Day 33: Wednesday, July 29th ~ Buddha's Delight ~

Day 33: Wednesday, July 29th 

~ Buddha's Delight ~

After our junk fest the last few days, my body was screaming at me to eat some veggies! I told Jesse no matter what, we were going to have this for dinner. He was so great to get it started, and finished it up while I crashed on the couch after work.

http://happyherbivore.com/recipe/vegetarian-delight/

Buddha's Delight from Happy Herbivore

It was delicious! Very flavorful. Jesse added celery as we didn’t have any cabbage (and he was unsure if we had greens still? Hmm)….but it gave it a nice touch. A lot of times people feel celery doesn’t have any flavor – but adding it to a stir-fry or other cooked dish really does have an impact. 

Day 26: Wed, July 22nd ~ Black Bean-Quinoa Burger & Fries ~

Day 26: Wed, July 22nd
~ Black Bean-Quinoa Burger & Fries ~

When we make bean burgers, we typically go for the tried and true Jeff Novick burger. However, we somehow are still missing our extra rice from the move....and the thought of replacing it with quinoa intrigued us into looking for a new recipe. We'll bring JN back soon for all you newbies. I have to tell you, his are a LOT quicker and less work intensive. ;0 

These are unique though, and for a unique occasion - Jesse's first official art job. :) So proud of you, honey!! 

http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/black-bean-quinoa-burgers/
After eating them - realized that I had tasted something similar at The Henry. Fabulous! :)

Nothing goes better with a burger than fries, right? Now, this is JN style. (1) First, microwave the potatoes. Ideally this is done earlier, and the potatoes put in the fridge to make the next step easier. :) We did not do this today of course. (2) So - after they are nice and soft, cut with big knife into quarters or slivers depending on size. If you wet the knife first, it makes a cleaner cut. (3) Lay these out on parchment on a baking sheet, and sprinkle with whatever seasoning you want. You can spritz these with water to help the spices stick. Jesse always goes for Lawry's Season Salt. We've made garlic, chili, cumin, you name it. (4) Broil just a few minutes, until brown and crispy.

Fries were never the same after we found his technique!

 

Day 25: Tuesday, July 21st ~ Vegetable Korma ~

Day 25: Tuesday, July 21st ~ Vegetable Korma ~

This is Jesse doing today's blog. Liv did the cooking.
While I was away triumphantly tying up a few loose ends at my final day of my internship, Liv made a delightful veggie korma. The recipe came from Happy Herbivore Abroad by Lindsay S. Nixon and published by those nutty funsters at BenBella Books, Inc of Dallas, Texas. You can find the recipe online here or you can go buy the book from Amazon.com for less than $20 so what's your problem you pirating cheapskate?
Anyway, here's a story about korma. Every once and again Liv and I buy some Amy's frozen Indian dinners and quite like the korma. So we made it ourselves in accordance with the intentions behind this blog. So there you go. Korma.
As per usual, we've photographed the meal.

Photograph by Liv

Day 24: Monday, July 20th ~ Twofer: Burritos & Thai Mango Curry ~

Day 24: Monday, July 20th

 ~ Twofer: Burritos & Thai Mango Curry ~

Well, I was lucky enough to have today off. Since I had that time, you get 2 of our meals today. :)
For lunch - whipped up some quick burritos. Had leftover rice, beans, and peppers. Put all of that in a skillet with a bit of water and taco seasoning. Wrapped it up with a small sprinkling of cheese and taco sauce. Yum!

Dinner - Thai Mango Curry from Happy Herbivore Abroad. I LOVE curry, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I LOVE coconut milk. With our typical green curry, we put the whole can of coconut milk in. This recipe only calls for 1/2 cup. It seems to be more than enough, and gives the same effect. Something to keep in mind for the future!
I did not find the recipe online already, and am a little leery of just scanning it in. If anyone's interested, just let me know and I'll forward it to you.

So - I mentioned that today you get 2 of our meals, and you might wonder what we do the rest of the time. I don't bother sharing it, because it can get pretty repetitious. Breakfast is usually oatmeal, farina, or peanut butter toast. Lunch is often leftovers, a salad, or a grouping of things like boiled eggs, hummus/veggies, bread, and fruit. It just seems too much work to have a varied diet during the weekday. :)

Day 21: Friday, July 17th ~ 5-Spice Fried Rice with Sweet Potatoes ~

Day 21: Friday, July 17th 

~ 5-Spice Fried Rice with Sweet Potatoes ~

Today, we're heading back to good and good for you. We have been wanting to try the Chinese 5-Spice blend for some time. We kept seeing recipes that called for it, and just omitting it because we hadn't picked it up. Then it sat on our shelf for a bit while we went on the fast-food binge...okay, maybe a year? Anyway....so excited to find a recipe with this in the title. 

It smelled SOOOO good in our house! Actually, I could smell it on Jesse's shirt when he came to pick me up. :) That helped me get past the Little Caesar's! 

This was a fabulous dish. Also, so pretty and orange! Definitely a keeper. 

http://veganishdish.com/2015/02/15/5-spice-fried-rice-with-sweet-potatoes/

Day 19: Wednesday, July 15th ~ Pita Pizza ~

Day 19: Wednesday, July 15th

 ~ Pita Pizza ~

Another adventure today. Had an important errand right after work, still exhausted from yesterday, and staring bleakly at every food place we pass, it was a journey getting to tonight's dinner. Jesse has been wanting hot dogs again lately (not sure where this recent obsession came from?), but nothing is sounding good to me. I agree to whatever he can find in the store just to get home a minute sooner. Trentwood was closed, and CVS didn't have the ingredients. I am beyond ready to just give up, and say that I don't care. So, home we go. And out comes Jesse's plan B - Pita Pizza. 

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80642649550672595/

We were introduced to this a few years ago when I was on a Denise Austin plan. I love that it can be so quick, easy, and crunchy. It has become a go-to item for those rushed, lazy, or emotional days. 

We don't really follow the recipe anymore, just top pita or a tortilla wrap with whatever we have on hand, pop it in the oven, and there you go. 

Day 16: Sun, July 12th ~ Macaroni and Cheese ~

Day 16: Sun, July 12th

Macaroni and Cheese

Today was an almost-day. In lieu of having something delivered, almost asked Jesse to run to the store for fish sticks or nuggets or something to bake that almost tasted like fried. Wallowing in anticipation of my work week. Finally realized that it would come regardless, and the following weekend would come as well. Able to pull myself out of my funk long enough to think about cooking something, and this popped into my mind.

I found a great recipe in one of the old magazines I have – but of course, didn’t find the recipe. Looking at Martha’s website, this seemed appealing.

We did not have the mix of cheeses asked for. I also used only 3 pieces of bread/breadcrumbs. The only thing I would change is to be sure to have some sharp cheddar. I think that makes mac n cheese for me.

http://www.marthastewart.com/274703/macaroni-and-cheese-recipes/@center/854190/comfort-food-recipes#313113

Day 15: Sat, July 11th ~ Aztec Corn Soup & Savory Glazed Carrots ~

Day 15: Sat, July 11th 

~ Aztec Corn Soup & Savory Glazed Carrots ~

Today was a Happy Herbivore kind of day. The pad thai from last night reminded me of one of her dishes, and I had to explore the recipes a bit. 

Summer is in full swing, and I am craving corn!! I cannot wait until Blocks opens up. In the meantime, this dish looked appealing and we had all of the components. 

It turned out to be something that I'm adding to my comfort food list. Very delicious and filling. 

http://www.collegiatevegan.com/post/12575060337/aztec-corn-soup-adapted-from-the-happy

The original recipe in The Happy Herbivore called for maple syrup instead of agave, any kind of plant milk, and recommended serving with hot sauce. Just the smell of hot sauce from across the room makes me nauseous, but I did try some with Sriracha, and it was excellent. 

I also made Savory Glazed Carrots from Happy Herbivore Abroad. The crazy thing is that I put the soup together in the time that it took the carrots to soften. I am not a patient cook. :)

http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=2416993

Oh....and guess what? We're 1/6 of the way through our challenge! 

Day 14: Friday, July 10th ~ Vegetable Pad Thai with Dry-Fried Tofu ~

Day 14: Friday, July 10th 

~ Vegetable Pad Thai with Dry-Fried Tofu ~

It has now been 2 weeks since we've eaten out! Woo!
Today before lunch, I had this incredible urge for a McChicken. I have absolutely no idea why that popped into my head, but it was overwhelming. Fortunately, I wasn't going out at lunch. After work, we had some bad news, and the urge to get junk was there again. There is nothing directly on our route home now. Environment is a big factor. It gave me a second to think, and reaffirm that fast food or other junk would not really make the situation better. In fact, in many ways, it would make it worse.
So...after getting home we once more got into the kitchen and made something INFINITELY better than what we could have picked up through a drive-thru.

Jesse actually did all the work on this one. I just gobbled it up. :) Some things we adjusted - no cabbage, so used kale, also we cooked the bean sprouts for safety/health concerns. Jesse has historically hated tofu, but this method of preparation was agreeable for him. It tasted quite like what you would get in a restaurant, but without the oil oozing out. Overall - wonderful dish.

http://lovegreentalks.com/thug-kitchen/

Day 13: Thurs, July 9th ~ Potato in Coconut Gravy ~

Day 13: Thurs, July 9th 

~ Potato in Coconut Gravy ~

I got Tamarind Concentrate a few years ago during our summer of Indian food. I never opened it. Not knowing what it is supposed to smell like - I opted on the side of safety and made a substitute. Equal parts lemon juice and brown sugar. I think my tamarind was actually okay...ah, well... :)

I also had some discrepancies with the spices. I did not have curry leaves. Found out that curry powder is in  no way related to curry leaves, but added some anyway. Also, I desperately need a mortar and pestle. I attempted to create a paste as described in my food processor, but now I just have uniformly sized chunks of things floating around my potatoes. I am putting this on my wish list!

I love Manjula's Kitchen. She just has a kind spirit about her, and her recipes always look scrumptious. Here's this one: http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2012/08/08/potato-in-coconut-gravy/

Day 12: Wed, July 8 ~ Taco Salad ~

Day 12: Wed, July 8 

~ Taco Salad ~

Our original dining plans went out the window with an irresistible urge to eat refried beans. So...instead of the historic pick up of giant pack of bean burritos from Taco Bell...we stopped at the grocery store on the way home. And this is what we made...

On the plate:

Greens, sliced into strips

Scoop of refried beans 

Salsa

tsp of green chiles

sprinkling of shredded Mexican cheese

side of tortilla chips

So quick, easy, and super yummy!

Day 11: Tuesday, July 7th ~ Moroccan Spiced Couscous ~

Day 11: Tuesday, July 7th

 ~ Moroccan Spiced Couscous ~

This is one of those dishes you can just throw together in a jiff, no actual cooking! If you've never tried couscous, I recommend you do so. Fun texture, quick, and easy!
Jesse was okay with this recipe, but not over the top because it mixes the flavors a bit - sweet and umami/savory. I really liked it. In the book, they used blood oranges, which contrasted nicely with the greens. The one thing I might do is cut the greens a little smaller. Speaking of greens - I am impressed with how we've been handling them. Usually we eat some, they sit in the fridge, and before you know it they're either soup fodder or tossed. I know we've had at least 10 cups of greens within this last week, and nothing has gone bad yet! Wow....see what happens when you actually EAT the food you buy? Huh. :)

We did not make the chicken they listed in the recipe. Really the couscous is plenty!
http://www.thugkitchen.com/seeherhandmade/moroccan_spiced_couscous_with_honey_glazed_chicken

Day 10: Monday, July 6th ~Vegamite Spaghetti~

I made spaghetti today. First I started the noodles boiling.
Then I combined the following:
1 Saucepan
1 layer of greens- mostly kale with a few dandelion leaves
1 layer of frozen red and green peppers
1 layer of water.

I boiled/stir fried the stuff in the saucepan.
If you don't believe me, here is photographic evidence:

Why won't you trust me?

Once that was all softened, I poured store bought spaghetti sauce over it. Prego Fresh Mushroom flavored Italian sauce, if you must know. 

After the sauce heated to a slight boil, but before it started covering the kitchen in tomatoey bursts, I removed the saucepan from the heat.

I put a wad of noodles in one of our genuine reproduction White Star Line Titanic 3rd class dinner plates and covered it with the sauce/vegetable mixture. Then I took the following photograph:

Fork added for garnish.

We ate it, and afterwards Cosmo licked Liv's plate clean while we were watching Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D on Netflix. Liv says the plate still needs washing, even though he licked it to a shine. 

Day 9: Sun, July 5th ~ Pizza ~

Day 9: Sun, July 6th 

~ Pizza ~

You'll see us make a lot of pizza. This has always been our big trap. I remember growing up pizza was a 'sometimes' food. It seems there have been some weeks lately where we almost lived on it. Yet, it consistently makes Jesse ill (and is SO incredibly expensive now!!) .
So.....I have decided to figure out a way to make better pizza at home, and make it so he is not sick.
This is titled the 'Perfect Pizza Dough Recipe', so it sounded like a good place to start. My mom sent me this link. :)
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/04/perfect-pizza-dough-recipe/

I know that I have my grandmother's recipe somewhere - and all of her baking is legendary. I'm planning to try out a recipe once a week or so and pick out our top favorites. Then, to make things really simple for those 'don't feel like cooking' days - go ahead and pre-bake some crusts, put in freezer, and we're good to go.

Speaking of 'don't feel like cooking' days...one thing we're noticing this time around - apart from the brief struggles in the moment to get things started - we have not really been tempted to buy out. The last time we did this, there were some days (not a ton, but some) where we might even buy out breakfast and/or lunch, but adhere to the dinner rule - as that was our initial goal and 'commitment'. So far, we've gotten 2 drinks but no food out. Can't believe it's already Day 9!

This heartens me a great deal. It means to me that progress is never really lost. Sure, as Paula Abdul says - you can take 2 steps forward, then 2 steps back....but then once you get past the emotional part of having to 'reboot' - it's actually much easier the next time around. You have a depth of skills, experience, and memories acting as a foundation. Go change! :)

Day 8: Sat, July 4th ~ Freedom Food ~

Day 8: Sat, July 4th

 ~ Freedom Food ~

Happy 4th of July, everyone! Spent the day at my parent's house celebrating multiple events. It was a wonderful time. :)

Day 7: Fri, July 3rd ~ Buttermilk Biscuits, Homemade Hashbrowns, and Scrambled Eggs ~

Day 7: Fri, July 3rd
~ Buttermilk Biscuits, Homemade Hashbrowns, and Scrambled Eggs ~

Every day fighting off the urge to 'just buy something' is another victory. Sometimes 'lazy' days are harder. I decided that it really is just not worth it (all the waste associated with eating out) - and made myself walk into the kitchen. A miraculous thing happened then. After a quick tidy up session, I felt ready to cook. And I wanted breakfast. 

This was my first official attempt at making biscuits. I was so happy to use the biscuit cutter my parents got me from THF Village. :)

When trying something new....always look to Martha first!

http://www.marthastewart.com/1094443/buttermilk-biscuits-strawberry-butter#1094443

I also thought I'd surprise Jesse with hashbrowns. Put potatoes through a quick run through the food processor, and you are ready to go. I was not patient enough initially with cooking them, thought maybe the oven would brown them better - then researched it, and saw that it would be about 45 minutes minimum. Uh, no...I was hungrier than that! We ended up pan frying with some cookspray. Yes - I should have taken my own advice and looked at Martha first!

And to round off the breakfast plate - scrambled eggs and orange slices.

Day 6: Thurs, July 2nd ~Fair Brats 'N Pops~

Day 6: Thurs, July 2nd

~ Fair Brats 'N Pops ~

I was taken by this dish when Jesse first made it early in our marriage. The tangy-ness of the sauce mixed with the sweet pepper was an amazing juxtaposition of flavors. He likes it because it reminds him of fair food. 

He usually used Italian sausage, but today had bratwurst on hand. We've made it in the past with veggie sausage. The seller really is the topping.

* Saute red and green peppers until soft. Meanwhile, same pan, cook the sausage.
I'm thinking onions would be a nice addition, but they are pretty well banned in our house.
* Mix Italian Dressing and Brown Mustard, enough to coat peppers. We did not have Italian Dressing on hand, but quickly whipped up this great recipe! http://allrecipes.com/recipe/italian-dressing-mix/
* Toast the buns (broil for just a few minutes).
* Serve and enjoy!

We ate with a big bowl of popcorn while finally catching up on Agents of Shield. :)

Day 5: Wed, 7/1 ~ Sweet Corn & Green Chili Baked Flautas ~

Day 5: Wed, 7/1

~ Sweet Corn & Green Chili Baked Flautas ~

Jesse's inspired by Thug Kitchen. Yummy food, hilarious commentary - what's not to like? Anyway, this helped get him excited about being back in the kitchen (or as excited as he'll ever be about actually cooking something himself). I can tell from his recent commentary that he's read through a bit of the book. :)

So - tonight - he made us these amazing flautas! Served with his salad from yesterday (yes, I said the 'S' word). I am in shock. Completely grateful. And full of healthy food.

And....it appears that instead of taking a picture of the food, he took a picture of our boys. They look a little guilty here....hmm.

http://www.nachoaveragecook.com/sweet-corn-and-green-chili-baked-flautas/