What I Ate Wednesday (28)

I’m in somewhat of a rut at the moment—not only because I’m super busy, as per usual, but also because inspiration’s lacking. I need recipe ideas like crazy . . . nothing tastes “exciting” anymore, especially since I eat more or less the same breakfast and lunch every. single. day. Plus, there’s also the fact that, while I consider myself a foodie, food and cooking aren’t HUGE, all-consuming passions for me. Don’t get me wrong, I adore my culinary creativity, but I’d rather spend my time in the painting studio rather than the kitchen.

So, today’s WIAW (obligatory thanks to Jenn!) is pretty basic. Since learning about my (temporary) metabolism issues, I’ve been snacking a lot, but I was both busy and lazy yesterday, so I didn’t bother photographing all my noshes, just so ya know.

Breakfast

Oats cooked in coconut milk + water, cinnamon, nutmeg, organic brown rice protein powder from Nutribiotic, ground flaxseed, 1/4 an apple, 1 dried fig, and some pecans. I'm also loving the warmer, lighter mornings!

With Spring’s arrival, warm oatmeal has gone out of fashion, and a new season of overnight oats has made its debut. Thanks to Katie, I now enjoy never-ending bowls, too—huge helpings of dreamy-creamy oats prepared using this little trick.

Lunch

Steamed broccoli & spinach with pumpkin seeds; soup, recipe follows, with 1/2 cup chickpeas added; a generous slice of homemade bread; 1/4 an apple & dark chocolate from Chocolove.

I only have one more kabocha squash in the fridge, so Mission: Use Up All the Winter Produce is nearly complete. With the other squashes, the husband and I made a delicious soup for our weekly meal.

Curried Coconut Cream of Kabocha Soup

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

1 Tbs. olive oil

2 kabocha squashes, peeled, de-seeded, & cubed

1 Tbs. coconut oil

3-4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. minced fresh ginger

1 large Vidalia onion, diced

2 carrots, coined

1 Tbs. curry powder

1 apple, chopped

1 14-oz. can coconut milk (lite or full fat)

1 vegan bouillon cube

1 tsp. quality sea salt

Black pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Toss cubed kabocha squash with olive oil with salt & pepper to taste. Spread cube onto a baking sheet and roast 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.
2. In a large pot, heat coconut oil and sauté garlic, ginger, onion, and carrots for 2-3 minutes. Add curry powder, stirring well to coat veggies. Add apple and squash cubes, coconut milk, and 1-2 cups of water (depending on the desired consistency, thinner or thicker).
3. Using a hand blender, purée the soup until creamy and smooth (or if using a food processor or blender, purée in batches, then transfer back to the big pot). Add bouillon cube, bring to a boil, then simmer for 5-10 minutes to develop flavor. Add salt and pepper, and serve hot, garnished with fresh cilantro.

For a protein boost, add cooked chickpeas or lentils.

Dinner

Last night, we dined with good friends—it was originally supposed to be our monthly vegetarian potluck, but our usual group of 6 or 7 was reduced to just 4, so I don’t think it can necessarily qualify as a potluck, then.

Delicious Indian/Middle Eastern pilaf; raw veggies; and hummus.

I provided dessert--and a raw one, at that. I won't give any details yet . . . you'll just have to wait for the recipe, coming soon!

Question: How do YOU get out of a food/recipe rut? How do you make mundane meals more fun?

What I Ate Wednesday (25)

Fact: Macrobiotic food is delicious.

Fact: Macrobiotic food is NOT boring.

Fact: What I Ate Wednesdays rock, thanks to Jenn.

Breakfast

Find all the ingredients you’ll need here with coupons from Amazon groceries.

Miso-Maple Millet Porridge

Add ½ cup beans or a serving of steamed tempeh for a protein boost. I stirred in 1 Tbs. of NutriBiotic brown rice protein powder. Of course, I also included 2 Tbs. ground flaxseed—healthy fats for optimal fuel!

Serves 1

Ingredients

¼ cup dry millet, soaked overnight in ¾ cup water

Pinch of salt (optional)

½ cup roasted squash purée (I used kabocha)

½ Tbs. miso

½ tsp. maple syrup

¼ tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, or walnuts, to serve

Chopped scallions and parsley, to serve

Pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring the millet to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Turn off burner just before all the liquid is absorbed.
2. In a small bowl, stir together 2 Tbs. water, miso, maple syrup, and soy sauce until miso is completely dissolved. Pour into the almost-cooked millet, accompanied by the squash purée, stirring well. Turn the burner on again, on medium-high heat (don’t bring to a boil, or else you’ll destroy the miso’s wonderful enzymes), and cook slowly for 1-2 more minutes, until desired consistency is achieved. Serve hot with nuts/seeds, scallions, parsley, and cracked pepper to taste.

Lunch

Rosemary Fried Rice

Feel free to toss in mushrooms, baby corn or corn kernels, snow peas, whatever veggies you want! Add sunflower seeds, cashews, or almonds for a boost of healthy fat and protein, too.

Serves 1 hearty appetite as a meal, 2 as a side

Ingredients

1 tsp. sesame oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 carrot, thinly coined

1 celery stalk, finely chopped

½ apple, chopped

1 cup leftover brown rice

2/3 cup frozen green peas, thawed

2 tsp. soy sauce, tamari, or shoyu

1 tsp. brown rice vinegar

1 Tbs. fresh rosemary, chopped, or 1 tsp. dried

1 scallion, chopped

1-2 Tbs. nutritional yeast

Cracked black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional; just if you like a little heat!)

Directions

Heat oil in a skillet or wok and sauté garlic, carrot, and celery for 1-2 minutes. Add apple, rice, peas, soy sauce, and vinegar, stirring well, cooking another minute or so. Turn off heat, stir in remaining ingredients, and serve hot.

Dinner

No recipe here; just a pretty picture . . .

Clockwise from top: brown rice with parsley; stir-fry containing mixed mushrooms, bellpepper, corn, chickpeas, basil, arugula, nutmeg, paprika, and pumpkin seeds for garnish; braised daikon; seaweed salad.

What I Ate Wednesday (24): Deluxe Dining Edition

I’ve been dining out a lot lately, mostly due to special events and invitations—and it couldn’t have come at a better time, either, as I’ve been in something of a food rut as of late. So, for this week’s WIAW (courtesy of Jenn, as per usual), I decided to share photos of my restaurant noshing and discuss my experiences and the like. Enjoy!

Two weekends ago, the husband and I visited our favorite Thai haunt, Diamond Thai Cuisine, which I’ve featured here before. And of course, I ordered “the usual.”

Fresh tofu spring rolls with peanut-sesame dipping sauce. The best ever!

The usual is called Pad Eggplant, and it is TO DIE FOR. As soon as eggplant is in season, I'll post my recipe recreation.

What's so great about this restaurant is that it offers steamed brown rice--and just the right portion, too!

Then, last weekend, we eagerly returned to Sanaa’s 8^th St. Gourmet, our absolute favorite Lebanese/Mediterranean restaurant (and one of our favorite restaurants of all time, too!), for their Saturday lunch buffet—amazing food, 80% of which is vegan-friendly!

Clockwise from left: tossed greens salad with a dob of hummus, muhammara, and green olive tapenade on top; bulghur pilaf; a roasted mushroom & potato dish; eggplant moussaka. Of course, I went back for seconds of the moussaka! Everything was delicious, though, and I just love how balanced all the macronutrients are, too--protein, whole grains, healthy fats, and beaucoup veggies!

That same evening, we were invited out to dinner by some dear family friends. We went to Minervas, whose menu is very heavy on the meat. In fact, the menu has no vegetarian (let alone vegan) entrées. Fortunately, these friends’ daughter and son-in-law are vegetarian and vegan, respectively, so they were very much aware of our plant-based needs and also of a couple strategies for ordering. In the end, I successfully raided the salad bar and concocted a complete and satisfying (both physically and emotionally) meal—proof that vegans can find suitable options even in some of the most unlikely places!

A concoction of so many different things, really . . . greens; black olives; banana peppers; black bean-corn salsa; marinated veggie medley; pickled beets (YAY!); the most amazing balsamic-marinated baby onions; all topped with sunflower seeds. The bread basket also happily contained a whole wheat alternative to its white counterpart, and it was very tasty! Reminded me of the to-die-for whole wheat baguettes I devoured in France.

Finally, just last night, my usual potluck group convened for our February feast. Here are the delicious dishes we shared:

Gypsy soup, containing a variety of veggies, chickpeas & green peas, sweet potato, and spices. So yummy and perfect for yesterday's chilly, rainy weather.

Whole grain pasta salad with zucchini, white beans, slivered almonds, and a tasty spice blend.

Pumpkin-almond butter "crumble" bars

Banana bread with vegan chocolate chips

Fresh fruit platter--I adore grapefruit!

Here are some coupons for your groceries, I know healthy and organic food can add up after time.
~~~

On a totally unrelated note, guess who’s going to talk to Jillian Michaels this afternoon? This girl! Yes, I emailed some questions to her podcast crew, and I received an email back asking if I’d be available to call in. Oh. My. Lordy. Lou. I’m going to be chatting one-on-one with one of my fitness gurus! If you’re interested you’ll be able to find the podcast here in the near future. I highly recommend subscribing, too: they’re fascinating talks!

What I Ate Two Wednesdays Ago (23)

I’m crazy busy again—why do you think I call my blog Vegan on the Go-Go? That’s my excuse for not snapping photos of today’s eats. Plus, tonight, I’m trying my hand at sprouted grain bread! In fact, it’s baking in the oven right now! Dear readers, you can expect a tutorial in the not-too-distant future.

Nevertheless, I love participating in Jenn’s weekly foodie fiestas, so I just had to write a post to contribute! Today’s recipes are from two WIAW’s ago, and they’re definitely all about the veggies!

Creamy, Dreamy Apple Aloo Gobi

A fun twist on traditional aloo gobi.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 Tbs. cooking oil

1 Tbs. brown or black mustard seeds

1 Tbs. cumin seeds

1 Tbs. coriander seeds

1 Tbs. cardamom seeds

3 cardamom pods, crushed

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

2-inch piece of ginger root, peeled and cut into ½-inch matchsticks

5-6 garlic cloves, minced

1 large onion, diced

1 Tbs. ground coriander

1 Tbs. turmeric

1 Tbs. fenugreek powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

2 large baking potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces

2 large sweet potatoes, chopped into bite-size pieces

1 head of cauliflower, separated into florets

2 red apples, chopped

2 cups cooked chickpeas

½ cup raisins

1 14-oz. can coconut milk (I prefer full fat, but lite works, too)

1 vegan bouillon cube

1 tsp. salt

Chopped cilantro, for garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot, heat oil until it begins to smoke, then add all the seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon sticks, and black pepper. Cover the pot, and allow the spices to pop and simmer for a couple minutes.
2. Add ginger, garlic, and onion to the pot, stirring well to completely coat them in the whole spices. Sauté for about 2 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
3. Next, add turmeric, fenugreek powder, and cinnamon, again stirring well and cooking for another minute before adding potatoes, cauliflower, apples, chickpeas, raisins, coconut milk, the bouillon cube, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook slowly for about 45-50 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt to accentuate the flavors, and serve hot over brown basmati rice, garnished with cilantro.

Sweet & Spicy South American Stir-fry

Inspired by Kashi’s Black Bean Mango & Mayan Harvest Bake frozen entrées

Serves 1 hearty appetite

Ingredients

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

½ small onion

1 tsp. cumin

½ tsp. ground coriander

¼ tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. cinnamon

Sprinkle of cayenne or red pepper flakes, to taste

½ cup bellpepper (fresh or frozen) slices

½ cup cooked winter squash, cut into bite-size pieces (I used butternut)

½ cup cooked black beans

½ cup sweet corn kernels

¼ cup chopped fresh mango

1-2 tsp. lime juice

Salt & pepper, to taste

Chopped fresh cilantro, to garnish

Pumpkin seeds, to garnish

Mango chutney, to garnish

Directions

1. Heat 1 tsp. oil in a skillet. Sauté garlic and onion for 1-2 minutes, or until translucent.
2. Add spices, stirring well to coat the onion, followed by the bellpepper, squash, beans, corn, and mango. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, or until peppers are just tender. Drizzle with lime juice and add salt & pepper, to taste. Serve garnished with cilantro, pumpkin seeds, and a dollop of mango chutney as desired.

Perfect served with millet (pictured here), polenta, or amaranth.

What I Ate Wednesday (21): Snack Attack!

In January, I experimented with eating 3 square meals a day, with perhaps one small snack if necessary. For a while, this worked well . . . but sometimes, especially later in the month, I found myself consistently getting rather peckish in between meals. At first, I attempted to ignore these hunger pangs and just wait for my next meal; however, this caused me to a) eat much larger quantities of food in one sitting than my tummy can handle, thus resulting in bloating, and to b) shove the food into my mouth with such haste and gusto that it really didn’t satisfy me on that necessary psychological level. Or, I didn’t snack all day, which caused me to be super-hangry at night, which led to consuming most of my calories in the evening, which led to a rumbling tummy and poor digestion throughout the night, which led to . . . you get the picture.

So, I’ve decided to at least temporarily re-introduce snacking into my diet—100- to 200-calorie noshes that will appease my appetite between meals, especially during my long afternoons. Some days, my schedule requires me to eat an early lunch at 11, so in order to survive until dinner at 6 or 7, it’s an absolute MUST that I re-fuel, or else I’m one crabby lady, complete with headaches, stomach cramps, and an inability to concentrate on my studies.

So, today, on this beautiful Wednesday, I snacked, and it was glorious. A quick thanks to Jenn for being such a stellar WIAW hostess!

Breakfast & Morning Tea

Oatmeal with homemade almond milk, 1/2 apple, raisins, flaxseed, and PB on top.

I must admit, I’m looking forward to Spring and Summer—not only for the sunshine, warmth, butterflies, and blossoming flowers, but also for a larger variety of seasonal fruits to garnish my breakfasts with! I miss fresh strawberries, raspberries, plums, and especially peaches.

My ever-growing yearning for Spring inspired my choice of tea this morning, too: Spring Cherry Green Tea from The Republic of Tea.

 

[Source]

Mid-Morning Snack

A bright PINK smoothie--recipe to come on Friday!

About an hour & a half before lunch, my tummy felt quite empty, so I had a smoothie and . . . surprise! A couple homemade crackers, my newest culinary endeavor! Since I’ve started making my own almond milk, I have a lot of leftover pulp that I’m creatively re-using, for crackers, stirred into oatmeal, added to smoothies, you name it!

Lemon-Herb Almond Pulp Crackers

A couple quick notes about these crackers. First, don’t expect super crunchy crackers. These are crisp, but also a bit crumbly, too. I’m guessing it’s because I baked them in the oven rather than using a dehydrator—so if you have dehydrator, you’ll probably have better luck!

Makes as many crackers as you so desire!

Inspired by this recipe

Ingredients

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed + 6 Tbs. water

2 cups packed almond pulp*

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh parsley

2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh basil

2-3 garlic cloves, finely mined

2 tsp. lemon zest

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. cracked black pepper

*I’m not a raw food purist—I do roast the almonds I use to make almond milk because I think the flavour is better. Therefore, my pulp isn’t raw as well, so I can’t attest as to how raw pulp crackers will taste.

Directions

1. Whisk flaxseed and water in a small bowl, and put it in the fridge for at least 15—this is your flax “egg”.
2. Preheat oven to 300° F. In a bowl, combine pulp, herbs, garlic, lemon zest and juice, and salt & pepper, mixing together well. Add flax “egg”, and stir until a dough forms.
3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and transfer the dough. Take a second piece of parchment paper, cover it, and using either a rolling pin or your hands, flatten the dough evenly on the sheet. Brush crackers with a little olive oil.
4. Bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, watching very carefully and rotating the baking sheet every once in a while. When the crackers start turning a golden brown, turn off the oven and just let them sit inside until cool.

Sort of like pita chips . . .

Lunch

I wanted something other than a salad today, so I threw together a stir-fry in less than 10 minutes.

Lots of colour, lots of flavour! Recipe coming soon!

Post lunch: half an orange, 1 dried fig, some 77% dark chocolate from Chocolove.

Afternoon Snack

As a normal student, I rely on quick and easily-portable snacks that I can throw into my backpack without worrying about a potential mess. As an unconventional student, I make everything from scratch. Simultaneous solution: homemade protein granola bars. Recipe to come on Friday!

Dinner

Since I didn't have a salad for lunch, I decided to have a side salad with dinner--mixed greens, celery, Bragg's Seasoning + extra dill, Liquid Aminos, lemon juice, mustard, and cashews.

Brown basmati + Indian Aloo-Gobi, with a secret twist . . . recipe coming soon!

~~~

So, what did I think about snacking again? Well, to be honest, I’m torn. Part of me prefers not eating in between meals because it’s something of a chore and sometimes inconvenient; another part of me still believes that snacking has its place, but you can overdo it, too. I need opinions please!

Question: What do you think? Do you snack, or do you prefer 3 square meals a day?

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.

What I Ate Wednesday (18)

It’s that time of week again—the most fun, most fabulous day of the week for us food bloggers, thanks to Jenn. So, without further ado, here are yesterday’s eats!

Breakfast

I really need to get some pretty clear glasses rather than the much-too-big jars I've been using for parfaits. I also need some better lighting--thanks a lot, grey winter mornings.

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Superfood Parfait

Much, much better for you than a spoonful of sugar

Serves 1

Ingredients

½ cup non-dairy plain or vanilla yoghurt

½ tsp. coconut extract

½ cup granola of choice (I used my Groovy Ancient Grain Granola)

1 cup puffed cereal of choice (I used Puffed Kamut from Arrowhead Mills)

1 Sambazon Pure Açai Smoothie Pack

½ cup berries of choice (I used chopped strawberries)

2 Tbs. ground flaxseed

2 tsp. goji berries

2 tsp. roasted sunflower seeds

2 tsp. roasted pumpkin seeds

2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a small bowl, stir coconut extract into yoghurt. Set aside.
2. To assemble, layer ¼ cup granola, ½ cup puffed cereal, 1 Tbs. flax, ¼ cup yoghurt mixture, ½ of the smoothie packet, ¼ cup strawberries, and 1 tsp. each goji berries and all seeds. Repeat layers, and serve!

Lunch

A salad beast with spinach, 1 carrot, celery, 1/2 cup cubed butternut squash, 1 chopped dill pickle, 6 oz. plain tofu, almonds, mustard, olive oil, Bragg's liquid aminos + seasoning, and gomashio; accompanied by a slice of homemade seedy bread with avocado + Celtic sea salt on top; all followed by an apple & Chocolove's Cherry & Chilies Dark Chocolate.

Dinner

Minestrone pasta (recipe follows!), plus a side of steamed broccoli with gomashio, raisins, and sunflower seeds.

For dessert: a clementine and two ginger chews from Ginger People.

Minestrone Pasta

When most people think of minestrone, they think of soup–such as my Mom’s Magical Never-Ending Minestrone. This recipe is all the goodness of traditional minestrone, sans the broth.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup dry chickpeas or green lentils, soaked overnight and cooked

2 tsp. olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, diced

3 carrots, coined

3 celery stalks, chopped

6 oz. Portobello mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1 Tbs. Italian seasoning

1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes

1 vegan vegetable bouillon cube

1/3 cup cooking wine (I recommend red or Marsala)

¼ cup nutritional yeast

2 packed cups shredded green cabbage

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

Salt & pepper to taste

12 oz. whole grain long pasta of choice

Extra parsley, to garnish

Directions

1. In a large pot, sauté garlic and onion in oil for 1-2 minutes, or until translucent. Add carrot, celery, and mushrooms, and sauté for another 2-3 minutes, or until carrots are tender and mushrooms are a rich brown. Sprinkle in Italian seasoning, and stir well to coat everything well.
2. Add tomatoes and bouillon cube, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium-low heat. Add wine, nutritional yeast, cabbage, parsley, and cracked black pepper. Allow to simmer until cabbage is slightly tender.
3. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
4. Finally, divide pasta evenly amongst the plates. Add a pinch of salt to the sauce, stir, then spoon over the pasta, garnishing with chopped parsley as desired.

Also delicious topped with roasted, salted sunflower seeds for a boost of healthy fats.

What I Ate Wednesday (17): Double the Pleasure, Double the Fun!

Today, I’m posting an extra special WIAW, featuring not only Wednesday’s eats, but also Tuesday’s! Why? Just ‘cause. My meals have been quite fun as of late!

And before I begin, much thanks to Jenn, as per usual.

Breakfast

Tuesday: butternut squash-bosc pear oatmeal with coconut, raisins, chia seeds, and pecans--recipe to come soon!

Wednesday: oatmeal with apple juice, banana, clementine, almond extract, chia seeds, almonds, and pistachios--recipe to come soon!

Lunch

I’ve rediscovered the joys of salad beasts! Huzzah!

Tuesday: spinach, celery, carrot, plain tofu, pretzels, craisins, pine nuts, olive oil, mustard, Bragg's seasoning & liquid aminos, and sweet relish. Great combination!

If you haven’t tried Newman’s Own Organics pretzels, you are in store for a tasty surprise–and a far more nutritious alternative to plain ol’ white flour pretzels. I like the Spelt & High Protein varieties especially.

Tuesday's lunch was followed by a grapefruit and some 77% dark chocolate.

Today's salad was a MONSTER: spinach, carrots, seaweed, soba noodles, toasted sesame oil, tamari, brown rice vinegar, sunflower seeds, goji berries, gomashio, and braised daikon radish on the side.

Followed by an itsy-bitsy apple and some more 77% dark chocolate.

Afternoon Snack

Snacks have their place in any healthy diet, but I’ve found I now prefer bigger meals rather than daylong grazing. So, I’ve rethought the definition of “snack”—only if absolutely necessary (as in, I feel the hanger coming on), and it must be 150 calories or less. Tuesday didn’t require a snack between lunch and dinner, but today, I found myself needing a little pick-me-up sustenance.

Kombucha, o' course. BEST. BEVERAGE. EVER.

Pre-Yoga practice, I ate two Medjool dates--obviously, I almost forgot to snap a photo . . .

Dinner

Tuesday: whole grain pasta with Sweet Potato-Salsa "Bolognese" sauce--recipe to come soon!

Tuesday's dinner was followed by an apple, plus two Peanut Butter Ginger Chews.

Tonight, I ate the same “sauce” alongside the BEST corn chips I’ve ever had: Unbeatable Blues sprouted blue corn chips from Way Better Snacks.

More Sweet Potato-Salsa Bolognese sauce, plus kalamta olives & not one, but 2 servings of delicious chips!

I needed a little something more, so I had some applesauce with cinnamon, nutmeg, raisins, and pecans for dessert. I was so proud of myself when I resisted having a bowl of ricemilk ice cream and chose this instead.

Bedtime Munchies

Again with regards to snacking, I’m weaning myself from nighttime eating to promote optimal and effective digestion. On the other hand, sometimes, if I don’t nosh a little before bed, I awake at much, much too early (it can be as early as midnight!) to a growling tummy I cannot ignore no matter how hard I try. And sleeping soundly is, in my opinion, most important of all!

Some chamomile tea alongside a Dr. Kracker seedy flatbread with 1 Tbs. of peanut butter.

What I Ate Wednesday (16)

Yay! It’s everybody’s favourite day—and time for another round of WIAW, courtesy of Jenn.

Breakfast

One of my 2012 goals/intentions is to vary my breakfast a little more. I love me my oatmeal, don’t get me wrong, but variety is also nice . . . especially when there are some Ezekiel sprouted grain English muffins from Food for Life in the freezer!

Sprouted English muffin with 2 Tbsp. peanut butter on one half, some fig & apple butter on the other, and half an apple.

Morning Tea + Snack

It was quite chilly and windy yesterday, so post-breakfast, as I prepared for my day, I enjoyed a mug of what I consider one of The Republic of Tea’s best flavours: Hot Apple Cider.

Just before lunch, I also had a couple clementines.

Lunch

I’m cleaning out the pantry and using up cans of veggies that have sat idle for who knows how long—hence, this bean-and-grain salad, which was surprisingly tasty despite the overall lack of freshness.

A mix of wheatberries, white beans, spinach, celery, tomatoes, Italian-spiced olive oil + extra spices, lemon juice, and pine nuts.

An apple for dessert.

Afternoon Snack

Kamut puffs, soymilk, pecans, chopped dried figs, and a dash of cinnamon. Sorry for the blurriness as of late--my camera and I are, well, fighting the poor lighting, you could say.

I must admit: as convenient and affordable as Arrowhead Mills Puffed Kamut Cereal is, it doesn’t stick with me at all, even when I have a GINORMOUS bowl. So, I returned to the kitchen for some Sunja’s Kimchi and a hunk of unpictured butternut squash.

Kimchi rocks my world! Even more so than sauerkraut . . .

Dinner

I made a quick chili last night, again using up stuff from the pantry. Eaten alongside blue corn chips, one of my weaknesses. I went back for seconds of both.

Dessert consisted of a couple squares of Green & Black’s Espresso Dark Chocolate and a Peanut Butter Ginger Chew from Chimes. Oh. My. Goodness. These chews are absolutely incredible! If you haven’t tried one yet, run (don’t walk!) to your nearest health food store and prepare to have your mind and tastebuds blown away with delight!

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