365 Days As A Gluten Free Vegan

Day 65: Ficken (Fake Chicken) Fajitas

2012-03-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

Ficken (Fake Chicken) Fajitas

I made fajitas for lunch with Soy Curls. Everyone else has probably already tried them, but they're fairly new to my world. They're in a package all dried up and shriveled. Re-hydrate with warm water for 10 minutes. Drain. Brown in a skillet. Use however you desire. The texture is remarkably similar to chicken!

Re-hydrated & ready to go into a hot skillet

Browned & ready to be mixed with fajita veggies!

Day 64: Pinto Bean Meatless Balls

2012-03-05T14:12:00.000-08:00

Made these into meatballs. They were a huge hit! We all agreed they weren't so great without spaghetti sauce, but it the sauce....they were fabulous. Go figure. Since we were having spaghetti and meatballs, it wasn't really an issue.

Here's the recipe:
http://peasandthankyou.com/2011/07/18/vegan-values-italian-style-meatless-meatloaf-muffins/

Day 63: Fakin' Bits

2012-03-05T14:07:00.000-08:00

Fakin' Bits

I'm in looooove with The Happy Herbivore Cookbook. The first recipe I tried was for bacon bits, which my family lovingly named, "fakin' bits"! They are so easy to make & tasty. You must, must, must buy this cookbook. Or google it to see if you can find the recipe online somewhere. Once batch takes less than 15 minutes to make, with very little effort or work. We served our bits on top of potato soup. DELISH!

Day 62: Scrambled Eggless Eggs w/ Quinoa Breakfast Sausage

2012-03-05T13:53:00.003-08:00

Scrambled Eggless Eggs w/ Quinoa Sausage

Such a quick breakfast. I made enough of the breakfast patties to have a couple of weeks worth in the freezer. We love them! I'm kind of glad the kids won't try them. That means Kent and I don't have to share! :) Wondering how I made them? Check out the recipe below.

Forming the patties with a cookie cutter

Quinoa Breakfast Patties
4.5 cups cooked quinoa
2 (14 oz) cans cannellini beans
6 Tbsp Ener-G egg replacer (mixed with 10 Tbsp water)
3 Tbsp Bragg's Liquid Aminos
3 tsp dried poultry seasoning
1.5 tsp marjoram
1.5 tsp dried thyme
3 tsp ground coriander
1 Tbsp paprika
1 cup tapioca flour
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp maple syrup (optional / use only if you like "sweet" sausage)

Heat oven to 350. Drain and rinse the beans. Either mash them really really really well with a fork or potato masher, or run them through the food processor. You don't want whole beans, but you also don't want refried beans. So just blend them to the point of where you will like them as far as texture goes. Transfer beans into a large bowl, add everything else, mix well with your hands (like you would mix meatloaf). If it feels or seems too dry, add a little water 1 Tbps at a time.

On a cookie sheet covered with a Silpat mat or parchment paper, start forming the patties. I use a circle cookie cutter to shape the patties. Scoop the filling out of the bowl with a quarter cup (1/4) measuring cup. Spoon the filling into the cookie cutter. Press it down with a spoon just a tad. Remove cutter from the cookie sheet. Spray the cutter with cooking spray if you find that it sticks, but it shouldn't be a problem.

Bake for 20 - 25 minutes. This makes two cookie sheets worth of patties. 24 total. They freeze beautifully! I put them in a container 7 separate with foil sheets or wax paper to freeze them. I reheat mine in the microwave for 2 minutes (flip them over at the 1 minute mark).

Play around with the flavoring. I am! I'm still searching for the perfect flavor combo, but my husband loves the patties the way the are. Here's what I want to try. I would like some of these with nutritional yeast, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh basil. Or how about a Mexican version? A few whole black beans, fresh corn, cumin, and fresh cilantro! I google searched sausage recipes, and found a site dedicated to traditional sausage making. I copied and pasted recipes to try to get an idea of what would work for my next batch. I can't wait to make these again!

Click here for a printable version of my "Quinoa Breakfast Sausage" recipe:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/03/quinoa-breakfast-patties.html

Day 61: Last Minute Enchiladas

2012-03-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

Last Minute Enchiladas

We were running out the door like the crazy, chaotic family we are, and I realized I forgot to make dinner. CRAP! So I ran to the fridge & started yanking out "stuff". Tortillas, cheese, salsa, a container of week old chili, etc.

The filling was made from 4 withered, old Yukon gold potatoes, onion, leeks, kale, shredded carrot - everything chopped tiny. Flavor the filling with salt, pepper, cumin, fresh cilantro, and fajita seasoning. I tossed all of that into the lidded Dutch oven for 20 minutes with a little olive oil on medium, stirring now and then so it doesn't stick. Added a little water once I realized it was sticking despite my efforts. Turned the heat off after 20 minutes or so, kept the lid on, and let it sit for a couple of hours.

Once I got back home, I started assembling the enchiladas. 1/4 cup filling per enchilada. (Notice I lined the pan with foil for easy clean up!) The sauce was salsa mixed with chili. I ran it through the Vitamix to make it smooth. Pour the sauce over the enchiladas, add the cheese, cover the dish with foil nice and tight, bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Sounds complicated, but really it's not at all. The whole thing went super fast. They were delicious, but the night was a blur. I guess this proves you can make a meal out of the fridge if need be.

Helpful tips from my kitchen to yours...
1. The smaller you chop the veggies for the filling...the faster the veggies cook.
2. Adding a small amount of water the the dutch oven helps steams it all even after.
3. Since my dutch oven is cast iron, it retains heat well. It keeps cooking long after I turn the burner off & walk away. A plus when you need to leave the house, but don't want to burn the house down.
4. All of the stuff I used for these enchiladas were old, gross and probably would have headed to the garbage can had I not used them in this way. Never pitch old veggies. Make something with them! Or freeze them so you can make something with them another day. :)

Day 60: Kale & Lime Beans

2012-03-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

Day 60: Kale & Lime Beans

I needed a super quick lunch one afternoon, so I heated up some of the Lima Beans I made a while back. They live in the freezer. I also sauteed some kale. Love this meal. It's so nice having meals ready to heat & eat in the freezer.

Day 59: Mac N Cheeze

2012-03-01T16:12:00.001-08:00

Mac N Cheeze

I didn't care for this one at all. It was a recipe posted on Vegan Dad's blog a few years ago. I've been saving the recipe that long! That made it all the more disappointing. :(

I had to omit the cashews since I'm allergic. I don't think the swap I made changed the flavor that much. It's just a little too "out there" for me. The sauce wasn't cheesy at all. It was creamy, but not what I was wanting or expecting. Kent & Ben liked it, though. For their like, I will give it 1 Fork. Riley wouldn't even try it. I'll keep searching for the perfect recipe.

Day 58: Au Gratin Potatoes Over Meatloaf

2012-03-01T16:04:00.000-08:00

Day 58: Au Gratin Potatoes Over Meatloaf

Vegan meatloaf on the bottom potatoes on the top. Totally made up in a rush to get out the door to exercise class. I have no idea what I did to create it....which means it will never be duplicated. Too bad. It was delish!

Day 57: Quinoa with Almond Butter & Agave

2012-02-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Quinoa with Almond Butter & Agave

Day 56: White Bean Avocado Dip

2012-02-27T11:24:00.001-08:00

White Bean Avocado Dip

So easy. So tasty. So making it over and over again! For this to be a made up recipe on my part, I have to toot my own horn about it. I've read several recipes using edamame instead of white beans, but I didn't have any on hand. Lucky for me, white beans did the trick. Even my husband loved this dip, and he's not a guac fan. Oh, and I think my son ate half the batch all by himself. lol It was really good!

White Bean Avocado Dip
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
2 avocados, peeled & diced
4 tbsp fresh cilantro
1/2 a small red onion
2 tsp dried cumin
1 lime, juiced
salt & pepper to your liking

Once you've prepped everything, toss it in the blender or food processor until creamy & smooth.

Click here for a printable version of my "White Bean Avocado Dip" recipe:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/02/white-bean-avocado-dip.html

Day 55: Heather's Homemade Meatloaf

2012-02-27T11:05:00.003-08:00

Hearty Quinoa "Meat" Loaf

My entire family loooooooved this hearty, homemade version of traditional meatloaf. It's a recipe I made up, and thankfully wrote it all down as I went. However, it made a triple batch of meatloaf filling! I cooked one batch, and froze the rest for another day. I think this would make wonderful meatballs!

Heather’s Homemade Meatloaf

This recipe makes a triple batch “filling” that can be used as meatloaf, meatballs, veggie burger patties, or flavorful meat “crumbles” if browned in a skillet. Try adding “sausage spices” if you’re wanting to whip up breakfast patties (or links). It’s very versatile. I like to freeze extra filling for future use.

4 cups hot tap water

2 cups TVP

4 capfuls of Kitchen Bouquet

(2 capfuls if you’re using the industrial size bottle)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

5 stalks of celery

2 medium size potatoes (russet)

3 large carrots

½ green bell pepper

½ red bell pepper

½ large yellow or sweet onion

4 cloves of garlic

1 heaping tbsp Italian seasoning

2 tsp black pepper

2 tsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

3 cups cooked quinoa

2 cups GF breadcrumbs or rice crumbs

6 tsp egg replacer (Ener G)

8 Tbsp warm tap water

½ cup featherlite flour mix (from Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread)

2 cups ketchup, divided

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl, mix the TVP, 4 cups hot tap water, and the Kitchen Bouquet together. Set aside while prepping the other ingredients.

Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven (medium heat). Run the following veggies through the food processor to shred or chop into bits: celery, potatoes, carrots, green & red bell pepper, onion, & garlic. Add veggies into the dutch oven. Cover & allow the veggies to cook until softened (but not mushy).

Add the cooked quinoa, TVP mixture, & herbs/spices into the pot with the veggies. Stir well.

In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the egg replacer with 8 Tbsp warm tap water. Pour into the pot & stir well.

Add the flour, breadcrumbs & 1 cup of the ketchup into the pot. Mix well.

Once everything is mixed well, divide into thirds. You can either toss each third into a baking dish & make meatloaf, or freeze the mixture for future use. If you make meatloaf from the mix, top it with the additional cup of ketchup before baking. 350 for 45 minutes to an hour.

Click here for a printable version of Heather's Homemade Meatloaf:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/02/heathers-homemade-meatloaf.html

Day 54: Peanut Butter Carob Chip Banana

2012-02-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

Peanut Butter Carob Chip Banana

Measured portions to keep me in control. So simple, but it sure does bust the craving for sweets!

Day 53: My Husband's Breakfast Burritos

2012-02-23T14:31:00.000-08:00

My Husband's Breakfast Burritos

I hate using the flash, but mornings are dark here. lol I have no choice. Anyway, this was Kent's breakfast one morning, and he looooved it. Tortillas, scrambled tofu, with one of my homemade breakfast sausage patties tosses into the mix. He wanted to make sure I blogged about them because they were so good.

I'll blog about the homemade sausage patties another day. The scrambled tofu was super easy. Here's how I do it.

Scrambled Tofu (AKA: scrambled "eggs")
2 slices of tofu (or 6 oz)
1 - 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast (NOT brewers yeast)
salt & pepper to your liking
I like to add in some Mexican fajita seasoning

Crumble the drained tofu slices in a skillet that has been lightly oiled. Mix in your spices & yeast. Cook over medium high heat until any remaining liquid has evaporated. This really doesn't take much longer to cook than scrambled eggs.

Day 52: South West Pasta with Avocado Sauce

2012-02-21T08:40:00.000-08:00

Leftovers make for an excellent meal when tossed together in a bowl & served hot. Brown rice penne pasta, black beans, corn sauteed zucchini & red onion, with guac as the "sauce". I mixed it all up, heated it in the microwave, and gobbled it up. It was fantastic!

Day 51: Black Bean Mole Enchiladas

2012-02-21T08:36:00.001-08:00

Two batches. Two different cheeses. One incredible sauce!!!! I loooove mole sauce. Yum. The enchilada filling was already made. I made a double batch the last time I made enchiladas & froze it. Same with the sauce. What a fast, easy way to whip together a healthy dinner.

Day 50: Penne Pasta with Sauce & Sauteed Veggies

2012-02-19T20:10:00.000-08:00

Penne Pasta with Sauce & Sauteed Veggies

The pasta was very basic. Rice pasta, sauce from a jar, vegan Parmesan cheese. The veggies were super easy, too. I threw zucchini, red onion, 5 huge leaves of fresh basil into a skillet with a little olive oil, salt & fresh cracked pepper.

Day 49: Bob's Red Mill Tofu Scramble

2012-02-19T20:01:00.000-08:00

Bob's Red Mill Tofu Scramble

I love eating at Bob's. It's the best. Plus, the factory store is in the same building which makes picking up cases of stuff super convenient. They even make gluten free bread. Perfect.

Day 48: Enchilada & Steamed Veggies

2012-02-19T19:55:00.000-08:00

Enchilada & Steamed Veggies

This was a throw it together at the last second meal. The inside of the enchilada was filled with lentil taco filling from my freezer. Topped it with peach chipotle salsa, pepper jack vegan cheese, and my homemade guac. The veggies were super easy. Just fresh stir fry veggies from the produce department that I tossed fajita seasoning on while cooking. Steam them or toss around in a hot skillet for a few minutes. Perfect!

Lentil Vegan Taco Meat:
Easy to make. Always a plus in my book. Plus, it tastes GREAT! My husband, who has no desire to go vegan, couldn't stay out of the stuff. I looked over at him & he was dipping tortilla chips directly into the pot. You know it's a hit when the hubs does that! Click here for a printable version of my "Lentil Vegan Taco Meat" recipe. FYI, this recipe freezes beautifully. If you find yourself making it frequently, try making a double or triple batch (to freeze).

Guacamole:
I never make anything Mexican without my homemade guac. I could eat an entire tub of the stuff so I learned a long time ago to only make one avocado worth at a time. Also, I've become a total guacamole snob, and will pretty much only eat mine & Chipotle's version. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. Click here for a printable version of my "Single Serv Guac" recipe.

Day 47: Shepherdess Pie

2012-02-19T19:44:00.000-08:00

Shepherdess Pie

Yet another hit from Veganomicon. That book is amazing, and I swear it's filled with enough recipes for a lifetime of vegan cooking. The picture you see above is the leftover version of this recipe...so the mashed potatoes are mixed in a lot more than when we originally served it. I have to tell you, Shepherdess Pie is even better the next day! I would give it a 5 fork rating, but since I changed so many things in the recipe (see below), I hate to give it a rating at all. However, it was amazing!

The meaty base for this dish is tempeh. I'm allllll about tempeh. Love the stuff. I never thought to put it in a casserole, though. I made several changes to this recipe in order to get my family to eat it. For one thing, three out of four of us dislike mushrooms (it's not me). So the mushrooms were out. 3 chopped leeks took their place. I also added 4 sliced carrots, 1 chopped zucchini, Braggs liquid aminos instead of soy sauce, and used gluten free flour. It was insanely good! Total comfort food.

Here's a link to the recipe, but keep in mind the blog author changed her version & used Seitan (which is NOT gluten free):
http://cookingfortheotherhalf.com/2011/06/23/rainy-day-vegan-shepherdess-pie/

Day 46: White Bean Hummus

2012-02-19T19:12:00.000-08:00

White Bean Hummus

Super easy & delish. Drain and rinse a can of cannellini beans, run through the blender with some tahini garlic sauce, juice from one lemon, salt, and white pepper. Blend until smooth. If it's too thick & grainy, add a tablespoon or two of water.

Day 45: What was your favorite Valentine treat?

2012-02-15T13:07:00.000-08:00

What was your favorite Valentine treat?

Mine was a banana! Does that sound crazy? Nobody has ever given me something HEALTHY to eat on Valentine's Day. I showed up for my favorite cardio/toning class, and the instructor handed me a banana. How cute is that??? I loved it.

Day 44: Creamy Roasted Potato Soup

2012-02-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Creamy Roasted Potato Soup

So, guess what? I forgot to take an "after" picture. Oh, well. The one picture I did take shows how I roasted the veggies. At least we have that. I added 1 small bag of bite size multi color potatoes, 3 peeled & diced zucchini, 1 chopped onion, 5 chopped celery stalks (with the leafy tops), 4 chopped carrot, salt, black pepper, and olive oil. Roasted them for about 45 minutes to an hour on 400.

From there, I added everything into a dutch oven, topped the veggies with 6 cups of water, 1 Tbsp dried thyme, 2 tsp anise seeds, and added in a Tbsp of GF/vegan "chicken" bouillion. Brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat to low.

Just after turning the heat to low, I started working on the cream part of this creamy soup. I tossed 1 pound of drained silken tofu, 1 cup plain soy milk, and 4 Tbsp corn starch into the blender. Zap it until smooth. Add it into the pot & stir. Cook on low for 15 minutes.

Day 43: Mole Skillet Pie with Greens

2012-02-14T08:08:00.000-08:00

Mole Skillet Pie with Greens is yet ANOTHER fabulous recipe from Veganomicon. It's worthy of a 5 fork rating, for sure. I wasn't sure if I'd like mole sauce, but it was absolutely delicious. We will be making this over and over again, I'm sure. Here's a link to the recipe:

http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/2008/11/mole-skillet-pie-with-greens.html

5 Fork Rated

Day 42: South West Tofu Scramble

2012-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

That avocado tasted better than it looked. Pinky swear. Oh, and we're looooving the pepper jack vegan cheese!

Day 41: Veggie Burger, Chips & a Salad

2012-02-14T07:55:00.000-08:00

Day 40: Spaghetti

2012-02-14T07:51:00.000-08:00

This doesn't look like spaghetti, but it is. I piled a ton of steamed veggies on top of the pasta before topping it with sauce & nutritional yeast.

Day 39: Lentil & Cheese Burrito

2012-02-09T09:21:00.000-08:00

Lentil & Cheese Burrito

So, I've blogged about this lentil taco/burrito filling before. Same with the guac. I'll post a link to those recipes below. This time around with the lentil mix, I ditched the taco seasoning, and added a lot of minced veggies (zucchini, Anaheim peppers, onion, carrot, celery, spinach), fresh cilantro, fresh garlic, dried cumin, salt, pepper, ancho chili powder. I really love the taste without the taco seasoning. I think I added enough spices & herbs to balance everything beautifully.

I found Don Pancho gluten free tortillas at Wal-Mart. They're basically great big corn tortillas, and made a really tasty burrito. I topped the whole thing with shredded vegan cheese, popped it in the microwave for a minute to melt, and topped it with guac. Served with a baby spinach salad. So, so, so delish.

Lentil Vegan Taco Meat:
Easy to make. Always a plus in my book. Plus, it tastes GREAT! My husband, who has no desire to go vegan, couldn't stay out of the stuff. I looked over at him & he was dipping tortilla chips directly into the pot. You know it's a hit when the hubs does that! Click here for a printable version of my "Lentil Vegan Taco Meat" recipe. FYI, this recipe freezes beautifully. If you find yourself making it frequently, try making a double or triple batch (to freeze).

Single Serv Guacamole:
I never make anything Mexican without my homemade guac. I could eat an entire tub of the stuff so I learned a long time ago to only make one avocado worth at a time. Also, I've become a total guacamole snob, and will pretty much only eat mine & Chipotle's version. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. Click here for a printable version of my "Single Serv Guac" recipe.

Day 38: Leek & Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

2012-02-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Leek & Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

This is what he gets for getting too close to my dinner. If you want to see a real picture of this dish, click here.

5 Fork Rated!

This is yet another a 5 Fork rated recipe from Veganomicon. We love it, and have been making it about every other week, if not weekly, since the new year started. It's total comfort food.

I've found that I like the biscuits best when I use the Feather Light flour mix from The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread. [We learned the hard way to double the biscuit recipe. We're biscuit lovers, and they're gone before we roll around for seconds.] I love splitting the biscuits in half & smearing Earth Balance all over them. Again, total comfort food.

Here's a link to the recipe on the Yeah, That Vegan Shit blog:
http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/2008/03/leek-and-bean-cassoulet-with-biscuits.html

Day 37: Avocado & Red Onion Quesadilla

2012-02-07T13:28:00.000-08:00

Avocado & Red Onion Quesadilla

This quesadilla was beyond good. I could have eaten 2 more, easily. I would have popped from being so full, but I would have loooooved to eat more of them. I was super easy to make. Heat the tortilla in a skillet with a little olive oil. Add pepper jack "cheese" shreds, half an avocado cut into slices, red onion slivers, and a sprinkle of salt. Fold it in half once all of the toppings are in place. Cook over a medium high heat for a couple of minutes. Flip it. Cook on the flipped side for a few more minutes. Let it cool a few minutes before cuttinng so the insides don't squish out. Oh, and I like to cut my quesadillas with a pizza cutter.

Day 36: Cheddar Hickory Dip

2012-02-07T13:17:00.000-08:00

For Super Bowl Sunday, I decided to try a new "cheese dip". New to me, anyway. It was the WayFare Cheddar Hickory Dip. Gluten free. Vegan. I don't care for it. I keep trying it. Thinking I might suddenly like it. When push comes to shove, I just don't care for it. HOWEVER, I cannot wait to put it on top of a baked potato, in potato soup, or some other recipe that I dream up.

Day 35: Biggest Loser Black Bean Soup

2012-02-07T13:12:00.000-08:00

Biggest Loser Black Bean Soup

I googled the recipe to provide a link for you, and one of the first links that popped up was actually one of my blogs! lol Clearly, I really love this recipe. I've been making it for several years now. It freezes well if you can't eat the whole batch within 4 days.

I give this recipe a 5 fork rating, but it should really be a 5 SPOON rating considering it's soup we're chatting about. HAAA! Here's a link to the recipe:
http://www.leadingtheweigh.com/2009/01/biggest-loser-spicy-black-bean-soup.html

Day 34: A Protein Powder Boost

2012-02-02T13:56:00.000-08:00

Nutribiotic Vegan Protein Powder

So, I've kind of been on a mission to find a protein powder that's A) gluten free and B) vegan...that doesn't taste like gritty grossness. When I'm in high gear training for my next running event, I feel sooooo much hungrier than normal. I also know my body needs an extra boost of protein in order for my muscles to repair properly. More protein is the answer.

I purchased the Nutribiotic Vegan Rice protein powder on Amazon.com, and have been pleased so far. Keep in mind, I'm not a fan of protein shakes, bars, powders, etc....so I'm super picky about them all. This one is gritty, in my opinion. Again, I opt for powder over using non-dairy milks because the powders contain more protein. A must when I'm training!

I've blogged about my "green juice" before. It's really simple. Pretty much whatever I have in the fridge. This one had 2 cups of water, an apple, 2 carrots, 2 celery stalks, 2 cups kale, 2 cups spinach, 2 tsp flax seeds, 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder. It was a little thick for my liking...so I added more water.

Day 33: Lemony Fajita Tofu Stir Fry

2012-02-02T13:40:00.000-08:00

Lemony Fajita Tofu Stir Fry

This started off as fajitas, and ended up being a stir fry. I'm really uncertain how that happened. I was on track until I found leftover steamed broccoli in the fridge & added it into the skillet just to get rid of it. lol

Anyway, it was FABULOUS! It contains red onion, celery, a whole bell pepper, 1/2 a pound of tofu, fajita seasoning, lemon juice, salt & pepper. The lemon juice I added from half a small lemon added a crispness that was just to die for. I have this fajita seasoning that I buy when I'm back in Dallas, and it's perfect on pretty much anything and everything. It's sodium & MSG free. Gotta love that. Oh, and I topped it with avocado.

Day 32: Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

2012-02-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

Fresh from the oven.

Black Bean Quinoa Burgers

I pulled a bunch of recipes out of my pantry the other day, and this one caught my eye. I saved it from a copy of Vegetarian Times back in July/August of 2011. Unfortunately, I overcooked mine by 10 minutes. When I flipped them at the 10 minute mark (as the recipe calls for), they seemed so.....loose. One of them actually fell apart as I flipped it (shown on my burger above). The rest flipped like they should have, but I assumed the looseness meant they needed an addition 10 minutes on top of what the recipe called for. Silly me for thinking! The extra 10 after flipping would have been more than enough, I'm sure. Anyway, even though they were dried out.....they were so tasty!

My husband has made a small request. He wants me to start rating the recipes I review from magazines, blogs, and cookbooks - basically anything that's not my own creation - on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the best). He also wants me to tell you WHY I've rated the recipe the way I have. How it tastes, time it takes to prepare the dish, are the ingredients easy to find, etc. So here goes....

4 Forks

{the good} Super, super, super easy to make! Everything came together quickly. I looooved the flavor. I questioned what the sun dried tomatoes would add to the dish, but it was an amazing flavor combo with the quinoa and black beans.

{the ugly} The gooeyness/looseness at the 10 minute "flipping" point. I wonder how they would be without flipping at all? I'll find out this weekend. My husband wants me to make more so we can freeze them for fast lunches/dinners. I also wish I hadn't overcooked them. I'm hoping the next time I make them I hope to give them 5 forks instead of 4.

Link to recipe:
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11676

Day 31: Yam & Kale Soup with White Beans

2012-01-31T13:07:00.000-08:00

Yam & Kale Soup with White Beans

I had 4 little yams without any recipe to go with them...or so I thought. Once I made this soup, I realized the yams were supposed to be used for a veggie burger recipe. lol Oh, well. Maybe another week. I'm kind of glad I screwed up the menu for the week because I created a brand new recipe! I really love it.

Yam & Kale Soup with White Beans
4 small garnet yams, peeled & diced
1/2 large onion, diced
6 cups kale, kale
4 celery stalks, diced
3 large carrots, peeled & diced
1 Tbsp tahini
2 springs of fresh thyme, leave whole *
3 large basil leaves, diced
2 Tbsp fresh tarragon, diced
4 c veggie broth
4 c water
1 tbsp Organic Vegetable Base
salt (to your liking)
black pepper (to your liking)
1 can white kidney (cannellini) beans, drained & rinsed

Prepare all of your veggies & herbs (wash, peel, dice, chop, etc.).

Toss the veggies & herbs into a dutch oven with the water and broth. Add in the organic vegetable base, salt, & pepper.

Bring to a boil & let cook for about an hour.

Add in the beans & cook for an additional hour or so.

* Leave the tiny little thyme leaves on the stem. Just pluck the whole thing into the soup, and pull the stem out before serving the soup. All of the leaves fall off while the soup cooks. I know....genius. I saw it on Food Network. lol

Click here for a printable version of my "Yam & Kale Soup with White Beans" recipe:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/yam-kale-soup-with-white-beans.html

Day 30: Cheeze Lasagna

2012-01-30T21:42:00.000-08:00

Cheeze Lasagna

I threw together a "cheese" lasagna for dinner. I didn't measure or keep track of what I was throwing in (exactly). I had a bunch of fresh herbs that needed to be used...so I tossed them into the blender with 2 pounds of firm tofu, 4 cloves of garlic, and salt. Layered it up with 2 jars of sauce. Topped it with vegan shredded cheese & nutritional yeast (for an extra cheesy flavor). I used my biggest lasagna pan so we could freeze what's leftover. Perfect!

Day 29: French Bread

2012-01-30T21:38:00.000-08:00

This bread was a little TOO delightful. My bread pan makes two loaves at a time. I had to make a few tweaks to make it vegan, but the recipe comes from The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread.

If you're in need of a good French bread pan, this is the one I have (bought it on Amazon as I do everything), and I really love it:
Baguette/French Bread Pan Perforated Non-Stick Aluminum, Dual Loaf - 15.5 x 6 Inch

Day 28: Flourless Black Bean Brownies

2012-01-30T21:26:00.000-08:00

Flourless Black Bean Brownies

This recipe is from Happy Hebivore, and is mighty tasty. They don't taste like the usual black bean brownies I make. These tasted more like banana bread with chocolate chips. Tasty, but not was I was expecting. Here's a link to the recipe: http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/vegan-blackbean-brownies/

Oh, I sprinkled carob chips on top so my kids would be more tempted to gobble them up. [muwah ha ha ha....evil mommy laughter fills the air]

Day 27: Potato & Kale Enchiladas

2012-01-30T21:21:00.000-08:00

Potato & Kale Enchiladas

I've made this before, but this time I made it casserole style. Layered like a lasagna. I only did this because I'm super lazy, and didn't want to roll enchiladas. lol There's a link to the recipe on that blog post. It's from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook.

See the original blog post here:
http://365daysglutenfreevegan.blogspot.com/2012/01/potato-kale-enchiladas.html

Day 26: Black Eyed Pea & Red Pepper Soup

2012-01-30T21:10:00.000-08:00

Black Eyed Pea & Red Pepper Soup

Love this soup from Vegan Family Meals. Simple. Clean. Filling. I like it even more with a big globber of guac on top. Yum! Here's a link to the recipe if you want to know more about it: http://www.philly.com/philly/food/137122768.html

Going Green: Reusable fruit & veggie (shopping) bags

2012-01-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Bring It!

My family buys a LOT of produce each week at the grocery store. There are times we actually go back to buy more midweek. That's right, a second trip to the store during the week. It's mind numbing in so many ways. This "Going Green" segment is one of what I hope to be many future posts. I come from a very disposable world, and strive to make big changes in the future. I'm not an activist or a hippie. I'm an average person who, like most of us, thinks of the obvious things to recycle/reuse, but abstract items throw me off. Those things will be my focus in the series.

Anyway, all of those plastic bags from the produce department seem to multiply in my house. Last week, I left Winco with nearly 30 plastic produce bags! I've had no genius ideas as far as what to do with all of these bags. After much guilt, I saw something that changed the situation. When we were shopping in Maui, at the Farmers Market on Lower Kaanapali Road, I noticed they were selling the most fabulous little reusable mesh drawstring bags to use while shopping for fruits and veggies. As soon as we returned home, I started hunting around to find something similar. Sure enough, all it took was a quick look on Amazon to find what would work best for my family.

I ended up buying 2 packs of Bring It Valencia Reusable Produce Bags in size large. They're made from 60% recycled plastic bottles, machine washable, and affordable. 10 bags cost $10.10, plus I got Prime Shipping! [You know you're an Amazon.com junkie when you get excited about Prime Shipping, right?] I used them for the first time yesterday, and they worked out great!

An apple, three limes, and a large bunch of bananas. The bags are spacious!

Made from 60% recycled plastic bottles.

If you're searching for a greener solution for produce bags, be sure to check into buying Bring It bags. In just one week, they have already changed my world. Click here to find out more about Bring It Valencia Reusable Produce Bags on Amazon.com.

Day 25: Santa Fe Potato & Tofu Scramble

2012-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

Santa Fe Potato & Tofu Scramble

We made another tofu scramble last night for dinner. I didn't plan this one. The day took a strange turn. As soon as my husband found out I hadn't cooked dinner yet, he instantly requested another scramble. This time, we went for a Santa Fe twist. Potatoes, onion, red bell pepper, Anaheim chili pepper, corn, black beans, chopped baby spinach, salt, pepper, fajita seasoning, tofu, olive oil...I think that's it. Oh, the picture doesn't reflect it, but we topped each serving with shredded vegan cheese.

Day 24: Homemade Mexican (Sort Of) Salad

2012-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

Homemade Mexican (Sort Of) Salad

Believe it or not, this actually tasted great. I'm pretty sure the appearance does not lead one to think so. I needed a quick lunch....so I started rummaging through the fridge. The brown stuff is a gluten free, vegan veggie burger that I heated & chopped up. Lettuce, red bell peppers, tomato, veggie burger, guacamole, with Bragg Healthy Vinaigrette. Fast & easy.

Click here for a printable version of my "Single Serve Guac" recipe:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/heathers-single-serv-guacamole.html

Day 23: Butternut Squash Mac N Cheeze

2012-01-24T15:00:00.000-08:00

Butternut Squash Mac N Cheeze

I tried to make a butternut mac n cheese from a certain recipe, but I totally screwed it up. However, I actually liked the way my version turned out! It's pretty easy. Check it out.

Saute the veggies with all of the other sauce ingredients listed (see recipe below), run it through the blender once the squash is tender to make the "cheeze sauce".

Boil the pasta, drain & mix with the cheeze sauce.

Top it with shredded vegan cheddar.

Bake (uncovered) for 10 - 15 minutes, or until browned a bit on top.

WARNING: The recipe below makes a double batch. If you don't have a teen son who inhales food at the speed of light, you might want to cut the recipe in half! :)

16 oz peeled, diced butternut squash

1/4 of a medium onion, diced

2 Tbsp dijon mustard

12 Tbsp nutritional yeast

salt to your liking

white pepper to your liking

1 tsp garlic powder

1 c plain unsweetened soy yogurt

1/2 c plain soy milk

1 c vegan cheddar cheese, grated

16 oz rice pasta (elbows)

In a large dutch oven or stock pot, saute the onion until transparent. Add in the squash, mustard, yeast, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Cook on medium low heat until squash is tender (about 20 minutes).

In the mean time, cook the pasta.

Once the veggies are tender, run them through the blender until smooth. Pour the puree back into the dutch oven. Mix in the pasta and stir until well coated. Add the soy milk and yogurt...stir until it's mixed well. Taste it to make sure it's salted enough.

Top with grated cheese & bake uncovered @ 425 degrees until the top had browned a bit.

Click here for a printable version of my "Butternut Squash Mac N Cheeze" recipe:

http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/butternut-squash-mac-n-cheeze.html

Day 22: Kale Chips

2012-01-23T20:53:00.000-08:00

Kale Chips

This was my first time around the block when it comes to kale chips. They were easy enough to make. Just wash the kale, place it on a cookie sheet, bake at 425 for 7 minutes. They're super crispy, but delicate and fluffy. I'll make them again soon.

Day 21 [Part 2]: Fajita Pizza

2012-01-21T19:40:00.000-08:00

Fajita Pizza

OK, this pizza was beyond delish. I ended up eating 5 out of 8 slices! It was THAT good! Plus, I had a huge salad to go with it. I ran 11 miles today. I'm always super hungry after my weekly long run.

Anyway, it's a Bavaria Mills gluten free crust which has egg. So the crust wasn't vegan. I'm having a really difficult time finding a premade crust that meets the gluten free (a must), vegan (a choice), and tastes great wishlist. I'm still on the hunt! I refuse to give up. Though I'm a pro at making crusts & freezing them for future use....I like the convenience of premade crusts. I'm a sucker for buying them, using them, and gobbling them up. It's an illness.

Instead of pizza sauce, I used my favorite salsa. On top of the salsa, I sprinkled a mixture of baby spinach & cilantro that I ran through the food processor (to make it super tiny). Some shredded vegan mozzarella & cheddar cheese. Sauteed red onion & bell pepper. Oh, and I added fajita seasoning to the pepper/onion mixture while it was cooking. Then, I sprinkled more all over the top of my pizza before baking it. 425 degrees for 10 minutes. It was perfect.

Day 21: Potato & Tofu Breakfast Scramble

2012-01-21T16:43:00.001-08:00

Potato & Tofu Breakfast Scramble

Diced potato, crumbled tofu, chopped baby spinach, diced broccoli, onion, fajita seasoning, salt, black pepper, and shredded vegan cheese melted on top. All cooked together in a cast iron skillet. Easy.

Day 20: Chipotle Day!

2012-01-21T16:43:00.000-08:00

Chipotle Veggie Salad with Guac

Friday is Chipotle "lunch date day" for us (always). Isn't that sweet? Actually, what's sweet is the soy vanilla latte we have at Peet's Coffee after lunch at Chipotle. ;)

Day 19: Chili Cheese Millet

2012-01-21T16:42:00.000-08:00

Chili Cheese Millet

Homemade chili with zucchini, tomatoes, black beans, pinto beans, chili beans, bell pepper, Anaheim peppers, jalapeno peppers, cumin, cilantro, onion, garlic, salt, black pepper, chili powder.....the list goes on. I basically dumped stuff from my fridge into a dutch oven. I don't really remember everything I added into the pot, but what I listed is a good start!

I served the chili over fluffy millet. Topped it with vegan cheese & sliced avocado. With a side salad.

Day 18: Stir Fry Over Pad Thai Noodles

2012-01-21T16:41:00.000-08:00

Stir Fry Over Pad Thai Noodles

After coming home from Hawaii, our poor fridge was looking a bit sad. We whipped together this make shift dinner with what little we had on hand. A box of Annie Chun's Brown Rice Pad Thai Noodles , broccoli, red bell pepper, onion, tofu, shredded carrot, celery, sesame oil. Believe it or not, we inhaled it! It was soooooo good.

Days 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, & 17: Vacation in Maui!

2012-01-19T12:13:00.000-08:00

ALOHA!

Sorry for the lack of posts days 11 through 17. What a way to kick start a new blog, eh? I do have the best excuse ever, though. We were on holiday in Maui.

How was eating vegan and gluten free while on vacation? Easy in some ways, difficult at times. Our resort was amazing, and our suite had a full kitchen. I stopped at Costco on our way to the resort (just outside of the airport parking lot), and was able to stock up on tofu, fresh veggies, fruit, wine, hummus, etc. I knew from our previous trip to Maui that there's a grocery store across the street from the resort for items not needed in bulk. My husband and I went out for his birthday dinner Saturday night, and I chose to eat Lau Lau that evening. Something I can't get here on the mainland, to say the least! It was so delish. All in all, 98% of what I ate was vegan. 100% of what I ate was gluten free. I gave vacationing as a GFV a fabulous shot & feel great about what I ate. That's all that matters.

While out for an early morning run out first morning on the island, I found a fabulous little store about a quarter of a mile from our resort called Maui Farmers Market & Deli on Lower Honoapiilani Road. They totally cater to those of us choosing a vegetarian and/or vegan lifestyle, and had lots of gluten free options for me.

I wanted to spend more time milling around in there, but my husband and son were sick of me reading labels & doing my weirdo hippie thing. But there were three soups offered on the hot bar that were not only vegan.....but gluten free! Organics. Locally grown. I walked away with an armful of items. Well, I made everyone else carry it back to the resort, but you catch my drift. I also made us all stop so we could take pictures of us as pineapples because....well....why not? :)

Ben & Kent looking less than thrilled to be pineapples.

I was pretty jazzed to be Pineapple Mama!

Oh, I even managed to eat vegan during a luau (see pic below)! Nothing appeared to have butter on it or in it, and the menu was fairly clear about the ingredients being used. The coconut cream sweet potatoes were my FAVORITE. I could have eaten them 'til I popped, and cannot wait to recreate the dish here at home.

Day 10: Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans

2012-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Mediterranean-Style Baked Lima Beans

This is a Veganomicon recipe I made back in December, froze the leftovers in single serve portions, and reheat when I have nothing else to eat. I know....so smart. This time around, I served them over baby spinach, vegan mozzarella cheese shreds, and vegan Parmesan sprinkles. Why? Because I was too lazy to make a salad even though I really wanted one. This one dish way of doing things seemed easy at the time. That's how I roll sometimes. It was delish despite how odd it looks!

I've only made this recipe once. For some reason, it took three times longer to cook than what the recipe stated. I'm not sure what was going on, but I ended up putting the entire batch of beans back into a dutch oven the next day, and cooking it several more hours. Once they were fully cooked, they were fantastic! The sauce reminds me of SpaghettiO's sauce. Except it doesn't have that "metallic" taste than SpaghettiO's tend to leave in my mouth. Anyway, even my husband liked this dish, and he's not really a fan of the lima. He didn't love it, but getting a "like" from him when it comes to lima beans is a plus. He did go on to say that this has been his least favorite vegan dinner. All the rest have been huge hits.

I couldn't find a blog with a decent review of this recipe, which is a shame. It's a solid, tasty, cold weather, healthy dish. I did find the recipe posted on a farmers market web site, though. Here ya go:
http://www.farmerdaves.net/mediterranean-style-baked-lima-beans

Day 9: Leek & Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

2012-01-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

Leek & Bean Cassoulet with Biscuits

Another delish find from the Veganomicon cookbook. I did have to make a few small tweaks to the recipe due to not having certain items in the fridge & to make it gluten free friendly.

For the cassoulet...
I didn't have fresh OR dried thyme, so I used dried marjoram & fennel seed instead. Just a little. Not too much. Oh, and I had a parsnip...so I added that, too. Just because I could.
For the biscuits...I swapped regular flour for some of the gluten free "feather light blend" I whipped up last month. (From Bette Hagman's Gluten Free Gourmet Bakes Bread).

How was it, you ask? We all but licked the dutch oven clean. It was THAT good. Oh, how I love comfort food. Even my non-vegan typical teen son went back for more of everything. You know it's good when an opinionated teen goes back for more! lol

Since the Yeah, That Vegan Shit blog has such a great post about this recipe (including the recipe, plus detailed pictures), I will send you there to read it instead of boring you with the details here. Make it for dinner soon. She goes on to say the leftovers aren't great, but I wouldn't know since there wasn't a drop left in the pot. :)

http://yeahthatveganshit.blogspot.com/2008/03/leek-and-bean-cassoulet-with-biscuits.html

Day 8: Super Nachos

2012-01-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

Super Nachos

Heaven on a plate! I love nachos. I basically used my Vegan Lentil Taco Meat recipe, plus my Single Serv Guac recipe, and built nachos. On top of the "meat" & guac, the nachos also contained baby spinach, salsa, vegan plain yogurt (for a quick sour cream replacement), rinsed black beans, vegan cheese. YUM!

Lentil Vegan Taco Meat:
Easy to make. Always a plus in my book. Plus, it tastes GREAT! My husband, who has no desire to go vegan, couldn't stay out of the stuff. I looked over at him & he was dipping tortilla chips directly into the pot. You know it's a hit when the hubs does that! Click here for a printable version of my "Lentil Vegan Taco Meat" recipe. FYI, this recipe freezes beautifully. If you find yourself making it frequently, try making a double or triple batch (to freeze).

Single Serv Guacamole:
I never make anything Mexican without my homemade guac. I could eat an entire tub of the stuff so I learned a long time ago to only make one avocado worth at a time. Also, I've become a total guacamole snob, and will pretty much only eat mine & Chipotle's version. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. Click here for a printable version of my "Single Serv Guac" recipe.

Day 7: Chipotle

2012-01-07T13:56:00.000-08:00

Veggie salad with guac.

Chipotle day. The dressing has honey in it, but I didn't use it. I've been ordering this salad for at least 6 years now. I love it so much!

Day 6: Spaghetti & Bean Balls

2012-01-06T08:57:00.001-08:00

Bean balls

Another fabulous recipe from Veganomicon. The bean balls reminded me of falafel!

I had to use gluten free alternatives, so I'm not sure how the original recipe tastes. It has to be similar, though. I didn't make that many tweaks (GF breadcrumbs, GF flour, didn't add vital wheat gluten, etc.). I do feel as though the mixture needs more moisture. I thought that as I was putting the bean balls together, and they were very dry once cooked. Next time, I'll reserve some of the liquid from the canned beans, and add it in as needed. I can't help but feel the mixture should have felt more like a traditional meatloaf or meatball mix instead. Again, next time.

Serve with spaghetti & sauce. [I used a jarred sauce, but added sauteed onion, bell pepper, & garlic. Then, baked it in a small dutch oven for 1 1/2 hours @350 while I went to the gym for my favorite class].

Don't own the book? No worries. The recipe is posted online over on the Black Cat Kitchen blog. Here’s a quick link…. http://blackcatkitchen.com/2011/02/spaghetti-and-beanballs/

Day 5: Taco Baked Potato

2012-01-05T13:50:00.000-08:00

I loooove tacos. I loooove baked potatoes. So naturally, I looooved this Taco Baked Potato! I've been making these for years, but this time I whipped up a batch of Lentil Vegan Taco Meat instead of the gluten filled store bought faux meat I can no longer consume (due to having Celiac Disease). I'll share the recipe for my homemade vegan meat below, but first I want to blab about the layers of my tater....

Obviously, there's an oven baked potato on the bottom. From there, I added some black beans that I drained, rinsed, and mixed with 2 oz (1/2 a small can) of diced green chili peppers. Then I globbered on 1/2 a cup of the vegan meat mixture (again, the recipe will be listed below in a bit). After that, some of the leftover Cilantro Lime Sour Cream I whipped up a few nights ago. Shredded vegan cheese. Last, but certainly not least, some of my homemade Single Serv Guac. No worries, I've got links to my sour cream & guac recipes at the bottom of this post!

I could not eat the whole thing. I was pushing it making it to the halfway point. So I saved the rest for another day's lunch. I'm sure my level of fullness had nothing at all to do with the amount of chips and salsa I ate while cooking! lol Hey, taste testing is the best part of cooking. :)

Lentil Vegan Taco Meat
1 cup uncooked lentils
3 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 cup jarred salsa
1 packet of taco seasoning
2 oz (1/2 a can) of diced green chili peppers

Pour the oil into a dutch oven over a medium high heat. Once heated, add onion & garlic. Cook until onion starts to brown a bit. Add everything else into the pot, turn to low, and cook about 20 - 25 minutes (cover the pot while it simmers). Make sure to stir it now and then. If you notice the lentils are starting to stick, add a little more water 1/4 of a cup at a time. Give it a taste before serving! If it needs more oomph, add another packet of taco seasoning or salt. Whatever you feel it needs. Try some fresh cilantro added in...or some cumin.

Serve as taco filling, inside burritos, to top your nachos, or on top of baked potatoes as suggested above.

Lentil Vegan Taco Meat:
Easy to make. Always a plus in my book. Plus, it tastes GREAT! My husband, who has no desire to go vegan, couldn't stay out of the stuff. I looked over at him & he was dipping tortilla chips directly into the pot. You know it's a hit when the hubs does that! Click here for a printable version of my "Lentil Vegan Taco Meat" recipe.

Sour Cream:
Rather than sour cream, I ran silken tofu through the blender with lime juice, cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic, and salt. AMAZING! It was the perfect creamy, cool texture any Mexican dish needs. Click here for a printable version of my "Vegan Cilantro Lime Sour Cream" recipe.

Single Serv Guacamole:
I never make anything Mexican without my homemade guac. I could eat an entire tub of the stuff so I learned a long time ago to only make one avocado worth at a time. Also, I've become a total guacamole snob, and will pretty much only eat mine & Chipotle's version. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. Click here for a printable version of my "Single Serv Guac" recipe.

Day 4 [Part 2]: Curried Tofu Scramble

2012-01-05T13:15:00.000-08:00

Curried Tofu Scramble

A closer look

On Day 4, for lunch, I made my world famous Curried Tofu Scramble. OK, so it's only famous to me, but I do love it. As a matter of fact, tofu scrambles are one of my favorite meals. I even order them in restaurant settings. (Only in Portland, Oregon, right?) They're quick to make. Simple. Contain pretty much whatever freshies are in the fridge. Actually, the tofu I used was in my freezer. I got a screaming deal on tofu a while back with coupons, and decided it's just as good frozen in some cases. This is one of those cases.

1 pack of silken tofu, drained *

3 cups fresh stir fry veggies

½ an onion, sliced

A sprinkle of turmeric

1 tbsp fenugreek leaves **

Fajita seasoning

¼ cup of nutritional yeast

1 Tbsp of peanut oil

Salt to your liking

Heat oil in large cast iron skillet. Add drained tofu in little bits (so it looks like scrambled eggs). Let it cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the onions & let them cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the nutritional yeast, seasonings, herbs, & salt. Give it a good stir, and then add the stir fry veggies.

You might need to add a few Tbsp of water into the skillet because the tofu might start to stick a bit. Cover with foil until the broccoli in the stir fry blend is tender.

* If you're using frozen tofu like I did, make sure to let it thaw first. That will allow you to drain as much liquid as possible. I like to pop open the package & give it a little press before taking the tofu out. It helps get a bunch of the excess liquid. I've made scrambles with totally frozen tofu in the past, and they take FOREVER to cook. Thawing and draining will save your sanity during the cooking process.

** Fenugreek can be tricky to find here in the US. I've provided a link on my resources page to purchase it online. Trust me, if you love Indian food, it's worth the effort of making an online order! Check out my resources page by following this link: http://365daysglutenfreevegan.blogspot.com/p/resources.html

Day 4: Green Juice

2012-01-04T10:52:00.000-08:00

Green Juice

I drink green juice often. It's basically a really watery green smoothie. Here are the top 10 reasons I drink them?

It's a great way to squeeze in a few fruits and veggies on a busy day (which is EVERYday for a mom of a teen & a tween).
Green juice is a filler for my belly. I typically eat breakfast rather early, and tend to be hungry again by the time 9am rolls around. 1/2 a batch of this stuff is the perfect pre-lunch gut buffer.
Homemade juice has waaaaay less sodium than store bought. have you ever checked out a nutrition label on V-8? It's enough to induce high blood pressure on the spot. Homemade green juice only contains sodium levels that already reside in whatever fruits and veggies you place in the blender.
I'm not actually juicing, I'm blending. So I'm getting all of the fiber from the fruits & veggies!
It's actually kind of tasty even though it's the color of the Incredible Hulk.
Green juice provides a HUGE iron & calcium boost thanks to the dark leafy greens.
It's very hydrating. 2 cups of it is water. That counts toward your water consumption for the day. Always a plus. Especially if you love to run long distances like I do.
You will not have issues with constipation if you drink a blender full of green juice daily. My mission is to put Dulcolax out of business by drinking these babies.
Drinking green juice is healthier than diet soda or coffee! It might sound silly that I mention it, but I'm shocked at how much diet pop I consumed 10 years ago. Utterly shocked. And a little disgusted. It's no wonder my belly ached all the time. I still to this day drink way too much coffee. I'm unwilling to ditch it totally, but I have cut way back in the past few years. If you're looking to make a healthy change in your life, knocking out just one cup of coffee or diet pop a day would be a good start. Fill in the blank space with some green juice.
You will feel superior to others who are not as healthy as you are when you consume green juice on a regular basis. Sad, but true. Ask me how I know. ;)

So, with green juice, the recipe changes day to day. It depends on what I have in the fridge. The past few weeks, kale has been the leafy green of choice. However, today I'm out. So I resorted to spinach. Spinach is nice because it has a natural sweetness to it. Kale & collard greens tend to be a little bitter, but it's a bitterness I love. Any dark leafy green will do. You could even mix it up if you're feeling spunky! Here's what today's green juice contained....

2 1/2 cups cold water

1 large carrot

a big handful of cut celery tops

an apple

a banana

about 1 Tbsp of flax meal

about 1 Tbsp of agave nectar

4 handfuls of baby spinach

Put it in the blender and blend until all of the little spinach leaves no longer look like pieces or leaves. It should be totally smooth like jarred baby food when it's done blending. A good blender is recommended. I have a Vitamix, and love the hell out of it. I've been singing it's praises daily for the past 8 years!

Click here for a printable version of my "Green Juice" recipe:
http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/green-juice.html

Day 3: Split Pea Soup

2012-01-04T10:15:00.000-08:00

Split Pea Soup

There's really nothing better than a creamy soup, and split pea gives you that texture & satisfaction without the calories (or dairy...or meat). I've been making this version of my split pea soup for years, and nobody ever missed the ham. To be honest, unless there are giant chunks of ham in split pea soup, I don't notice it....so why bother adding it? I love the way my house smells while the soup is cooking. It freezes well in single serv portions for quick lunches. Anyway, it's such a simple recipe, and it's all in done in one pot! Give it a whirl.

3 cups dried split peas

8 cups water

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium to large sweet onion, minced

2 large carrots, minced

4 celery stalks, minced

1 green bell pepper, minced

4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

salt* & white pepper to your liking

1 tsp fenugreek leaves**, rolled between your fingers to break up/make smaller

2 tsp cumin

Heat your olive oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. While your oil is heating, mince the celery, carrots, onion, bell pepper, & garlic in the food processor so that each veggies is in teeny tiny pieces. Add them into the dutch oven & cook for 5 to 8 minutes. Just until the onion starts to brown a bit. Add the water & all other ingredients into the pot. Bring it to a boil, then turn to low for about 3 hours. If you want, you can use an immersion hand blender to "cream" the soup once it's done cooking.

* This soup requires more salt than the normal soup, in my opinion, so I left the ingredient list open as far as measurements go. I would start off with a couple of teaspoons of it, and add more as needed. As with anything you're cooking, adding salt just before serving the soup is always best.

** Fenugreek is an Indian & Persian herb, but it can be very difficult to find here in the US. I could not find fenugreek leaves anywhere in the Cincinnati, OH or Vancouver, WA area. I'm sure an Indian grocer would have it available (if you're fortunate enough to live near one). I ended up ordering my fenugreek leaves on Amazon.com for just a few bucks. Click here to snag some on Amazon like I did!

Click here for a printable version of my "Split Pea Soup" recipe:

http://365daysglutenfreeveganrecipes.blogspot.com/2012/01/split-pea-soup.html

Day 2: Potato & Kale Enchiladas

2012-01-02T17:39:00.000-08:00

Potato & Kale Enchiladas with Vegan Cilantro Lime Sour Cream & Single Serv Guac

The Main Dish:
I made Potato & Kale Enchiladas recipe from Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook
for dinner. HOLY WOW! I ate four of them. Plus, a big salad to along with them. I think I might pop. Or poop. Either way, I would feel better. I think I finally have my appetite back after a couple of weeks of not eating due to a cold turned sinus infection. I'll for sure have to put an end to the eating fest ASAP. However, they were so delish, it was difficult to not go back for more.

This recipe is a bit labor intense. I normally spend a lot of time in the kitchen, so it didn't phase me to put that much time into one recipe. I could totally see a normal person feeling a tad overwhelmed, though. I would post the recipe here, but Vegan Chickie has done such a fabulous job of it over on her blog, I'm going to let her to the explaining. Click here to view the recipe. I agree with her, my pictures make the dish look like dog food compared to how they taste. Trust me. They are beyond fabulous!

Sour Cream:
Rather than sour cream, I ran silken tofu through the blender with lime juice, cilantro, 4 cloves of garlic, and salt. AMAZING! It was the perfect creamy, cool texture any enchilada dish needs. Click here for a printable version of my "vegan cilantro lime sour cream" recipe.

Single Serv Guacamole:
I never make anything Mexican without my homemade guac. I could eat an entire tub of the stuff so I learned a long time ago to only make one avocado worth at a time. Also, I've become a total guacamole snob, and will pretty much only eat mine & Chipotle's version. That's kind of embarrassing to admit. Click here for a printable version of my "single serv" guacamole recipe.

Day 1: White Bean Chili

2012-01-01T19:35:00.000-08:00

White Bean Chili

8 cups vegetable stock

1 pound great northern beans, dry

1 large sweet yellow onion, diced

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded & diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 Tbsp dried oregano

1 - 2 Tbsp dried cumin

1 tsp chili powder

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 (15 oz) can tomatoes, pureed in blender

salt & white pepper to taste

NOTE: Always sort & rinse dried beans before adding them to a recipe. Dried beans often have dirt clumps or rocks that are as small (if not smaller) than the beans. Give them a rinse (in a colander) under the hot water tap to ensure all the loose dirt has been washed away. I don't soak my beans overnight because I don't feel as though it helps the beans cook any faster or enhance the texture any. I just sort, rinse, and cook.

Add everything into a large dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low heat for at least 6 - 8 hours. I like to take the lid off of my dutch oven for the last hour or so to let the broth thicken to a chili like consistency.

Serve plain or top with vegan cheese shreds, vegan sour cream, and chopped green onion.

Click here for printer friendly version.

2012: A new journey toward a healthier life.

2012-01-01T14:54:00.000-08:00

It's January 1st, 2012. For the past year or so, I've wanted to start this blog. Why didn't I do it sooner? I don't know. I suppose I wasn't 100% ready. I am now, though. I'll talk about the gluten free requirement & vegan choice in a bit. For now, I want to tell you a little bit more about my life.

I'm not new to blogging. I've been blogging since before blogs were created! I had an old Homestead (remember that web site service?) site years & years ago, and used it like a journal. As clunky & funky as it was, I kept it up to date for years to keep track of my weight loss journey. The original site eventually turned into TheWWChick. I feel as though that site belongs to a different person now. Maybe because I am a different person. The whole weight loss thing seems like a lifetime ago. On top of that original site, I have a couple of blogs...

One is called Leading The Weigh. It's really old, and I struggle keeping it up to date. It was kind of a mirror image of my original web site, but the blogging platform allowed me to post on a regular basis in a seamless manner. I was actually working for Weight Watchers as a leader when I created the blog, and used Leading The Weigh as a tool to help the WW members attending my weekly meetings. My life has changed a ton since I lost 80 pounds back in 2001. As my food choices became healthier, I didn't feel the need to ramble on about weight loss. Nobody wants to hear about maintaining the loss. They only want to hear how to lose. As time went on, and I modified my behavior and life, it was just natural for me to eat foods that didn't trigger me to abuse food & gain weight. I feel as though eating healthier is part of coming full circle with the weight loss process. People either "get it" or they don't. They either keep the weight off or they don't. Over time, working with so many overweight individuals, I discovered the majority of people in this world fit into the "don't" category. Sad, really. Anyway, if nothing else, that blog is a great journal of how far I've come.

The other blog is called Will Run For Coffee. I update that one almost daily! I'm a running (and coffee) junkie. I love the sport. I love races. No, I don't win the races. I'm rather slow, actually. That doesn't stop me from running my ass off, though. Eating healthy, on top of exercising regularly, is how I've kept the weight off all these years. Unfortunately, it took me a while to embrace exercise. For many years, I hated & avoided it. As you can see by my love for running, and creating an entire blog to chatter on about nothing but running, things have changed for me.

So what does all that have to do with being a gluten free vegan? Nothing....yet everything. My life has changed so much over the years. The gluten free thing is not by choice. I have Celiac Disease, and staying far away from gluten is a must for me. Of course, now that I'm gluten free, I see that consumers in the US are exposed to way too much gluten. The vegan thing is by choice. I do notice dairy causing tummy problems for me, so I am very certain knocking it out of my diet altogether will be a blessing. Obviously, health is important to me. I've researched & dabbled in vegan cooking so much over the years, I know what the benefits will be in terms of overall health. As far as ditching meat goes, well, I've never liked meat much. I don't think it will be an issue for me at all. The texture totally grosses me out, and I pretty much only eat it if I cook it. (I can control how it turns out if I prepare it myself, but that doesn't guarantee I'll like it.) My dislike of meat is rather strange considering my dad raised cattle. We ate beef almost nightly growing up. On top of the texture issues I have with meat, I have a huge concern about the environmental impact. Veganism is easier on the environment. I realize there's so much more to it than meat vs. no meat. What few processed items we use in our kitchen are vegan. Many of the homemade items are, too. The question that has haunted me for the past few years: Why not go all the way?

So this year is all about taking the next step toward an even healthier life, and going vegan is how I plan on following through with my goal. As I type this message, I'm sitting at the kitchen table forced to smell the delish pot of gluten free, vegan White Bean Chili I've got on the stove for tonight's dinner. I wish my blog had a smell widget for you to enjoy the aroma! When it comes to this blog, my goal is to post one picture a day of whatever delish vegan, gluten free meal I've concocted. I hope the pictures make you drool. You'll have to wait until my chili is done before I can post a picture of today's yum yums. :)

Here's to a healthy 2012!