Pasta E Fagioli with Spinach

I made this dish last night, and although it isn’t a recipe of my own, I wanted to make sure you could enjoy it, too! This recipe is from one of my favorite cookbooks, Appetite for Reduction. I HIGHLY recommend that this book become a staple in any vegan, vegetarian, or flexitarian kitchen. The recipes are simple, use ingredients that are easily found in any market, and are very low-cal/diet friendly. This pasta is literally a foodgasm and a half!

Pasta E Fagioli with Spinach:
From “Appetite for Reduction” by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (get it here! http://www.amazon.com/Appetite-Reduction-Filling-Low-Fat-Recipes/dp/1600940498/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333376773&sr=8-1)

Active Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 pounds plum tomatoes, chopped roughly
• 1/4 cup dry white wine or vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• A few pinches of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (15-ounce) can navy beans (about 1½ cups), drained and rinsed
• 8 ounces whole wheat small shells or orecchiette
• 1 pound baby spinach leaves, washed well

DIRECTIONS
Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta and preheat a large skillet over medium heat.

In the pan, saute the garlic in oil for about 1 minute, until the garlic is fragrant. Add the tomatoes, wine, oregano, and salt. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the beans and then lower the heat to medium. Cook until the tomatoes are broken down and the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.

In the meantime, add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to the package directions. Once the sauce is thickened, simmer over low heat to keep warm.

Drain the pasta. In a bowl, alternate adding batches of pasta, beans, and spinach to the sauce, stirring with a pasta spoon to incorporate, until the spinach is completely wilted. Mix well and serve.

NUTRITION
Per Serving (1/4 Recipe):
Calories: 440; Calories from fat: 30; Total fat: 3.5 g; Saturated fat: 0.5 g; Trans fat: 0 g; Totalcarb: 85 g; Fiber: 21 g; Sugars: 9 g; Protein: 23 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 690 mg; Vitamin A: 250%; Vitamin C: 110%; Calcium: 25%; Iron: 45%

Easy, Cheesy, Low Cal Caulipots!

Hello Blogosphere! I know it's been a while, but I've taken on a new task in my baking and cooking, and have had to test numerous recipes trying to make them perfect for my readers. My newest task has been to reduce, reduce, reduce! I'm trying to make ALL of my dishes either low/no-fat or low-cal or BOTH! While this may seem easy, because people have an impression that vegans only eat grass and carrots, it's actually been quite a task! But, I made some DELICIOUS Caulipots last night that I am so excited to share with you! At only 142 calories per serving and less than 1 gram of fat, these are the perfect addition to any meal. Hell, you can have them FOR your meal if you choose to! I hope you enjoy as much as I did!

Easy, Cheesy Mashed Caulipots (Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes)

3-4 Medium sized Russet Potatoes, sliced into 3/4 inch slices
1 Medium head of Cauliflower, broken into florets

NEW Low-Cal/Low-Fat Cheese Sauce! (Modified from Happy Herbivore)
1-1/4 cup unsweetened rice milk
1/3 cup Nutritional Yeast
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
2 tablespoons corn starch
2 tablespoons yellow miso paste

Place the potatoes in cold water, with about 4 inches of water on top of them in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cauliflower florets and bring down to a simmer. Let simmer about 20 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Drain and bring back to the pot to mash with a potato masher.

Cheese Sauce: Whisk together all ingredients over medium heat, until boiling. Reduce to a simmer and stir continuously until sauce thickens. Incorporate into the Caulipot mixture, add some chives and parsley, and enjoy!

Low-Cal Super Stuffed Peppers

The other day I had mentioned that I was going to make stuffed peppers, but was then overcome with the urge to “stuff” something else. Well, my craving for stuffed peppers was back, so here we go! Now, the actual process of these is much less complicated than it seems…it’s really just cooking the rice and the SmartGrounds, and popping them in a pepper, but follow along for a delicious meal! (FYI, the amount of rice and “beef” that this makes is enough for 6-8 peppers. It is just the two of us, so we use 2 peppers and then have the “beef” and rice left over to make other yummy stuff through the week with!)

At only 1.5 grams of fat and 230 calories, this is Mexican food at it's finest, folks!

You’ll Need:

Red or Green Bell Peppers (2-8, depending on how many people you’re feeding)
1 cup of brown rice
Spices – I used cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder
½ a small can of green chilis…about 4 ounces
2 tomatoes
½ onion
2 tablespoons of minced garlic
1 package of Lightlife SmartGrounds, Mexican Style or other vegan ground beef substitute
Your Favorite Smooth Tequila (not for the peppers, but for the cook!)

Bring 2 ½ cups of water to a rolling boil and pour in 1 cup of rice. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, and chili powder to your liking (I’m a spice fiend, so the amount I use is probably way more than you’ll want to use!). While that is cooking, sautee ½ a diced onion and tablespoons of minced garlic until garlic is golden brown and onions are transparent. Add these to the cooking rice. Dice 2 tomatoes and add these along with 4 ounces of canned green chiles when there is about 5 minutes left of cooking time for the rice.

When the rice is almost finished, heat up your SmartGrounds (I prefer the Mexican style). I add about 3 tablespoons of hot sauce to this while it’s cooking and about 2 teaspoons of onion powder just for some more flavor. The SmartGrounds only take a few minutes to heat.

Cut the tops off of your peppers, so they are like deep bowls. Seed and rinse out the inside of the peppers and place in a pot of boiling water for 4-5 minutes, until slightly soft. Remove from boiling water and submerge in cold water for a few minutes.

Once your peppers are cool enough to handle, prop them upright and begin layering. I do a spoonful of the SmartGrounds, a spoonful of the rice, and so on and so forth until the pepper is full. I then top this with a couple sliced olives. Put these in a very lightly oiled baking dish, and pop in the oven for about 10 minutes. Top off with some salsa and enjoy!



Buen Provecho!

Rosemary-Infused Spaghetti Squash

This weekend, while I was at the grocery store, I couldn’t help but get giddy when walking through the produce section…all the squashes, apples, and all my favorite fall things were in abundance!! One thing I have discovered about grocery stores in Wisconsin which is unlike grocery stores in California, is that they try to have as much local and seasonal produce as possible, which is awesome, but I do start to miss certain things when they aren’t in season and aren’t being sold. So you can imagine my excitement when I was there on Saturday and saw an entire box of organic spaghetti squash!!! Woohooo!!!! My life was complete once again! I picked up a couple of these bad boys and immediately started planning in my head what I wanted to do with them. I used the first one last night, in celebration of Autumn, and couldn’t have been more satisfied! AND, at only 112 calories per serving, this was by far a low-cal and hearty meal that kept me full the remainder of the night! For those of you watching your waistline, this is definitely a recipe to add to your kitchen repertoire!

Rosemary-Roasted Spaghetti Squash

1 Spaghetti Squash, about 3-5 pounds, cut in half and seeded
1 ½ cups of Vegetable broth
2 large sprigs of Rosemary
2 large sprigs of Sage
2 Tblsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tblsp Parsley
2 Cups chopped broccoli florets
1 diced tomato
S&P to taste


Preheat oven to 375. Pour broth into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Bruise rosemary and sage sprigs with the back of a knife and toss into broth. Arrange squash in dish, hollow sides down, and roast until rind gives easily when pressed and flesh is just tender, 35 to 45 minutes. (Be careful not to overcook squash since it will become too soft and soggy.) While squash is in the oven, lightly steam the broccoli. Set aside. Transfer squash to a large plate, hollow sides up, and set aside until cool enough to handle.

Using a fork, scrape squash out of rinds and transfer to a large bowl. Add oil, parsley, broccoli, tomatoes, salt and pepper and toss gently. Serve immediately.

The hint of rosemary that the squash soaks up is seriously perfect, and I don’t think I’ll ever cook spaghetti squash without it now!

Bill Clinton...Eating Plants? There's a Dirty Joke in there Somewhere!!

The other day, I read in the paper a little blip about Former President Bill Clinton being on a “plant-based diet.” I immediately turned the paper to the front cover to make sure that I wasn’t reading The Onion, because everything about this man screams CARNIVORE!!! Growing up while he was the President, it was almost daily they would show him on the morning news, taking his jog around DC and stopping each morning after his run at MCDONALDS for breakfast!!! On many occasions you would hear him refer to himself as a Southern boy who loved his steak and fried chicken…so you can imagine my initial disbelief that this was even true! I mean, I worked at Hard Rock Café when he came and donated one of his Saxophones to our restaurant, and he had a giant steak when he was there just a few short years ago! I decided I had to research this further, because now I was very intrigued!


It turns out, he was a total skeptic who has changed his life through a plant-based diet! Although he says he is eating fish on occasion, although rarely, he has cut out all other flesh foods, as well as dairy products, and has already lost 24 pounds on top of feeling tremendously better, which is amazing considering all of his health problems as of late. He even gives credit to one of my favorite books, The China Study, which I strongly believe is a must-read for anybody trying to reach optimum health, no matter what your current eating habits are. Check out the following video of him…and congrats, Mr. President, for setting such an awesome example of health and self-healing!

Recipe Blast from the 21-Day Kickstart!

Today marks day 5 of PCRM’s 21-Day Vegan Kickstart…and I’m LOVING it!! Every single recipe, even the ones that I honestly thought I’d hate (especially never particularly enjoying Black Eyed Peas) have all been fabulous! Now, some people do the program to get into veganism for the first time, and others do it for new recipe ideas but not to really follow the plan. I’m doing this to see if this plan really does “kickstart” my weight loss as I have heard that it can. Well, I haven’t done a weigh-in yet, but I did slide my “skinny” jeans on with ease today…and to think, I haven’t even been able to pull them over my ass for over a year now! It’s like going shopping in my own closet! So anyway, I’m linking to all of the fabulous recipes that I’ve tried so far this week so you can all give them a shot. Also, if you want to have the recipes sent to you, it’s not too late to join up on the PCRM website!!


Cous Cous Confetti Salad
I'm not a fan of raw veggies in a hot dish like this calls for, but this was suprisingly delicious! As I type this, I'm currently eating the last of it in a hot pita for lunch...yummm....


Hoppin' John Salad
I was hesitant to try this one, considering I've always had an aversion to black eyed peas...but it was really good as well! And super filling! I couldn't even finish one serving size!

Carrot and Red Pepper Soup
I didn't take a picture because well...it just looked like a bowl of tomato soup...and we all know what that looks like! This soup was so yummy and warmed me to the core...did just the job a soup was supposed to do. It was a perfect pairing with the Confetti Cous Cous, too!

Southern Beans and Greens
I made this recipe with the leftover Hoppin' John Salad (just threw it all in!), Kidney Beans and Navy Beans. It was perfect! The perfect savory dish on a day that seemed all too chilly for early September!

All in all, I highly recommend all the recipes so far...give them a try, and let me know how you like them!

Kick-Start Your Life...Do It Now!!!

I do have a few recipes that I am excited to share with you, but at the moment, I have some super cool news that I think would be totally awesome to get some of you involved in! Whether you’re a long-time vegan, a vegan “flirt”, or not vegan at all and just come here to cyber stalk me or for alternative recipes, this is something that we can all get up on and involved in! It’s called the 21-Day Vegan Kickstart, and vegans and non-vegans alike can definitely learn some things and get some crazy awesome advice from this!

Now, what is it?

The 21-Day Vegan Kickstart is a program that was started by the PCRM (the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine). Now what it is, is a 21-day program (duh!) that is completely health-based. I have heard success stories from longtime vegans who have done this, and have lost up to 15 pounds in three weeks, just by following the meal plan! I’m an email buddy with someone who did this last time they offered the program who is not vegan and she lost 25 pounds in the three-week program through the plan that has been created by some of the top medical doctors and nutritionists in the business. Now, if that doesn’t say something for this program, then I don’t know what will! From those who I know have done this before, they all say that the recipes are super easy, super fast, super filling, super delicious, and super inexpensive! It’s not like one of those plans that make you buy obscenely expensive processed foods and crap like that. And for you omnivores out there, from what I have heard, you won’t miss meat at all on this plan.

Now, the best part…IT’S COMPLETELY FREE!!! How is that even possible, you ask? Simple. This is a program that was created to help counteract the Obesity Epidemic that has struck this country. Nobody is trying to make a profit off of this, because it is about education and educating people on how good food decisions can also taste good and be good for your waistline and overall health.

Now, they only do the kickstart a few times a year, and the next one is starting next week on September 6, so you should sign up for it now! Even if you don’t want to follow it exactly, it’s an opportunity to get some awesome recipes sent to you daily. I plan on following it for the 21 days, and I’ll be sharing my opinions on it, but I’d love to hear from you guys as well! So head on over to the PCRM website and sign up now! Do it!

Insanely Cheesy Summer Squash

Okay, so I’m pretty sure that this next recipe deserves some sort of award?? Why, you ask? Well let me tell you why…this meal literally gives you a big, comforting bear hug with all its super-creaminess and deliciousness, all for under *drumroll* 200 calories per serving!!! Yes!!!!



Yesterday, while at work, I was thinking about what I wanted to make for dinner (a curse for someone who is always hungry!). I knew that I had some squash in the fridge that needed to be used soon, or it would just become compost, and this girl does NOT let squash go to waste! Usually, I don’t like to mess with squash. I like to let it speak for itself…either eating it raw or lightly steamed. But I was in the mood to try something a little different, and this is what I came up with! Now, it’s basically like a casserole, and I used the “cheese” sauce that I make my Mac ‘n Cheese with, adding some crushed saltines for a little crunch, and wow! Amazeballs! Now, I used yellow and green squash, but I know that this would taste delish with any type of squash you have. The best part: This recipe makes about 6 servings, and coming in at only 196 calories a serving, you can afford to have seconds (which you will, I promise!)!!


Ingredients
Danielle’s Super Amazing Comfort Food “Cheese” Sauce (recipe below)
25 Multigrain Saltine Crackers
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
3 summer squash, such as zucchini or yellow squash, cut into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

“Cheese” Sauce Recipe (this recipe has been halved from the original)
1/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread
1/4 cup flour
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. Braggs Liquid Aminos or Shoyu
1 tsp. garlic powder
Turmeric to taste
1/8 cup oil of your choosing (for this, I just use regular Canola Oil)
1/2 cup nutritional yeast

In a saucepan, melt Earth Balance over low heat. Mix in the flour. Stir continuously over medium heat until smooth and bubbly. Stir in the boiling water, salt, liquid aminos, garlic powder, and turmeric. Continue whisking until dissolved. Once the sauce thickens and is bubbling, stir in the oil and the nutritional yeast flakes.

Casserole Directions
Preheat oven to 425°F. In a medium bowl, toss together cheese sauce, cracker crumbs, parsley, onion and thyme. In another bowl, toss together zucchini, oil, lime juice, salt and pepper. Arrange squash in a 9- x 13-inch casserole dish. Scatter cheese mixture evenly over the top and bake until melted and golden brown and squash is just tender, about 20 minutes.

Kick-Ass Banana Birthday Cake!!

Look how happy this vegan cake made him!!!
So Friday marked the 26 anniversary of the birth of the most amazing man in my life! And the way I see it, there’s no better way to celebrate something like that than eating delicious foods! Now, I know some of you were followers of my old baking blog, and I know I haven’t really updated as many of my treats as I wanted to by now (the whole “losing weight” thing makes it hard to have baked goods in the house too often!) but I took one of Julian’s favorite cake recipes of mine, and worked my magic in turning it vegan. To my surprise (to his, also!), the cake turned out BETTER than my non-vegan original recipe! Not only was this probably the easiest cake I’ve ever made, but it was so delicious. I didn’t tell his parents that it was vegan until the end, and they honestly couldn’t believe it one bit. It was so moist and literally melted in your mouth. It was also my first time experimenting with Tofutti vegan cream cheese (I’ve used their sour cream product before) and I must say, it made an excellent base for the cream cheese frosting! So, if you have a birthday to plan, or if you just feel like baking something sweet, delicious, and cruelty-free, I give you:

Go Bananas! Vegan Banana Birthday Cake

•2 cups flour (I use whole grain, but use whatever you care to)
•1 1/2 tsp baking soda
•1/2 tsp salt
•1 cup sugar of your choice (I use Sugar in the Raw)
•1/4 cup oil
•4 ripe bananas, mashed
•1/4 cup water
•1 tsp vanilla
2 tblsp cinnamon

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch round baking pan.
In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda and salt and sugar.
Put water, bananas, vanilla, and oil into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Pour in bowl with dry ingredients and stir until mixed well.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

And for my new take on Amazing Cream Cheese Frosting:
•1/4 cup Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Spread, softened
•1/4 cup Tofutti Vegan Cream Cheese, softened
•2 cups vegan confectioner’s sugar, sifted
•1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix all ingredients until smooth and creamy. Makes enough to frost one cake.

Yummmmmmmm.....


I promise you, this is so simple you’ll be amazed! And, you’ll want to make this every day…it’s just that good! And honestly, look at those ingredients…it’s not even *that* bad for you!! Make it without the frosting, and it’s still super delicious and even more on the healthy side. I really hope/know you’ll all enjoy this so much!


I dare you to only have once slice!

Farmer's Market Recipes

My favorite thing about going to the Farmer’s Market each week, is that every week, there is always something new that is in season. This week, the market was flowing with all sorts of potatoes!! The best part, one farmer was so excited about this gorgeous white potato that he grew for the first time this year, he handed me five pounds, wouldn’t take payment, just told me to come back next week and tell him how they were! Well, this cocky farmer knew I’d be in love, because he now has a customer for life!! So, with my large bag full of goodies from the market, I went home and started putting together some delicious goods:



Salad with spray-free mixed greens, tomatoes, squash, and chickpeas – all from the Farmer’s Market. (Ignore the Jack Daniel's...it's the rocker in me, I can't help it!!)


Potatoes, chopped asparagus, 3 tsp. minced garlic, olive oil to coat potatoes, onion powder, popped in the oven at 425, taking out and shaking up a bit every ten minutes for 40 minutes. Potatoes and asparagus from the Farmer’s Market.



Sunshine Burger patty marinated in BBQ sauce, sliced tomatoes and pickles on whole grain pita with spicy hummus. Tomatoes and pickles both from the Farmer’s Market.

Cheap, delicious produce like this is the number one reason I freaking love summertime! And each week, it’s just gonna keep on getting better!

I'm a Big Loser...weight, that is!!

So I haven’t really been updating this week. Quite frankly, after the birthday celebrating and all that, I needed to get my body back to a more neutral place. Very basic foods this week…green salads, lots of plain brown rice and quinoa and beans. Nothing to really write home about, but I know my body needed some help getting back to a neutral state. Anyway, I wanted to tell you all about a new program I have started that can really rock your ass off that couch cushion!!

For my birthday, my amazing man got me the Biggest Loser game for our Wii Fit. I have wanted this game for a while, since I have heard that it is pretty killer. Not only that, but the two trainers (Jillian and Bob) are super hot, super inspiring, and one of them is even a veg-head!! Yes, Bob Harper has to promote “Jennie-O Turkey” and “Milk” on the tv show, but these things were written into his contract before he became vegan a few years ago. It’s unfortunate, but if you follow his Twitter and Blogs, he explains the situation he’s bound to. But regardless…if people think that vegans are just skeletons walking around with skin stretched around their frames from lack of nutrients, all they have to do is look at his amazingly hot body, to realize that yes, vegans can be buff, too!!


So, I got home from work yesterday and set the game up. You build a program for yourself and it helps you in setting realistic and attainable goals, and then gives you the tools to achieve those. Then, you start your first workout with Bob and Jillian. Let me just say, that I was pouring sweat, and we were not even done with the 6-minute warm-up yet! I knew I was in for some trouble at that point! Well, the circuit kicked my ass (although I did start at intermediate instead of beginner), and as soon as I was about to collapse on the floor in a puddle of my own sweat, Evil Jillian tells me that we’re doing the circuit…AGAIN!!! Awww hell no! I honestly didn’t think I could do it, and I was shocked that a video game was really pushing me this hard, but it was! And incredibly enough, I was able to get through the circuit the second time around! I knew I was going to be sore, so I ended with one of the cool-down options, which was 18 minutes of “light” yoga, which was really quite refreshing after the drills I had just been through. Needless to say, I’m feeling every single squat and every single speed-punch today, that’s for damn sure!! And yet, I’m super excited to do it again tonight! Call me fuckin’ nuts, but I actually want to impress my little virtual Bob and Jillian! Hahaha…okay, yeah, that does sound pretty nuts, but it’s true! It’s like I don’t want to let them down!

America's Hottest Trainers...ooooowww!!!

But seriously, if you are looking for a good workout, and want to support a fellow veg-head (and I’ve heard rumors that Bob is beginning to pull Jillian to the “plant side”…let’s hope!), then definitely buy this workout game! I KNOW for certain that if I do this at least 5 times a week, then I’m going to be seeing a different silhouette pretty soon!!

Beans and Birthday Cake!!

Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Me! Happy Birthday to Meeee, Happy Birthday to Me!!

Okay, I had to do it! I’ve been feeling the love all day, so I had to give a little to myself! Yes, today is my birthday. I am trying not to celebrate my birthday so much as I am trying to celebrate the One Year Anniversary of my 25th Birthday, so I’m going to leave it at that!

Anyway, I’ve got an amazing recipe that I threw together yesterday that is probably now one of my most favorite meals! The best part…it’s probably also the EASIEST meal I have ever put together! Seriously, I threw it all in the crock pot before work, and when I came home I had some seriously delicious food waiting for me! If you like spice, and if you like good ole’ Creole food, than you’ll love these…


Spicy Red Beans and Rice with “Bacon”

2 cups of red beans, soaked overnight
4.5 cups of V8 plain vegetable juice
1.5 cups water
½ pack of Lighlife vegan bacon, torn into small chunks
2 cups of brown rice
3 Tablespoons of Garlic Powder
3 Tablespoons of Onion Powder
5 Tablespoons of Crushed Red Pepper (or less if you don’t like it spicy)

Combine rinsed beans, V8, water, garlic powder, onion powder and crushed red pepper in the crock pot. Set on “low” setting and let cook 6-8 hours.
When there is about 30 minutes remaining, mix in your veggie bacon.

Cook rice accordingly at this time as well (I use a rice cooker, but if you use the stovetop, cook according to directions).


Can you believe how simple this is?! Seriously, you don’t have to do ANYTHING and it is absolutely delicious!!! I couldn’t get enough of this, and this makes a very large portion as well, which is great, because I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch today!

So there you have it. The world’s easiest and tastiest vegan recipe for red beans and rice! Although I felt kind of guilty just posting that, especially with it being my birthday and all! This is the first year in a long time that I didn’t bake myself a cake, but I just didn’t seem to have the time. But I couldn’t be without something sweet last night, so I hit up the local grocery store to see what kind of goodies they had. And this is what I came up with:

Super Delicious Chocolate Strawberry Marshmallow Creme Birthday Cake

Basically, its Amy’s Organic Chocolate Cake, which is found in the frozen food section (it is seriously the most moist, rich and delicious cake I’ve ever had!), some vegan marshmallow crème (found in the organic section of my grocer), and some strawberries! Pop it in the toaster oven for a few minutes and experience pure *vegan* heaven!!

(I apologize for the poor photo quality. I have misplaced my camera so these pics were taken on my phone.)

Simple Seitan Stir Fry!

Check out those beautiful vegetables!!

So for all of you calorie-counter’s out there, I created this delicious, and super filling masterpiece last night! It’s quick, simple, colorful, and everyone will love it! And if they don’t, well, then it’s more for you!! I use a rice cooker to cook the brown rice, but if you don’t have one, just follow directions to cook basic brown rice.

Seitan Stir Fry (approx. 3 servings)
1 cup brown rice
1 yellow summer squash, chopped
1 roma tomato, chopped
1 ½ cups chopped broccoli
1 ½ cups green beans
1 cup sliced bell pepper (I used red, yellow and green)
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 cup shoyu or soy sauce
1 package West Soy (or your favorite brand) Seitan (the “strips” work best)

Cook rice according to your rice cooker. When rice has approximately 15 minutes of cooking time left, combine all remaining ingredients in a large wok. Cook over medium high to high heat until seitan browns and veggies are cooked through. Put over rice, and enjoy!

Okay, so that is one of the easiest dishes you can make. The best part about it is it is so simple and fast to make, extremely filling and satisfying and it’s really low-cal! One serving is only 290 calories! Eating healthy never tasted so good!


"Diet" food at it's very best!

A Little Humor for the Day...

"The standard diet of a meat-eater is blood, flesh, veins, muscles, tendons, cow secretions, hen periods and bee vomit.
And once a year during a certain holiday in November, meat-eaters use the hollowed-out rectum of a dead bird as a pressure cooker for stuffing.
And people think vegans are weird because we eat tofu?"

~Vegan bodybuilder Robert Cheeke

The Spanish Diet

In front of one of many beautiful castles in the Spanish Countryside (I'm in the green zip-up...haha)




In 2005, I studied for a semester in Madrid, Spain. To say it was one of the greatest times of my entire life would be an understatement, to say the least! Anyway, when I was there, I came to a very quick realization – there was not a single overweight person. Seriously! And ironically (and sadly) enough, when I saw an overweight family (after about three weeks of living there) it turned out that they were American (or Canadian…they spoke English w/o a British Accent) tourists…and not really from there. I hate to say this, but I couldn’t help but stare. It had been so long since I had seen anyone that was even slightly overweight that I realized how much it really stood out. Now, I’m not saying that I’m perfect by any means, or that there is no such thing as an overweight vegan, but I did realize a lot of things about their culture that I’m certain had a lot of influence on their physiques and overall health.

1. The Spaniards (at least in the city) literally walk everywhere! I can honestly say that I’ve never walked that much in my entire life as I did when I was living there! The walk to school each day was a little over a mile, and I would walk to school, home for lunch/siesta, back to school, and home again five days a week. Not to mention the walking I’d also do going to different shops and just generally exploring. A few miles a day really add up!

2. Meal portions. The first few times that I went out to eat with fellow students (as well as eating what my host “mom” would cook), I felt like I was getting ripped off. Turns out, they just don’t eat out of control portions like we do here! Yes, even vegetarians and vegans are culprit to over-eating at times. This was probably one of the most important dietary lessons I learned there, which was HOW to eat:
•Small breakfast, just enough to get your system started (apple and slice of bread/toast)
•Lunch: soup, small sandwich on fresh bread
•Dinner: soup, grains and vegetables
Now, I discovered a common denominator between eating at home, eating out, and what everyone else was being served at their host homes…soup! These people ate soup at least two times a day, and would eat it before their main meal. Not only is it super yummy and simple, but it fills you up, leaving less room in that growling tummy to be filled up by huge portions and such. This past week, as soon as I began incorporating soup back into my diet 2x/day, I ended up losing 4 pounds. Coincidence? I don’t think so!

3. Rest. It may seem simple enough, but I truly believe that Americans just don’t sleep enough! Every day, the entire city of Madrid literally seemed to shut down between noon and 3:00pm. Stores would close, schools closed, everything closed! People would go home, eat, and “siesta” for a few hours before returning to work! At first, my roommate and I tried to do this, but felt absolutely absurd taking a ‘nap’ in the middle of the day when we could be out exploring! Well, after a few days of finding nothing to do (since everything was closed) we really began enjoying our siesta time. Not only that, but people really value their sleep at night…you won’t find a television in anyone’s bedroom in Spain! And getting enough rest is absolutely imperative in maintaining a healthy weight!


So anyway, these were just a few keys that I discovered while living there that I really try to value each and every day, especially being back in America. Not only this, but these should really be keys to anyone’s life, vegan, vegetarian, or not! These small changes in how we do things can really make huge impacts on our lives!

And, if anyone was wondering what kind of delicious soup I’d made this week, well, here ya go!

Navy Bean Soup

2 cups Navy Beans, soaked overnight
6 cups water
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup V8 vegetable juice
8 oz. frozen green beans
1 cup shredded carrots
4 tblsp. Minced garlic
½ onion, chopped
½ tsp. sea salt
Seasonings/herbs to taste

Pop all these ingredients into a slow cooker for 8 hours on low. Enjoy!



Can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, and can also be frozen! I like to keep some out to have at lunch and dinner before my meal, or even as my main meal, and when I run out, I’ll thaw a batch out to have for the next 2 days or so! It’s super simple, super delicious, and your digestive system will LOVE you!