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Appetites and Adventures

Sausage Making: Seitan Chorizo

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No, this isn’t a turd:

Homemade Seitan Chorizo

It’s my seitan chorizo.

I love chorizo.  The spicier, the better.  When I quit eating red meat, it this spicy sausage was one of the things I continued to crave.  I do eat meat on occasion now; however, I discovered that meat alternatives can be just as good.

Making Homemade Seitan Chorizo

Sausage “batter”

The ingredient list is long, but the spices come together quickly.  It probably seems like a lot of heat but after you mix it in the with other ingredients, it tones down a lot.  I would actually increase the amounts next time.  This was child-level spice.

Vital Wheat Gluten is the protein found in wheat.  It is the base for seitan, and can easily ordered online or found at most heath food stores.

Making Homemade Seitan Chorizo

When you wrap them to bake, be careful not to get them too tight.   It’s all fun and games until sausage explodes in your oven.

They should look like those wrapped sausages you see at the fair.

Homemade Seitan Chorizo

This seitan version of chorizo is just as good as the “real” thing.  I actually prefer it because it isn’t so greasy.  Not to mention the nutritionals are a million times better.

A serving of meat chorizo has about 23g of fat and 9g saturated fat.  This deliciousness only contains 1.4g of fat and 0.1g of saturated fat!  Not to mention the 20g of protein.

Homemade Seitan Chorizo

I’ve been eating it on salads at work all week, but last night I made a little Mexican breakfast for dinner.

It took all my willpower not to make a second helping.  

Homemade Seitan Chorizo

Mashed avocado on English muffin, sautéed spinach and tomatoes, a runny egg, and chorizo seitan.  Topped with cilantro, red pepper flakes, and white truffle salt.

In conclusion:  Don’t be scared.  Try my sausage.


[tasty-recipe id=”18066″]

 

***

Thank you all so much for the supportive comments yesterday regarding my ACL tear.  I was pretty down about it and you all made me feel more hopeful.

What is your favorite non-meat “meat” creation?

Does anyone know how to correctly pronounce “seitan” – is it like the devil?

ACL Tear + WIAW

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It doesn’t happen often, but yesterday I almost cried.

It took me 2 months to get into the ortho Dr., but I finally made it.  After an hour-long wait (grrrr…), I was called back to the exam room.  The Doc was great (he’s a talker, which explains the wait).  He does a lot of work on the Atlanta Braves, among other sports teams.  Unfortunately that resume didn’t lessen my injury.

The Dr. actually said I was pushing my body to the extreme… and that made me feel proud.  Isn’t there a quote about taking up too much room if you’re not living on the edge? 😉

It turn out that the pain is my left knee is due to a torn ACL.  I always thought that when you tear an ACL you couldn’t even walk!  Apparently there are varying degrees of tears.

Next step is to go for an MRI to confirm the extent of the damage – he’s betting I have some lateral meniscus repair work that needs to be done too.  I can’t even get in for that consult until late June (hazards of choosing a popular Dr.), which puts me having surgery around August.  4-6 months after that I’ll be back in fighting shape.  That’s 2013.  Ugh.

Nonetheless, I’m pretty depressed.  I was hoping it was just a strained something.  At least I have What I Ate Wednesday to make me smile. (Jenn, can I get  a hug??) 

Check out my eats below; then click here to hope on over to our host – Jenn @ Peas and Crayons – to see what everyone else ate Wednesday (or – more than likely – Tuesday).

Breakfast:

I was told that plyo probably isn’t be best thing for me to be doing with a torn ACL (that explains all the knee pain after…).  Good thing I got in one last P90X Plyometrics workout pre-doctor visit this morning!

I re-fueled with a Laura-style Frapp: loaded with protein and spinach!  Yes, it looks weird.  But it was good.

Green Protein Frapp

  • 1 C chilled coffee
  • One scoop vanilla protein powder
  • Giant handful spinach
  • 1.2 large banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp guar gum (to thicken)
  • Ice

Lunch:

Salad.  In a box.  It seems simple, but eating right out of the container make me happy.  If only I could get a salad into an almost-empty PB jar.

In my box:

  • Mixed greens
  • Asparagus
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumber
  • Tempeh croutons (lemon-pepper tempeh, sautéed in a pan and cooled)
  • Hummus dressing (1 T spinach hummus + 2 tsp apple cider vinegar)

Dinner:

I’ve been eating almost totally vegan since the Food & Wine Festival gut-buster.  The availability of local farm-fresh eggs at this weekend’s farmer’s market in the park was too much to pass up.

Dinner was an egg scramble with hatch chili salsa, sautéed kale, Daiya pepper jack cheese, red pepper flakes served over a sprouted grain tortilla.

Snacks:

There were many, but I was too depressed and too busy at work to take pics: lots of cashews, kombucha, dried sea weed, Think Thin bar… and some other depression-snacks stuff I can’t remember.

***

Have you ever had knee surgery?

If you are vegan/vegetarian, what food do you “miss” the most?  If you’re NOT , which food most keeps you from trying (if any)?

Italian Baked Broccoli Slaw

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Procrastination is a vice.

 

Unfortunately, it’s a vice that I possess.  I procrastinate at work (I am the queen of working until 2am), with cleaning (my BFF finally told me I had to clean my shower because “that’s disgusting”), and with certain type of shopping (I’ve gone through every moisturizer sample in the house – it’s time to hit up Sephora).

 

 

If you look at my recipes marked “to try,” you know I procrastinate at that too.  I get distracted by other ideas, go out to eat too much, or just straight-up give in to $10 Whole Foods hot bar cravings.

This vice is the only excuse I have for not trying Kristin’s Broccoli Slaw.  I’m ashamed it took so long ’cause this easy dish was AWESOME.

 

I hate to dub it a recipe since I literally just cleaned out my veggie drawer into a Pyrex.  In the break down below I barely include measurements.  Adjust everything to your liking!

My version was loaded with flavorful items like roasted artichokes, capers, and lemon-pepper tempeh.  I topped it off with a garlic marinara sauce, extra basil, and red pepper flakes.  Talk about a meal… I am calling it 2 servings, but I could have sat there and demolished the whole thing.

 

 

There are a million possibilities for variations.  Kristin makes a BBQ version.  Next up for me will be a Mexican riff.

________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Italian Baked Broccoli Slaw

  • 1/2 package broccoli slaw
  • 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
  • Sliced mushrooms (I used a mix of cremini and shiitake)
  • Lemon-Pepper Tempeh
  • Roasted artichokes
  • Capers
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Basil
  • 1 C marinara sauce

 

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Toss everything into a 8×8 pyrex dish and top with sauce.

Bake for 20-25 mins.

Serves 2.

***

After all the Food & Wine festivities, meals like this vegan dish and a lot of green smoothies have been in my life this week!

What have you been procrastinating on lately?

Have you tried broccoli slaw before? (You can find it at any major grocery store!)

 

Pigging Out

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Literally.

The first day of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival ended with a party called “Pig Out” at local restaurant, JCT Kitchen.

We were greeted by a lovely lady from Delta who was handing out Mason jars for the special cocktails crafted for the event: the Island Mule and the Heritage Punch.  Both were delish, but I settled on the slightly-less-sweet punch.

The outdoor space was decorated beautifully – lights were strung up every where and there were candles in Mason jars in every available nook.  The hour-long line to get food was made more bearable by the gorgeous surroundings… and the guy walking around with a tray of tomato sandwiches.

Once we reached the buffet line, we were blown away.  Everyone received 2 plates piled high with food!

I wish I’d written down everything… The top plate on the left in the pic below contained cole slaw, perfectly-crisp fried chicken, and a tamale covered with the best mole I’ve had in a long time.  The boat of BBQ (top right) had brisket, ribs with a delicious sauce, and pulled pork.  It was all very good, but I only had a bite of each meat.  I was nervous about my stomach not being used to it and I was still full from the tasting tents!

Besides, I had to make room for the mini-desert pies!  The chocolate with peanut butter icing was my favorite, followed closely by the key lime… and the crust from the coconut.

We pigged out under the stars while listening to music from a live band playing one well-timed cover after another.  *Bliss*

Normally I am not a fan of buffets…  or of any food prepared in mass quantity.

My hat goes off to everyone involved with this meal.  There wasn’t one thing I wouldn’t have recommended to a friend!  And I am picky.

Alas, gluttony has taken its toll on my body (not that I’m complaining… I made my bed!).  The past couple of days there has been a lot quality time in the gym (bring it, Tony Horton!) and some awesomely-funky colored liquids going on:

***

One… maybe two… more posts and then I’ll put this festival to rest.  Until next year. 🙂

What are your thoughts on buffets/food prepared for the masses?

What are your go-to recovery foods/drinks when you need to reset?

Blender-Free Blend WIAW

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A Blend weekend (ironically) meant I actually ate nothing blended.

 

You don’t realize how addicted you are to morning green smoothies until you don’t have it.  Starting your day with carbs vs. greens feels different… not that I didn’t enjoy the spread we were treated to.  It was an epically fabulous departure from my norm. 🙂

 

The only thing that could have made last weekend better was if my girl Jenn @ Peas and Crayons had been able to come.  My What I Ate Wednesday this week is all about What I Ate at Blend.  Dedicated to Jenn, since we missed her so.

 

Check out my eats below; then click here to see what everyone else enjoyed for WIAW.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

No smoothies, but it was fruit-filled!  We had mangoes, blueberries, strawberries, and the best pineapple I’ve had this season.  All of that plus some almond butter made for a killer oatmeal bowl.

 

 

I couldn’t decide what to have, so I went back for round 2.  Those muffins you see were homemade by the Xagave crew – the carrot muffin (let’s be honest – it was a cupcake) was out-of-this-world.

There was also a lot of tasty fuel provided by Green Mountain Coffee.  I really loved the Double Black Diamond blend!

 

 

Lunch:

Local joint Mountain Sun was our lunch destination on Saturday.  We showed up with a huge group that was ravenous from a 4 mile hike.  Most restaurant staff would have run screaming from the building, but these guys were so cool.  Lauren and I knew we were in love with this spot when the bartender said she LOVED giving people beer tastes.  *swoon*

 

 

After finally selecting a beer (a pale ale called “Kind“), we sat down to order.  Just when I thought the place couldn’t get better we found out that they have a hummus of the day (rosemary – it was delish) AND the server actually encouraged us to make modifications.  Ashley and I split the special Cinco de Mayo burger and subbed the meat patty for the veggie.

 

 

The East Coast crew was still adjusting to the time zone, so we ran next door to the The Cup for double espressos.  They came with the cutest mini biscottis!

 

Snacks:

Beer counts as a snack, right?

Lauren and her hubby hipped us to a great local brewery called Avery.  This place was awesome – 21 beers on tap, $1 for a 4 oz taste, and a delicious menu.  We came, we toured, we tasted.

 

 

See the bottom left pic?  Those are sweet potato tater tots.  And that dip?  Super-star Heather had them blend hummus and avocado together and then topped it with hot sauce to make us an amazing dip.

Dinner:

We stopped in at Rio Grande to get our obligatory Mexican fill.  Honestly, I wasn’t even hungry at this point… but Cinco de Mayo isn’t complete without fajitas!  And margaritas.

It may be a chain, but I was impressed – the vegetarian fajitas came with an incredibly tasty grilled Portobello mushroom and grilled zucchini.

 

 

Aaaaaand… maybe some tequila shots.  Disguises have been added to protect the identity of the not-so-innocent.

Gotta celebrate new tattoos.  No, I didn’t get another… I won’t let the cat out of the bag as to who did.  It looks good though. 🙂

***

I miss you, my Cinco de Blenders!!!  (P.S. I can’t remember who took these group shots… please claim them and I’ll give credit!!!  Sorry…) 

Did you celebrate Cinco de Mayo?

Do you eat greens in the morning?  Would it throw you off to switch it up to carbs? 

 

Mexican Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl + Giveaway Winner

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Rice has never been appealing to me.

It’s always been sort of boring to me.  Like a waste of plate space.  I’d rather have more veggies or a big piece of crusty bread.  I even order my burrito bowl from Willy’s without rice.

When I started seeing cauliflower rice recipes floating around Pinterest, I had to check it out for myself.  Finally, was way to re-create rice-based meals without having to waste space on actual rice.  Other benefits: it doesn’t take an hour to cook, it’s loaded with fiber, and one cup is only 28 calories!

I’d like to say that Cinco de Mayo was the inspiration for making this bowl Mexican… but really it’s just because I eat something Mexican-ish nearly every day.

This is the simplest recipe – you simply put the cauliflower in a blender or food processor and pulse until it resembles rice.  I added some red pepper to mine to make it more flavorful and festive-looking.

Topped with carrots, black beans, avocado, pineapple, and cilantro and then smothered in a spicy salsa verde, this bowl looked like a fiesta!  It made for a filling lunch that didn’t weigh me down and make me yearn for a siesta.

I really loved how the cauliflower really did resemble rice, and the way it took on the other flavors in my Mexican bowl.  If I hadn’t made it myself, I would have had no idea I was eating cauliflower!

Before we get to the recipe… I guess you want to know if you won the Nature Box giveaway. 🙂

The lucky winner is….

Carrie @ Fueled by Plants

Email me your address and I’ll get it to Nature Box in time for the May box delivery!

Mexican Cauliflower “Rice” Bowl

  • 1 head cauliflower
  • 1/2 red pepper
  • 1/2 C black beans
  • 1/2 C pineapple, cubed
  • 1/4 C red onion
  • 1/2 avocado, cubed
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • Cilantro
  • Salsa
  • Cumin, cinnamon, red pepper flakes, S+P, to taste

Cut cauliflower and red pepper into pieces and place in a food processor or blender.  Pulse the pieces until they are the size and consistency of rice.

Transfer the “rice” to a medium bowl.  Top with remaining ingredients.  Sprinkle with cumin, a pinch of cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and S&P, to taste.

Enjoy!

***

I procrastinated packing last night… so I better get to it before my afternoon flight.  I can’t believe the Blend weekend is FINALLY here!!!

How will you be celebrating Cinco de Mayo?

Are you a fan of rice?  Have you ever made a rice alternative?

Cocoa Krispies Protein Pudding + WIAW

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This is what I came home to:

 

 

Apparently my hot water heater went bad while I was at work and leaked all over my floor and down the wall of the unit below mine.  Lovely.

Soooo… I was going to have a recipe for you today, but that will have to wait for tomorrow.

 

Jenn @ Peas and Crayons is making me smile through my check-writing sadness with her What I Ate Wednesday.

 

Check out my eats below; then click here to see what everyone else enjoyed for WIAW.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________

Breakfast:

I made a smoothie.  It was green…

The flavor was Strawberry-Basil.  I wouldn’t recommend it.  In fact, I didn’t even take a pic.  Last week’s Banana-Maple-Ginger was much better:

 

 

Lunch:

Clearly I’m addicted to collard green wraps… but this week’s was different!  I used a Mexican-inspired hummus in it!  That hummus is the recipe that was coming today but will instead come tomorrow.  The flood took away my picture-taking light.

 

 

My co-workers and I took out lunch outside.  They appeared skeptical of my “wrap,” but I offered a bite and it was met with a reasonable amount of approval. 🙂

 

Snacks:

I have discovered I like to eat constantly throughout the day.  I snacked it up all afternoon.  Unpictured are some cashews, pineapple, and my daily kombucha.

Pictures below is cottage cheese with nuts, apple, lavar, and some rice cakes.

 

Dinner:

I had a fancier plan, but the flood changed it… however, this lentil salad wasn’t bad for a late dinner in a hurry!

 

 

In the mix was French green lentils, pepper jack Daiya cheese, broccoli sprouts, beets, shallots, celery, olive oil, lemon juice, basil, and S&P.  Translation: I scavenged my fridge.

 

Dessert:

This was seriously the highlight of my day.  The picture doesn’t look like much, but let me assure you… this was hard-core deliciousness.  It tasted like one of my favorite childhood cereals – Cocoa Krispies.

 

Cocoa Krispies Protein Pudding

  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1 T chia seeds
  • 1 T carob powder
  • 1/4 C cereal
  • 3/4 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 6-7 drops vanilla stevia
  • 1/4 tsp cinnamon
  • Pinch of salt

 

Mix together all ingredients in a bowl, pressing down slightly to break up cereal a bit.  Place in fridge for 15-20 minutes to allow liquid to soak in.

Remove from fridge, stir, and devour.

***

Thank you all so much for the comments about my tattoo yesterday.  It is a really special piece to me. 🙂

Who do you call when things break at your house?  I had a moment of panic wondering what my next move should be!

What was your favorite childhood cereal? 

***

Don’t forget – click here to enter to win May’s healthy snack box in the NatureBox giveaway!

Friday, For the Win

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Friday in general is a win, but there were so many this week…

There are the NuNaturals giveaway winners to announce… at the end of this post. 🙂  (Yes, I realize you can simply scroll down.)

1. Grain-Free, Sugar-Free Cookie for 1

This brilliance was found here on Avi’s blog.  I made it Thursday night and thought I’d gone to heaven.  Of course, I added sugar with the dark chocolate M&Ms. 🙂

My modifications:

  • Reduced coconut oil to 1 tsp
  • Added 2 T unsweetened almond milk
  • Replaced the banana with 5 drops of vanilla liquid Stevia
  • Dark chocolate M&Ms 

2. Raw Thai Pineapple Parsnip “Rice”

This was a huge win!  This unusual (yet easy) recipe can be found here on Janet’s blog.  My only modifications were to add cilantro and a bit of sriracha.

3. Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Cottage Cheese

You know when you feel snacky, but you’re not sure if you want something sweet or salty?  I found the perfect solution yesterday. 

Peanut Butter and Pumpkin Cottage Cheese

I am told this sounds like a weird combo.  It’s not – this is a delicious combo.  Not unlike the combo below…

4. Stuft Mama’s Protein Pumpkin Cookie Dough

How did it take me soooo long to make this?!  It’s amazing.  Doh.

Do not – I repeat – DO NOT skip the PB on top.  It’s sends the whole thing over the edge.

5. NUNATURALS WINNERS!!!

The following 4 ladies won NuNaturals Orange and Lemon Liquid Stevias.  Please send me an email with your info so we can get those out to you ASAP!

  1. Heather @ Better with Veggies
  2. Carah
  3. Lena @ Lena on the Beach
  4. Anuradha @ Baker Street

***

This is the weekend… I’m getting a tattoo tomorrow!!!

Do you have tattoos? What/where?

What’s the best blogger recipe you’ve tried lately?

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