Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Life is a Challenge

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Apparently I am a glutton for punishment challenges.

 

Challenge #1

It’s been 25 days since I’ve had any animal product.  So what do I do?  Sign on for the 30 Day Vegan Challenge being hosted by Amanda @ Run to the Finish.

 

 

Now that I’ve committed to 30 days, I am terrified I can’t do it.  What happens when I go out to eat and all I can have the the wilted side salad?  This may seem like a no-brainer for most, but dining out is like an expensive Olympic sport for me.

 

I mentioned that while on the cleanse I saved about $350 a week – that’s how bad my foodie habits were.  Hence, the new Vitamix.  I earned that present! 🙂

Eating a plant-based diet feels good to my body.  I know this, and I want to fuel myself the right way.  Heather @ Better with Veggies gave me the advice to focus on the things I CAN eat (she also has a great post up today about being a plant-strong athlete).  There are so many delicious veggie dishes in the world, and I am at my happiest when I’m being creative in the kitchen.

 

Eating green and saving green.  FTW.

 

…But would it be wrong to give myself another present at the end of this 30 days?  Maybe I’ll take the plunge and book a French vacation…

 

 

Challenge #2

This is a much-needed challenge – I’m cleaning out my closet!

The great and wonderful Pinterest gave me the idea to do a 6 month closet clean out.  This pin went under my “Brilliant Ideas” board.

 

I swear I own clothes that aren't black and grey...

 

The idea is to flip all your hangers to face the wrong way. As you wear items, you return the hanger to face the “right” way when you replace the clothing.  After 6 months’ time you donate anything that is on a hanger turned back out.  I love the added benefit or a charitable donation!

I’ve been at it for 1 week and so far have noticed that I wear the same things.  A LOT.   People at work must think I only own 3 outfits, all of them black.

***

I love the added motivation of a challenge, as well as the camaraderie when you’re taking it on with friends!

What would you treat yourself with if you saved $1,400 in one month?  Good god, that sounds like a lot when you add it up…

Have you signed on the a challenge recently?  Want to join me in one of these? 🙂

 

Raw Sweet Potato Hummus + WIAW

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Can eating too much orange food really tint your skin?

I think I may be in danger.  

Between the carrots and sweet potatoes I’ve been eating today, I’m going to look like a Jersey Girl.  GTL!

For real – it’s called Carotenosis.

 

Luckily Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday doesn’t go green until March.  Orange fits perfectly with the February vegetable theme.

 

Breakfast:

This morning I met my boss for breakfast a “famous” local breakfast spot, The Flying Biscuit.  While boss-man is used to my picture-taking, my stomach wasn’t used to waiting so late to eat.  Totally forgot to take a picture.

No matter.  My tofu scramble wasn’t that great.  I would have rather had my homemade Indian-Inspired Tofu Scramble:

Lunch:

My Foodie Penpal, Laura, has created a monster.  I made another round of Bibimbap using the ingredients she sent me in this month’s package.

It’s an addiction.  That crunchy rice and  spicy sauce ain’t whack.

Click here to check out the recipe I posted yesterday.  The only change today was that I served it with cucumber rather than carrots.

Snacks:

First us was my first juice creation in the Vitamix.  It was all veggie and all delish!  This was a post workout snack, so I added my Sun Warrior protein powder.  I was worried that would make it a weird consistency, but it was quite pleasant!

In my juice:

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 tsp maca
  • 1 C spinach
  • Handful of wheat grass
  • 1/4 C parsley
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 celery stalk
  • 1 in piece of ginger
  • 3-4 drops stevia
  • 2 in piece of cinnamon (I tossed a real stick in and it WORKED!)
  • 1/2 C water

Snack #2 was a recipe I’ve had marked from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen.  Can you guess what this deliciousness is?

RAW Sweet Potato Hummus.  It was insanely good, and an embarrassing amount was consumed… much of it straight from the blender.  I made a few modifications (recipe at the end of this post).

The only difference in using a raw sweet potato is that it isn’t quite as sweet as it would be if it had cooked and caramelized a bit.  To me, this makes it a perfect hummus candidate.

The liquid smoke added a neat dimension with the nutty-sweet tahini, and the spices were just enough to give it a kick on the end.  Even cooler was the addition of Meyer lemon and miso.  These added some sweetness, along with a little tang and saltiness!

Of course, I also had my daily Kombucha!  Served from my growler of Buchi Fire from Whole Foods.

Dinner:

The orange didn’t stop at snack time.  Even post-cleanse I have been craving an increasing amount of raw food.  For dinner I ate the rainbow in the form of this giant salad.

In my salad:

  • Spinach
  • Broccoli and radish sprouts
  • Shredded red cabbage
  • Cucumber
  • Carrot
  • Celery
  • Tomato
  • Onions
  • Sweet Potato Hummus Dressing (1 T hummus + 1 T apple cider vinegar + 2 drops stevia)
  • Angela @ Oh She Glows’ Endurance Crackers

Angela’s Endurance Crackers have been on my list to try for a long time as well.  I needed something to go with all that hummus, so today seemed the perfect day to try them out!  My only modification was to use 2 tsp of the Ras al Hanout spice blend made for my Babaganoush Soup rather than her onion-salt-herb blend.

If you haven’t tried this recipe, I highly recommend it.  I’d love to try a sweet-cinnamon version in the future!

Dessert:

Cinnamon-Vanilla Ice Cream.  The Vitamix was me on a wintertime ice cream bender.  I was working late and felt yet another treat bowl was in order.  Thank god it can be made healthy!  This purple bowl inefficiently hides a “secret” ingredient.

The ice cream blend is really easy – unsweetened vanilla almond milk, vanilla, stevia, cinnamon, and ice… and the secret ingredient.  Purple Cabbage.

I know you think I’ve lost it, but I swear on my shoe collection that not a trace of cabbage taste could be detected.

 

Sweet Potato Hummus

Modified from this recipe from Rande @ The Vegetable Centric Kitchen

  • 1 medium sweet potato (raw and unpeeled)
  • 2 T tahini
  • 4-5 drops liquid smoke
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/2 Meyer lemon
  • 1 T water
  • 1 tsp yellow miso
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 T fresh thyme

Toss everything in food processor or blender and until smooth.

Note: If using Vitamix, toss the whole lemon in; otherwise, only use the juice of the lemon.

Make 1.5 cups.

***

Spicie Foodie’s “Your Best Recipe” for the month of Feburary is up today!  Hop over to her site to check out my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes and everyone else’s awesome contributions!

Do you ever intentionally try to eat more raw food?

Do you watch Jersey Shore?  I’m amazed at how passionate people are about it!

Foodie Penpal Delivers – Vegan Bibimbap

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Monday was a day for firsts.

 

Thank you for all of the supportive comments yesterday!  Many of you asked what my first post-cleanse meal was… I don’t know if you could count it as a meal, but at midnight on Sunday I ate a massive spoonful of peanut butter.  It was everything I hoped it would be. 🙂

Monday morning I had a PB&J protein shake post workout.  I had good intentions of taking a picture, but got a little too excited.

 

Many of you commented that giving up caffeine would be hard, but a cup of coffee didn’t even cross my mind yesterday morning!

 

For an afternoon snack I enjoyed a carrot + PB “sandwich”:

 

Oh, and there was a handful of pistachios for snack too.  I love nuts.  You can quote me on that. 😉

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I’m really excited about today’s recipe – it was courtesy from my Foodie Penal this month, Laura @ Laura Lives Life.  In one of the most creative penpal boxes I’ve heard of, Laura sent me the (non-perishable) ingredients to make her favorite meal: Bimbibap.

 

 

Thank to Laura, the other first on Monday was my first time making the Korean dish.  The traditional version is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with sautéed vegetables, gochujang (chili pepper paste), a raw or fried egg, and beef.

Asian foods are some of my favorite, so I couldn’t wait to try out my own version of her recipe (and this NYT recipe she based it on) and share it with you all!  I took un-traditional, vegan liberties.

 

 

The coolest part about this dish was the crispy rice.  I was nervous about it because, as Laura mentions in her post, this is usually made in a clay pot.  Making it in a skillet worked out perfectly though!  Mine certainly didn’t stay in perfect pieces, but it had a fantastic crunch.  I don’t know how I’ll ever eat rice the “normal” way again!

 

 

The other thing I loved about this dish was the nutty flavor from the sesame seeds and the rich saltiness from miso tamari.  It perfectly complimented the zucchini and the meaty shiitakes.  Add to that the sweet, raw carrots… it was texture nirvana.

 

You guys know how I love heat, so I was of course in love with the gochujang.  It is a chili paste, but is different from sriracha in that it has just a hint of sweetness.  I tossed in a few more red pepper flakes for good measure. 🙂

 

 

This recipe is several steps, but you can have the rice going while you prepare the veggies.  It actually helps since you forget about the rice long enough for it to get a proper crunch.  I would have been messing with it too much if the rice had been given my undivided attention!

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Before we get to the recipe… don’t you want a cool Foodie Penpal too???

 

 

To sign up for a Foodie PenPals in March, send an email to the great and wonderful Lindsay at theleangreenbean@gmail.com with the following deets:

-Your full name
-Your email address
-Your blog name/address (if you’ve got one)
-Your twitter handle (if applicable)
-Whether you are a US resident or Canadian

Join in by March 4th as pairings will be emailed on March 5th!

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Vegan Bibimbap

  • 1 C wild rice, cooked (or rice of choice)
  • 1 medium zucchini, cut into ~1/3 in thick quarters
  • 1 tsp dark sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3-4 drops stevia, or other sweetener
  • 1 C thinly sliced shiitake caps
  • 1/2 tsp miso tamari (or soy sauce)
  • 2 C packed spinach leaves
  • 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1 green onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, julienned in 2-inch lengths
  • 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 T Korean red chili sauce (gochujang)
  • 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Cilantro
  • Slice of lime

 

Prepare rice according to package instructions.  Spray a medium-sized skillet with lubricant (oil or PAM) and place over medium heat.  Add cooked rice and flatten to form a pancake-like covering bottom of pan (~1/4 in thick).  Cook until crisp and light brown on underside (7-8 mins).  With spatula, flip rice over, and continue cooking until crisp (~5 mins.  Remove from heat until veggies are prepared.

In a medium skillet a medium skillet over medium heat, and add 1/2 tsp sesame oil, zucchini, garlic, and stevia.  Sauté until zucchini is tender (7-8 mins).  Transfer to a plate and set aside.  

Return pan to burner and add remaining 1/2 tsp teaspoon sesame oil, shiitakes, and miso tamari.  Sauté until tender (5-6 mins), then transfer to plate and set aside.

Return pan to burner and spinach with rice wine vinegar.  Sauté until just wilting (4-5 mins), adding green onions in for the last 30 seconds (just long enough to warm them).  Remove from burner.

On a large plate, arrange rice in a layer across the bottom.  Next, place vegetables on top in individual piles.  Top with toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, chili sauce, and red pepper flakes.  Serve with lime wedges.

Makes 2 servings (easily doubled).

***

Major plus to being single: I have the second serving for lunch today. 🙂

Have you ever made a traditional Korean or Asian dish?

If you were going to mail ingredients to a penpal, what dish would it be for?

 

Cleanse Recap + A New Addition

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There is a new addition in my family.

 

Hang with me and you’ll see what the addition is and why I went for it…

Friday night we had another cleanse buddies dinner.  My friend Kathleen decided to begin the cleanse on Friday, so Mallory and I had a great time re-hashing our experiences with her.  (Click here for the “rules” and post #1.)

 

My first experience doing this cleanse was in November of 2010.  It was HARD.  My eating habits were not clean – I ate too many burgers, drank too much booze, and had a sugar addiction.  Needless to say, the first few days were a shock to my body.  I was tried, cold, and grouchy.  And constipated.

1 week before the 2010 cleanse

 

This time around I didn’t have as difficult a time.  My eating habits had remained fairly clean since that first cleanse; however, I noticed some old habits beginning to creep in and wanted to give my body a little reminder of how good clean feels.

 

Some observations:

  • Caffeine wasn’t as hard as I thought to give up.  My friend, Mallory, who also cleansed noted that after day 4 she actually had MORE energy without her previous 5-6 caffeinated beverages a day habit.
  • My overall energy level was excellent.  I slept better and the circles under my eyes lightened.
  • Digestively speaking… I’ve always struggled with “regularity.”  That was all better by day 3 of the cleanse.
  • At the risk of TMI, I must warn you to beware of gas – all of those greens are potent.  It’s healthy, but others around you may not appreciate that. 😉
  • My daily exercise didn’t change, and there wasn’t any difference with the amount of effort I was able to exert.  In fact, I increased my weight toward then end of week 2.  Popeye was on to something!
  • Creatively this cleanse has been a win.  Tighter food parameters force you to think outside of the box, which has resulted in some of the best meals I’ve had in a while.
  • Weight loss was NOT my goal.  I maintained my weight throughout the cleanse.  Again, my eating habits didn’t drastically change and I made an effort to have an extra protein shake or chia pudding every day.  My cleanse buddy’s eating habits changed pretty drastically… she lost 10 lbs!!!  Congrats, my bestie!
  • Hunger was never a problem.  People were always asking “aren’t you starving?”  Nope.  You would be shocked how filling veggies can be.  I actually was forcing myself to eat more some days!  I also planned ahead (see tips below) to make sure I was never caught without a food option.

 

 

The most common question I’ve been asked is surrounding how time-consuming making all of this food is.  The short answer is that yes, it takes more time.

The longer answer is that it isn’t that hard if you PLAN.  I have a full-time job and am perpetually running late – I’m not someone who has hours to spend on cooking during the week.  My cleanse-buddy has a full-time job, a 7 month old baby, and a husband that travels all week.  If we can eat clean, you can too!

 

 

Here are some ways to make clean eating easier, whether you are cleansing or simply trying to eat better.

Preparation tips:

  • Bookmark/pin/note recipes you like and write down your weekly menu.  This way when you go to make your grocery list and/or prepare meals, you can do so quickly and not worry about scrounging through the fridge to see what you could throw together.
  • Reserve time to prepare food.  On Sunday nights I make a big pot of soup, roast veggies (squash, beets, eggplant, etc), pre-cook wild rice and/or lentils, and pre-cut veggies.
  • Always keep snacks on hand.  If you are anything like me, when you don’t have anything to eat you go into “panic” mode and have the urge to grab whatever is nearby.  Don’t let that happen!  Keep veggie sticks, fresh fruit, and other healthy snack items on hand so you never have to worry.
  • Don’t be afraid to get creative.  Creative doesn’t mean difficult (these roasted tomatoes looked impressive, but were incredibly easy), but it does mean you won’t get bored with your food and abandon clean eating.  There’s no need to eat a salad every meal.
  • Prepare extra food.  Leftovers make great work-bag lunches and are easy to grab when you end up getting home later than you intended.
  • Get a good blender.  Smoothies are fast and easy, especially in the morning as you’re rushing to get ready for work.  They are also an easy way to get extra protein by adding a scoop of a good (low-sugar) protein powder, and an extra serving of veggies add a cup of spinach (the only evidence is the color).  I love my Magic Bullet because it makes the drink right in the cup… I also love my new toy.

 

A HUGE bonus to the cleanse was cost savings.  My pre-cleanse spending habits cost me about $300 more each week than I spent on the cleanse.  That means I’ve saved $900 in 3 weeks.

My bad influence friend Kathleen suggested that I take that some of that money and use it on something to help me maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Aaaaaand that brings me to the new addition.

 

I got a VITAMIX!!! I’ve had it for 2 days and it has already changed my life.  They are pricy…. but I think it’s going to be worth every penny.

Saturday night I celebrated with Sweet Potato Ice Cream.

Vitamix > Magic Bullet

 

Sunday morning I celebrated with a thick Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie.  I’ve never had such a smooth, delicious breakfast.  I’ll be adding ginger to everything I can now; it added a great zing without overshadowing the sweetness from the carrot and the mango.

Check out the recipe at the bottom of this post.  I’m dying of happiness.

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This week was a little ADD in terms of workouts.  I didn’t have a clear focus of what I wanted to do and have (once again) been slacking on cardio.  I find it really hard to do without being able to run!

I DID do my final BodyRock fit test.  Extreme soreness had me waiting a couple of days, and clearly I didn’t stick to the 30 days exactly.  Each move is done for 50 seconds, with a 10 second rest in between.  I didn’t really except to see much more progress… but I did make a little more!  Funny thing is that I’m getting worse at burpees.  I blame the push-ups leading in to them.

 

There were a couple of fun new workouts this week.  Atlanta Fitness Diva gym contacted me asking if I’d like to try a workout.  Of course I would!  That took place Thursday and kicked my butt.  Literally.  We focused on glutes and I am STILL sore.  They are a but pricey to join, but I really enjoyed the small-group circuits we did.

 

The other new addition was the GAINfitness app.  Cait @ Beyond Bananas posted about it last week.  This app will let you tell it time, equipment available, and what you want to focus on and then put together a workout for you.  All you do it hit “start” and it walks you through with a timer for rest periods!  Check out  Cait’s post for a more thorough explanation.

 

Workout Recap (2/20 – 2/26)

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Carrot-Mango-Ginger Smoothie

  • 1 medium carrot
  • 1/4 large mango
  • 1-in piece of fresh ginger
  • 1/2 C unsweetened coconut milk (or other liquid)
  • 1 tsp maca (optional)
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 capful vanilla extract
  • 6-7 drops liquid stevia
  • Ice, to taste (I used a LOT)

 

Place everything in blender and mix to combine.

Top as desired (I sprinkled some flax and cinnamon), and enjoy!

***

Sunday I was honored to make the FoodBuzz Top 9 for my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Roasted Tomatoes.  Thank you for the Buzz, and welcome new friends! 🙂

Also, it’s time for the February edition of Spicie Foodie’s Your Best Recipe.  Click the badge for more info on joining, and be sure to check back when recipes are posted on March 1st!

Do you have a Vitamix?  Please share recipes! 🙂

Do you have any tips for eating well?

 

Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

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This has been the LONGEST week.

Maybe because I know I’m 3 days from NUT BUTTER?!  That’s really been the biggest hole in my life.  That and oatmeal, but going without oats has been a little easier since Atlanta has turned into San Diego with 65-70 degree temps.

Spiced Almond Butter

As I think about what foods will and will not enter back into my life after Sunday, I am thinking more and more about what it means to eat clean on a daily basis.  Should I cut out meat completely?  Dairy products?  Eggs?

After the first Standard Process Cleanse I did in November of 2010, I drastically reduced my intake of red meat and sugar.  It has made a HUGE difference in the way that I feel.  Red meat and I don’t process well together.  Does that mean I won’t help myself to a bite of the tasty burger you ordered?  Nooooo… I quite like Sarah‘s concept of being “vegan with benefits.” Maybe we can start a movement, Miss. Smart?

Sugar will remain an item I try to avoid.  There are so many great alternatives out there, you don’t really need it!

Candy @ Healthy in Candyland just wrote a great post on sugar and my favorite alternative – Xylitol.  Apparently it could have anti-aging properties!

Check out my Chewy Granola Cookies for a great start to using xylitol in baking!

How will I eat on post-cleanse on Monday?  I don’t yet know what the right answer is for me.  I do know that I will enter into the non-cleanse world by reintroducing one “new” food at a time, and pay close attention to what my body says about it.

Cleanse or no cleanse, I WILL be making many of this week’s French vegan dishes again!

I ran into my friend and his partner in Whole Foods last night, and they shared with me that my Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes were on their menu!  Keith (the “chef”) posted this pic later:

The two meat-eaters served vegan stuffed tomatoes with homemade organic Shepherd’s Pie with grass-fed Georgia beef and sweet potatoes, paired with a Vintage 2008 South Australian Shiraz.

Keith’s quote: “Props on the Vegan Goat Cheese girl! To die for!!!”

 

The next party dish I want to share is this Eggplant Bruschetta – installment #3 in the Vegan French Book Club Dinner Series (don’t you love how I made it so official-sounding?).

It was created a traditional bruschetta in mind, only the eggplant replaces the baguette to create a light, flavorful finger food.

Healthy and full of flavor, it was also the easiest dish.

Remember this Provençal Tomato Spread?  I saved some and blended it with extra basil and olive oil to make a creamy sun-dried tomato-olive topping that was reminiscent of SDT pesto.  It took less than 5 minutes.  Wham, bam, thank you ma’am.

Topped with a little basil for color!

Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

  • Olive oil
  • 2 medium eggplants, cut in 1/2 inch slices
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • Garlic powder
  • Provençal Tomato Spread
  • 1/2 C fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a large baking sheet with foil.  Spray liberally with olive oil.  Place eggplant rounds in a single layer on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 15 to 20 mins. Flip each piece, checking to be sure the undersides have browned and become and a bit puffy.  If they’re not, cook a bit longer.

Once flipped, sprinkle them with more pepper and some garlic powder.  Place pan back in the oven for ~15 mins, until the undersides brown to match the tops.

Meanwhile, blend 1/2 C of the Provençal Tomato Spread with basil.  Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Add more olive oil (I added 2 tsp), if desired.

When the eggplant is cooked, arrange on a platter.  Top each disk with 1-2 tsp of the purred provencal spread and a small bail leaf.  Eat immediately.

Serves 8-10 as appetizers.

Note: Some people swear you don’t have to do this, but I always lay my sliced eggplant out, sprinkle generously with salt, and allow to sit for 10-15 mins.  This helps remove some of the bitterness and excess moisture.  If you do this, wipe off the excess moisture with a paper towel and proceed to bake as instructed.

***

3 days to go on the Standard Process Cleanse – I can’t believe it’s almost over!  Like I said above, the idea is to add back one food at a time to see what you may be sensitive to…. I’m thinking nuts are coming back first!  That’s what she said.

What would you add back first post-cleanse?

Have you ever considered a vegan or vegetarian diet?  What pushed you to do it or held you back?

Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

By

Playing favorites isn’t fair.

No one ever said life was fair.

Everything I made for my vegan French book club dinner was good (I was kind of shocked)…. but we all have favorites, even if you won’t admit it.  This is mine.

These vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes could probably get by on their looks alone.  That isn’t why they were my favorite.  I’m not that shallow.

They were my favorite because of the cheese.

Inspired by this recipe from Alain Coumont, founder of Le Pain Quotidien cafés in France, I decided to take his concept and make it vegan.  (Coincidentally, Le Pain Quotidien offers many vegan dishes.)

Everyone has some sort of vegan “cheese” they use in recipes.  Often it’s cashew-based.  Sometimes with nooch or any array of vegan products.  It never really tastes like cheese.

With the exception of this tofu-based cheese.  Tofu makes a GREAT sub for creamy cheeses like ricotta and goat cheese.  (It made a helluva ricotta in this Eggplant Rollitini.)

This particular vegan version of tofu-cheese is a goat cheese.  I swear to you – you would NEVER miss the real thing.  The book club didn’t balk at all!

Goat cheese has a tanginess that was captured well with the lemon juice in this tofu creation.  The miso lends a salty-sweetness to it, which helps bring out the cheesy side of the nutritional yeast.

Fantastic taste aside, the other plus to this recipe is that it’s easy… yet it looks impressive.  There is a decent list of ingredients for the cheese, but you simply toss it all in the food processor.  I love a one-bowl recipe!

Just be careful not to cut through the tomatoes when you scoop out the middles!

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Vegan Goat Cheese Stuffed Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

  • 12 small-ish tomatoes
  • 1 16 oz. pkg firm tofu, pressed
  • 2 T extra virgin olive oil
  • 1.5 T yellow miso
  • 1/4 C nutritional yeast
  • 1/4 C freshly-squeezed lemon juice (~1.5 lemons)
  • 1/4 C yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 tsp dried oregano powder
  • 3-4 T finely chopped basil
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 425.

Slice off the top 1/2 inch of each tomato and reserve the tops. Carefully scoop out the tomato cores and seeds. If necessary, cut a very thin sliver off of the bottom of each tomato to help them stand up straight. Arrange the tomatoes in a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish.

Crumble pressed tofu into the bowl of a food processor.  Add remaining ingredients for “cheese,” except the basil. Process until smooth.  Add basil and pulse briefly to combine.

Spoon the “cheese” mixture into the tomatoes, filling them just to the brim. Cover with the tomato tops and drizzle lightly with additional olive oil.

Bake the tomatoes for 30-35 minutes, until beginning to brown in spots and the cheese is hot. Let stand for at least 15 minutes. Serve warm. (They’re also good leftover!)

Notes:

  • I do not have a tofu press.  Instead I drained the tofu, cut it in half horizontally, and wrapped it in paper towels.  Then I stacked a load of cookbooks on top and let it press for 10-15 mins.
  • The cheese mixture can be made up to 2 days in advance.  In fact, they are better on day 2 once the flavors fully marry.  If you do this, do not add basil until just before you bake.

***

Tomorrow is Eggplant Bruschetta!  Next week is the Salade Niçoise with Tempeh “Tuna”… then you’ll have a fully vegan-ized French-themed party spread! 🙂

What’s your favorite “veggi-tized” recipe?  Or is there one you’d like to see made vegan/vegetarian?

What other dishes would you use a vegan goat cheese for?  I’m making another batch this weekend!

Provençal Tomato Spread + WIAW

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Is it just me…

or are more people are going plant-based?

I started reading restaurant menus (because that’s what I do for fun) to see who has veg-friendly offerings and it has really impressed me that most restaurants offer some sort of vegetarian/vegan dish that is more than pasta drowning in oily stir-fried vegetables.

It warms my plant-based, cleansing heart.

Jenn has also warmed my heart by hosting this month’s What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW) in the theme of  vegetable.

Breakfast:

I post a lot of smoothies… most of them are really good despite their color.  In case you ever questioned my honesty/sanity/taste-buds, I must admit to you that this smoothie was not great.

Blueberries do not go with avocado.  The.  End.

On happier note, I did get confirmation that my Valentine’s Roasted Beet and Orange Smoothie was indeed good.  Check out this pic from reader Ashley, who tweeted: “The verdict is in… yummy!”

Thanks to Ashley for the feedback a lovely pic!

Lunch:

Monday night’s french-themed book club left me with some leftovers (thank god because I woke up LATE).

See that pretty stuffed tomato?  I promise to share the recipe with you tomorrow.  It was really friggin’ good… and deserving of it’s very own post. 🙂

I ate that atop a leftover eggplant-seitan stir-fry and some lentils.

Snacks:

Kombucha!  Whole Foods was out of my favorite Buchi Fire, but they were having a sale on GT’s.  I was sad to see this bottom of this bottle.

Snack time was a bag full of veggies with a simple, herb-y Provençal dip left over from the par-tay.  I loved the colors in this dish, and the briny saltiness from the capers and sun-dried tomatoes were perfect paired with crisp veggies for dipping.  (Recipe at the bottom of this post)

How cute is the reusable baggie?  My mom got it for me… it’s from Snack Taxi, but I think she got it at The Container Store.  I’m going green left and right!

Dinner:

I felt like I needed more raw food in my life after a heavier lunch, so dinner was a colorful salad.  A massive, colorful salad.  This was not served on a tiny salad plate:

In my ensalada:

  • Arugula
  • Broccoli and radish sprouts
  • Shredded brussels (raw)
  • Grapefruit
  • Beets
  • French green beans
  • Cucumber
  • Red onion
  • Tempeh croutons 
  • Lemon-thyme vinaigrette
  • Sprinkle of cardamom, salt, and pepper

If you haven’t eaten beets with grapefruit before, you should do so immediately.  I’m not talking those sour grapefruits – get the vibrant pink sweet ‘fruits that are in season right now.  #Nom 

Dessert:

This Sweet Potato Pie Chia Pudding I posted earlier this month made an appearance.  I added a pinch of cardamom to the mix last night, which was fabulous.  However…

I didn’t take a picture because I was too pissed at myself for doing this:

Another one bites the dust…

At least I’d just had a relaxing Hour of Happiness after work so the string of words that came outta my mouth weren’t as bad as they could have been. 😉

Diffusion de Tomate Provençal (Provençal Tomato Spread)

Modified from this recipe by Kathleen Flynn

  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves of garlic, pressed or finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
  • 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
  • 15 Nicoise olives (or Kalamata), chopped
  • 2 tsp capers, chopped
  • 2 T rosemary
  • 1/2 -1 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp white wine vinegar
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 C fresh basil, chiffonade (cut into thin strips)

Warm olive oil over medium heat in a small pan.  Add bell pepper and onions, and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and cook a minute more until fragrant.  Add chopped tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and vinegar and cook over low heat for another 7-8 mins.  Remove from heat.

When cool, add basil.  Add pepper to taste.

Note: This can be made up to 2 days in advance.  If making in advance, do not add basil until just before serving.  Taste again and adjust spices as they settle.

This is delicious with crackers, veggie sticks, or even atop grilled tofu or chicken.

Serves 8-10 as an appetizer/dip.

***

The floor is still sticky from that spill.  I swear I’ll clean it up before the next dinner at my house tonight.

Can anyone relate.. any recent mishaps?

Do you find that the world is becoming more vegetarian and/or vegan-friendly?

Butternut Squash Chia Pudding

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Book Club dinners when you’re on a cleanse are hard.

They’re even harder when you’re hosting and therefore responsible for food.  The icing on the cake is that the theme is French (to go with this month’s book selection).  Who ever heard of French vegan food?!

This may have had me sweating a bit.

So I said to myself:  Man up.  You can do this thing.  I think. 

Predictably, I’m got a late start today so the details will have to come later, but it went really well!  Like, 100x better than I expected.

The menu included:

  • Provençal Spread and Veggies
  • Salade Niçoise with Tempeh “Tuna”
  • Oven-Roasted Tomatoes Stuffed with (vegan!) Goat Cheese
  • Roasted Eggplant Bruschetta

I warned everyone ahead of time that it would be a clean dinner… and they subsequently brought meats, desserts, and wine. 🙂

French wine Dessert was the saddest thing for me to miss.  There are so many possibilities for making French desserts that would have been fun to create.  There will be many other dessert opportunities in my life though.  And bottles of French wine.

In order to feel a little less left out, I created my own dessert to enjoy.  And you know what… I can honestly say it was satisfying.  (But I did swoon a little over homemade banana pudding.)

 

Chia pudding has long been a breakfast favorite.  As of last night, it’s been upgraded to dessert.

No this isn’t chocolate cake.  But it is good.

Made like a traditional chia pudding (chia + liquid + congeal in the fridge), the twist here is the sweet squash and a quick blend at the end.

The cocoa-flavored stevia did give it notes of chocolate-y goodness.  I also loved the classic pie flavors the vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg lent the dish.

A spin mix in the Magic Bullet at the end smoothed out the chia to make this like the pudding you grew up eating,  (Thanks to Kasey @ Power Cakes for the idea!)

Yes, you can have your pudding even if you don’t eat your meat.

 

Butternut Squash Chia Pudding

  • 1/2 butternut squash, roasted
  • 3/4 C unsweetened coconut milk
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 7-8 drops cocoa stevia
  • Shake of salt

In a small bowl, mash up butternut squash until it becomes a puree (some small pieces are ok).  Stir in remaining ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 mins (or overnight for breakfast).  The chia will absorb most of the liquid.

Place mix in a blender (I used my Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth (about 20 seconds).  Remove, place in bowl, and enjoy!

Note: This would make a great post-workout snack!  Just add a scoop of protein powder and increase the amount of liquid you mix in.

Unfamiliar with the benefits of chia?  Click here for my post on why they rock!

***

I cannot wait to share the rest of the meal with you all!

For those with diet restrictions, do you ever feel left out in food-centric social settings?  How do you navigate?

Has anyone ever been to France?  I’m thinking that may be this year’s big trip…

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