Day 43: Friday, Nov 30 ~ Sweet potato, topped with black beans ~Chocolate Banana 'Milkshake' ~

~ Sweet potato, topped with black beans ~ Chocolate Banana 'Milkshake' ~

So tonight Jesse is off on a comic adventure and I'm still trying to wrap up all this schoolwork.

Quick and easy is the name of the game! (also, he's got the camera - so no pics tonight I'm afraid!)

 

Sweet potato, topped with black beans

Saw this 'recipe' on the Engine 2 site. I baked the sweet potato in the microwave, heated up the beans, combined - voila! Nothing more to say.... ;o except...omg is this good! :) It would probably be even more healthy and balanced with some greens on the side, but I could only eat half as it was - very filling! :)

 

Chocolate Banana 'Milkshake'

I also decided to treat myself as I've plugged back into using my exercise bike, even doing so today on my own versus crashing on the couch with the cats. I saw a recipe for something similar, and thought I should try it out.

Here's what I did:

- 2 small bananas, frozen (be smart and peel and chop the bananas then put in freezer! I had to skin 

   mine under running hot water...)

- 3 teaspoons of cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- 1 dash (tsp) vanilla extract

- 1 cup soymilk

Blend like crazy until desired consistency.

 

Here's what I will do to improve:

This was SO filling - much more so than a 'regular' milkshake! I think next time I'll just use 1 banana, possibly less soymilk as well (as I had to put half of it away for later anyway!)

Also - you really don't need 3 tsp of cocoa. Now, anyone that knows me knows I'm serious about chocolate - but (I can't believe I'm saying this) - this was too much, like Burger King shake syrupy chocolaty tasting almost (without the sick aftereffect though!).

And...you probably don't need the sugar - taste and see what works for you.

So - the next time I will try:

- 1 banana frozen (and prechopped!)

- 1 tsp. cocoa powder

- 1 dash vanilla

- 3/4 c. soymilk

Blend like crazy until desired consistency. And use a straw to drink because that's just cooler.

 

I felt pretty good about this creation. I know that all of these things are in line with how I want to be eating, will not hurt me (finding that I'm feeling so much better off dairy!), are even GOOD for me....and more importantly, this tasted even better than a shake from a fast food place - AND I didn't end up with a tummy ache or headache after!

I had reconsidered making this (after watching Biggest Loser while on my bike and thinking hmm...I've got a lot of weight to lose) - but then I reconsidered because if eating healthy substitutions like this will help me stay plant-strong (and these have much less calories and much more nutrition!) - then why not? I am going to find a way to have my cake and eat it too - Yum! :)

 

 

 

Day 42: Thursday Nov 29 ~Spaghetti :)

~ Spaghetti ~

So I had something else planned for tonight, but it must've been too weird because Jesse ended up making spaghetti while I crammed for my final. And you know what? It was absolutely perfect - exactly what I needed to help me ace my test! So a HUGE thank you to my husband for all of his work throughout this project, including covering for me tonight. :)

 

P.S. He was also so sweet to put mine on the Snowman plate he smuggled into our cart last Christmas season. :) Something I wanted but did not intend to buy for myself, it is not only a reminder of my favorite holiday but his thoughtfulness. :)

Day 41: Wednesday Nov 28 ~ Leftover Better Than Chicken Soup ~

~ Leftover Better Than Chicken Soup ~

Well, it's 8:30 and I'm not yet home. Jesse just wrapped up a drawing session at a comic store(yeah!), and is now being coached on how to succeed at his interview tomorrow (thank you REN!). While I'd like to leave prison, uh I mean work, it is a nice, quiet environment to do some studying - of which I have a copious amount with a final tomorrow and a huge project due soon that I'm trying to wrap up. I know if I were home I'd be watching either Downton Abbey or Supernatural, of which I've seen every episode...and cuddling with cats, all concerns for our future and my scholastic career just out of my head. 

SO anyway - just in case this happened, I packed extra food and am eating the leftover soup from yesterday and maybe a grapefruit for dessert. I'm hoping that Jesse brought food with him as I instructed - but if not(and probably not), he will be scavenging the fridge when we get home! No Wendy's for you, sir! We must stay clean for another 25 days (well, for this goal anyway)....and by the way, that's the countdown to Christmas Eve. Wow...well, now that I've freaked you all out, go watch a Charlie Brown Christmas for me and have a good night!

Day 40: Tuesday Nov 27 ~ Better than Chicken Soup ~

~ Better than Chicken Soup ~

So apparently my sister is sick - and since we had been over there frequently over the weekend, and since our immunities are down because we've supplemented our healthy leftovers with junk or non-plant-strong material this weekend (I know, I know - but we're back on track!)...to help prevent issues and just boost our system, we're making this amazing soup.

 

It's super easy and super yummy and super healthy! :) The only thing that could improve it in my book is to serve with homemade bread (or in a bread bowl - yeah!).

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/better-chicken-soup

oh - of course leave out the oil and use vegetable broth!
We sorta took a short-cut, putting the remainder of the Kale Salad from Thursday in (versus the kale it called for) - this made it a little sweeter with the addition of the red and yellow peppers.
 

Day 39: Monday, Nov 26 ~ Sunny Summer Squash Soup ~

~ Sunny Summer Squash Soup ~

 

Jesse somehow found these cute little yellow squashes, and while I'm not a huge fan of pureed soup, something about this recipe called out to me. Maybe it was 'sunny' - nice to bring some of that into November! :)

We did substitute half the yellow squash for butternut, hence the darker color. :)

 

 

Glad we did try the recipe out - it was delicious! :)

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2008/08/sunny-summer-squash-soup.html

Day 36/Fri - Day 38/Sun ~ you guessed it, leftovers!

you guessed it, leftovers!

We had SO much food - stuff we had in our fridge that wasn't eaten before Thanksgiving, stuff from both of our families, stuff, stuff, stuff.....so we had many variations of leftovers over the weekend. I was trying to stay away some from the usual internet trap, so didn't blog about it.

Happy to be back in the flow of things today! :)

Day 35: Thursday Nov 22 ~ Apple Braid ~ Kale Salad with Olives and Pine Nuts ~ Scarlet Roasted Vegetables ~

~ Apple Braid ~ Kale Salad with Olives and Pine Nuts ~ Scarlet Roasted Vegetables ~

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! :)

 

I'll be helping out with the usual preparations at my mom's later today - but thought I'd make a breakfast treat ahead of time, so we can pick at it while we wait for the rest of the food to come together.

Besides...I really wanted to try this out!!
Also thought it might be nice to bring a few new favorites!

 

 

 

Apple Braid

http://www.eatliverun.com/apple-braid/#more-24074

Instead of the oil, I used applesauce. Instead of the whipping cream, I used homemade almond milk. If you need frothiness/body, I wouldn't necessarily recommend substituting the almond milk - but in this recipe, it is just for a glaze - so I thought, sweet, a little healthy fat in there...that'd be a good substitution. *In retrospect, it probably could be a little thicker - why they said with whipping cream perhaps? I would recommend thickening the almond milk by not adding as much water when processing (as you would for regular 'milk'). Alternatively, you could just add in a little extra powdered sugar and you'd be all set.

Homemade almond milk:

http://www.edibleharmony.com/almond-milk/ 

 

Kale Salad with Olives and Pine Nuts

This was one we tried the last day of the Comicon - it was a fun, spicy salad. Hmm...with the colors if this is a winner over there I might reprise it at Christmas!http://freedomfromfastfood.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-10-sunday-oct-28-portabellas.html

 

Scarlet Roasted Vegetables

Yeah, I know - not scarlet today! Surprisingly enough, Kroger did not have beets! I had canned some earlier this summer, but was afraid even with rinsing the vinegar might throw the flavor off, so I decided to abstain.

This dish is never the same twice because I always have a different mixture of vegetables - however, it is always good no matter what you put in it! :)

http://freedomfromfastfood.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-10-sunday-oct-7.html

 

Day 34: Wednesday Nov 21 ~ Bonzai Burger and Steak Fries

~ Bonzai Burger and Steak Fries ~

I know...tomorrow's the big day so we should eat light tonight, right? Well, it's also the end of work for a few days and that calls for a celebration. I didn't feel like doing anything elaborate, and since our typical past celebration might have been to go out to dinner...say at Red Robin...thought we'd stick to our guns, beat the system, and give this a try. :)

The Bonzai Burger is Jesse's favorite burger at Red Robin. A while ago, a friend with a 'real' blog posted a great review/recipe: (http://thegoodthedadandthebaby.com/?p=3470).

Bonzai Burger
http://www.food.com/recipe/bonzai-burger-from-red-robin-restaurant-453235
We used Boca burgers, and skipped the cheese and mayonnaise, but rest of recipe was the same.

Steak Fry Directions from a previous post:
http://freedomfromfastfood.blogspot.com/2012/10/day-18-monday-oct-15.html

Jesse's REAL love there is not the burgers, or even the bottomless steak fries, but instead...the seasoning. If the attentive servers left us alone too long, I'm sure we'd have a stockpile of it at home. But...since they don't, and we don't - I went on the search for a recipe! I did find one, however I didn't find the dried tomato soup it calls for - so, we'll just be using the good ole' Lawry's seasoned salt tonight.
Red Robin seasoning:
http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/Red-Robin-Seasoning-Recipe.html

Day 33: Tuesday Nov 20 ~ Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms over Whole Wheat Pasta with a White Sauce ~

~ Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms over Whole Wheat Pasta with a White Sauce ~

WOW - today is HALF-WAY through our little challenge! The first time around, it seemed like it would never end...got to day 19 and that was it. Now, all of a sudden - we're half-way done? Really?!

Recently the realization that this is a lifestyle change sort of sunk in - or sunk in a little more anyway. We really are trying to create a new habit, not just 'get through' 66 days of something. It's starting to seem more consistently manageable. It doesn't seem so terrible anymore, being a responsible adult and coming home to cook dinner for myself.

 We still struggle a little on the weekends, especially lately with my school stuff going on - so we have made a few poor choices for lunch occassionally, but these have been more rare and we always circle back for dinner - stopping the poor choice binge at one meal. I do want to commit for the rest of the challenge to TOTALLY avoid fast food - no matter when/time of day, frequency, occassion - doesn't matter, if I don't make it, I don't eat it. I had declared this during our reboot - but we weren't ready. I think we are now. I'll keep you posted. :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jesse got a a giant bunch of brussels sprouts still on the stalk - we had never seen them this way! It's like having a tree in our fridge. :)
Anyway - we usually roast them in the oven and they are scrumptious! But I thought for at least one dish we should try something new. So - we found two great recipes at the Fat Free Vegan blog and morphed them into one dish.

We started our pasta first, then moved on to this recipe: 

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/02/brussels-sprouts-and-mushrooms.html
and at the end threw in the chickpeas from the next recipe.

Then get started on the white sauce:
# 3 - http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2012/03/pasta-and-vegetables-with-white-sauce.html
While the pasta and the vegetables are cooking, make the sauce: combine in a medium saucepan the soy milk. garlic, herbs, and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes or until pasta is done. Add 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water and the nutritional yeast. Stir the cornstarch into 1/4 cup of cool water and add it to the sauce, stirring well. Increase heat and cook until the sauce boils and thickens slightly. Check seasonings and add salt to taste.

Day 32: Monday Nov 19 ~ Leftover Moroccan Quinoa

~ Leftover Moroccan Quinoa ~

This Moroccan Quinoa was so yummy the first time around - I'm not minding having it again!

It's been a lot of leftovers lately - usually we just use these for lunches, but school projects, needing a break, and a full freezer from past efforts have dictated the necessity of revisiting some of these dishes. :)

I'm thinking we'll get back to the regular program next week...and maybe once school is over I'll work on 'flipping' some recipes. So if you're reading this, and have a family favorite recipe that you would like to see reworked into a plant-strong dish - just let me know, and I'll make my best efforts!

http://freedomfromfastfood.blogspot.com/2012/11/day-18-monday-nov-5-moroccan-quinoa.html

Day 31: Sunday, Nov 18 ~ Beany Backblast Burritos

~Beany Backblast Burritos~

Tonight, we dined on burritos. I expect a big backlash from these, since they're chock-full of beans. Here's what I did...

I had a failed batch of hummus. (see post from Wednesday, 11/14)
1 can of Garbonzos, two tablespoons of garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 teaspoon of Bragg Liquid Amminos and 3 tablespoons of water.

Now, here's the trick. You have to either over blend the above ingredients, or add too much water. Or possibly both. Any way, you have to end up with a really, really liquidy matter.

Next, add a can of pinto beans and hope that A) nobody notices and B) it thickens the mess up. In the end, if you've done it right, it will still be too liquid. Oops.

Moving on, take a can of kidney beans. Lightly mash them with a fork, and stir it in to your failed hummus mixture. Dump in a packet of taco seasoning, and an extra dash each of cayenne and cumin. Mix well with the fork you mashed the kidney beans with.

Heat the new mixture in the microwave for 2 mins. Spoon (or fork) some into your favorite variety of tortilla. Fry in skillet until lightly browned. Top each burrito with a line of taco sauce. Eat.

A side serving of Beano is recommended. (This is Jesse if you hadn't already guessed.)

Day 30: Saturday Nov 17 ~ Thai Feast: Spicy Thai Soup, Spring Rolls, Pad Pak Priew Waan

~ Spicy Thai Soup ~ Spring Rolls ~ Pad Pak Priew Waan ~

A Thai feast for us tonight! Celebrating the completion of 2 major school projects - plus a big thank you to Jesse for all of his support lately - I thought I'd surprise him with a fun dinner on a Saturday night (usually a scrounging-type night for us ;0).

My rebellion against 'normal' cabbage this week takes me to my favorite use of it - in a Thai Spring Roll! We don't have any spring roll wrappers on hand, but I found out that they actually are fairly easy to make. (HA! - could still use a lot of practice to perfect these!). Needing to round out the menu a bit - I thought I'd turn it into a more authentic fare. We always start with soup at Thai restaurants, and the Spicy Thai Soup recipe below is so quick and easy (not to mention yummy!). The Pad Pak Priew Waan looked great, so I thought we'd try it out.

Spicy Thai Soup
http://www.nutritionmd.org/recipes/view.html?recipe_id=197

Pad Pak Priew Waan (Hot and Sour Vegetables)
http://www.yummly.com/recipe/Pad-Pak-Priew-Waan-_hot-And-Sour-Vegetables_-Recipezaar?columns=4&position=1/1
Soooo good! :) Instead of zucchini, we used the yellow squash we had on hand.

Spring Rolls
http://thaifood.about.com/od/vegetarianthairecipes/r/springrolls.htm
Instead of frying, we baked at 350 for 15 minutes. (and oh, are these spicy!)


http://www.essortment.com/homemade-spring-roll-wrapper-recipe-13943.html
instead of regular eggs on the wrappers - made 'flaxseed' eggs, per egg - 1Tbsp flaxseed meal + 2 Tbsp water stirred until thick. I think next time (if I don't just buy wrappers) I'll try EnerG or something.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnqoEht_VYM - my dough was not quite this thick, I poured mine from a pyrex bowl with a spout - but this helped me realize just how thin they needed to be on the pan!

And one last thing....we're almost half-way through this challenge! Phew :)

Day 29: Friday Nov 16 ~ Leftovers AGAIN!

Yeah - more leftovers. Really, it was more of a snacky day in general as I was in power study mode - off work due to huntin' season and crumpled under some giant end of semester projects. So we nibbled at the hoardes of leftovers in the freezer and fridge all day, and dinner time was popcorn. ;0 Well, anyway, I am grateful that we had things ready made as I was not up to cooking.

Sorry for the boringness lately - things are now a little cleared out and will get back to normal soon. :)

Day 28th: Thursday, Nov 15 ~Leftovers~

~Veggie Lasagna ~ Yesterday's Ghallaba~

We've got a growing supply of leftovers, so we're eating them tonight. No, I won't bother taking a picture of them.

Eat food.

Day 27: Wednesday Nov 14 ~ Mediterranean Feast: Greek-Style Vegetable Salad, Hummus, Ghallaba, Mediterranean Brown Rice, Served with pita and beets

~ Greek-Style Vegetable Salad ~ Hummus  ~ Ghallaba ~ Mediterranean Brown Rice ~

Today I am hoping to treat a friend who is doing a huge favor for me! I have this terrifying school video project where I need a human guinea pig to help demonstrate that I can listen and hopefully give appropriate prompts so they can find the answers they need within themselves (essence of academic advising). Yeah, not sure how my video will go...but regardless we will have a feast before hand to celebrate! :)

* And a HUGE thank you to Jesse - for cooking this feast for us!! I had great intentions, set all this up, but too much schoolwork and needed to sleep the stress off - so didn't get to the cooking part! ;0
He is wonderful. :)  (I promised to handle all the kitchen chores for the rest of the week. :))

Greek-Style Vegetable Salad

This is the most awesome salad recipe ever! I used to make a batch early in the week, keeping it separate from the lettuce - and every day just take a scoop of the 'toppings' and add to a few cups of lettuce - not only extends the life of the salad, makes for easy lunch planning, but reduces the calories a bit as well.

So good. I learned of this through Denise Austin's online program, but it is available in some of her books as well. You can view it online, p. 190 at: http://books.google.com/books?id=tBNEm06K9XMC&pg=PA274&lpg=PA274&dq=Greek-Style+Vegetable+Salad,+Denise+Austin&source=bl&ots=huVcVVsKs4&sig=v18_9BrUxoCFpMtuyvGA3kE-1bM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CXKiUOa9F-j8yAH1hIDYAw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

Leave out the olive oil and feta cheese to make it plant strong. I also just use plain black olives versus kalamata (cheaper!). :)

Hummus

homemade hummus - so many variations. Here's a good, healthy, plant-strong recipe:

http://engine2diet.com/recipe/engine-2-hummus/

Ghallaba

Our first go-round on this challenge we tried a dish that reminded me of Ghallaba, and I promised to get back to you on the 'official' recipe. I love Ghallaba from La Oasis in Taylor. We often had their ghallaba wrap and it disappeared quickly!

http://www.dedemed.com/mediterranean/ghallaba-recipe

Of course, we left out the chicken and the oil.

Mediterranean Brown Rice 
http://dedemed.com/mediterranean/brown-rice-recipe
*Our place puts roasted pine nuts in theirs - yummy!

Day 26: Tuesday Nov 13 Leftover Pumpkin Curry Stew & Quinoa

Leftover Pumpkin Curry Stew & Quinoa

Whoa...the curry has gotten spicy waiting in the freezer the last couple days! We mixed it with a bit of quinoa we had leftover - gotta keep the fridge clear, right? :)
Hang in there - tomorrow will be a magical feast! :)

Day 25: Monday, Nov 12 ~ Mexican Cabbage ~

~ Mexican Cabbage ~

So Jesse got a huge head of cabbage from Randazzo's and I was just not 'feeling it'. I became cabbaged-out earlier this year. When I saw this recipe for Mexican Cabbage - well, okay, I was a little grossed out thinking Mexican and Cabbage because I had never paired the two in my mind. But after reading it - I was like, yes, this is it! Not at all like the sauteed/boiled/steamed boring cabbage I'd endured earlier. :)



http://happyherbivore.com/2009/09/quick-mexican-cabbage/

I like cabbage.
     -Jesse

Here is a picture of it as it's cooking!

Day 24: Sunday Nov 11 ~ Pumpkin Vegetable Curry Stew ~

~ Pumpkin Vegetable Curry Stew ~

http://www.marthastewart.com/333990/pumpkin-vegetable-curry-stew

 

Day 23: Saturday, Nov 10 ~ 'Normal' Pizza ~

~ 'Normal' Pizza ~



So, yeah, earlier in this venture we had 'Abby' pizza, which was a grotesque mixture of baked beans and other things (although yummy at the time!). Since then we've had a couple plant-strong pizzas, with a sweet potato puree base and various toppings. It was time for some 'Real/Normal' Pizza!

 

 

We decided to splurge tonight and got 'Galaxy International Foods Vegan Mozzarella Cheese'. So, we're sticking with the vegan stuff, but it's not quite plant-strong as I'm sure the product is oil-based. Still, it actually tastes like real mozzarella - I was so surprised.

We were lazy and didn't feel like opening the giant can of pizza sauce from Gordon's, so Fire-Roasted Tomatoes it was.

Yellow Peppers, Mushrooms, Italian Seasoning, Garlic Powder round out the mix on a pita base.

Day 22: Friday nov 9 ~ Quinoa Stir Fry~

~Quinoa Stir Fry~

Tonight, we will be having a vegetable stir fry. Here's what you need to have a meal identical to ours:
Bragg's Liquid Amminos
Quinoa
Fresh Mushrooms
Bean Sprouts
Water Chestnuts
Bamboo Shoots
A stove
A frying pan
Water

First, set your frying pan down on which ever burner you like best. Turn the burner on to medium-high heat. Put a little water in the bottom of the pan. Add a splash of liquid amminos. Many of you probably believe you need cooking oil. Well, you don't. You just don't. You can use cooking oil if you want to be a fatty, but I used water and liquid amminos.
Add sprouts, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots to your water/ammino/frying pan mixture. Let that fry until the chestnuts are softer. You may have to periodically splash more liquid amminos in to make sure it all doesn't burn and stick to the pan. So no, you can't go watch tv. You have to mind your dinner.
 Once the stuff is palatable, add the mushrooms. A little more Bragg's and stif fry it all for a good five minutes or so.
 OH! You have to have prepared the quinoa already. I hope you read this whole thing before you got started. So, after you cook all the veggies so that the mushrooms have begun to soften, now you can add the quinoa. Two cups or so should do. Splash some more Bragg's. Stir it all together. You'll end up with this:

You can add diced carrots and some peas if you want. It was good, but I would like to go back in time and add these things. Some people might add onions. I would not because I hate them. I hate them so much.

Ok. That's all.

Good day.



Day 21: Thursday Nov 8 ~ Vegetable Pot Pie ~

~ Vegetable Pot Pie ~

Typically, when I think of pot pie, I think of those frozen deals where you carve c for chicken on the top and hope you can still read it after it bakes and you don't end up with a beef one! We did occassionally have 'real' homemade pot pie growing up, which was delicious. I haven't had pot pie of any variety in several years, so it's about time. :)

We have Happy Herbivore to thank for our recipes tonight. I found this great one - but instead of my vision of 'traditional' pot pie with a crust on top, she floats biscuits in it (like the Amish do :) ).
http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/veggie-biscuit-pot-pie/
That's great, but I wanted crust (tradition!). I ended up using the 'Easy Oil' crust in the old standard, Better Homes & Garden red checkered cookbook. I'm not yet proficient with crust, so the 'easy' drew my attention.
The issue is - if I'm trying to live plant-strong, I really shouldn't make a regular crust out of butter, or even 'vegan' crust out of oil. I was relieved that she had a recipe for pie crust, as I was beginning to think I was out of luck! :) So...next time when I have a ripe banana...I'm trying it.
http://happyherbivore.com/2010/09/pie-crust/

Day 20: Wednesday Nov 7 ~ Faux Ham Sams ~ Homemade Hamburger Buns ~

~ Faux Ham Sams ~ Homemade Hamburger Buns ~

SO excited - was able to see Dr. Dyer at Cobo Hall tonight! :)
But this means we aren't at home cooking. So - Jesse so wonderfully made this ahead of time, and we ate in the car. Very excited that we didn't break, had every reason to do so - but Jesse saved the day. We are officially now past the 'breaking point' of our last attempt! And for all intents and purposes - 1/3 of the way through the challenge. Phew - we can make it! :)

Faux Ham Sams
Jesse's creation today -
slather a generous amount of roasted red pepper hummus onto a fine fresh bun, layer Vlassic (pickle) stackers, then lovingly place 2 slices of vegan friendly fake ham.
spread mustard on bottom bun (or heel).
Eat. Chew to taste.

Homemade Hamburger Buns
http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-your-own-hamburger-153290
OH MY GOSH these are so good. It's been maybe a month since I made bread last - that is what I've been missing in my life! ;o

Day 19: Tuesday Nov 6 ~ Winter Thai Curry Stew ~ Apple Pie Baked in the Apples ~

~ Winter Thai Curry Stew ~ Apple Pie Baked in the Apples ~

Today it's Winter Thai Curry Stew, and for dessert - Apple Pie Baked in the Apples...because what's more 'American' than voting and eating apple pie?

Winter Thai Curry Stew
So, yeah uh...Thai Garlic Chili Paste should not be substituted for Thai Curry Paste.

Travesty of all travesties - we ran out of curry paste! I looked up the recipe to make it online, and it called for lemongrass and a buncha things that are lovely but I don't keep in my kitchen normally.
So...I thought - well I have this here other paste that says Thai on it. I know it's not the same, but maybe it'd be good...
Oh my - just the steam from it heating up had me in coughing fits - pulverized red chilis permeating the air...this is going to be one spicy soup!

The recipe: http://bigeatstinykitchen.com/2012/02/11/winter-thai-curry-stew/
Our modifications:
* no fresh ginger, we just used a few dashes dried.
* vegetables: we used potatoes, carrots, summer squash, broccoli, red pepper, corn, diced tomatoes (what we needed to get rid of :)); skipped the onions and honey.
*we used Bragg's Liquid Aminos v. soy sauce

Apple Pie Baked in the Apples
http://domesticdilettante.com/2012/01/11/applepie/

Our Update
Wow, so Day 19 - if we eat our own food tomorrow (which we will because I'm cooking ahead due to schedule), we'll have bested our last attempt. Yeah!!! :)
It doesn't seem quite as hard anymore. That question is gone...instead of what are we going to EAT (both of us secretly hoping in the back of our minds that the answer will be the name of a fast food place and hoping that the other person will break first so our guilt is relieved), now it is what are we going to MAKE for dinner.
It's not totally seamless yet - the kitchen's gotten back to being a wreck, which makes me not want to go in there. But we do - and like this weekend at the very least we heat up the store I've been creating in the freezer from actually cooking!
So bottom line - it's progress. :)

Day 18: Monday, Nov 5 ~ Moroccan Quinoa, Chickpea, Cauliflower & Carrot Tagine ~

~ Moroccan Quinoa, Chickpea, Cauliflower & Carrot Tagine ~

Yesterday was more left overs. We didn't blog about it. I know you were stressing over it.

But, here's what we had tonight:

By Jeff Novick, MS, RD

2 Boxes POMI chopped tomatoes (26 oz each box)

2 14-oz Can Unsalted Chickpeas
1 lb Frozen Cauliflower (1 small head fresh)
1 lb Frozen Slices Carrots (6-8 med. or 4 lg.)
1/2 lb frozen Onions
1/4 cup blanched toasted almonds
1/2 cup sliced dried apricots

2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp red chili flakes

Place all ingredients except almonds in a large saucepan, Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes and serve over Quinoa. Top with toast almonds.

Enjoy!

Day 16: Deja Vu

~Same thing we ate yesterday~

Well, we put two of yesterday's pizzas in the freezer to eat on a night we felt lazy and didn't want to cook. That night came sooner than expected. Thus endeth the pizzas.

Day 15: Friday Nov 2 ~ PSPizza w/Red Pepper & Broccoli

~ Plant-Strong Pizza w/Red Pepper & Broccoli ~

Jesse's working late tonight, so it's quick dinner time. Pita Pizza can be super fast (especially if pre-prepped!). Pita, leftover Sweet Potato 'sauce' (see below), Broccoli, Red Pepper, dash of Crushed Red Pepper, Italian Seasoning, and Nutritional Yeast.
 We decided to make a second one Mexican-style. We added salsa, kale, black beans (frejoles negros) , corn and taco seasoning.
Oven 350, 15 minutes or until warmed through. Yum! :)

Two to eat, two to freeze for a night when we're too lazy to cook.

From the book "Heart Healthy Pizza" by Mark Sutton. http://www.hearthealthypizza.com/

Original Version:
Using the following recipe from this link for the sauce:
http://engine2diet.com/the-daily-beet/plant-strong-pizza-recipes-and-a-giveaway/
SWEET POTATO, OATS, CARROT, AND GREEN CHILI SAUCE

Jesse altered:
But I made the sauce as such:
1 sweet tater, 4 sizeable carrots, Dijon mustard, oats, and delicious, delicious corn starch. while blending it up, I think I added too much water. To get it back to a more solid consistency, I added a can of garbanzos (Chick Peas in the common tongue). The addition of garbanzo made it very hummus-ey, but either way it's quite tasty.

Day 14: Thursday Nov 1 ~ Burritos~

Tonight we had burritos.
1 can black beans- mashed up with a generous scoop of taco seasoning
home made salsa
leftover black bean dip from yesterday
red pepper
jalapeno
flour tortilla
taco sauce to taste

Heat stuff
Fill tortilla
top with sauce
eat