"I Can't Believe It's Vegan" Gravy

Admittedly, I was a little scared as I patrolled the internet for a carnivore-accepted gravy suitable for my family. They all had such an odd mix of ingredients and I really wanted to impress. You know, so I don't look like a crazy hippy or something. Vegan food is delicious, and I wanted to prove it through gravy!

This recipe came from a cute website called VegWeb. It has a different taste than other gravies I have had, but in a good way. It has a sort of tang to it that goes wonderfully with stuffing and mashed potatoes. Everyone in my family liked it, and happily dumped it on just about everything except for the pile of barcequed ribs that they were feasting on.

And the best part about this recipe is that it is easy!

In a pot on medium heat, add:

• 2 cups of vegetable broth
• a dash of onion powder
• a few dashes of garlic powder
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional, but I would recommend it)
• a few generous dashes of soy sauce
• a small squeeze of mustard (I used spicy mustard rather than yellow)
• 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 tbsp Earth Balance
• salt
• freshly cracked black pepper

Whisk it all together, heat to a simmer, and taste for proper seasonings. I think I might have also dumped in a splash of sherry, just for fun. I am looking for an excuse to make this recipe again. Enjoy!

Creamy Avocado Basil Pasta

So I know I said just the other day that my new addiction is Garlicky Kale, but I may have found something better (blasphemy, I know). My new new food addiction is this fresh Creamy Avocado Basil Pasta. And by addiction, yes, I do mean that I've made and eaten this dish four times already this past week alone. Don't judge till you try it.

Creamy Avocado Basil Pasta

Did I mention that once again this recipe is from Oh She Glows? Best. Blog. Ever.

The most amazing thing about this recipe is that it take as long to make as the pasta takes to cook. So fast, so easy, and pretty easy clean-up as well.

Start off by bringing your favorite pasta to a boil. I find myself going back time again to fettuccine, and I recently bought a spinach variety that was wonderful as well. Check the package to find out al dente cooking times.

While the pasta is cooking, get out that handy-dandy food processor of yours. Add:

• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1 avocado
• juice of half a lemon
• 1 tsp of lemon zest
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large fist full of basil--about a cup
• 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 1 tsp salt

Blend until smooth, adding an extra splash of olive oil if necessary to get that creamy consistency.

Once the pasta is done, simply drain, mix in the avocado sauce, and serve with an extra sprinkle of finely ground sea salt on top!

 

 

Note: The original recipe called for the pepper and lemon zest to be put on top of the mixed up pasta as the last step. I found that the avocado was kind of lost that way, so I started to use less of both and began blending it up in the sauce instead.

This dish also works great if you want to add some veggies. I've used spinach on several occasions, returning the drained noodles to the heat and adding some fresh baby spinach while I stir in the sauce. You just want them wilted a little bit. I bet mushrooms or asparagus would be lovely as well!

 

 

It is difficult to get this recipe exactly right, just because you can't control every factor, such as the size of the avocado or garlic clove. Play around, figure out how you like it, and enjoy!

 

As a last note, do not store this pasta in the refrigerator and attempt to reheat it later. Make the amount of pasta you need and store any extra sauce in the fridge. That way when you want leftovers you can quickly and easily make more pasta and stir in the cold sauce with the hot noodles.

Raw Buckwheat Porridge

Okay, so the name doesn't necessarily sound appetizing, but don't knock it till you try it! This is, by a mile, my new favorite go-to breakfast food. There is zero prep time in the mornings once you've made a big batch of this. Just ladle into a bowl, throw some fruit or whatever else you want on top, and chow down. And unlike oatmeal, I could eat this plain with no toppings or extra sugar or anything and still be 100% satisfied.

Raw Buckwheat Porridge

Beautiful, isn't it? Sweet, almost snow-white, creamy in texture, and deliciously frosty, this could ac almost pass as a very filling dessert. So good! And, wonderfully enough, so simple. The best part of all is that it is super healthy and packed with fiber.

Step 1: Soak the groats. I start with 2 cups of groats and 4 cups of water, letting them sit overnight in the fridge. You should be able to find these at any health food store, and probably large grocers as well. Make sure they are whole raw groats, not anything that has been cut or processed! Here is what they look like:

Raw, unprocessed, whole buckwheat groats.

Let the groats soak overnight in plenty of water in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Rinse the groats. This is the hardest part. When you take them out of the fridge in the morning, you'll notice that everything got a little slimy. Don't be alarmed! Like a flax egg, the buckwheat groats caused the water to congeal a little. Drain them and rinse them with a fine colander or strainer. They don't have to be perfect, just make sure they are cleaned off for the most part (you don't want slimy porridge!).

Step 3: Process everything together. Place the rinsed groats in a large food processor (I had to do mine in two batches since the one I have is tiny). Add the following ingredients and blend until smooth:

• 1 and 1/4 cups milk (I used sweetened vanilla almond milk)
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

If you've never used chia seeds before, you can find them in natural foods stores and in the spice section of larger grocery stores. They are a little pricey, but a little baggy from the bulk spice counter will last a while and won't cost much at all.

Chia seeds.

Also, feel free to add an extra dash or two of milk as you are processing in order to achieve the desired texture. I (accidentally) made the first batch rather coarse and the second batch very smooth, and when I mixed them together the result was lovely. I like a little bit of bite with mine. Play around with it to figure out what you like best.

Step 4: Top and serve. I have found the my favorite topping is diced strawberries, but a mixture of raspberries and blackberries are lovely as well. I didn't think that bananas worked as well, but then again I am picky about my bananas. You could do any sort of dried fruit, nuts, seeds, etc. Be creative--there is pretty much no way to go wrong!





A big thank you to Angela at Oh She Glows for this recipe. That is currently my favorite website and every single recipe of hers that I've tried as been amazing. Check it out!

Pita Pizza

These fast, versitile, and delicious little pizzas are the perfect portion for a generous snack or light meal. Not to mention they are fun to make!

Pita Pizza

First, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Assemble your pizza starting with a pita round spread with hummus (the more the merrier).

Cooked toppings could include:

• tomato
• garlic
• mushrooms
• onion
• olives
• herbs
• asparagus
• jalapenos
• bell peppers

Pretty much anything would be good. Next, pop it in the oven for about 10 minutes. The pita gets so crispy and turns out like a chip. Then top with whatever raw ingredients and serve.

Raw toppings could include:

• sprouts
• spinach
• basil
• tomato

I'm sure that there are many more options than this. I'll be uploading and experiments and updating with new variations as I find them.

Enjoy!

Tips, Tricks, and Shortcuts

Here are some things that I've learned so far along the way:

1) Keep a bag of mixed chopped veggies in the fridge. Carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, onion, peas--just about anything will work. This will save time when you're in a hurry and the mix can be used for so many things, such as a quick curry or stir-fry.



Vegetable Curry

Vegetable Stir-Fry

2) Make extra rice to keep in the fridge. That way when you cook your pre-cut veggies you can serve them over pre-made rice for a cheap, quick, and easy meal! Just make sure the rice is covered tight so that it doesn't start to dry out.

3) Buy pre-chopped garlic. Almost every savory vegan recipe I have even made calls for chopped garlic. Instead of going through the hassle of doing that every time, buy a jar of garlic and just ladle in a tablespoon for each clove called for. Save the whole garlic and chopping it by hand for your better recipes that really deserve it.

4) Don't wash or peel things you don't need to. I don't peel carrots and I don't wash bagged lettuce. Unless you can see bugs or dirt, what is sprinkling a bit of water on it going to do? Absolutely nothing. If you are buying non-organic fruit you may want to rinse off any residual pesticides or other nastiness, however.

5) Don't bother to refrigerate packed lunches. In almost every recipe that I have made to take to school with me for lunch, there is nothing in them that would spoil from being left out at room temperature for a while. So instead of fussing with a insulated bag and a cold pack, I just toss a tupperware container and a fork into my backpack. This also means that you don't have to find a microwave to reheat cold food.

Btw guys, today marks the one month mark for my vegan challenge. I've lost 10 lbs so far and am still dropping fast! Why on Earth didn't I ever do this before now...?

Soba Noodle Bowl

This soup is one of my favorites, but it originally contained chicken and chicken stock. A little tweaking produced a delicate and flavorful vegetarian dish that is mild enough to be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Soba Noodle Bowl

Begin by bringing to a boil:

• 2 cups of water
• 6 cups of vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup soy sauce (or more to taste)
• 1 lb of sliced mushrooms (I used button because they were on sale)
• 2 bunches (6oz) of buckwheat soba noodles
• 1 tbsp of finely chopped garlic
• 3 slices of peeled ginger (about 1/4 to 1/8 inch thick)
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly cracked pepper

After about 4 minutes, add:

• 5 sliced scallions
• 1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
• 2 generous cups of fresh baby spinach
• 1/2 cup of sliced sugar snap peas

Feel free to play around with any other vegetables you may have on hand, such as water chestnut, carrot, or onion. Boil two more minutes, remove ginger and bay leaf, and serve. This is one of the fastest and easiest recipes to make, especially if you buy presliced mushrooms and jarred chopped garlic. This recipe serves four, and the SparkRecipes Recipe Calculator tells me that each serving is 250 calories, has almost zero fat, and contains 3.5 grams of fiber. Healthy and delicious!

Enjoy!

Singapore Noodles

While picking up large rice noodles for the Hakka Noodles at Kroger, I noticed a package of really thin mei fun rice noodles. One of my favorite Chinese-American fast food dishes is Singapore Noodles, so I decided to hang the meal plan and make these for lunch one day.

Singapore Noodles

These noodles are incredibly simple to make. Soak some rice noodles in hot tap water for 10 minutes and then rinse with cold water and drain. In the meantime, saute some garlic, ginger, and and vegetables you'd like. I used snow peas, onion, and scallions. I bet carrots, sprouts, and cabbage would be wonderful as well. You will want a little bit of oil, just a tablespoon or two, one you put the noodles in just so that they don't stick. Fry the noodles for a minute or two, tossing with tongs throughout. Then start adding in soy sauce and curry powder. There really isn't any right amount--whatever looks (and more importantly tastes) right. Next time I may add a little bit of vegetable stock towards the end just to get a bit more moisture, but these noodles are supposed to be dry rather than saucy.

Kind of like Filipino pancit, this is the kind of dish that you can throw whatever leftovers you've got in the fridge in, including meat if you aren't following a vegan diet. Fast, easy, cheap, and incredibly flavorful. What else could you ask for?

Dan Dan Mian

This is probably one of my favorite recipes thus far, but then again it doesn't take very much Asian food to sway me. This also happens to be one of the quickest and easiest recipes as well, and I can easily see this becoming a lunch time staple from now on. I've only eaten hours ago and I'm already craving another bowl.

Dan Dan Mian

Don't ask me what the name means, by the way. I haven't a clue.

Basically all you have to do is boil some soba noodles noodles for 4 minutes. Soba noodles are made of buckwheat, but mine had yam as well. One bunch, or about 3.5-4 ounces, of noodles is one generous serving.

Soba Noodles

Next, in a small dish you'll want to mix up the sauce. I used 1/2 teaspoon of chili paste and 2 teaspoons of rice wine vinegar. Then I added enough soy sauce to dilute the spiciness to the level I wanted. Low sodium soy sauce is always the way to go if you are using more than a teaspoon.

The chili paste and rice wine vinegar came from an Asian market.
The soy sauce and sesame seeds came from Food Lion.

One the noodles are done, drain them and return them to the pot. Dump the sauce over top and stir (you'll have to play around to get the amount of sauce right--I ended up having to use extra soy sauce). Serve them with green onion and sesame seeds on top.



So much awesomeness in such a little bowl...

This recipe also called for pickled cabbage on top but I didn't have any. Maybe next time!

Baked Cardamom Pears

This was dessert for day seven of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickstart.

Cardamom Baked Pear

This is probably the easiest and mess-free recipe in the meal plan I have been following. All I did was cut a pear in half, scoop out the core with a spoon, fill the core with golden raisins, sprinkle the whole thing with ground cardamom, and bake in a covered dish at 350 for 20-25 minutes.

Fresh out of the oven.

While these are fairly sweet, it is all natural sugar enhanced with a little bit of spice. I bet these would also be wonderful as a warm, homey breakfast. I kept pestering Helen about having one, and she finally acquiesced to a little bite. She found it to be so good that she ended up eating the whole pear half. I think we've got a keeper!

Linguine with Seared Oyster Mushrooms

While there aren't many foods that I don't like, mushrooms have got to be one of my all time favorites. Simmered in white wine, who could say no?

Linguine with Seared Oyster Mushrooms & Wilted Spinach with Lemon

My only complaint here was that this meal was so acidic. Next time I would probably leave the lemon out of the spinach, since there is already lemon, tomato, and capers in the pasta sauce.

If a pan I first sauteed a mix of oyster, shikate, and cremini mushrooms. Half way through I dumped in a little white wine. Let that evaporate and then cook the mushrooms a bit longer just so that they get crisp. Remove the mushrooms from the pan and set aside.

Next, put one can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes, the juice of one lemon, and a tablespoon of capers into the pan. Let simmer while you boil your pasta. Once that's done plate the pasta, top with sauce, and sprinkle the mushrooms on top along with some fresh sliced basil. This goes really well with some oven-toasted garlic bread as well.

The taste makes up for the less-than-stellar looks. Or maybe that's just my plating skills?

The Perfect Pancakes

This morning's menu was pancakes, maple syrup, and fresh raspberries. Easy, delicious, and right up my ally. Now that I've made vegan pancakes a few times, I've got the recipe perfected.

Pancakes with Maple Syrup

I've discovered that it is easiest to just combine everything right in a measuring cup. That way it is easy to pour as well. You'll need:

2/3 cup of soy or almond milk
2/3 cup whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons of cane sugar sugar
2 tablespoons of baking powder
1 and 1/2 tablespoons of vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt

Pour the milk up to the 2/3 mark on your measuring cup (I use one with a two cup capacity and that is plenty big) and then add the rest of the ingredients. When you've got everything dumped in, stir with a whisk--it should only take a few stirs. Let the batter set for just a moment while you let the pan get hot; medium heat should do it. You can use a bit of nonstick spray if you feel it is necessary (I never need any because I have a nonstick pan). Your batter should have gotten very fluffy in the meantime, with the actual volume increasing by about 25%. If you have a large pan you can do pancakes two at a time, but no more because they'll spread out a lot. You know the drill--wait until the top bubbles and then flip on the other side for about a minute. I've found that these pancakes go quite fast.

This recipe serves two, and made seven medium-sized pancakes for me this morning.

Quite a long shot from those thick, tough mango pancakes I made on my first day, right? I'm not sure why the batter was so thick then, which wasn't actually bad, but light and fluffy is surely the way to go. You can tell that these are wheat, but I honestly think that they are just as good as buttermilk pancakes. Enjoy!

Perfect Portobello Burger

This was my lunch for day six of the 21-Day Weight Loss Kickoff. Carla, Helen, and I are going out to dinner at supposedly very nice Asian food buffet tonight, so I decided to keep lunch light and skip the Sweet Potato Fries (again, argh!). This recipe was quick, easy, and small enough to be a nice sized portion snack, so it was the perfect choice.

While I did really like this sandwich, it didn't really photograph very well. The whole wheat bun was dark brown, the portobello was black, the caramelized onions were dark brown, and the lettuce was a very dark purple. Not to mention that the whole thing got kind of soggy and messy immediately. So, unfortunately, no pictures for this one.

I was a little nervous about that great big mushroom since I had never had one before. I love mushrooms, but I recently got a bag of shitakes that were infested with mushroom fly maggots (which you could not tell by looking, only breaking into) so I'm a little weird about the larger ones now--who knows what nasty surprises could be hiding inside! I ended up breaking this one in half once to inspect for any holes, and it turned out to be sound. In the end there was nothing to worry about at all, and I thoroughly enjoyed the mushroom.

The portobello went in a pan with a quarter inch of water, some halved garlic cloves, salt, and smoked paprika. It was done when the water had completely evaporated. I slapped that on a toasted whole wheat bun with the other ingredients and that puppy was good to go. The sandwich originally had roasted red pepper on it as well, but I picked that off half way through because it didn't really fit and it covered up the mushroom flavor too much. I thought I would miss some sort of condiment on mushroom burger as well, but it turned out just fine without it. I would most likely make this again.

This is what I imaged the Perfect Portobello Burger should look like.
Picture taken from http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/portobello_mushroom_burger/.

This morning's breakfast was alright. I made the scheduled pancakes with strawberries and Caribbean Passion Smoothie. The pancakes, being only whole wheat flour, soy milk, and baking powder, were not at all delicious. Last time the mango added some sweetness while the lime added flavor, whereas this time it was basically like cardboard. I ended up eating the strawberries off the top and drenching them in maple syrups, and even then I couldn't even finish the two of them. Next time the menu calls for plain pancakes, I think I'll add a tablespoon or two of cane sugar and some vanilla extract.

The smoothie was interesting. I almost didn't like it at first, but it grew on me over the course of the morning. I bought a smoothie blender yesterday with a travel lid so that all you have to do is blend, pop on the top, unscrew the base, and go. It was very convenient as I was rushing to get ready for my 8 am Organic Chemistry. The smoothie consisted of one banana, one orange, one mango, some pineapple, a cup of soy milk, and some cinnamon. I forgot to freeze the fruit last night so I had to blend some ice with it as well. Pretty tasty, and very filling!



This is actually the Mango Spice Smoothie, but the Caribbean Passion was almost the same except that it had cinnamon in place of serrano pepper.

Bananas in Berry Artesia

Oh my goodness, was this an awesome recipe. This was listed as dessert for day three, but it was my breakfast for day four. If you've got some fresh berries lying around, please try this quick and fuss-free recipe. While it was good on my sliced banana, I bet it would be heavenly on some pound cake. *drool*

Bananas in Berry Artesia

The first thing I did was to put half a cup each of the following into a small pot: strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apple juice, grape juice. I also added one bay leaf, a vanilla bean (with the empty pod as well), and one tablespoon of maple syrup. If you don't have a vanilla bean--goodness knows they are insanely expensive (I've been saving this one for a special occasion)--it is perfectly find to use vanilla extract. Let all of this simmer for 5 minutes.

Let the berries, juice, and flavorings simmer for 5 minutes.

Next you want to get one tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl and ladle a few spoonfuls of the hot liquid in with it. Once you've got the cornstarch dissolved add it back to the pot, making sure to stir well while you are doing this. Simmer for about a minute longer.

Once the cornstarch is mixed in simmer for 1 minute longer.

Remove the sauce from the heat, discard the bay leaf as well as the vanilla bean if you are using it, and you are ready to serve over crepes, pastries, fruit, or whatever else you can find. It reminds me of berry cobbler filling. And so easy! The amounts in this recipe make one general serving.

Along with some blueberry oatmeal, this was my breakfast this morning.

Breakfast for Day Four