Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Mostly Vegan and almost in Portugal

Vacation!
The fun starts with the love affair we call United Airlines.
But since the blog is about food, I'll leave my rant for another venue.
I had hoped to be blogging about the vegan delights of Lisbon by now, however we have a slight layover in London, so it is off to find the edibles that the Star Alliance Lounge has to tempt one with.
And speaking of United, I just can't help myself, the dairy free vegetarian meal I requested was a cheese panner with a side of milk yogurt. Sigh.

Monday, March 19, 2012

St. Patricks Day meal

Things don't always go according to plan.
Case in point, this was going to be a big deal meal. Then the guest of honor was MIA, so there you have it.
Rather than a multi course, all Irish, bread included, I scaled down some and made one "traditional" side and an entree that was heavy on the green.
The Colcannon Puffs from fatfreevegan.com were to die for. Just amazing. Once again, I used the Kale salad mix for the called for vegetable  with outstanding results. Although mine did flatten a bit, they were a winner.
The main event was a Spaghetti Squash Casserole, from Peas and Thank You.
Over the years, the Spaghetti Squash and I have had our run ins. I really want to love this veggie, and have attempted many times to find that winner meal. Until now, I was left empty handed.
This is a real simple, yet incredibly yummy creation. The keys to success here are the choices on Marinara Sauce, brand of non-dairy cream cheese, and the cheese for the topping.
Feeling a bit adventurous, I went with making my own cheeses, using recopies from the Ultimate Uncheese Cookbook.
The dish turned out great, satisfying and bursting with flavor and texture.
Plans do change, but that did not stop us from having a wonderful meal.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Pig Out - Vegan Style

WayFare Foods, the makers of the oh so addictive "We Can't Say It's" line of spreads, sent me a sample of their new product, Pig Out.
Although not the first on the market to have  imitation bacon bits, this is an OUTSTANDING new item.
Made of oats rather than soy is a really nice change.
It's crunchy, smoky, salty and so very yummy!
Moments after the picture below was taken, I pigged out and eat the rest of the sample!
(Hope out local health food stores start carrying this pronto)

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

AFR - My new buddy

So, here we are, three months into 2012, and with some major changes going on, my weight has gone up.
(Funny, how when you stop teaching 20+ classes a week and still eat like you are, the muffin tops and the rest of those lovely areas just keep on growing). :)
Appetite for Reduction to the rescue.
First up were a trio of soups. The Arabian Lentil and Rice was the clear winner here.
Knowing that one could not live on soap alone, and that the Bird likes a full meal, I ventured further into the books and came up with this awesome meal : Blackened Tofu, Garlicky Mushrooms and Kale, and some steamed corn. Spicy, and sweet, crunchy and velvety, just a fantastic trio for a Sunday night meal.
I used the Kale Salad mix. So easy and love the added veggies that come with it.
Next time, and there so will be an encore, will double the spice mix for the tofu.
Looking forward to trying more from this great book in the upcoming weekends.

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Holy, Healthy, Guacamole

I love avocados. Used to eat them with a spoon. Ah, the days of not worrying about things like fat, calories and gaining weight.
Over the years, for many of the reasons listed above, avocados have become more of a treat.
How awesome to find that the very wise and always inventive Bryanna has come up with a version that not only keeps the fat at bay, but adds other great goodies? Very!

I sort of goofed a bit and had to add spinach rather than the green beans, and of course also added a tablespoon of hot sauce. The chips are the yellow corn variety from Guiltless Gourmet.