What I Ate Wednesday (20): A Day in the Life

My life is über crazy right now, so my eats are simple, sweet, and to the point, nutritionally speaking. Part of me misses cooking regularly, but another part is also pleased how productive I’m being—this is my last semester as an undergrad, and I want to make the most of it! And of course, in order to sustain myself throughout these 16-hour days, I strive to fuel myself as effectively (and deliciously!) as possible.

So, here are yesterday’s eats. As always, thanks to Jenn for hosting the ever fun and fabulous WIAW trend!

Breakfast

Rolled oats with homemade almond milk, 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed, 1/3 cup frozen/thawed organic blueberries, salted pistachios, 2 dried figs, and some shredded coconut.

If you’re ridiculously busy, there’s no excuse to skip breakfast. On days when my schedule is packed, I rely on overnight oats so I can essentially jump out of bed, eat, get dressed, and dash out the door.

Lunch

A salad beast, an orange, and some 77% cocoa dark chocolate.

Brown lentils, wheatberries & speltberries, spinach, celery, carrot coins, cauliflower, parsley, scallions, dried cranberries, walnuts, liquid aminos, mustard, lemon juice, and gomashio.

Dinner

My husband and I went to the big city last night to see a musical, and since I’d received some e-coupons from Shahi Palace, our favourite Indian restaurant there, of course we decided to take advantage of not only a free order of samosa, but also a 25% discount on one of our meals.

All meals come with complimentary pappadum, cilantro chutney, and sweet-and-sour chutney. I didn't eat mine, since I knew I'd be indulging in a samosa, but I must say, the chutneys are smashing!

Finally sated the samosa craving that has been gnawing at me for months . . . now, I want to create my own samosa recipe!

For our main dishes, we split an order of baigan bharta and channa palak--and what's so wonderful is that, if you ask, the chef will eliminate dairy from the sauces. Yay for vegan-friendly restaurants!

And of course, we also split an order of roti! There was some white basmati rice, too, but I never eat it. Thankfully, roti fulfills my need for whole grains!

Today’s dinner, in stark contrast, was by no means complicated, nor was it as exciting as Indian cuisine (few things are), but in its own way, it was very satisfying.

Banana-Nut Butter Makeshift Manicotti

Serves 1 as a large snack or light meal, but you can make a bunch for cute appetizers!

Ingredients

2 oz. wholegrain lasagna noodles, cooked according to package directions & cooled

2 Tbs. nut butter of choice (I used classic PB, for nostalgic purposes)

1 small banana*

Alfalfa sprouts (optional)

*Apple or pear slices would also be delicious.

Directions

This is so simple: spread 1 Tbs. of the nut butter on one end of a cooked lasagna noodle. Add sprouts (if using), then cut the banana so it matches the height of the noodle’s short side. Roll up the noodle firmly, dabbing the end with a little water to help it stick. And there you have it!

What I Didn’t Eat Wednesday (19)

Sometimes, life gets hectic—that has been quite the case for me lately, not only explaining my absence since (gasp!) last Wednesday, but also justifying this different sort of WIAW, in which I’ll feature three meals I’ve eaten recently . . . but certainly not today. I just didn’t have the time to prepare pretty dishes and snap photos; nevertheless, I just looooove participating in Jenn’s weekly extravaganza, so I just had to write up a post at the last minute.

Breakfast

Lately, I’ve been intrigued by the deep nutrition in foods—such as antioxidants, micronutrients, and the like. I’ve also been needing a break from the winter, which inspired this tropical treat.

Brazilian Banana-Açai Oats

I prefer this bowl served cold, but you can also cook it if you prefer.

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Sambazon Pure Açai Smoothie Pack

½ cup milk alternative of choice

½ tsp. coconut extract

½ cup rolled oats or oat bran

Pinch of salt (optional)

½ banana, chopped

Dried apricots, chopped

Cashews, brazil nuts, or pistachios

Flaked or shredded coconut

Chia seeds or ground flaxseed

A drizzle of agave nectar (optional)

Directions

Blend together açai smoothie pack, milk alternative, and extract. In a bowl, combine mix with oats and let sit in the fridge overnight. Add listed toppings as desired in the morning.

Lunch

I’m sooooooo happy I’ve fallen in love with salads again . . . but in order to prevent another burnout, I’m really striving to mix things up with neat and unusual combinations.

Ballpark Salad

This salad was inspired by all the foods one can usually find at a sports stadium

Serves 1 as a full meal

Ingredients

¼ cup dry lentils, cooked and drained

¼ small Vidalia onion, diced

1/3 cup diced tomatoes

1 Tbs. barbecue sauce of choice (I used Annie’s Original BBQ Sauce)

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups greens of choice (I used spinach, as always)

1 carrot, coined

1 celery stalk, chopped

½ cup sweet corn kernels

1 dill pickle, chopped

1 serving pretzels of choice (I used Newman’s Own High Protein Pretzels)

Roasted, salted peanuts

Sauerkraut

Catsup, to taste

Mustard, to taste

Bragg’s Liquid Aminos, to taste

Salt & pepper, to taste

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir together lentils, onion, tomatoes, barbecue sauce, and garlic. Set aside.
2. To assemble salad, just throw together remaining veggies, top with lentil mixture, pretzels, peanuts, and sauerkraut. Drizzle with mustard, catsup, and aminos as desired, as well as salt & pepper, and serve!

Dinner

If I’d had my choice for tonight’s dinner, I think I’d have cooked up some Lebanese fare. Here’s one of my favourite recipes of all time!

Eggplant Monazalat

Inspired by Sanaa’s 8^th Street Gourmet in Sioux Falls

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 large eggplants

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

1 Tbs. ground coriander

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

½ cup lemon juice

½ cup tahini

Salt & pepper, to taste

Pine nuts, to serve

Directions

1. Halve eggplants lengthwise, sprinkle flesh with salt, and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes. Wash away excess salt and then coarsely chop eggplants.
2. Preheat oven to 350˚. In a large pot, sauté onion and garlic in oil for 1-2 minutes. Stir in coriander, coating everything well, before adding tomatoes. Bring to boil and allow to cook for several minutes so some of the juice boils away.
3. Transfer veggie mixture to a greased 9×14-inch baking pan. Cook in oven for 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together lemon juice, tahini, salt & pepper until a very liquid-y consistency is achieved—you may need to add a little water. Remove baking pan from the oven, evenly pour sauce over the dish, then bake for another 5 minutes. Serve hot, garnished with pine nuts.

Delicious served alongside/on couscous.

Back to Basics, Part I: Oh So Sweet!

I love experimenting in the kitchen—it is but another means of expressing myself artistically. However, as an art student, I find myself far more often in the studio, without a lot of spare time for cooking. Of course, I still try new recipes on a regular basis, but for the most part, I rely on tried-and-true dishes and snacks that are easy, tasty, and nutritious. Today’s post is dedicated to a few sweeter staples in my pantry and in my recipe regime.

Now, generally, I am a savoury girl through and through. Sometimes, however, my sweet tooth begs for a treat—nothing overbearingly sweet, though, or else I’ll end up crashing shortly after indulging, and with my packed schedule, I don’t have time for sugar-induced naps. I’ve a weakness for dried fruit (especially figs, goodness gracious!), and I’ve professed my love for Larabars before (one of these days, I’ll get around to making my own varieties at home!), but I’m also quite a fan of Mrs. May’s Naturals, especially the Trio Bars.

[Source]

Snacks aside, every once in a while, I sincerely enjoy splurging on dessert! And by dessert, I don’t just mean an extra serving of daily dark chocolate. I mean a couple of cookies, a slice of pie, or, as popularized by the incredible Isa Chandra Moskowitz, a cupcake!

I’ve only tried a vegan cupcake once before, and let me tell you, it was one of the richest, most decadent desserts I’ve ever eaten—a moist chocolate cupcake smothered with melt-in-your-mouth peanut butter frosting . . . seriously, people, we vegans are not missing out when it comes to baked goods.

Last week, while I was visiting my boyfriend’s family, his mother made a fantastic batch of basic chocolate cupcakes for us—SO fantastic, in fact, that you’ll even want to lick the liners clean! I. One of these days, I’ll finally get around to purchasing Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, but in the meantime, I’ll be adding this recipe to my repertoire, and I look forward to experimenting with flavours when I have some extra time (someday, I hope!) now and then.

Not the prettiest picture in the world--cupcakes are hard to photograph! But oh, was it delicious! And this was my last one, too.

Another quickbread I’ve been making for quite some time (even before I was vegan) is banana bread. Of course, the recipe I’ve tweaked over the years is rather healthier than most versions, not only because it’s free of eggs and dairy, but also because it’s 100% whole wheat, low in sugar, and fat free.

Basic Banana Bread

Serves 16

Ingredients

3 cups whole wheat or whole wheat pastry flour (or a blend of both)

1 Tbs. pumpkin pie spice*

2 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

5 overripe bananas

1 cup milk alternative of choice

1/3 cup liquid sweetener of choice

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Nuts, seeds, or dried fruit as add-ins (optional)

*See my Carrot Cake Oats recipe for a homemade spice blend.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325˚. In a large bowl, sift together flour, spices, baking powder and soda, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mash bananas very well before adding sweetener, milk alternative, and extract, combining well. Mix with dry ingredients just enough to moisten everything. Fold in any add-ins, if using, and transfer batter to a greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before cutting and serving.

So dense, so moist, so delicious! In this loaf, I added 1 cup chopped roasted walnuts and 1/2 cup raisins. This is seriously the best banana bread I've EVER made! I can't stop snacking on it!

One interesting topic that I still need to better research is the question of honey—should vegans eschew it? Technically, it IS a product derived from animals. In the loaf pictured above, I used honey for sweetener. I also had brown rice syrup and agave nectar on hand, but I still prefer the taste of honey for certain baked goods. Of course, a part of me also does indeed recognize that harvesting honey is, in principle, exploitative. According to Living Vegan for Dummies by Alexandra Jamieson, “Some bees may be hurt or killed inadvertently by beekeepers, and bees aren’t programmed to gather honey for human uses—they use it to raise their young.” Sort of sounds like dairy cows and their calves, doesn’t it? Here are a couple other articles on the subject:

Honeybees Might Have Feelings, Too

Why Vegans Can’t Decide Whether They’re Allowed to Eat Honey

I no longer burn beeswax candles, so apart from taste, what reasons do I have to continue utilizing honey, especially when it is so easily replaced by alternative liquid sweeteners? Perhaps after I finish up this bottle I just won’t buy another. Simple as that.

Stay tuned for Basic to Basics, Part II: Savouring Savoury!

Fruitastic!

There was a short period of time earlier this year when I severely limited my fruit intake—I was experimenting with macrobiotics, which considers fruit a twice- or thrice-weekly treat rather than a daily (let alone 2-3 servings per day) indulgence. For a while, it worked, but it wasn’t fun, let me tell you, and my resolve didn’t last long, especially when the summer season hit. My body was SCREAMING for fresh berries.

And when I finally succumbed, angels hallelujahed from above and my tongue rejoiced.

My point: fruit ROCKS! I’m back to 3-4 servings per day and lovin’ every bit of that natural fructose.

For me, fruit is especially important at breakfast. This last week, I enjoyed two old favourites—and guess what? Neither includes oats!

Apple-Wheatberry Breakfast Bowl

Adapted from this recipe

Serves 1

Ingredients

¼ cup dry wheatberries, cooked in water and cooled

½ cup non-dairy yogurt (I use WholeSoy & Co. Plain Soy Yogurt)

Sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)

½ apple, chopped

1-2 Tbs. raisins

1-2 Tbs. coarsely chopped pecans

1 Tbs. chia seeds or 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed

Cinnamon & nutmeg to taste (I use ½ tsp. cinnamon, ¼ tsp. nutmeg)

Directions

Simply combine all ingredients in a bowl, stir well, and serve!

Right before stirring.

While most of my breakfasts involve oats or another grain, I’m also a HUGE waffle fan. As a little girl, Sunday morning waffles were a tradition, a tradition my boyfriend and I still continue to this day, although our waffles are, of course, vegan and much healthier than those we ate as children. We do cheat a little, though—we currently rely on Bob’s Red Mill’s pancake & waffle mixes instead of making our own.

Banana-Buckwheat Waffles

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill Buckwheat Pancake & Waffle Mix

¼ cup ground flaxseed

1 tsp. cinnamon

Heaping ¼ tsp. nutmeg

2-4 Tbs. chopped pecans

1 ripe banana

½ cup milk alternative of choice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. banana extract (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat your waffle iron.
2. In a bowl, sift together buckwheat mix, flaxseed, spices, and pecans. In a miniature food processor, blend the banana, milk alternative, and extracts until smooth and creamy. Add to dry ingredients, and stir to combine, adding water (about ¼ cup) as necessary to reach desired consistency.
3. Pour half the batter onto the heated iron and bake until desired texture (crispy on the outside, slightly doughy on the inside) is achieved. Every waffle iron is different! Transfer finished waffle to a plate, and repeat with the remaining batter.
4. Serve waffles with fresh fruit of choice, non-dairy yogurt, maple syrup, or whatever toppings you prefer!

I usually prefer blueberries, but yesterday's waffles were topped with strawberries instead, as well as more WholeSoy & Co. Plain Yogurt, which is SO deliciously addictive.

I also love incorporating fruit into healthy desserts. Fruit is Nature’s perfect sweetener, after all, which is why I’m SO intrigued by raw desserts in particular. I am an absolute amateur when it comes to raw foodism, but I made my first raw frozen “cake” this week, namely this recipe from Veggie Wedgie.

This hazelnut-cocoa crust is TO DIE FOR. I will definitely be incorporating it into my own raw dessert ideas in the future.

There’s No Place Like One’s Own Kitchen

Yesterday’s Whole Foods adventure was a success (when are they not, seriously?). Even though I forgot a couple of items (I usually make lists, but this time, I thought I’d wing it. FAIL!), my refrigerator is full and happy again—and I’m especially excited to cook up some rainbow chard (my new adoration!) in the near future.

My boyfriend and I went to an amazing restaurant I’ve mentioned a number of times before—McFoster’s Natural Kind Café, the pride and joy of vegan dining in Omaha, NE. The first time I went there a couple of years ago, I was BLOWN away. Since then, I’ve ordered almost all of their vegan-friendly dishes, and I’ve never been disappointed.

Coolest building for a restaurant. EVER.

I opted for a salad with my meal. Their whole grain croutons are fabulous, and they always serve their salads with pretty flowers for garnishes. One of those orange flowers was tucked into my hair after I'd finished eating. <3

 

I had half an order of the veggie enchiladas: a steamed blue corn tortilla stuffed with steamed and sautéed vegetables, topped with ancho-chile sauce and decorated with tofu umeboshi plum sauce. Accompanied by baked Southwestern beans and an orange, pineapple-marinated jicama, and pickled onion salad.

I must say, though, that while my meal was as tasty as ever, I found myself thinking as per usual, “I could probably do better or at least duplicate this dish at home” or “I wish the flavour combinations were more unusual.” That’s my problem with dining out, especially since, as of late, I’ve been visiting restaurants a little more frequently than I generally prefer. Tomorrow, I’ve been invited to lunch by a very special friend, but after that, I’m going to stay in my own kitchen for a while, thank you very much.

Having decided against ordering dessert at McFoster’s, I really wanted a tasty treat when I arrived home yesterday evening, and at the time, I knew I wanted a) something involving chocolate, and b) something cold. Good thing I had a banana awaiting me in the freezer.

Sea Salt & Almond Chocolate Soft Serve

Based on this chocolate bar

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 frozen banana, cut into 4-5 smaller chunks

2 Tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder

Heaping ¼ tsp. sea salt

10 drops liquid stevia (or preferred sweetener as desired)

1-2 tsp. milk alternative of choice

Vegan chocolate chips or carob chips, to serve

Chopped roasted almonds, to serve

Ice Cream or Waffle Cone (optional)

Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse frozen banana chunks until crumbly. Add cocoa powder, salt, stevia (or sweetener), and a little milk alternative, and pulse again, adding a little more milk alternative if necessary—just be careful not to add too much, or your soft serve will become too watery. Sometimes, the mixture will actually form into a scoop-like ball, but if it doesn’t, don’t worry.
2. To serve, garnish with chocolate or carob chips and almonds as desired. If using a cone, stir the toppings into the soft serve beforehand.

Healthy desserts are the BEST!

 

Best. Breakfast. Ever. + The Importance of Supplements

I have a fetish. A food fetish. And it’s called . . .

OVERNIGHT OATMEAL

Ironically, when I was young, I hated oatmeal. No, I loathed it. It was mushy, bland, colourless, and just downright unappealing to my 7-year-old self. Little did I know that, years later, oats would become my favourite breakfast, hands down. Tastes change, and tongues evolve! I once avoided bananas, mushrooms, sweet potatoes, spinach, nuts, tomatoes, and raisins like the plague; now, I eat all of these on nearly a daily basis and couldn’t imagine my meals and snacks without them! Except for a longtime tradition of waffles on Sundays, I eat oats for breakfast every. single. day. Boring? On the contrary! I never tire of this super nutritious and delicious grain, namely because potential toppings are literally endless! In fact, a couple months ago, I devised a sort of challenge for myself to discover as many different oatmeal flavours as possible—some sweet, some savory, some classic, some downright crazy (but tasty nonetheless)! And I intend to share all of my recipes . . . once I return home, that is. Unfortunately, in France, I haven’t been able to continue experimenting as liberally, but thankfully, I’m still enjoying oats all the same.

Although, I must note, back home, I can buy 1 lb. of bulk organic whole oats for just $0.79, whereas here, 1 kilogram costs somewhere in the range of 3 Euros! Seriously, what gives?

Obvious tip: shop on sale! I squeezed 4.5 servings out of this bag of rolled kamut flakes (kamut is just another variety of whole grain).

Anyway . . . you might be wondering, what exactly distinguishes overnight oatmeal from just old-fashioned oatmeal oatmeal?

Answer: no cooking necessary!

Unlike grains such as rice, quinoa, or millet that require cooking, oats soften naturally when soaked. So, here, the adjective “overnight” specifies that, with 5 to 10 minutes of before-bedtime preparation, you can wake up to a bowl of even more “instant” oatmeal than those microwavable instant oatmeal packets, thus making it an excellent and über convenient breakfast for anyone on the go-go. Just add your toppings of choice, and chow down!

In France, I’ve been relying on an old favourite—the first overnight oats recipe I ever tried, in fact—and indeed, is it tried and true:

Banana Bread Oats

Nighttime Ingredients

½ cup rolled oats or oat bran

½ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

Pinch of salt (optional)

½ overripe banana

½ cup milk alternative

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Blend banana and milk/milk alternative in a blender or mini-food processor, then add mixture to bowl, stirring to combine. Put into refrigerator overnight, and voilà! Breakfast is served!

Morning Toppings Ideas

Remember: anything goes with oats! Don’t like raisins? Substitute whatever dried fruit you prefer. Craving something sweet? Add a few vegan chocolate or carob chips. Basically, if you’ve a favorite banana bread recipe, you can duplicate it here. Easy as pie . . . I mean, quickbread.

Chia seeds or ground flaxseed

Raisins

Walnuts or pecans

Banana slices

Sweetener of choice, to taste (optional)

Splash of extra milk alternative as needed

Don't have a bowl? Use a jar! Actually, I have a bowl here, but jars make combining ingredients SO easy--just screw on the lid and shake, shake, shake! Have an almost-empty jar of nut butter? Make your oats in that! Not only will you be super economical and consume every. last. smudge. of that delicious nut butter, but your morning oats will be delightfully nutty, too! I mean, seriously, peanut butter + banana (+ alfalfa sprouts, if you're crazy like I am) is HEAVEN!

God, I miss my mini-food processor! As you can see above, I just slice my banana onto my oats in the morning, which works fine, too, though I do miss the doughier texture of my original recipe.

What I miss more, though, is ground flaxseed.

There are two varieties of flaxseed: brown or golden. Flavour-wise, I find I prefer brown, but nutritionally, there's no difference between the two.

Flaxseed is a fabulous source of protein, fiber, and essential fatty acids (more in-depth information can be found here). Nutritionists generally recommend consuming 1-2 Tbs. of ground flaxseed every day—and yes, in order for us to absorb the omega-3’s properly, it MUST be ground and then refrigerated, or else, one morning, you’ll find your usually delicious breakfast ruined by rancid flaxseed meal. Sorry, Mary Poppins, but not even a spoonful of (unrefined) sugar could make that sort of “medicine” go down.

For vegans, flaxseed is a premium alternative to fish oil. Unfortunately, I don’t have my trusty coffee grinder here, and since I don’t drink coffee, there’s really no reason for me to buy one. Yet, never fear! In situations like these, supplements have got your back!

When I was little, as with oatmeal, I avoided taking my vitamins at all costs, often casually “forgetting” or just altogether refusing to swallow those “yucky tasting” pills. I am older now and quite a bit wiser, so I understand and appreciate how supplements truly enhance health (and they really don’t taste that bad, if at all). Of course, it IS certainly possible to obtain all the nutrients you need through diet alone; nevertheless, in my opinion, supplements act as a beneficial boost, especially when you are travelling and may not be eating as optimally as possible. Both here in France and at home, my daily regime includes calcium, vitamin D3, iron, a multivitamin, and a flax oil capsule (which replaces my ground flaxseed for now). I also brought a stash of probiotics, which I take on an as-needed basis whenever I sense my gut needing some extra friendly bacteria.

Choosing supplements is a very personalized endeavour—everyone’s needs are obviously different. For example, different multivitamins can be tailored for women, for men, for children or teenagers, or for senior citizens. So, do your research in advance! Even better, consult a holistic physician or nutritionist, too, ESPECIALLY if you are a newbie to the wonderful world of supplements. When browsing for brands, just be sure to carefully double-check the capsule ingredients—many are still made with animal-derived gelatin (which, I recently discovered, not only consists of livestock bones and hooves, but also their lips. EPIC GROSS!). You can easily find vegan-friendly alternatives, however. An excellent, absolutely no-fail company is Deva, a 100% vegan company from which I buy my multivitamin and flax oil capsules. You can browse their website here.

One final tip: when preparing for long-term voyages, I highly suggest packing enough supplements to last you the entire time you’re abroad. It is almost guaranteed to be easier than seeking foreign equivalents—one less thing to worry about, which means more energy to explore and experience your new surroundings!