brown rice and a mashed sweet potato. I put a tiny bit of Earth Balance and cinnamon on the potato. I cooked the rice using the 'excess water' method, where you cook it like pasta and drain when it's done. Turned out awesome and it only took 30 minutes instead of 45! I added a tiny bit of soy milk to the rice and kind of mixed the two as I ate. This was so delicious! I also had a cup of Morning Thunder tea after breakfast. This had a good amount of caffeine and I still wasn't ready for any coffee. It was also my last bag of Morning Thunder.

For lunch I had a sandwich with the last of the mock tuna salad I made last week on Ezekiel bread, and a yummy salad of romaine, purple cabbage, jicama, red bell pepper, radish sprouts and zucchini, with a sesame vinagrette I whipped up last night (olive oil, sesame oil, rice vinegar, dijon, agave, salt).

I didn't eat all the salad and later I got hungry and used the leftovers to make a wrap with an Ezekiel tortilla as my afternoon snack. I had a third cup of tea this afternoon- Tummy Mint. (keeping with the theme, it was my last bag of Tummy Mint, too.)

not wrapped up yet

wrapped up 

After hitting the gym for some light cardio and a stint in the sauna (still 'detoxing' :)), and to bring the day to a close, I had the last of the Pumpkin Pasta from last week (cannot wait to make it again!!) with some cubed extra firm tofu and cubed zucchini thrown in. I added these items at the last minute so they would heat through, but so that the zucchini would stay mostly raw and crunchy. Yowza- it is still sooooo good!

 there is a hunk of ginger root in the background... 

I think I have finally fully recovered from my rowdy weekend!

Everything I ate today!

Well Vegan MOFO is over and I did- eh- ok for my first time and without any planning, I guess. I definitely slacked off there at the last half of the month, but it wasn’t because I didn’t want to post or was too lazy. I was busy and due to the busy-ness, I just wasn’t making blog-worthy meals. Anyway, on to something new…

Since I log my food daily for Weight Watchers, I figured I could blog about it too. This way I can have a visual record of what I’m eating- and really see how balanced (or not so much) my diet is. What seems to be working, what leaves me hungry or tired, etc.

Yesterday I busted out and dusted off my grandmother’s old Champion Juicer (thanks, Grandma!). I made some carrot/apple/cucumber/key lime juice and it made me feel so vibrant and healthy! With the time change I was able to get up early enough this morning to make myself a nice glass- I added in some celery, too.

I juiced:

3 small carrots

1 large celery stalk

1 large cucumber

1 large jonagold apple

2 key limes

It made about 18 oz of juice- and about 2 WW ‘points’. A really yummy way to start off the day. I sipped this all morning- while I was getting ready for work and then on my drive to work and then finished it up at my desk.

I waited about an hour or so and then made myself a pot of coffee- when I say ‘pot’ I mean a tiny French press which makes enough for one mug. (I drink organic dark Sumatra- my all-time favorite!) I drank this with a splash of unsweetened soymilk, sometimes I use Silk Creamer- Original flavor. Along with my coffee I had a bowl of steel cut oats (I make a double batch the night before since it takes 30 minutes to cook) with soymilk. This was satisfying and filling for another couple hours.

Around 10 o’clock I had some jicama slices and fat free spicy black bean dip. This was so delish it was worth the effort of peeling and cutting the tough outside of the jicama yesterday. I sliced it up and now I have easy snacks for the rest of the week.

I ate lunch at noon-ish. I made something I’ve wanted to make since my veg conversion- Mock Tuna Salad. I made the recipe from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch which calls for grated parsnip and then some other typical tuna salad ingredients (celery, onion, sweet relish). While it is slightly reminiscent of tuna salad, it is absolutely delicious! I used just enough reduced-fat Vegenaise to hold it together. Spread onto two slices of Ezekiel bread it is a hearty lunch! (I have to admit that I ate it with a few potato chips- I just love a sammy and chips lunch- reminds me of childhood) Alongside, I enjoyed a nice navel orange.

By 3 o’clock I’m always ready for a snack so today I had half of a Sweet & Sara Peanut Butter S’more and another cup of coffee. I don’t often drink a second cup of coffee- but I’m babysitting a 6 year old and a 3 month old this evening… so I have a good excuse.

Dinner was one of my go-to and favorite stir fries. Szechuan tofu with sweet potatoes. I peel and cube a medium sweet potato and then partially cook it in the microwave (if I’m pressed for time- which is usually). Meanwhile I cook minced onion and garlic in a bit of cooking spray. When the onion is translucent I add the potatoes, then I add other fresh veggies- red or gold bell peppers, carrots, zucchini, cabbage, whatever is on hand. Finally, I toss in a serving of Pete’s Soyganic Szechuan tofu (sometimes I use the teriyaki variety, sometimes I use plain tofu, but the Pete’s has just enough sauce to flavor everything and it is so easy). I add a dash of salt to taste and voila. I had it with a tortilla tonight because I was in a hurry to get to my sister’s house to babysit my darling baby niece and nephew. But I also eat it with couscous, quinoa, brown rice, jasmine rice, you get the picture.

I feel really good about today’s eats. Lots of produce, plenty of whole grains, plenty of water. And I stayed well within my Weight Watchers Points allowance.

And PS- I finally ordered Alicia Silverstone’s book since it apparently is not available at Borders OR Barnes & Noble in my town! It should arrive soon and I’m super excited to devour it. In the meantime I’ve been devouring her new site! Check it out- www.thekindlife.com

BBQ flavored soft tacos

On Mondays and Wednesdays I go to a three-hour long night class after work. I have about one hour in between work and class so I have to get home, relax for a sec, make dinner, eat, do any homework, chores, etc. and then drive across town to class.

Needless to say, I need a super fast but nutritious dinner on these nights. Almost every Monday and Wednesday I make my BBQ flavored soft tacos. They take about 10 minutes- max! and are soooo yummy, filling, healthy, and low in Weight Watchers points. :)

I start with a light spritz of cooking oil spray and saute a big handful of shredded cabbage and carrots (slaw mix). I add about a half of a nice red or gold bell pepper and let the veggies get crisp-tender. 

Then I add in one or two servings of LiteLife Smart Ground veggie protein crumbles. (I usually get the Mexican Style) Finally, I add about two tablespoons of BBQ sauce and heat through. 

I spoon this delicious mixture into heated tortillas. I LOVE white flour tortillas, but know that I should eat whole wheat or multi-grain more often, so I have one white and one whole wheat... 

It has been almost four hours since I ate these, and I'm still feeling satisfied!

Tomorrow is the big day... Vegan MoFo Starts!

I'm new on the vegan blog scene, as I'm new on the vegan scene... :) I'm super excited about MoFo because my post numbers are pretty wimpy... like only one post in August and three (well, 4 after this one) in September. But now, in October they will be a big ole number over there to the right... like 20ish! or more!

I'm also really looking forward to reading all my fave blogs everyday and finding all kinds of new favorites! I plan to spend the three hours I'll be in class tonight reading blogs... we haven't started a new project in weeks so it's not like I'll be falling behind on school work... oh I just got an idea for a post or two- what I eat/prepare on the days when I have my night class...

Weight Watchers & Winco

So... I joined Weight Watchers this week and I'm incredibly excited about it! I have a friend who joined about a month ago and has lost close to 15 lbs and she inspired me to go for it- meetings and everything!

Weight Watchers is very vegan/vegetarian friendly because you eat whatever you want and just calculate your points and make sure to stay in your points range. Many of their recipes even have directions for a vegetarian variation.

On a related note because it has to do with food and eating :) I went to Winco this morning for a successful shopping experience. David and I have decided to start shopping there because it is sooooo much cheaper than Vons! Like 1/2 the price sometimes! Last week was our first visit in a very loooong time and I was so pleasantly surprised to find so many great veggie options, and lots of organic options too.

Today I got some unsweetened organic soymilk for about $1.83 per carton, some fake ground 'beef', which I rarely buy, but am planning to make a Mexi-casserole type thing next week, bulk organic raw sugar, bulk quinoa, beautiful gold and red bell peppers for .83 each! And some other stuff... I was so happy with my haul I took a pic!

They also have a nice selection of organic marinated tofu, for cheap. I wasn't able to find any tempeh, so I guess I'll still have to head to the health food store for a few things...

Coming Up...

This week I plan to post some pics of a yummy cheese-less pizza I made, my first experience with seitan, and I'll probably rave some more about tofu, tempeh, and Sweet & Sara's Peanut Butter S'mores. :)

Fruity Slaw

I'm a huge fan of exotic slaws! I was never the biggest fan of regular coleslaw- mostly because I was never a fan of uber mayonnaise-y stuff. But gimme a slaw in a vinaigrette or an interesting asian-y sauce and I'm all over it!. I like to make slaws with broccoli-slaw too, just a side note there. These pics are of the Fruitful Red Slaw from Vegan Express- I forgot to get pineapple or mango at the store so I used golden raisins. It also has red cabbage, granny smith apple, shredded carrots, toasted sesame seeds and the dressing is a simple mix of lime juice, olive oil and sesame oil.

I'm eating this with veggie potstickers this week and also with BBQ roasted tempeh and veggies.

Here's a pic with the potstickers drizzled with a sweet-hot mustard/teriyaki sauce:

Tiffin To The Rescue!

Yay- my new Tiffin! I've been wanting one of these for a while and I found a great deal on ebay and it is only coming from Berkley so I should get it super fast!

Here is the description if you aren't familiar with one:

This 3-tier Stainless Steel Tiffin Set (a nifty lunch box system that hails from India) is reusable, lightweight, and has a lid with a fold down handle that doubles as a plate. The self-latching top container lets you use the top unit solo for snacks or smaller meals, or as a trio! It also comes with a sidekick tiffin, great for dressings or sauces. Great for both cold or hot food, and the planet, too. Dimensions: 6 3/4" H x 5 1/2” D; Liquid: 2 cups (top & middle units), 2.5 cups (bottom unit). To-Go Ware is part of the Green America Green Business Network, recognized as socially and environmentally responsible company, doing well by people and the planet.

Since I take my lunch to work pretty much daily, this will be awesome. I try to use as little disposable stuff as possible for my lunches, but sometimes I end up having to use a ziploc baggie or a paper sack- I always reuse them a bunch of times, but eventually you gotta toss/recycle 'em...

The other item I'm loving lately is my SnackTaxi. I actually have two of the sandwhich sized ones and they are great for sandwiches (obviously), muffins, toast, fruit or veggies or anything you can fit in them. I plan to use both my SnackTaxis and the Tiffin together and never use a disposable item for my packed lunches again! :) I bought my Snack Taxis at Fresh & Green in Bakersfield, CA, a truly fab eco-lifestyle store that everyone should visit!

I have one kinda like this and also one that is camo but the camo shapes are actually animals! I'll post a pic of that one some time. My fab friend Anna gave that one to me, because she loves me.

Meal Menus for the upcoming week

I like to write up what I'm planning to eat for the week, helps me get a grocery list going, use up stuff I have on hand that needs using, make sure I'm getting balanced nutrition... etc.

I go to the regular grocery store with my husband on Sunday evenings and then I go to Lassen's (small chain of health food stores in Cali) to get whatever else I need (and some treats like Sweet & Sara's choc/peanut butter S'mores!!) on my lunch hour on Mondays (they are closed on Sundays... boo for me- yay for them).

Breakfasts: Tonight I will make the zucchini/raisin muffins from Skinny Bitch in the Kitch and will eat them all week for breakfast slathered with almond butter and also some fruit (most likely a banana and whatever else is lookin' good at the market). (I got a beautiful, giant, variegated zuke from my friend's garden for the muffins!)

Lunches: For two days I will eat some whole wheat pasta with veggie marinara I need to use up, but I'll add some Tofurky for a protein boost. I'll probably make a little garlic baguette to go along with it.

For the other two work days I'll eat some veggie chili with the Gardein Good Stuff Santa Fe Chik'n breasts chopped up in it and a tortilla. I was intrigued by Gardein and they started carrying this at my local Vons. I don't love it because it is toooo "chicken-y", it freaks me out a little, but I think chopped up in some yummy chili it will be fine and I can use it up, rather than waste it and then never buy it again. :) For folks who love and miss chicken breasts- I'm sure it is a delightful option- but for those of us that don't it is just too authentic- texture, taste, everything.

Dinner: My favorite meal!

• One night I will make a cheese-less grilled veggie pizza.


• One night I will finish up the veggie potstickers I got from the frozen section at the market. I'll make a spicy dipping sauce with sweet/hot mustard and teriyaki sauce. (had this for lunch today- mmmm) I'll eat those with a huge bowlful of Fruitful Red Slaw- recipe from Vegan Express.


• One night (and I am REALLY looking forward to this meal) I'll make BBQ Roasted Tempeh with Veggies (Vegan Express recipe), and I'll have the slaw with this, too.


• One night I will have tofu and yukon homefries with fresh buscuits!


• And then Friday night I will go to dinner with David on Date Night!

I'm going to try, try, try to remember to take pics of my meals BEFORE I eat them! :)