Red Lentil and Quinoa Stew

This was so good that when I tasted it to adjust the seasoning at the end, I uttered something that was both really profane and really, really obscene. For the sake of people's sensibilities, I won't repeat it here.

Once again, I am at the scraping the pantry stage of the grocery cycle where I challenge myself to create delicious dishes with just what I have on hand, forcing myself to make substitutions as needed. Since I am eating vegan again, this brings along an additional layer of complexity as I may try to veganize old recipes.

At the moment, I have very few vegetarian/vegan specialty items like tempeh or seitan, but one thing I do have in abundance is a whole mess of dried legumes. I am silly with them, in fact, from black-eyed peas, to black beans and great northern beans to a variety of split peas and lentils. I made my wonderfully spicy lentil soup yesterday with those earthy brown lentils, and today decided that I needed more spice and more lentils, so I adapted my take on red lentil dhal and created a red lentil and quinoa stew.

After I had devoured my bowl of the stew, my 7 year-old daughter came over and sniffed the bowl cautiously before asking me, "Is this some kind of soup, Mommy?" I told her that it was, and that it was yummy, and she asked for some, saying, "It looks like a carrot soup," "Yes," I said, "There is some carrot in there," and ladled out a bit for her to try.

"YUM!" She said, giving me a thumbs-up.

Sometimes Mommy just flat-out rocks the house and gets it right. ☺


Edit: The kid scarfed down two bowls of this stew. That's right, TWO.

Red Lentil and Quinoa Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 stalk celery, diced finely
• 1 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely
• 1/2 cup of grated carrot
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped (about 2 T)
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
  
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 1/2 cup quinoa
  
• 5 cups water or broth
  
• 1 T tomato paste
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• coriander
  
• cumin
• turmeric
  
• 1 bay leaf
• hot sauce
  

Directions:

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
   
2. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
   
3. Add the bell pepper, carrots and garlic, stirring well.
   
4. After 5 minutes or so, when the vegetables have softened significantly, add the tomato and stir well.
   
5. Add the spices and let cook for a minute.
6. Add the red lentils and quinoa, turn the heat to high and add the water and the tomato paste.
   
7. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, keep covered and let simmer for 30 minutes.
   
8. Taste and adjust seasoning. Here's where I add the hot sauce.
   
9. Simmer uncovered another 15 minutes until the lentils are no longer crunchy. Fish out the bay leaf.
   
10. Serve, adding more hot sauce as your palate dictates. Today, my palate commanded a heavy hand with the Cholula.
    

Notes:

• I used half red quinoa and half white quinoa (1/4 cup each), but it would be delicious with either one of those or black quinoa if you can find it.
  
• I could not find my coriander powder in the horror show that is my spice cabinet, but I did have a jar of coriander seeds, so I broke out my handy mortar and pestle and crushed them up.
  
  If you decide to do this, be sure to crush the seeds very thoroughly so you don't have to bite down on the sharp husks of the coriander seeds. Although I use whole coriander in some Indian dishes, those sauces tend to simmer for a very long time, softening the seeds. If this is too much work for you, then make sure that your coriander powder is easily accessible.
  
• I was purposely vague about the seasoning amounts today because, well, I didn't even measure anything out, I just "salted" everything, although I can tell you that I used about 1/2 teaspoon of coriander seeds and about the same amount of ground cumin, and only 1 bay leaf.
• Speaking of salt, as you can see, I used none in this recipe, though you are certainly free to S&P this dish to your liking.
  
• If you are itching to garnish this with something, I'd go with chopped cilantro. I realized way after the fact that I have a bunch of cilantro languishing in the crisper of my fridge. Sometimes I think that the crisper is where veggies go to die. Things get lost in there. Tsk.
  

• Hot sauce - After years of being a Frank's aficionado, lately I have been reaching for Cholula, but have been meaning to try some of the hot sauces made by the folks of our own Dinosaur BBQ right here in Syracuse.
  
  They have Devil's Duo Pepper Sauce and a Garlic Chipotle Pepper Sauce. If those sauces are near as good as their barbecue slathering sauces and rubs, I predict that they'll be out of this world.
  
  Click the picture to go to the site.
  

Chipotle-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

I made Indian spiced roasted chickpeas a few months ago, and quite literally devoured them almost immediately. I need to consider portion control when eating these as a snack, but my goodness, they are delicious, and can be made very cheaply especially if you use dried beans in place of canned.

Here is a handy-dandy conversion chart for most bigger beans like black beans, kidney beans, pinto beans and chick peas.


A standard can of beans is 15 ounces. Small bags of beans you get at the store are usually 1 pound, but sometimes 2.


1 (15-oz.) can of beans equals

• 1/2 cup dry beans, before cooking
  
• 1 1/2 cups beans, after cooking

1 (1-lb) bag of dry beans equals

• 2 cups dry beans, before cooking
  
• 6 cups beans, after cooking

OR

• 4 (15-oz) cans of beans

Chipotle-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 28-oz can of chickpeas
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chipotle chili seasoning*
  
• sea salt
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
   
2. Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse very well under cold water.
3. Dry them thoroughly. I like to shake the colander a bit, and then let them sit for a while. Then when I am ready to season them I dry them even more with a paper towel.
4. In a large bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil, chipotle seasoning and salt, making sure that everything is coated nicely. You can taste to adjust the seasoning or wait until they are done to add more.
5. Spread onto the cookie sheet.
6. Roast for 30 minutes, then take them out and shake the pan to move them around a bit and then roast for 20-30 minutes more checking to be sure that they are not burning.
7. Add sea salt and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. Put in a large bowl and eat immediately.

* Chipotle Chili Seasoning

I made this to replace the sodium-laden packet of taco seasoning for that 7-layer Taco dip. It was so good, that I've decided to use it in everything that might be considered remotely Mexican.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder, or pulverized dried chipotle chili
  
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika - if you can find pimentón, smoked Spanish paprika, use this
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
  

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
   


2. Store in an airtight container, like an empty spice jar.

The Self-Loathing Omnivore; or, Hi, It's Me Again.

Yep. I fell off the vegan wagon almost a year ago and tried unsuccessfully to climb back on a few times, and here I go again. I jokingly call myself the Self-Loathing Omnivore. I really want to be vegan for a variety of reasons, but am just terrible at resisting certain temptations.

The thing is, I am a really rotten ethical vegan because I do not honestly care what other people eat, at least not enough to support legislating food ethics. I think that until the day when mammals start talking to us as equals, that the decision of what foods are ethical to eat remains a personal decision.

I am mostly concerned about the health issues associated with what goes in our bodies. I am wholly opposed to industrial agriculture and a corporate culture of food production whose emphasis is on monetary profits rather than nutrition or labor equity.

Most selfishly of all, I am concerned about my own physical health and that of my kids.


My biggest problem was dealing with the cheese cravings. I can go without meat, chicken, sausage, eggs, no problem. It is the siren song of cheese that had me dreaming about piping hot pizzas and loaded cheese fries last year while I was on a vegan diet.

I have no idea how to counter that other than simply by gritting my teeth and gutting my way through it. Most of the vegan cheese substitutes I have tried so far have ranged from merely mediocre to downright revolting. I do enjoy a nice homemade cashew cheese, but even though it make a tasty vegan substitute, it does not match cheese's melty wonderful mouth-feel.

So. Here we go again! :)

This comic wasn't especially relevant, but my God it was funny!

Spicy Peanut Noodles

I absolutely love peanut butter. I prefer natural varieties. My current favorite is Smucker's Naturals, chunky, of course. I haven't bought the standard sugar and salt-laden pb in so long that when I had some a few months ago at someone else's house, I was shocked at how cloyingly sweet it was. Plus, for some reason, the texture struck me as unnatural and kind of icky.

Food confession: I love peanut butter so much that I will sometimes eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon and call that a snack or a mini-meal. Now, I don't particularly care for peanut butter paired with sweet foods, except when combined with chocolate of course; I generally prefer peanut butter with savory foods. When I crave a peanut butter sandwich, I am more likely to add wheat germ and sunflower seeds instead of jam or jelly.

A nice spicy peanut sauce will really make my taste buds happy. Pair it with chicken, or tofu like I did today, toss in some noodles, and we're in business.

Spicy Peanut Noodles

Ingredients:

• Cooking oil (peanut or canola)
• Red pepper flakes
• 1/2 onion, halved and then sliced into thin strips
• 1/4 cup carrot, cut into matchsticks
  
• the whites of 2 green onions, chopped
  
• Minced fresh ginger
• 1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped
• 1/4 package of tofu, pressed of water and cut into strips
• Noodles, vermicelli, spaghetti, Chinese noodles, whichever you prefer - today I used a block of ramen noodles
• 1/3 cup peanut sauce, jarred or homemade*
• Sesame oil
  
• Chopped peanuts
• Green onions, chopped (optional)
• Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
  

Directions:

1. Pour some oil into a large skillet, and sprinkle with red pepper flakes and let sit.
   


2. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the package. Drain the noodles, put them in a bowl and toss them with 1 T of sesame oil. Let sit and cool.
   


3. Over high heat, sauté the onions, ginger until onions are just starting to brown.


4. Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes. Toss in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
   


5. Add the strips of tofu and cook until golden brown.
   


6. Add the peanut sauce to the skillet, stirring to coat well. Taste frequently and adjust seasonings to your liking. Add more of the sauce if you like.
   


7. Toss the drained noodles into the skillet, mixing everything well.
   


8. Garnish with chopped peanuts, green onion and sesame seeds.
   

*Homemade peanut sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 cloves of garlic.
• 1/2 c. peanut butter
• 1/4 c. soy sauce
  
• 2 T honey or agave nectar
  
• 2 T rice vinegar
  
• 2 T. chili oil
  
• 1 chopped hot chili

Directions:

1. Put the garlic in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.


2. Add the remaining ingredients and puree until smooth.
   


3. Add water to thin the consistency if you find it necessary.
   


4. Refrigerate any unused sauce in a tightly-lidded container.
   


5. You may use more or less chili pepper to suit your taste for spiciness.
   

Notes:

• I might start a series of recipes titled "Things to Do With Ramen Noodles."
  

Purple Smoothie

I've mentioned Green Smoothies here before, now it's time for the Purple Smoothie which also has a green, or at least blue-green, element to it with the addition of the spirulina.

The "superfoods" in this drink (antioxidant-rich blueberry and EFA-packed flaxseed oil ) ought to keep even Dr. Oz happy. It is very tasty. I get a touch of the spirulina taste, which doesn't bother me at all, but if you're not all that keen on algae, knock the powder down to about half the amount or omit it entirely.

Purple Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 T flaxseed oil
• 1 scoop Michael's Super Defense powder
• 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 scoop protein powder (I like vanilla flavored whey protein powder, but a soy protein powder ought to work for those who are vegan)
  

Directions:

1. Blend everything up until is is thick and creamy.
   


2. Drink it down.
   

Snack Time: Roasted Chickpeas

This high-protein snack is incredibly addictive and it definitely satisfies my craving for a crunchy snack. I sat down with a bowl of these while watching Snakes on a Plane this weekend and attacked it like those vipers flying through the air attaching themselves to people's jugulars.

Wow.

I like how versatile it can be just by changing the spice mixture you use. This past weekend I was on an Indian food kick, so I seasoned them with garam masala and red curry powder, but I bet they would taste good with a chipotle chili seasoning mix.

Indian-Spiced Roasted Chickpeas

Ingredients

• 1 28-oz can of chickpeas
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon red curry powder
• 1 pinch turmeric
• sea salt
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Cover a cookie sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.
   
2. Drain the can of chickpeas into a colander and rinse very well under cold water.
3. Dry them thoroughly. I like to shake the colander a bit, and then let time sit for a while. Then when I am ready to season them I dry them even more with a paper towel.
4. In a large bowl, toss the chickpeas with olive oil, garam masala, red curry powder and turmeric, making sure that everything is coated nicely. You can taste to adjust the seasoning or wait until they are done to add more.
5. Spread onto the cookie sheet.
6. Roast for 30 minutes, then take them out and shake the pan to move them around a bit and then roast for 20-30 minutes more checking to be sure that they are not burning.
7. Add sea salt and taste to adjust seasoning if necessary.
8. Put in a large bowl and eat immediately.
   

And now for a close-up.

January 14: A Food Journal Again and Thoughts on Choking

I'm keeping a food journal again to help me keep track of what I'm eating. There is just something about seeing it written down starkly - as long as I am completely honest with myself - to give me perspective on what I am putting in my body.


Thursday, January 14

Breakfast:

• Scrambled tofu with tomato, onion and carrot
• 1 10-oz. glass of water with multivitamin and 3 SlimQuick Hoodia tablets
  

Snack:

• 1 mug of authentic Korean ginger tea - Ginger is supposed to help digestive ailments.
  
  I don't know if I'm having reflux issues or what, but it's worth a try. The thought of seeing a gastroenterologist and getting scoped is enough to make me cry. I have no problem being knocked out and cut open for a surgery, but scopes skeeve me. :/


• 10:30 snack - raw apple "granola"
  
  
  • 1/2 Granny Smith, cored, but with the peel still on
    
  • 1/4 cup of oats
  • 2 heaping T raw sunflower seeds
  • 2 T almond butter
  • drizzle of agave nectar
  • pumpkin seeds
    
  • 1 T ground flax seeds
    
    Process the apple, oats and sunflower seeds until finely chopped, then add the almond butter and pulse a few times until mixed well. Top with ground flax seeds, agave and pepitas.
    
  
  
  
• 1 10-oz. glass of water

Lunch:

• Zucchini pasta and raw marinara sauce
• 1 10-oz. glass of water
  

Snack:

Dinner:

---

Notes:

• I really did well with my food yesterday even despite the sour cream on my 2 bowls of lentil soup. Not vegan, I know, but I wanted it. And it was good.
  
  Two of my meals were flat-out raw: the Raw Apple Breakfast and Zucchini Pasta with Raw Marinara sauce. I made a spicy lentil soup which was vegan, but then I nixed that by topping it with a dollop of sour cream.
  
  My snacks were all vegan and raw except for the occasional mug of hot tea.
  
  Also, I drank water regularly, every few hours, every time I had something to eat. I think that really helped keep cravings under control.
  


• Something weird - last night I woke up choking on something. Before I went to bed last night it felt as though there might still be a fragment of a lentil stuck way back on the soft palate part of the roof of my mouth. Maybe I breathed it in last night and choked? Sometimes I do wake up choking on nothing but my saliva.
  
  When I woke up last night, after trying to cough it out, I got up and drank some water. Nope, didn't help. Then I got back up and had 4 whole wheat crackers with cheese and another glass of water.
  
  I can still feel something in there though and no amount of clearing my throat or coughing is helping.
  


• Something gross - I have a choking phobia. This may be a bit TMI, but one time during my last pregnancy I woke up choking on a tiny bit of vomit. I was actually choking and panicking until I could cough it out, but the acids burned my throat for days. I have only ever had problems with reflux and heartburn when I was pregnant, but maybe now that my weight is up, it's recurring?
  


• Another weird thing - I have that same sensation that everything is being forced up inside me as I had when I was pregnant during the end of the 2nd trimester and the 3rd trimester. It just feels as though there is something more in there than just my organs. I don't know, could that be just a sign that I've got too much fat hanging around in there? I mean I am nowhere near The Biggest Loser-morbidly obese, so I wouldn't think that that would be a problem.
  
  I mean, sure wouldn't it be cool to find out that there is one of those 50-lb, benign tumors loitering in my abdomen? So maybe I'm not overweight because of lack of exercise and eating too much. *sigh* I can dream, right? I'm always hoping for a Deus ex Machina, but no. My only choice to to make better choices for myself, NOT hope for some freakish medical anomaly!
  


• So anyway, it feels as though something is literally shoving things back up my throat. I am not eating a lot in one sitting (except for my 2 small bowls of soup last night), so why should I feel over-stuffed?

Zucchini Pasta with Raw Marinara Sauce

Today's two main meals so far have been raw. For breakfast I had the raw apple breakfast, and for lunch, this tasty take on pasta and sauce.

Zucchini Pasta and Raw Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 tomato
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
• near-boiling water
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped
  
• 1 heaping tablespoon jarred sun-dried tomato and minced garlic or 1 clove of fresh garlic, minced
  
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  
• ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste)
• Dash black pepper (optional)
• 2 medium zucchini
  

Directions:

1. Place the sun-dried tomatoes in a bowl and pour enough hot water over them to cover them and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain.
   
2. Place the fresh tomato, sun-dried tomatoes, bell pepper, and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth.
   
3. Add the olive oil and spices and continue to process, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
   
4. With a mandoline or a spiral-slicer, cut the zucchini into thin ribbons.
5. Toss the zucchini with a bit of salt and pepper and ladle some sauce over it.

Makes 2 servings.

Green Smoothie

Today's lunch.

I had forgotten just how delicious these are.

Green Smoothie

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 3/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 oz baby spinach leaves
• 1 scoop Michaels Super Defense Food powder

Directions:

1. Blend.
   


2. Drink
   


3. Enjoy.
   

Red Lentils over Quinoa Pilaf

I love red lentils in soups, stews and dhals. Just as the various spices that accompany them lend heat to the dish, so does the vivid color of the lentils perk up the dish. On this frigid day I have been looking for a comforting dish to warm me up, so I tossed some things together and served it over the leftover Quinoa Pilaf from last night's dinner.

Red Lentils over Pilaf

Ingredients:

• 1 stalk celery, diced finely
• 1 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/2 red bell pepper, diced finely
• 1/2 cup of diced carrot
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped (about 2 T)
• 1/4 cup diced tomato
  
• 3/4 cup red lentils
• 4 cups water
• 1 T tomato paste
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• chili powder
• coriander
• cumin
• 1 bay leaf
• turmeric
• hot sauce
  

Directions:

1. Heat 2 T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
   


2. Add the chopped onion and celery and saute for 2 minutes.
   


3. Add the bell pepper, carrots and garlic, stirring well.
   


4. After 5 minutes or so, when the vegetables have softened significantly, add the tomato and stir well.
   


5. Add the red lentils, turn the heat to high and add the water, the tomato paste and the spices.
   


6. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, keep covered and let simmer for 30 minutes.
   


7. Taste and adjust seasoning. Here's where I add the hot sauce.
   


8. Simmer uncovered another 15 minutes until the lentils are no longer crunchy. You may add more water if you prefer a more stew-like consistency, but I prefer it with a texture more like dhal. I even sometimes use a potato masher and smash the lentils a bit.
   


9. Serve over rice or pilaf of your choice.

Notes:

• See this post for my pilaf technique.

Raw Apple Breakfast

In keeping with my attempt to eat many more light & healthy meals throughout the week to balance out the times when I indulge in full-cream, full-fat decadence - and believe me, I do indulge - here is a fiber-rich, deceptively filling, delicious breakfast that may have you thinking, "Hey, some of these raw vegan dishes are pretty damned tasty!"

Unlike many raw dishes which require some fancy footwork with a food dehydrator, the only pieces of equipment you need here are a food processor and a coffee grinder.

Raw Apple Breakfast

Ingredients:

• 1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
• 1 heaping tablespoon of almond butter
• 1 tablespoon flax seeds
• 2 T pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
  

Directions:

1. Peel, core and cut the apple into quarters.
   


2. Process it in a food processor along with the almond butter until it is in small pieces - you don't want to make a puree.
   


3. Grind up the flax seeds in the coffee grinder until they've become powdery.
   


4. Serve in a bowl topped with pepitas and the ground flax seeds.

Notes:

• This filled my cereal bowl pretty well, so it was a good portion for one person.
  


• Next time, I may drizzle some honey or agave nectar over the top for a teeny bit of extra sweetness.
  


• Other additions which might be nice:
  
  
  • chopped almonds or walnuts
  • chopped dried fruit
  • untoasted sesame sees
  • unsalted sunflower seeds
  • maple syrup
  • wheat germ
  • a dollop of Greek yogurt
  • blueberries
  • cinnamon
    
  
  

Gearing up for the New Year

Gearing up for the vegan kickstart:

1. I am looking forward to my morning scrambled tofu again. That stuff is just damned-tasty.
   
   


2. I think I'll probably make some Indian dishes:
   
   
   
   • I remember making Cauliflower and red lentils in balti sauce, and although it was tasty, the recipe needed some tweaking.
     
     
   • Aloo gobhi will likely make an appearance as well. I'll have to peruse some vegetarian Indian recipes & blogs for more ideas.
     
   
   
   • Oh! There are those spicy chickpea dishes, Channa Masala (chickpea curry) or Aloo Chhole (chickpeas with potatoes). One of my local Indian restaurants makes killer Aloo Chhole. I could just eat that with garlic naan and call it a meal.
     
   
   
   • I know that there are some excellent vegetarian curries with spinach as well. I need to hunt those up.
   
   
   • I've got a few recipes for naan and onion-stuffed kulchas, and will give those a whirl to accompany the Indian dishes.
     


3. I don't want to rely as much on the fake meats & soy cheeses; they seem to be every bit as over-processed as any sodium-filled crap out of a box or a can. More reliance on pulses and beans for protein. The goal is to eat the least -processed foods as possible. I'll make some exceptions for tofu and tempeh. Those are pretty great.
   


4. I can't even begin to count how many different rice and beans recipes I have, from the outstanding Cuban-style black beans and rice from Dinosaur BBQ, to Mexican-style, to a great Cajun red beans and rice recipe. More rice and beans. More Beano, too. ;-)
   


5. Now is as good a time as any to cut out my Diet Coke habit. It's insane, really. I have been drinking hardly any water at all, and that is just not good. 6 - 8 glasses of water a day is my new goal.
   


6. Again, for snacks, I'll opt for nuts and fruit, but if I feel hungry, I'll start with a tall glass of water. I recall reading somewhere reputable that lots of us are so over-fed that we mistake signs of thirst for hunger. So when we're reaching for a bag of potato chips or something else fairly laden with empty calories and salt, what we really ought to be doing is downing a glass of water.
   

I'm Back

I fell off the wagon this fall.

No, actually, that's not quite right. I didn't fall off so much as jumped off the wagon.

Right into wheelbarrow filled with sausage and cheese.


I've talked about lapses with other vegetarians and vegans, so I know that it happens. Still, I could only describe myself as a self-loathing omnivore. With every bite I took I was torn between the decadent taste and the suffering behind it. I wanted the cruelty-free ethical lifestyle, but not as much as the taste of the food I grew up with.

I didn't realize I could be that weak.

I don't know if I had trouble sticking to a vegan diet because I dived in feet-first, going straight from omnivore to vegan instead of easing in gently.


I resolve to try again.

Starting January 1, I'll be climbing back in the wagon via the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart.

I suppose I'll take it from there and see how it goes.

Four-legged Vegans in the House?

Now, my cat ate a squashed pea off of the kitchen floor the other day, and he's been known to snack on house plants from time to time, but unlike some vegans out there, I will not insist on trying to turn my perfectly lovely 9-pound carnivorous tabby into a vegan.

There's ethics about what your yourself eat, and then there's a step into Crazyland.

At some point, we have to accept the facts: cats are carnivores, from their sharp teeth to their razor-like claws to the chemical makeup of their stomach juices and length of their intestinal tract. Forcing them to an all-plant diet because you don't want animals to suffer is ludicrous. You'll only be passing the suffering onto your beloved pet.

Now I know that the anti-vegans out there will take this argument and project it onto humans and make wild claims about meat as an essential ingredient for human development, but even that is a subject of fierce debate. Did we evolve as scavengers? Was our brain development contingent on adding meat proteins to our diet? etc etc etc

My own personal belief is that for people, it is a different issue. We can survive without meat; unless there is scientific evidence of which I am unaware, conventional wisdom states that cats and dogs, as carnivores, can not. For people, it is a choice to abstain from meat for whatever reason, be it health, ethics or even aesthetics.

Making that choice for your pet can't be healthy. I don't know of any vets who propose a vegetable-based diet for animals.

I do agree that the pet food industry has been tainted by association with the meat-packing industry and the factory farming model. The leftover bits of livestock are ground up for pet food, and considering the quality of the "mechanically separated meat" that ends up in our tinned meats and soups for human consumption, I can not begin to imagine the meat that's leftover for our pets!

I do understand the desire not to participate in supporting the industrialized food model, but I can not put my pet's health at risk to do so. I haven't really researched organic pet foods - Hell, I don't know if they even exist - but I'd like to see what I can do to avoid Purina and other companies which I imagine use the dregs from the killing floors of the big slaughterhouses.

Sweet Potato Fries

I've been down lately, and true to form, when slightly depressed, have been running into the comforting arms of carbs. My latest carb-obsession has not been desserts or home-baked breads, but instead, sweet potato fries.

I know, I know, like who really needs a recipe for this, right? I thought I'd share it anyway.

I like my sweet potato fries with a bit of a kick. I love the sweet and spicy flavors together. I tried making these with creole seasoning last week, but they were far too salty, so I switched back to my standard Old Bay until I can hunt down a creole seasoning blend which has less salt in it.

Sweet Potato Fries with Spicy Mayo

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato, sliced into matchsticks
• Olive oil
• Old Bay



• veganaise
• whole grain mustard
• Old Bay

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425.


2. Slice the sweet potato into batards/matchsticks NOT julienne slices.


3. Toss in a bolw with a generous amount of olive oil and a good tablespoon of Old Bay.


4. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray (I like grapeseed oil for high temperatures).


5. Spread out the sweet potatoes in one even layer.


6. Bake for 15 minutes, take out and flip them and bake for an additional 15 minutes.


7. While they're baking, mix the ingredients for your spicy mayo, seasoning to taste, then devour.

Mini Key Lime Pies

These were oh-so-good. If you are expecting some unnaturally green plasticky pie, this is not it. Try a lime gelatin pie for that. :p

Mini Key Lime Pies

makes 6

Ingredients

• 1/2 package silken tofu
• 2 T agave nectar
• 1 T arrowroot powder
• 3 T Key Lime Juice


• 6 mini graham cracker crusts, prepared or homemade
  


• Turbinado sugar (for garnish)
  
• Lime (for garnish)
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.


2. Place the 6 mini graham cracker crusts on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan.
   


3. Place the tofu and agave nectar in a bowl. Whisk together well.*See Notes below.
   


4. Add the key lime juice and continue to whisk briskly.


5. Add the arrowroot powder (or tapioca starch) and stir until well mixed.


6. Pour the mixture into the prepared crusts.


7. Bake for 25 minutes. Take out and let cool on a rack, then chill for at least 2 hours.


8. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar and slices of lime.


9. Eat and faint from joy.
   

Notes:

• This is the first time I've made any sort of dessert with silken tofu, so I am still getting a feel for it.


• They were very tasty, but I think that I did not whisk well enough, because the texture wasn't the perfectly smooth and creamy custard of the non-vegan Key Lime Pie. It was a bit grainy, which I think I could overcome by whisking more, or even using an electric mixer.
  


• The flavor was wonderful- sweet and tart, no hint of "tofu-ness" which puts a lot of people off desserts with silken tofu. The key lime flavor really bursts forward in this recipe.
  


• If you would like a full-sized, 9-inch pie, double the filling recipe and add 10-15 minutes' baking time.
  

Day 53: Mock Crabcakes

I saw a recipe for mock crabcakes made with tempeh at the Post Punk Kitchen. The thought of using tempeh instead of tofu, like most of the recipes I found, intrigued me. I made some changes to the recipe to keep it closer to the original Maryland crabcakes I used to make when we lived in southern Maryland in our little house by the Chesapeake Bay. *wistful sigh*

The Old Bay seasoning is essential. I swear, it's in everything down there. We would joke that new transplants to the state would get a huge tin of the stuff in their welcome basket, along with a diagram on the only correct way to pick crabs. My ex got to using Old Bay in place of paprika in his Saturday morning homefries. It adds a nice bit of bite and spicy flavor to the potatoes.

Another change I made was adding crushed Saltines, although Ritz crackers would have been my first choice. I remember talking to someone down in Maryland who swore that Ritz crackers were the super-secret ingredient for the perfect crabcake.

While the original recipe looks tasty, I can't recall ever eating a real Chesapeake Bay crab cake that had bell pepper in them. Celery and minced onion, yes. Then again, there have got to be as many ways to craft the perfect crabcake as there are cooks. I wanted to recapture the essence of the crabcakes I remembered.

This recipe came pretty close. The texture of the tempeh is nice, much closer to real lump crabmeat than tofu would ever do, in my opinion.

Mock Crabcakes

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces tempeh
• water to cover
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Bragg's liquid aminos
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon Frank's Red Hot pepper sauce
• 1/4 cup minced onion, rehydrated
• 2 stalks celery, minced
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
• 8 Saltines, crushed
• 1 handful toasted nori, crumbled
• Panko breadcrumbs


Spicy mayo:


• 3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon Frank's Red Pepper hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Directions:

1. Crumble the tempeh into a sauce pan. Pour in enough water to cover the tempeh. Add the Bragg's, olive oil and bay leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, uncover and let boil for 12 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain well.
   


2. Transfer contents to a mixing bowl, remove bay leaf, and mash with a potato masher. Let sit and cool for about 15 minutes.


3. Toss in the minced onion and celery and mix well. Add the crushed saltines and crumbled nori and stir well. Fold in the mayo, mustard, hot sauce, Old Bay Seasoning and mix thoroughly.


4. Fill the bottom of a pie plate with panko breadcrumbs. Take a small handful of the tempeh mixture and form into a ball. Press them into the panko crumbs in the pie pan and flatten them. Coat the top and sides well. Be careful with these cakes, as they will fall apart with rough handling.


5. Gently put about four cakes in a large oiled skillet, frying them over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes for about 5 minutes on one side until (GB&D) golden brown and delicious. Fry for 2 minutes on the other side and transfer to a plate. While the second batch is frying, whip up the spicy mayo by mixing all the ingredients together.


6. Top each cake with a generous dollop of the mayo and eat while still warm.

Notes:

• This recipe made 8 generous-sized crabcakes. You could make them much smaller for hors d'oeurvres.


• They are very fragile. I had to use two spatulas to turn them. I would not recommend turning them more than once. Make sure that you let them cook longer on the first side and come to a nice GB&D state before flipping.
  

Day 52: A Touch of Autumn

It's been cool and rainy here lately. This morning especially, I got a hint of fall on the breeze, and even though I know it's only temporary, I thought I'd celebrate this autumnal mood with apples. I'm also down to the scraping the barrel of the fridge and pantry. I really need to get to the grocery store soon, but I love those days when I have to take stock of what I've got in hand and see what I can whip up. Honestly, I've made some of the best meals that way.

Today it was individual apple crisps. The girls said that I need to make those again, so next time I'll have a photo. Also, bear in mind, I was tossing things together as I went, so my measurements this time are inexact.

Maple- Brown sugar Apple Crisps

Ingredients:

• 2 apples - I used 1 Granny Smith and 1 Jonamac. With my apple pies I like a mixture of sweet and tart apples. These make a nice combination.
• 2 T pure maple syrup
• 3 T brown sugar


• 1/2 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 T wheat germ
• vegan margarine (or butter if you're not a vegan)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.


2. Peel and slice the apples into very thin slices.


3. Place into a bowl and drizzle with maple syrup.


4. Add the brown sugar and stir well. Taste to adjust. You may like it sweeter or more mapley.


5. Put the mixture into greased ramekins. This made enough for three.


6. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until coarsely ground.


7. Add the oats and pulse again until the mixture resembles bread crumbs.


8. Dump this mixture into the same bowl that held the apple mixture. The bowl should still have some of the maple syrup/brown sugar mixture in it. Stir well to mix in all the syrup.
   


9. Add about 1/4 cup of brown sugar (I usually add it in tablespoon increments and taste as I go) and mix well. I like to add a tablespoon or two of wheat germ too.


10. Cut in about 2 T of butter or vegan margarine. (I like Earth Balance) and work with your hands or a pasty cutter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.


11. Divide between the three ramekins, packing down the crumb topping firmly.


12. Bake in a 375 oven for 25 minutes or until it's bubbling nicely around the edges.


13. Take out and let cool on a rack for a bit and then serve warm topped with vanilla ice cream.

Day 46: Strong Hearts Cafe

Well, as I predicted yesterday, I could barely wait until 11 am to try out the vegan cafe in my city. I dragged the girls off with me for a vegan luncheon. I promised them pizza, only to discover that I had not read the menu very well. They serve pizza on Friday nights from 6pm until 2 am only. Oops. That elicited a bit of sulkiness from my Tween-in-training, but I snagged a few menus and pointed out to her that they served breakfast all day and emphasized the long list of milkshakes and she was ok.

In the end, Natalie had waffles topped with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries and real maple syrup and washed it down with a huge pumpkin milkshake. That milkshake tasted like a Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, oh my! Lucy opted for a BLT using the fak'n bacon stuff, vegan cheese (Teese), vegannaise, lettuce and tomato on grilled whole wheat bread, and to drink, had a thick, creamy blueberry milkshake. I had a TLT: a generous slab of marinated, baked tofu with tomato, lettuce, sprouts, pesto & vegannaise on grilled whole wheat bread. Although the milkshakes were tempting, I had a yerba mate after finding out that they'd sold out of my first choice Thai Iced Tea.


The verdict: Delicious. The girls loved their food too, and any mom, vegan or otherwise, can tell you, that's no mean feat.


The sandwiches came solo, unaccompanied by chips, fries or even a small salad, so the prices were a bit, well, pricey for simple sandwiches, but I'm ok with it, and let me tell you why. This place is 100% vegan, and it's rare that a restaurant offers any vegetarian items at all, let alone any vegan offerings. I'm more than happy to support them. Sure, I won't be eating there every week, but I don't eat out anywhere every week, but when I do go out, I will be going there instead of spending my money elsewhere.

I am happy to spread the love; in fact, I told my sister-in-law about the place today. She hadn't heard about it either. They've been open for a little over a year now, and are going strong. I hope that they continue to do well. We could use more places like this.

Day 45: Dining Out

I've only dined out twice since I've made this switch. The Thai restaurant had a whole vegetarian section filled with tofu and vegetables and when I asked if there were hidden animal products like broth, the waitress told me that it was all totally vegan. The Friendly's menu, on the other hand, was not terribly vegetarian-friendly, let alone vegan-safe. Nevertheless, they accommodated my request to un-cheese my veggie fajita quesadilla and it was pretty tasty. I rarely eat out, so it hadn't really occurred to me that this would be quite the ordeal.

I did a little bit of online searching and found the Vegan Eating Out Guide, which researches popular sit-down restaurants and fast food chains and details what, exactly, on their menus is vegan. Some restaurants, like Red Robin, Hooter's, Denny's and TGI Fridays, offer nothing. Nope, not even a fruit cup, a bowl of plain oatmeal or a green salad. I was stunned, really. I had figured that vegan dining out would be an exercise largely reduced to a plate of anemic-looking iceberg lettuce passing itself off as a "green salad" or picking and choosing from side dishes, but for some restaurants to have nothing free of animal products, like not even a baked potato, for God's sake, well, that's an eye-opener.

Panera and Au Bon Pain, on the other hand, had some soups and sandwiches which were either already vegan as-is or could be made so simply by omitting the cheese.


I was surprised and disappointed to discover that Ruby Tuesday's Veggie Burger was no longer listed. A few more searches on Google later, and I found that they had switched suppliers and their veggie burger mix had mayonnaise in it. So now, the only stand-alone vegan offering on their menu is their salad bar. I did not become a vegan so that I could be relegated to eating salads wherever I went. Is it really that difficult for a restaurant to add a grilled portobello mushroom sandwich to the menu? I'm not asking for fake meats or seitan, here.

I was perusing the Vegan Eating Guide's of fast food restaurants which serves 100% vegan foods and saw that there was one listed in New York. I clicked on it, wondering what in the world a fast food vegan restaurant could possibly be like and I nearly fell over.

The link took me to a place called Strong Hearts Cafe, the largest vegan cafe in New York state outside of New York city, and it's right here in Syracuse.

How the Hell did I not know this?!

Now I am so excited I can barely stand it. They have a full breakfast, lunch and PIZZA menu! I told the girls that we would go there soon for pizza. Hell, let's see if I can wait as long as 11 am.

They have milkshakes, soups, salads, sandwiches and.... did I mention the pizza?

You can expect my review as soon as I've gone there. Check out their menus here.