Sprint 2 the Table

Appetites and Adventures

Packable, Healthy Lunches + WIAW

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“What healthy foods can I bring to work/school?”

 

That is one of the most common questions I hear.

The good news is: it’s not hard!  If you have some fresh veggies and dip, you’ve made a good start.  Add some fruit, a carb, some healthy fats, a protein…. and you’re in business!

 

 

One of the easiest sack lunches is leftovers.  Make extra of whatever you’ve had for dinner the night before.  Stick that in a container and take it into the office.  Simple!

 

Another option is a salad.  No, not another boring salad!  Think outside the box with toppings.  You can easily add items like:
  • Roasted veggies (ex: eggplant, zucchini, asparagus, squashes, beets)
  • Fruits (ex: blueberries, raspberries, pineapple, grapefruit sections, apples)
  • Seeds or nuts (ex: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, pepitas, almonds, walnuts)
  • Other greens (ex: spinach, sprouts, arugula, shredded cabbage, kale)
  • Legumes (ex: black beans, chickpeas, kidney beans, lentils)
  • Herbs or spices (ex: cilantro, parsley, oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, Chinese 5 spice)
  • Proteins (this is where leftovers really help – ex: grilled chicken, tempeh, tofu, lentils, quinoa, veggie burgers)

 

Citrus Chickpea Cilantro Salad (click for recipe)

 

Dressing your salad is another way to shake things up.  A few of my go-tos:
  • Use salsa to add some heat (really good with avocado and black beans)
  • Thin out hummus with apple cider vinegar (1:1 ratio)
  • Leftover pesto (like this beet sunflower pesto pictured below) mixed with a bit of balsamic or water to thin
  • Mash an avocado with lemon juice for a creamier dressing
  • Fresh lemon/lime/orange juice with a drizzle of olive oil
  • This low-fat Spicy Peanut Sauce


Sunflower Beet Pesto on salad (click for recipe)

 

Need your carbs?

Bring along a tortilla, pita pocket, or whole grain bread to eat on the side or stuff your salad into. Or have a healthier chip alternative on the side – I’m really digging PopChips and Pirate’s Booty.

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Jenn’s What I Ate Wednesday this month is in the theme of green.  I wasn’t as green as usual… but it was a veggie-laden day for sure!

 

It’s also a “What I Ate at Work” WIAW.  I’ve been going to CrossFit right after work this week, so I’m eating more snacky things all day long so I am not starving before class ends.

 

 

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Breakfast:

My routine lately has been to get up, do a quick 15-20 workout (from Pinterest or BodyRock), and make a protein smoothie to cool off and refuel.  It’s an addiction.

 

 

This morning’s smoothie:

  • Spinach
  • Pineapple
  • Cucumber
  • Celery
  • Flax meal
  • Ginger
  • Maca
  • Vanilla protein powder
  • Ice + water

 

Lunch:

Post-cleanse my favorite addition is CARBS.  Peanut butter is a close second.

I brought my tortilla and the makings of a wrap to work.  These get constructed on-site so the tortilla doesn’t get soggy.

 

 

In my wrap:

 

 

See the container in the background?  I (once again) over-filled my wrap so half of the fillings were eaten with a fork on the side.  🙂

 

Snacks:

Yes, I snacked all day.  You might even say that I skipped dinner in favor of snacking.

 

My snacks:

  • Carrots, cucumber, and red pepper with raw sweet potato hummus
  • PopChips
  • Apple
  • Kombucha
  • Leftover airplane peanuts
  • Vegan jerky (Thai Peanut is the BEST!)

 

Dinner:

This is really 2 snacks eaten 2 hours apart.  I had the ice cream first.  Duh.

 

 

I’m still working on this one (it deserves its own post… and I’ll make one sans spinach so the pics are prettier 🙂 ), but let’s just say it was incredible.  The Vitamix continues to be the best purchase I’ve ever made.

 

Round 2 of dinner was a piece of Ezekiel bread topped with hummus, tomato, cilantro, and a vegan mozzarella cheese slice (which tasted nothing like mozzarella).  I stuck it under the broiler for 3+ mins… let’s pretend I didn’t forget it in the oven… burnt non-cheese isn’t too bad!

 

 

***

Crossfit #3 tomorrow.  I’m already sore from tonight.  Translation: I’m in love.

Annnnd another shameless plea: I am honored to have been nominated as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  If you’re so inclined, pretty please click here and vote for me. 🙂

What are some of your favorite items to bring to work/school for lunch?

What is your strangest/favorite salad topping?

 

Survival of the Crossfit-est + PB Banana Shake-which

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Crossfit is no joke.

 

Source: list09.com

 

I took Dynamics this weekend.  Dynamics is the 5 hour “training” course you are required to take before they throw you to the wolves you can join a regular class.  I left that class feeling alright.  We did a couple of workouts.  I finished second both times – just behind a guy who rock climbs and looked like he was born in a gym.

Walking into class last night I realized I was nervous.  These people are hardcore about their workouts.  Would I be good enough to not embarrass myself?

 

Click for source

 

I’m pretty confident when it comes to gyms. I have worked out for the better part of the last 5-6 years.  I lift free weights in the “boys” section.  This was a whole new ballgame.

Self-doubt set in full-force.  I caught myself looking at the pic below and thinking “there’s no way I could do that.”

 

Click for source

 

The first move was deadlifts.  3 lifts, 2 min rest, add 50 pounds, 3 more lifts, 2 min rest, add 50 pounds, and so on.  Women start at 85 lbs.  I got through that 85, but decided to play it safe and add just 20 lbs.  Did that and added 20 more.  Did that.  Got irrationally scared.  Started to do 3 more when the time gods smiled upon me and we were DONE.

One girl lifted 300 lbs!!!  I’m pretty sure I looked like a version of this:

 

Click for source

 

Then we did the WOD.

(WOD = workout of the day.  I’m so fancy with the lingo. 😉 )

  • 4 mins pull ups
  • 3 mins handstand push-ups
  • 2 mins push-ups
  • 1 min double under jump rope (I have yet to master the double under.  Thank you, hopeless white girl coordination.)

 

Click for source

 

First day thoughts:

  • It’s very humbling to feel intimidated in the gym
  • You shouldn’t be intimidated, just give it all you have
  • Crossfit-ers are very friendly people
  • I learned that I kind of like handstand push-ups
  • I’ve been working hard, but it’s time to get out of my comfort zone
  • A “can-do” attitude can take you far… growth comes from pushing past the point of can’t
  • This style of workout makes me ravenous

Click for source

 

I’m scheduled to go back to Crossfit tonight.  In the wise words of my best friend’s mother: “Don’t let that dog know you’re scared of it!”

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Naturally, I came home and made a smoothie to end all smoothies.  This dream shake was served in a Guinness pint glass.  The excess was slurped from the Vitamix spatula.

 

 

It’s only a few days into March, but my Crossfit-bruised ego is ready to declare smoothie victory.  This is the best smoothie of the month.  Not just because it was consumed out of a beer mug (though that didn’t hurt).

 

Avocado.  Banana.  Peanut flour.  Spinach.  Avocado and banana make for an incredibly creamy smoothie.  Add peanut flour to that and you have a liquid PB + Banana shake-wich.

I’ve recently been adding a lil’ lemon to smoothies too.  I find it helps draw out flavors, not to mention that lemons are good for digestion!

 

 

Praise Jesus I can’t fit my face into the actual blender to lick up the remnants… I would lose a tongue on those blades.

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PB + Banana Shake-wich

  • 1 C spinach
  • 1/2 banana
  • 1/4 avocado
  • 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
  • 1/2 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
  • 1 T peanut flour
  • 1 wedge lemon
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp bourbon vanilla extract
  • 5-6 drops stevia
  • 1/8 tsp guar gum (optional)
  • Ice + water, to taste

 

Put it all in the blender and mix until smooth!

 

Top with nuts/seeds if so desired.  My topping is a crumbled Endurance Crackers (recipe here from Oh She Glows).

Makes 1 pint. 

***

Thank you all for the Best Healthy Eating Blog votes (click here to vote) AND for the FoodBuzzin’ – My Vegan Salade Nicoise made the Top 9 yesterday!  You guys totally made my day. 🙂

Have you ever been to a Crossfit gym?

What is your favorite post-workout meal?

 

Sprouting Raw Chickpeas

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My green thumb doesn’t exist.  

I’ve killed house plants, basil, cilantro, and even mint.

Sprouting is either idiot-proof or it doesn’t count as growing something, because I succeeded in sprouting my own chickpeas!

Why would I want my chickpeas to grow little tails?  It’s healthy, of course!

Source: nutroasters.com

Benefits of sprouting raw chickpeas:

  • Nutrients increase their concentration: proteins by about 20%, nucleic acids by 30%, and many vitamins by as much as 500%
  • High enzyme activity stimulates the body’s own enzymes into greater activity, giving you more energy
  • Sprouted seeds are easier to digest since complex carbohydrates break down into simple sugars, and proteins break down into amino acids; both are easier for the body to process and promote our ability to absorb minerals in the food
  • Seeds use energy to grow a sprout; therefore, sprouted seeds have fewer calories than in their whole form
  • Sprouts have a number of anti-cancer properties.

The other benefit is that it’s one more way you can incorporate raw foods into your diet.  Eating raw gives me more energy, is cleansing (the improved digestion is no joke!), and – maybe its just me – feel a little “high.”

It has taken me a long time to attempt sprouting because I always thought it was a complex process.  Notsomuch.  This may be the easiest thing I’ve done in the kitchen (PB&J sandwiches aside).

How to Sprout Chickpeas:

  1. Rinse 1/2 cup of dried chickpeas and place in a wide-mouth container.
  2. Cover chickpeas with water, then cover the container with cheese cloth or other mesh, secure with a rubber band or tape, and let soak for 24 hours.
  3. Drain and rinse the beans through the cloth, then drain again.
  4. Store the jar out of direct sunlight at room temperature atop a kitchen towel.  Lay the jar on its side with the bottom propped up so that excess water drains onto towel.
  5. Rinse and drain the chickpeas once every 8-12 hours for 36-48 hours (depending on how large you like your peas).  The tails should be about 1/4 inch long.
  6. Rinse and drain once more, and allow sprouted chickpeas to air dry.  To store, place then in a container or plastic bag and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

I have been popping them like candy every time I pass the fridge; however, I’ve used them to make some awesome salads too.

Sprouted chickpeas are still a bit crunchy, which adds a great texture to dishes.  The taste is more or less the same as it is when cooked, maybe just a bit earthier.  It did give me energy – I busted out a few intervals on the bike while watching Desperate Housewives (don’t judge).

Here’s what my all-raw dinner looked like last night:

In my salad:

  • Sprouted chickpeas
  • Broccoli sprouts
  • Red cabbage, shredded
  • Broccoli slaw
  • Red pepper
  • Asparagus, julienned
  • Yellow onion
  • Celery leaves
  • Raw sweet potato hummus dressing (1T of my sweet potato hummus recipe + 1 T apple cider vinegar + red pepper flakes)

Last week I set aside my fears and posted this ab-bearing pic… you guys couldn’t have been sweeter with all of your support.  It reminded me once again why I LOVE blogging.  I’ve met some of the coolest, most supportive people.  This community is among the most motivating and encouraging I’ve ever been apart of.  Thank you!!! 🙂

Sweat sessions last week were really satisfying.  I upped my weight in several workouts, tried some new moves, got my butt kicked by BodyRock, AND completed the CrossFit Dynamics course this weekend.  Tonight is my first “real” class… I’m a little nervous and very excited for a new challenge!

Workout Recap (2/27 – 3/4):

  • Monday – P90X Cardio, Bike Intervals, 100 push-ups
  • Tuesday – Tris/Chest, Core, 100 push-ups
  • Wednesday – This 5-4-3-2-1 workout, Legs,100 push-ups
  • Thursday –  Shoulders, P90X Ab Ripper X, Bike Intervals
  • Friday – Biceps/Back, This BodyRock, 100 push-ups
  • Saturday – CrossFit, 100 push-ups
  • Sunday – CrossFit, Bike Intervals, 6 min plank intervals

***

Have you ever sprouted your  own seeds? 

What was the best part of your weekend?

Vegan Salade Niçoise for #GreensLove

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We interrupt my usual post-fee weekend for a BLOGHOP!

 

This month’s theme is #GreensLove in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.  Naturally, I got unnaturally excited.  75% of everything I eat is green!

I thought about making another green smoothie, but decided that was getting old (not to my taste buds, but after you’ve seen one green smoothie pic, you’ve seen them all).

 

 

A salad seemed too obvious.  What about an not-so-obvious version of a famous salad?  As I brainstormed ideas for my French-themed vegan book club, I knew the dinner spread would be incomplete without the famous French  salad – Salade Niçoise.

 

A traditional (by traditional, I mean Julia Childs’ recipe 🙂 ) Salade Niçoise consists of lettuce, green beans, shallots, vinaigrette, tomatoes, boiled potatoes, chunked tuna, hard-boiled eggs, anchovy fillets, Niçoise olives, and capers.

I couldn’t have tuna, potatoes, eggs, or anchovies.  That’s half the salad.  Undeterred, I set to work on recreating the dish in a fun way.

 

 

Dressing that can make or break a salad.  I wanted to light, herby vinaigrette that wouldn’t overwhelm with the stronger flavors from the olives and capers.  The lemon-thyme vinaigrette did the trick – the lemon flavors brought out the other veggies in the salad.  A high-quality olive oil allows you to use less in the recipe without compromising flavor.  This particular bottle is from my recent travels to Italy.

 

The other stand-out in this vegan-ized recipe was the “tuna” tempeh.  Meant to sub for the tuna, it doesn’t really taste like tuna (a good thing in my book).  Rather, it adds a slightly nutty, lemon-pepper protein addition.  The crunch it adds as a result of being slowly sautéed is a fun dimension to the salad.

 

 

You may think you’re going overboard with the pepper on the tempeh – and feel free to adjust to your tastes – but when it’s combined with the lemon flavors and them eaten with the other salad ingredients, it’s the perfect flavor.

 

The color of the salad is fabulous.  It was the most photogenic thing on the table!

 

 

You’ll notice I didn’t include measurements for the veggie toppings.  Add as much or a little as you like!  I simply added “handfuls” until the bowl was filled and looked pretty.

If you are unable to locate Niçoise olives, substitute Kalamata or another high-quality dark olive.  Read: don’t use your left-over pizza topping olives.

 

 

Check out these other (vegan) French dishes served that Book Club:

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Salade Niçoise

For the Salad:

  • Arugula lettuce
  • Red leaf lettuce
  • French green beans, ends removed and cut in 3-4 in pieces
  • Wax beans, ends removed and cut in 3-4 in pieces
  • Niçoise olives
  • Capers
  • Tomatoes, diced
  • Red onion (1/4-1/2 C), diced

 

Place lettuces in a large bowl.  In individual sections, add each veggie topping.

 

For the Tempeh:

  • 8 oz. tempeh, cut into 1-in cubes
  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • Juice from 1/2 lemon, plus zest
  • 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 4-5 drops liquid smoke
  • 1-2 drops liquid stevia
  • Salt, to taste

 

In a small bowl mix together remaining ingredients.  Toss with tempeh to coat well, and allow to marinate for 10-15 mins.

Heat oil in a medium pan over medium heat.

Place tempeh and any residual marinade in pan.  Cook, tossing occasionally until tempeh is lightly browned and crisped on the outside (~10 mins).

Remove from heat and allow to cool.  Once cooled, add to salad.

 

For the Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette:

  • 1/4 C fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 C water
  • 2 T fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/3 C extra virgin olive oil

 

In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients except olive oil.  Slowly pour in the oil, whisking constantly.

Alternately, place all the ingredients in dressing bottle or jar and shake to combine.

Taste and adjust the seasonings before serving alongside the salad.

Note: If not using dressing right away, cover and refrigerate, bring to room temp and shake again before use.

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I’m excited to be co-hosting the #GreensLove event with the following fabulous bloggers.  Be sure to visit them, and to add your own recipe via the linky tool below!

 

ASTIG Vegan ~ Richgail ~  @astigvegan
Bon a croquer ~ Valerie ~ @Valouth
Cheap Ethnic Eatz ~ Evelyne ~ @cethniceatz
Easily Good Eats ~ Three Cookies
Oh Cake ~ Jessica ~ @jesshose

Join us in the March #greenlove by linking up any leafy green recipe below.  Don’t forget to link back to this post, so that your readers know to come stop by the #greenlove event!  The twitter hashtag is #greenlove.

Powered by Linky Tools

Click here to enter your link and view this Linky Tools list…

***

I am also honored to announce that I was nominated as a “Best Healthy Eating Blog” for the 2012 Fitterati Blog Awards on FitnessMagazine.com.  You guys are the best and a constant source of inspiration.  If you’re so inclined, pretty please click here and vote for me. 🙂

 

What’s the best green food you’ve made lately?

Is anyone running this weekend?  Good luck – I’d love to hear how it goes!!!

 

Building Blocks

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The human body is pretty incredible.

25 days ago (pre-cleanse) I was nowhere near the abs I wanted.  My diet was not terrible, but could use improvement.  I was lifting weights, but had hit a plateau with my upper body and all but neglecting legs.  It was time to take the next step in building a better me.

The pictures below are my progress:

The top pic is upper body.  I’ve managed to up my weight on many exercises, not the least of which is lat raises.  Those has always been a weak point for me.

The bottom left ab pic was taken at week 2 of the cleanse and the right was taken yesterday (11 days later… I promise I washed this outfit in that time).  I wish I’d had a before!  I’ve ALWAYS wanted 6-pack abs and I’m so close right now it hurts.

This is thanks to 25 days of pushing harder and building a solid foundation with a clean, plant-based diet.  It can be done!

Believe in yourself and anything is possible.

I also have to make a confession – I almost didn’t post the ab pic.  In fact, yesterday I posted it on Instagram and purposefully didn’t like it to Twitter.  I was scared to share my progress with a larger audience!

Then I remembered this post by Lindsay where she showed off her incredible abdominals.  She posted her post-baby ab pic to celebrate hard work, to motivate, and because she was PROUD.  And she should take pride in her hard work paying off!

Change is hard!  It’s overwhelming to begin cleaning up your diet.

In the spirit of building, here’s how I built a healthy lunchtime wrap.  At least it was supposed to be a wrap… I got a little carried away with the fillings. 🙂

Step 1:

Prep veggies and slather a tortilla with spread.  I used my Raw Sweet Potato Hummus.

Step 2:

Layer your veggies on the tortilla.

My Fillings:

  • Kale
  • Broccoli and mustard sprouts
  • Beets (raw)
  • Asparagus (raw)
  • Onion
  • Carrots
  • Lentils  – ***These are key to making your wrap filling.  Lentils are prepared for the week every Sunday so I can quickly add bulk and protein to veggie dishes.***

Step 3:

Attempt to wrap the monstrosity up!  I had to eat the carrots in the side to make way for the lentils.

Step 4:

Devour.

***

Tomorrow I am trying out CrossFit for the first time!  I love a new workout. 🙂

Have you ever tried CrossFit?  Do you have any tips to share?

Celebrate Friday with some self-love – What accomplishment are you proud of?

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

By

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

By

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?

 

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