Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Food wishes Chef John goes vegetarian (vegan, actually, if you leave out the sour cream, or use vegan sour cream).  My husband Marcus found this recipe on teh interwebs. This is what I'm making today.  I have transcribed the recipe from the video and am posting it below.  This is definitely a good cause, and especially as a vegan, I feel that we DO have enough food to feed the world - it's terrible that children starve, when if people adopted a vegan diet, we could feed everyone.  Just my opinion.  At any rate, sign the petition.  Kids need to be fed.  And we can start, by feeding our own children good nutritious food.

Here's the website to sign the petition:  Sweet Potatoes on the menu at One.org

And now, the transcribed recipe:

Roasted Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients:

2 lbs orange-fleshed sweet potatoes

1/2 tsp ground chipotle pepper, or to taste

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 jalapeno, sliced

1 tbsp cumin

2 or 3 tbsp Ancho chili powder, or other chili powders, or to taste

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1 can (28-oz) diced or crushed tomatoes

1 cup water, more as needed
1 tbsp corn meal

1 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp unsweetened cocoa

2 cans (15-oz) black beans, drained, rinsed

cayenne to taste

vegan sour cream and cilantro to garnish, if desired

Peel and cube  3 sweet potatoes.  Place cubed sweet potatoes in a bowl and add salt and chipotle chili pepper and olive oil, stir to coat.  Place on baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes at 400ºF. 

Meanwhile,  sauté onion, red pepper and jalapeño , chili powder , cumin and oregano until onions are translucent.  Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer, adding salt, sugar, water and corn meal.  While simmering, add cocoa and simmer for thirty minutes.  Stir in black beans and sweet potatoes, and keep warm until ready to eat.

Update:  This is positively delicious!  YUM YUM

Casserole night

I've veganized Spaghetti For Peanuts before.  And with Daiya, it works BEAUTIFULLY.  The last time I made it (September 30th) I used old peanuts, and it tasted funky.  So, I bought me some new peanuts, and here we go again.  (I wanted Bubble and Squeak, but Brian didn't want to cook potatoes.)  On the side, I'm making stir fried green beans in Wegman's stir fry sauce.  Simple but should be pretty good.

Update:  The stir fried green beans were good, but I think next time I will add a touch of garlic powder.  The Spaghetti For Peanuts was delicious, though I didn't get good enough coverage with the sauce, and ended up with some hard noodles in places.  This is definitely comfort food!

Bubble and Squeak

Since it's Monday I want to make a veganized version of Bubble and Squeak.  I have lots of potatoes and a cabbage at home.  We could have canned beans along with it.

The BEST Pumpkin Muffins

Vegan With A Vengeance rides again.  That has to be one of the best cookbooks I've ever owned.  It's worth the price just for the pancakes and The Best Pumpkin Muffins (which are in the oven cooking NOW).  Anytime the kids will scarf down something, I end up making it all the time.  And I've also taken the pumpkin muffins to work and shared them with co-workers.  They're better than anything you get at a café, vegan or otherwise.  I will have to make a second pot of coffee just to enjoy with these muffins.

I did have to toss out an old can of pumpkin.  There was green fuzzy stuff growing on the side.  So I opened a new can.  Yes, in a family kitchen, you do find some science experiments in the fridge.  We had just put off using the rest of the pumpkin for forever.  Not this time.  I think I will make some Super Moist Pumpkin Bread later on.

Now for a shameless plug:  You can find a lot of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipes on The Post Punk Kitchen website.  However, if you're like me, and you realize the woman is a genius with recipes, you're going to want to buy ALL of her cookbooks. (I don't have them all yet, but I'm getting there.)  I have learned so much from the PPK, I can't even begin to tell.  I think, in a way, cooking and especially baking, is all about proportions of ingredients.  ICM gets it right pretty much every time.  I have yet to make one of her recipes that doesn't work, even if I don't adhere perfectly to everything in it.  As she says in Appetite For Reduction, there are no weird ingredients or strange concoctions; just good food.

Sunday Lunch

I woke up late yesterday, and didn't have time for breakfast.  I was out the door and off to church.  But when I got home, I made up for this oversight, and made the pancakes from Vegan With A Vengeance.  So far, I don't think Isa Chandra Moskowitz has EVER come up with a bad recipe.  Every time I make these pancakes, they are perfect (unless I leave them on too long and they burn, but that's my fault).  I only use pure maple syrup, because life is too short to use corn syrup instead of the real deal.  Aunt Jemima can just forget it.  Log Cabin, eat your heart out.

I think what makes these pancakes so good, at least partly, is the touch of cinnamon.  I do have to be honest, though, I ended up burping cinnamon all day!  And yes, I ate the entire batch.  YUM.  Pure maple syrup and Earth Balance, with a glass of cranberry juice to drink.  What's not to like?

Lentil Chili

Lentil Chili recipes is on pg. 6 of this pdf ,  This recipe is also in the Forks Over Knives Cookbook on page 128.

There's something inherently satisfying about chopping up lots of vegetables and putting them all in a pot and having Brian come in the kitchen and say, "That smells good!"  I have to sit down to do all my chopping, but still, it's chopping up fresh veggies, instead of using something out of a box.  And there's no oil in this recipe; you don't sauté the vegetables in oil, but in vegetable stock.  All of us could use cutting down on fat in this household (looks like I won't be making vegan brownies again anytime soon!  And no vegan ice cream for a while!) but I especially need to cook with whole foods and cut out fat and sugar.  Even as a vegan, I tend to eat a lot of junk.  I just hope this chili tastes as good as it smells.  And it smells delicious.  I'm slow cooking it on top of the stove.

Recipes I'd like to try

WOW!  There is so much good stuff out there!

I really want to try Rip Esselstyn's Cuban Black Bean Stew  (posted by downhomevegan):  http://www.downhomevegan.com/2012/10/cuban-black-bean-stew.html

In looking over the new Forks Over Knives cookbook, I found Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Pumpkin Spice Bread (someone said it has apple butter in it, so it HAS to be good!)

For the coming week, I'm definitely going to try the following:

http://www.theppk.com/2011/08/chana-masala/

http://www.theppk.com/2011/11/cashew-queso/

I also just bought the Forks Over Knives cookbook.  And World Vegan Feast.  YUM.  Can't wait to cook out of these!

Three for all

For dinner tonight we're having chickpea salad sandwiches on pita bread.  The chickpea salad is pretty simple:  1 can of chickpeas is mashed in a bowl.  Add diced onion (a whole onion for us onion lovers) about a teaspoon full of dried dill weed and Nayonnaise vegan mayonnaise along with salt and pepper to taste (I used quite a bit of pepper; love me some black pepper).  Amy has been craving chickpea salad sandwiches for ages, so she should like tonight's dinner.

Canned beans and roasted broccoli complete the meal.  And it's just that simple.  Vegan food isn't always about making complicated, difficult recipes.  Sometimes, it's just some salad and some veggies, and that's it.

I do think I will make some vegan brownies this evening.  Craving them.

Update: I made those vegan brownies - yum, yum, yum!  The kids love 'em too.  Sometimes, chocolate simply hits the spot!

Update #2:  Now that I'm thinking of it, heating up the chickpeas before mashing them makes them softer, easier to work with. 

Got to try this

I have half a notion to pick up some kale and pecans for tomorrow night (tonight is the bi-weekly Amy & Mom have Chinese food out).  This looks SO GOOD:  http://good-good-things.com/  And I already have the butternut squash, so it would be a real winner.  The Tofu and Broccoli looks good as well.  Man I love Vegan MoFo.  I always find new things to try.

I wish I could just read vegan food blogs all day!

Shepherd's pie

Amy did a beautiful job layering the mashed potatoes on top of the filling.  And it tasted even better than it looks.

T TBSP flour + 1 TBSP Earth Balance + 2 cups soy milk made the sauce with onions and a bag of frozen vegetables.  Baked for a half hour.

I originally thought I'd make soup for this first day of the MoFo but Brian wanted shepherd's pie, and he gladly boiled up the potatoes to get us started even before I got home from  work.

Amy said, "I think it's very tasty, especially if you add some chili powder and some cheese."  (The cheese she added was Daiya chedder style)  Brian had only one word: "Good."

I guess my behavior speaks for itself - I had three servings of it!

Vegan MOFO has begun!

Here we go.  It's the first day of the 2012 Vegan Month of Food.  I still am not quite sure what I will be making tonight for dinner.  But, in addition to celebrating the VeganMoFo, I am also quitting Diet Coke for a month starting today.  I don't know if I'll make it through the month without succumbing to the wiles of DC, but I will certain give it all I've got.  I want to know if it would make a great difference in my weight loss if I gave it up.  I have had several people say that it will indeed.  So, I'm giving Diet Coke the old heave ho.  I will do anything to feel better.  Of course, one reason I'm feeling fairly good today is I had corstisone shots in my knees last Thursday.  It takes a few days but now I'm walking quite well and feel good.  Hopefully, I can do some water aerobics this evening after a nice dinner.

Wow.  Feels like a lot of changes on the way.  Not really, but it seems like it.  Amy and I considered Potato and Leek Soup, because we have a bag of the vegetables in our fridge.  I suppose we could do that.  It's cool enough for soup, and I think it would be tasty.  I could stop by Food Lion and get a Pan Bigio bread loaf to go with it.  Maybe I can get Brian to start it before I come home.  I don't see why he couldn't do that.  We could add some beans for extra protein.  I think I might be the only person who doesn't worry about where we're going to get protein.  I think we eat quite a bit of protein, actually.

Update: I'm staying home this evening, but I definitely still feel good.  And the shepherd's pie we made really hit the spot.

Vegan MoFo - Bring it on!

Vegan Month of Food 2012 blogroll

I am really excited about the Vegan MoFo this year!  My theme is going to be vegan cooking as a family.  For those of you who have kids and partners who might not be vegan but eat vegan anyway, this is for you!  Right now, there are three of us in the house - myself and my son and daughter Brian and Amy, both of who are omnivores.  Chris, my other son, is vegetarian and says he'll never go vegan (but LOVES my vegan brownies - hey a mom has to try!).  And my mom, who is omni, has to watch her salt level, and her blood pressure.  My husband, Marcus, well, he's game to try most of what I make as long as it doesn't taste too "green".

We will try as many new recipes as possible and hopefully find some new favorites.  We usually choose recipes on the basis of how healthy they are AND how easy they are to make.  No one wants to come home from work and work more.  Same goes for folks coming home from school - so we want to keep things easy and fun.  Anyhow, I hope everyone tries some new things and blogs LOTS about what works and what doesn't work, and why.

Roll on, Vegan MoFo!

Super Moist Pumpkin Bread - turned on its head

http://www.theppk.com/2008/10/super-moist-pumpkin-bread/#comment-32432

First of all, I omitted the coconut and the walnuts, because I didn't have any.  Boo hoo. 
THEN, I was really naughty and used organic sweet potato instead of pumpkin.

And this bread STILL turned out good.  Most of it went to church for the Fall Festival.

Even though the oven didn't turn on the first time I tried to bake it and the batter sat in the pans inside the oven doing NOTHING for about an hour and a half, once I baked it, even though it ended up cooking a bit longer than it should, it was forking delicious!  This is definitely my go-to recipe for pumpkin bread - until Isa Chandra Moskowitz comes up with a new one!

Snickerdoodle cookies go vegan

In my last post I was bemoaning the fact that I didn't have a go-to vegan cookie recipe.  Isa Chandra Moskowitz comes to the rescue again with Chai Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies.  I cannot wait to try this recipe.

Right now, I have to make the food I planned to take to sell at the fall festival.  And I don't particularly feel like it because my stomach hurts.  Too many fries at lunch.  I really need to stop eating fries.

Vegan brownies - my first try

Not bad for a first effort. Amy & Brian liked the brownies. Recipe here.  My only complaint is that they were oilier than I'd like.  I'm thinking maybe next time substitute some applesauce for half of the vegetable oil.  Also, I used sweetened chocolate/cocoa powder and it worked out fine.  Ghirardelli makes good products.

Oh, and I'd probably drink unsweetened iced tea with the brownies next time.  This time, I had cranberry juice.  Strange mix of flavors. 

I still haven't decided if I'm going to make more of them to sell at the Fall Festival.  I like The Best Pumpkin Muffins (from Vegan With A Vengeance) a lot better.  I still haven't found a good vegan cookie recipe yet.

Amy makes dinner GREAT!

Amy made the best bean dip this evening.  And we used it along with Daiya to make quesadillas.  VERY GOOD.

She blended together black beans, medium salsa, lime juice, cumin, and cayenne pepper.  We then took the mixture, spread it on tortillas, added some cheddar flavored Daiya, and browned the folded tortilla on each side in canola oil, melting the cheese and warming the bean mixture.  DELICIOUS!

Amy, you are quite a good cook!  EXCELLENT!  I am full and happy!  Or as I should say, fat and sassy!

Breakfast and Brunch

I made this chickpea scramble recipe for breakfast this AM.  It was quite good, though I probably should not have omitted the olive oil.  I'm going to use the leftover mix to make beanburgers for brunch.  And we're going to bake some fries as well.  YUM.

Update:  Well, the polls are in - from all 3 of the other people at lunch, Brian, Amy and Gina, and they all agree- these bean burgers taste like Taco Bell!  I think that must be a compliment so I'll take it that way.  I know it was cheaper than Taco Bell, for sure.  Here's something of a recipe:

Chickpea-Cannelloni Bean Burgers
yield 6-8 burgers

½ cup chickpeas, mashed
1 can cannelloni beans, mashed with liquid included
2 TBSP nutritional yeast (or 'nooch' for short)
¼ - ½ cup light whole wheat flour (or as needed)
2 TBSP garbanzo flour (or as needed)
one small onion, finely diced
2 tsp cumin or to taste
2 tsp chili powder or to taste
1 tsp salt or to taste (I wouldn't exceed 1½ tsp)
pepper to taste

Mash all beans together.  Make sure to include the liquid in the canned beans.  If not using canned beans, you are going to want to add about ¼-½ cup water, a little bit at a time.  Combine all above ingredients.  Add additional water or flour, to get a thick batter-type consistence.  If it's too mushy, add flour.  If it's too dry, add a bit of water.  Pancake batter consistency is too thin; aim for more of a bread batter consistency.

Coat a frying pan with non-stick canola oil spray.  Form 2-3" flat patties.  Brown on both sides, keep warm by stacking on a plate.

Enjoy with ketchup, mustard, chili sauce, bbq sauce, whatever you like. 

Who knew? Vegan brown bread

Amy told me an interesting fact.  Seems if you put a wooden spoon on top of a pasta pot, it won't boil over.  Hmmm.  I have got to try this.  Three peppers and an onion later - too bad the spaghetti sauce she's making has meat in it.  I will be eating leftover vegan lasagne.  But hey - dinner is being cooked! 

Oh, I am making vegan brown bread:

Brown Bread

·         2 cups soy milk

·         2 Tbsp. vinegar

·         4 cups whole wheat flour

·         2 cups all-purpose flour

·         2 Tbsp. vegan margarine, at room temperature

·         1 1/2 tsp. salt

·         1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1.       Preheat the oven to 425°F.

2.       In a small bowl, combine the soy milk and vinegar. Set aside.

3.       Sift together the flours in a large bowl. Using your fingers, rub the margarine into the flours, forming a crumbly mixture. Add the salt and baking soda.

4.       Make a well in the center and gradually add the soy milk mixture, mixing constantly. Add only enough to make the dough soft but still manageable.

5.       Knead inside the bowl for 30 seconds.

6.       Remove to a lightly floured baking sheet and use the palm of your hand to flatten into a 1 1/2–inch-thick disk. Use a knife to score a cross in the center.

7.       Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for 15 minutes. If the crust is too hard, cover it in a damp tea cloth. Let cool.

Makes 4  servings

Homemade vegan lasagne!

Brian decided last night that he wanted lasagne!  SO... he sautéed a bag of stir-fry veggies, and added pasta sauce to them.  I came home and made tofu ricotta (so easy, just took a fork and stirred up the tofu with basil, oregano, salt and pepper).  Brian layered the tofu ricotta and the sauce with the noodles and topped with Mozzarella and Cheddar Daiya.  We baked it for about a half hour or a little more.  It was delicious!  Nice job, Brian!  We will definitely have this again!

This is the Almost All American Seitan Pot Pie from Veganomicon.  If it tastes as good as it looks, then I will have been successful!  Amy rolled out and patted in the crusts so I had a lot of help.  It's pretty work intensive, but it was a work of love!  Time to eat!

Breakfast - Puffy Pillow Pancakes

Puffy Pillow Pancakes

Listening to Ella Fitzgerald, and enjoying these pancakes for breakfast.  Flax seeds, if sealed up, keep for quite a long time.  These pancakes were light and delicious.  I will definitely make them again.  I just wish I had not waited so long to try them.  I happily made a second batch for Brian.  YUM!

Amy and Gina are also trying them.  I should have made more batter.  Our new stove heats a little hotter than the old one.  So we have to be careful and turn the dial a little lower than before.  Incidentally, the oven is wonderful.  The temperature indicator (digital) shows when preheat is done and the oven has reached cooking temperature!

Also, I believe the cats really like jazz.  Who would have thought?

Spinach-bean quesadillas and a short update

http://vegweb.com/recipes/spinach-and-bean-quesadillas

These turned out really well.  It was nice and simple and didn't take too long.  I used fresh spinach instead of frozen, so it was a bit on the bitter side.  I also used the pepperjack variety of Daiya, and omitted the salsa.  Still a good dinner.  I will definitely make this again.

Slow going on practicing clarinet and doing water aerobics.  I have not felt well recently, and am just plain tired.  When I went to the doctor, they did a urinalysis and lo and behold I have a bladder infection.  I am now on a course of Bactrim, so hopefully that will clear up in a few days.  Hopefully I will feel more like exercising on Monday.

Regrets and a strange dream

I wish I had made more of my high school and college years, and worked harder and learned more.  I spent way too much time partying, and seeking status.  Now I want to learn, and the opportunity is no longer there.  I wonder what I can do to change this now.  I would like to improve my flute playing.  I dreamed I got a new flute, and I couldn't get a sound out of it.  It was so strange.  And I had a cousin - a cousin of my dad's in the dream - who owned the music store where I got it.  Someone I work with IR:L also got a new flute, but his worked just fine.  It's like, I wanted his flute because it played for me, whereas my flute wouldn't play for me without doing a lot of things to it.

Soooo...do I get flute lessons or what?

some small fixes

Last night, I made the Leeks and Beans Cassoulet from Veganomicon again.  This time, I doubled the biscuit recipe.  Unfortunately, that was too much bread, instead of too little.  I think the best option would be to make 1½ times the biscuit recipe when I make this again, and see if that is enough.  The normal biscuit recipe isn't quite enough for all the stew it makes if you use two leeks (which is what the recipe calls for).  I did make sure I sautéed the carrots/onions/leeks/garlic for at least 10 minutes, which ensured that the carrots were tender.  This is definitely a favorite of our family.  Amy and Brian added vegan cheese and chili powder, which I don't exactly get, but hey, it's okay.  They are eating vegetables!

Brian's back home, Amy's driving

Brian returned from a wonderful mission trip to Joplin, MO.  The group Voices of Youth is simply amazing.  I truly enjoyed their music, and I was so proud of Brian, when he spoke last Friday night during the group's service and made sure to make the folks from the group home across the street from the church feel welcome.  (They really enjoyed the concert, and sang along with nearly all the selections.) 

Amy got her permit last Saturday, and began driving in earnest last night.  She did quite well for her first time, and I am really proud of her.  She even backed the van into the driveway and did well considering how dark it was. 

My brother, Uncle Scott, got a tooth pulled Monday, and is still at mom's house recovering.  We had dinner at Noodles & Co. on Monday night, then last night Brian and I made spaghetti for everyone.  Although I woke up with a migraine yesterday morning, by the evening, I was feeling much better, thus the spaghetti dinner and taking Amy out driving.  I am really going to have to make sure I drink plenty of water.  I believe I got sick primarily because of the extreme heat.  Even though I have remained indoors, I have not been keeping the fluids coming like I should.  I am completely recovered this AM, and am back at work.  There is a large, FULL water bottle on my desk.

Hopefully, later this week, I will put some time in practicing my clarinet, my flute and - yes - recorder.  I'm playing flute one Sunday in church - I believe it is August 12th.  I'm not sure when we will do the recorder duet.  Should be some nice music for the summer months.

Seeing Marcus back to Sweden and some thoughts

It is never easy, and just gets harder seeing my husband off back to Sweden.  He left this morning, and I felt at least last night, Amy & I made him a nice dinner of Leek and Bean Cassoulet (from Veganomicon).  It was delicious, and he really liked it.  Our neighbor, and Amy's friend K.J. joined us for dinner, and he had seconds!  Definitely a go-to recipe for company and special occasions.  I will have to make it for my mom some time.

I hope I didn't come on too strong about dietary change.  This is just so right for me, but at the same time, it took  me a lot of years to be ready to make the change.  I had to be ready to change my eating habits.  And I am still evolving.  I still make the occasional exception, though not all that often anymore.  It is getting easier.  Now for getting rid of other animal products in my life.  I need to take a good look at ingredients in dish detergent, shampoo, laundry detergent, all of that stuff.  I'm also concerned about ingredients that harm the environment.

A little down time

Running away from all the responsibilities is sometimes a good thing.  I won't run far.

Dinner at home with Marcus

We're having shepherd's pie this evening for the umpteenth time.  I've gotten so I can make it without referring to a recipe.  Go, me!  I hope Marcus likes this, because it tastes great.  I hope we don't have to go out much of anywhere.   But I do have to deposit a check into the bank.  So, I doubt we will have much down time.  And I'm working late this week.

Current read

The Ghosts of Havana

Excellent read.  I really enjoy the film noir/detective noir genres.  This one does not disappoint.

Muffins for church

Tomorrow is the third Sunday of the month.  We have fellowship after the service, and Brian wanted us to bake something for this.  So, we are baking the Banana-Wheat Germ Muffins from Veganomicon.  This is an entirely new recipe for me, so I am eager to see how they turn out.  They are baking as I write this.  I don't want to eat any of them tonight, but I am thinking we should try them just to see if they are good.  Maybe I will have Brian try one.

The rest of today's meals were good - pancakes from Vegan With A Vengeance for breakfast.  Lunch was General Tso's Tofu at Hunan Garden.  Then for dinner I made beans and rice (Amy cooked the rice a few days ago), and Roasted Brussels Sprouts for dinner.

This morning, after I dropped off the kids at the school (it was Tag Day where they go out and get donations for the music program), I had to take my mom to the medical lab to get blood work done.  For some reason, I was really jittery.  I finally had to leave her there, and go back to her house & get Chris to go pick her up.  It was kind of scary, and I'm not sure exactly what caused it.  One other negative thing - I haven't gotten to do any more water aerobics this week.  Next week I will do better.  Amy and I are both looking forward to Monday night. 

Teens cooking vegan

My son Brian and daughter Amy made a delicious shepherd's pie last night.  A nice touch was the topping of Daiya, which was Brian's idea.  Mmmm.  I would like more of it tonight, but I doubt we have time.  I could eat shepherd's pie just about every night of the week if I had to.  It is so easy to make, I only had to give them minimal instructions (I was ill last night when I arrived home, and still had to take my other teen, Chris, to the pharmacy to pick up some meds).  We have grown used to cooking vegan - to tell you the truth, they don't like overdoing the meat these days, though Brian & Amy still eat it.  Chris has been vegetarian now for, oh, I believe 7 or 8 years.  He still hasn't taken the vegan plunge.  He's very resistant to that.  Oh well, give him time.  I know it took a lot of years for me to take the plunge.

Back in the swim!

First night back at water aerobics last night - what a night!  I was a bit sore after class, but I took my diclofenac (for knee pain) and when I went to sleep, I slept like a LOG.  I woke up this morning, and felt GREAT!  And it's raining, which was a surprise, since often when it rains, my knees are more painful, especially my left one.  The class is as I remember it.  Daughter Amy went with me, and she said it only felt like 10 minutes in the water, rather than the hour the class lasted.  My goal this week is to go both Monday and Saturday.  Next week, I will add the Tuesday/Thursday cycling at 6 pm to the mix.  Then the next week, I will try to add another night of work on my own.  I may also try aqua Zumba, but that ends May 23rd.

Another change - small but good - asking for veggies instead of fries with entrees.

 Not sure what is for dinner tonight.  The kids have rehearsal until 5.

Update: On Friday, May 18th, I was weighed at the doctor's office.  I've lost 6 more pounds!  WOOHOO!

Adding exercise to the mix

I've been a bit amiss in writing here.  The pain in my knee has gotten really bad.  So, I have got to redouble my efforts and put exercise into the mix for weight loss to happen.  Eating more veggies is good, but not enough.  My goal is water aerobics (deep water) 3 times a week, and spinning at least twice a week or more.  Sunday will be the day to rest, but I could walk or do something that day just for fun.  First order of business - on payday, rejoin the Y.  Next, start going to H2O aerobics at least twice a week.  Add a third day when I can (when my schedule allows) and add the spinning classes soon thereafter.  Amy is going to do water aerobics with me.  I just hope she likes it.

stuck on shepherd's pie

Vegan Shepherd's Pie  I've not been all that creative lately.  This recipe is tailor made for me.  Of course, there were the requisite changes:  I did not make gravy for the "innards" since it was pretty thick as it is.  I also did not use tvp or any other kind of fake meat; instead, I used black beans and corn, and canned diced tomatoes with chilis in them, along with onions, leeks, green peas, and, did I say onions?  I went pretty heavy on the black pepper, and did not make the mashed potatoes with vegan mayo or vegan cream cheese.  Those items are simply too pricey to use in something like mashed potatoes.  I simply used Earth Balance, salt, pepper, and unflavored soy milk. 

The results:  very very flavorful.  The carrots in the filling were not as done as I would have liked, but no matter.  It was still really good.  AND I sprinkled some Daiya atop my servings, as did Amy, and it was DELICIOUS.  Definitely a go-to recipe.  I will make this for my mom some time.  I think she would like it.  It cooks up really well, with about 25-30 minutes baking at 400ºF.

Butternut Squash with Sage and Pasta

This is one that I found elsewhere earlier, but found here today:  http://southernfood.about.com/od/wintersquashrecipes/r/r91115a.htm

I don't remember where I originally found this recipe.  Omit the Parmesan or use vegan Parmesan, if you like that flavor.  I just leave it out.  Also, forget the butter and use Earth Balance.

We made this last night with corkscrew pasta, and had enough left over that the kids already have lunch today.  If you cook an entire box of pasta, I would suggest using a rather large squash, and a large onion.  I forgot to roast the onion with the squash - AGAIN.  For some reason, I have a mental block about this.  It is different with fresh sage, as opposed to dried, but even with dried sage, it is VERY good.  Make sure you are generous with the salt and pepper (sea salt works quite well).

Busy is ....good?

You know you are getting better when...you don't mind being really busy?  I suppose that is true.  Yesterday was full of ups and downs, and no down time much.  But I managed to get through it just fine.  Something interesting - I want to listen to music again.  For some people, that might not be such a big deal.  For me - someone who has, for most of their life, made a living from being a musician - it IS a big deal.  I know I am recovering a sense of self, and a sense of beauty, a sense of possibility.  I think eventually, I will feel ready to step out and become part of the larger musical community.  It will take a while, but I think it will happen.  Baby steps.

Still haven't decided what is on the menu for dinner this evening.  My mom may want to go out.  I don't know.

Tamale shepherd's pie

From theppk.com this is a TexMex version of the traditional Irish dish. I didn't add as much heat as the original recipe calls for, but my family liked it a lot so I will make it again. One thing - I really need to make creamier mashed potatoes. And next time, I will add a half tsp lime zest to the potatoes. And add more heat. Great recipe!

Cooking at home vs eating à restaurant (updated)

It is frustrating feeling so tired when I get Home in the evening. We end up going out because I am too tired to Cook.

Update:  After conferring with my doctor, I have made several changes in my medications.  As hoped, I have a bit more energy, and hope to get even better as the change becomes permanent.  This week, not only have I made several meals at home, but I have also taken the trash out, helped with the cat boxes and practiced more clarinet, without feeling too wiped out.

My first recipe from Veganomicon

Last night we made the Leek and Bean Cassoulet from Veganomicon.  It was just about perfect.  The only thing I left out was the garlic, and I used a bit of garlic powder instead of minced garlic.  But other than that, I made it just like it called for in the cookbook.  YUM.  The kids liked it too - even though they did say, "Don't make it too often, so we won't get tired of it."  Not a problem - it is something of a work intensive recipe.

This month has been full of repeat meals.  I haven't really tried any new recipes recently.  Tonight we're having the roasted Brussels sprouts from Vegan With A Vengeance.  We are also having vegan colcannon, which is quite tasty.  I hope I can start trying new recipes soon.

My other blog

I have an allrecipes.com blog that I use exclusively to talk about traditional recipes I have veganized and how they turned out.  However, THIS blog is the one I post in all the time.  I did have a blog at livejournal, here but I do not use that anymore.  I realize most of what I post is about vegan cooking and living.  But there are other things that go on.

For example, I was a professional clarinetist with the U.S. Navy fleet bands for fourteen years before I was forced to retire because of illness.  Music is my lifeblood in many ways.  I am just now, after several years, getting back into playing and teaching.  Hopefully, I can eventually do music full time again. I like my job with the gov't, but I miss playing music SO MUCH.  It is gratifying that three of my four children love to play instruments (Chris plays guitar, and Brian and Amy play clarinet).

I will say this, referring to being vegan:  Since I have begun eating and living vegan, my depression has lifted a VERY great deal.  I want to be alive again, and I feel like I am finally on the road to getting my life back.

Vegan kielbasa?

PPK vegan Italian sausage

PPK vegan smoky maple sausages

PPK thread- spices to create different kinds of vegan sausage

Hopefully I can steam up some kielbasa this week.  My daughter (an unrepentant carnivore) really wanted me to get some meat kielbasa yesterday when I went grocery shopping.  However, 1) I couldn't find kielbasa and 2) I really do not want to buy meat if I don't have to.  So... I am going to try making vegan kielbasa.  Then I will see how it works in stew/soup.  I would like to use it in a vegan version of HamBeens 15 bean soup.

Chili cook-off

Our church had our annual Chili Cook-off this weekend.  I made what can only be more correctly termed a stew, of cannelini beans, black beans, tomatoes, onions, yellow bell peppers, chili powder and a hint of cinnamon.  I really should have made it the night before (the actual meetup was after services Sunday morning.  This was a quick fix which I threw together just before we left, around 8:30 AM).  Even so, I was asked for the recipe and I found that flattering.  Additionally, even though I didn't win this year, our youth group won, to the tune of $175.00 towards their mission trip this summer.

Vegan Colcannon!

I took the recipe in the link and made it my own.   I omitted the leeks (since I didn't have any) and did not use nutmeg.  I used about three TBSP of Earth Balance spread to add some flavor, as well as plenty of salt and pepper.  My kids LOVED it (although they DID add mayonnaise - non-vegan mayonnaise - to the mixture).  I think I will try this again with either leeks or onions.  Oh, and I used Nature's Market Soy Milk, since we don't have the 8th Continent brand here.

I can't believe I forgot...

...to mention that I also made, over the weekend, a shepherd's pie.   Pretty simple.  Vegan mashed potatoes - mmm, yummy.  I like them better than the old dairy-laden ones - topping innards consisting of bagged frozen veggies thawed & sautéed with tempeh to make a satisfying filling.  My mom LOVED them.  I am definitely making this and using tempeh again.

Here and there

Well, this weekend has been a very nice change of pace.  Four days off.  In a row.  It's times like this it pays to work for the feds.

Anyhow, I made chili again.  And this time, I forgot the corn.  It wasn't as good. :(  But still edible+.  I used a package of Hambeens Beans, without the flavor pack, and added some leftover baked beans, and the usual suspects (bell pepper, onion, garlic)  Brian said it was too spicy, which surprised me, because I put the same amount of chili powder in it that I did before, though I did add some cumin.  Maybe the cumin put it over the top for him.  Also, that 1/8 tsp cinnamon.  I think I may up that to ¼ tsp and see how that works.

This morning, The BEST Pumpkin Muffins from Vegan With A Vengeance.  I LOVE that cookbook.  It is already looking raggedy ass because of all the cooking I've done with it.  Oooh, and the pancakes - made those twice this weekend.  The first time (Friday) I left one of them in the skillet too long, but it still tasted pretty good.  Yesterday, they came out perfect.  Mmmmm.

Later today, I will be making hummus, as well as some bean burgers (leftover chili, you know).  I am finding that making up my own recipes is quite fun.

Sweet three-bean vegan chili

Ingredients:

@ 1 TBSP olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced
1-4 oz can mild chilis
1-15 oz can black beans
1-15 oz can kidney beans
1-15 oz can canneloni beans
1-15 oz can sweet corn
1-15 oz can diced tomatoes
1½ tsp chili powder
1/8 tsp cinnamon

In a large stew pot, sauté the garlic, onion, and bell pepper until the onion is translucent.  Add the chilis, all the beans, and the corn, and stir. (Do NOT drain the beans or corn)  Add the tomatoes, and bring to a boil.  Reduce to a simmer, and add chili powder and cinnamon.  Simmer for at least 35 minutes, or until it tastes done.

I had some of this last night, served with tortilla chips crushed on top.  YUM!

This can also be made by cooking dried beans in the crock pot, then adding all ingredients except tomatoes.  Tomatoes should only be added to the crockpot during the last hour of cooking, after the beans are tender.

It's a New Year

After a much needed break, I'm back, both here online and at work.   Some of the more interesting moments of the past couple of weeks are as follows:

Last night, I came to the realization, after cutting myself chopping a spaghetti squash in pieces, that meat cleavers are not of much use at all except to injure oneself if they aren't aimed properly.  I think I'm going to get rid of mine.

Omnivores CAN cook vegan meals AND make them taste good.  Marcus made his pasta sauce with chopped veggies and tomato sauce.  MMMMM.  The man has inherited his father's extensive abilities in the kitchen.  Now to convince him of this.

It IS possible to put everything I need for several days in a cooler, and still eat too much.

Tofurkey is one of the best inventions known to man, followed closely by Veganaise.  Finally something to change up with peanut butter for lunch.

Just because I'm vegan doesn't necessarily mean I will eat healthy all the time.

And - Chinese food for Christmas dinner ROCKS.

Being vegan, especially now

For some reason, I have quite a craving for meat lately.  I don't really know why.  Maybe it's because I'm surrounded by meat eaters.  I never realized just how pervasive - actually downright ubiquitous - eating meat is.  It's everywhere.  And cheese and eggs and milk are in EVERYTHING.  I've gotten so I don't like to go out to eat, because there are few vegan options, and I am tired of what few there are.

I'm not going to quit - but... it sure is frustrating.  And I need to get some exercise.  Maybe I should make my New Year's resolutions early.  Lose more weight, start exercising at least three times a week - those are two that MUST happen.

Marcus is here!

Marcus arrived late afternoon, Thursday, December 15th.  I've had a wonderful last 3 days with him.  Of course, now it's back to work.  We only made one meal at home, and that was Gado-Gado.  I'm going to have to find some good vegan meals that are easy to make.  He's making veggies and pasta this evening before we go out to the kids' school concert.  We have school concerts tonight and tomorrow, so we'll be pretty busy.

oldest daughter coming to visit

Alison (AKA Aliboo) will be coming up from R-town this evening.  I don't know what I will make yet.  Thinking of making my veganized Spaghetti For Peanuts again, since that was a favorite of hers from childhood.  I would like to make it special since she is going away for a while on the 9th and won't be back until after New Year's.

Here are some other possibilities:

Insanely easy vegetarian chili

Saturday night pizza fever (for a Wednesday night, not so bad, eh?)

Multi-potato Latkes from Tofu Mom

Of course, we might just have the old stand-by, Gado-Gado.  We have gotten our vegan version down to a science!