Epicurean Vegan

Healthy eating for discriminating palates

Fruit Salad with Herbs and Coconut July 31, 2011

Filed under: Sides — epicureanvegan @ 3:55 pm
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

I usually don’t get excited over fruit salads, but this one has some of my favorite fruits and tossed with a tangy dressing that says anything but boring!

INGREDIENTS:

Dressing:

1/8 C lemon juice

1/8 C espresso-flavored balsamic vinegar

1/8 C sunflower oil

A few dashes of nutmeg

3 Tbs fresh basil, chopped

3 Tbs fresh mint, chopped

The rest:

2 C jicama, bite-sized cubed

16-oz container of strawberries, diced

1-1/2 C blueberries

4 kiwis, peeled and diced

2 mangoes, peeled and diced

1 C walnuts, chopped and toasted

1 C coconut

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the dressing ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, combine the fruit. Pour the dressing over the fruit and stir well to combine. Stir in the coconut and walnuts. It’s that easy! Enjoy!

 

A Look Back July 29, 2011

When it’s time to plan meals for the week, I sometimes rely on some old favorites of mine. When looking back on my recipes, I always come across yummy ones I’ve forgotten about. I thought I’d bring these oldies, but goodies to you.

Appetizers

Party Cheese Ball

Stuffed Mushrooms

Mustard Greens and Cheeze Filo Pie

Avocado Bruschetta

.

Breads

Pesto Potato Bread

Blueberry Muffins with Crumb Topping

Home-made Pita Bread

Chive-Flecked Spud Muffins

.

Side Dishes

Israeli Couscous with Pine Nuts & Parsley

Easy, Creamy Pasta Salad

Baked Fries with Sea Salt & Truffle Oil

Easy Cole Slaw

.

Soups

Eggplant Parmagiano Stew

Vegetable-Barley Soup

Vegetable-Barley Chili

.

Lunch

Smoky-Miso Tofu Sandwiches

Garden Wrap

BLTA with Tempeh Bacon

Green Tea Rice with Lemon, Snowpeas & Tofu

.

Breakfast

Quinoa-Couscous Cereal with Dried Fruit

Colorful Kale and Potato Casserole

Hash Brown Casserole

Home-made Granola

.

Dinner

Sweet Chili-Lime Tofu

Breaded Zucchini with Lentils and Rainbow Chard

Angel Hair Pasta with Mushrooms & Ricotta

Spinach & Tofu Calzones

Spinach & Pesto Lasagna

Fresh & Healthy Soft Tacos/Burritos

Pecan-Crusted Seitan

Field Roast with Fresh Blueberry Sauce

.

Desserts

Glazed Chocolate-Avocado Cupcakes

Chai-Spiced Berry-Oatmeal Cookies

Cheeze Danishes

Sunflower-Cherry Oatmeal Bars

 

Fruit and Nut Energy Bars July 29, 2011

Filed under: Snacks — epicureanvegan @ 10:28 am
Tags: , , ,

I came across these all natural energy bars on Oh She Glows. I made a couple of alterations like using almonds and sunflower seeds instead of walnuts, and using brown rice flour instead of kamut flour. They are chewy, crunchy, a little bit sweet, and ideal for on-the-go. They’re also great for munching on while you’re hiking. The only thing I found was that they didn’t hold together very well for cutting them up. I think part of it, is that I used too small of a pan even though I went with the size recommended in the original recipe. I suggest using a shallow baking sheet, not a 8″ baking dish.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 C brown rice flour

1/8 tsp baking soda

1/8 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C brown sugar

1 C almonds, toasted

1/2 C sunflower seeds, toasted

1/2 C dried cherries or craisins

12 dates (about a cup), pitted and chopped

1 C apricots, chopped

1 flax egg: 1 Tbs flax meal + 3 Tbs warm water

1 Tbs almond milk

1 tsp vanilla

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350. Line a 9″x13″ baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Toast the almonds and sunflower seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring often until golden brown. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the nuts and fruit.

Combine the flax mixture with the vanilla and let it sit for 10 minutes. Add the flax meal and almond milk to the dry mix and combine well. Spread the mixture onto the prepared pan. You can press down pretty hard—I would say until the mixture is about a 1/2″ thick.

Bake for 33-35 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool for 10 minutes.

Return it back into the pan and place in the freezer for another 10 minutes. Remove from the freezer, cool for 10 minutes and then cut into squares. I’m not sure what the rationale behind this cooling process is, especially since they still fell apart a little when I cut them, but that’s just what the recipe says to do . . .

No matter how they’re cut, they’re delicious. Enjoy!

 

The Ultimate Veggie Burger July 28, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches — epicureanvegan @ 12:35 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

This truly is the ultimate veggie burger! The recipe comes from Oh She Glows and is nutritious, healthy, and all-natural! They’re simple to make and the flavors mesh really well together. I also liked the crunch that the nuts provide; not a mushy burger at all. The original recipe makes 8 burgers, but I halved it, so below are for 4 burgers.

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 C onion, diced (I used red onion)

1/2 tsp minced garlic

1-1/4 Tbs flax meal + 1/4 C warm water

1/2 C oats, ground into flour

3/4 C breadcrumbs (I used panko)

1/2 C grated carrot (This, I would grate pretty small-I shredded it and I think next time I’d chop them up more)

1/2 C black beans, mashed (but still a little chunky)

1/8 C fresh parsley, chopped

1/4 C almonds, chopped

1/4 C sunflower seeds

1/2 Tbs olive oil (I used 1/4 tsp)

1/2 Tbs tamari

3/4 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

4 hamburger buns

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a small bowl, combine the flax meal and warm water. I’m sure you could also use egg-replacer powder if you don’t have any flax meal. Set it aside for 10 minutes. This is a good recipe to have all the ingredients chopped and ready to go before proceeding. In a small skillet, heat the olive oil and garlic. Add the onion and cook until tender. In a large mixing bowl, combine the onion, flax mixture, oat flour, bread crumbs, carrot, black beans, parsley, almonds, sunflower seeds, and tarmari. Stir in the seasonings.

With slightly wet hands, shape the mixture into patties and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 16 minutes, flip them over, then bake another 16 minutes.

The guys had theirs on buns with ketchup, tomato and avocado slices. I had mine sans the hamburger bun.

Enjoy!

 

Raw Alfredo with Zucchini Noodles from Vegangela July 25, 2011

Filed under: Dinners,Lunches,Raw — epicureanvegan @ 10:38 am
Tags: , , , , ,

I saw this recipe from Angela at Vegangela earlier this week, and it’s all I could think about. I had to wait until the reboot was over since it contains cashews. She came up with the sauce based on the creamy cashew sauce. Using non-pasteurized miso will make it raw and I think zucchini makes ideal noodles. Thanks for another amazing recipe, Angela!

INGREDIENTS:

4 medium zucchinis

1 C raw cashews

3/4 C water

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

salt & pepper, to taste

1 Tbs light miso paste (optional)

2 Tbs nutritional yeast (optional)

Fresh basil (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Soak the cashews for minutes in water. While that’s going on, remove the peel of the zucchinis. Using a peeler, peel the zucchinis from one end to the other, rotating until the core is too small to peel anymore.

Next, grind the cashews in a food processor to a fine consistency. Add the other ingredients and blend until fairly smooth.

You can mix the noodles with the sauce or spoon it over them. Top with some fresh basil and enjoy!

 

Reboot Wrap-Up July 24, 2011

Filed under: My Vegan Life,Snacks — epicureanvegan @ 4:57 pm
Tags: , , , ,

So I did about 6.5 days of the reboot and I feel GREAT! I won’t lie . . . it wasn’t easy, but it was well-worth it. I’ve lost about 6 pounds, too. This reboot is a great way to jump start you into healthier eating habits. As much as I loved my vino, I actually didn’t miss it since there were so many other things I couldn’t eat. I discovered new foods and learned to love those green smoothies every morning. I also really loved this mango-strawberry-pineapple-avocado smoothie:

This morning, we headed over to one of our favorite restaurants, The Rainbow.


Restaurant breakfasts can be tough since most items have egg, milk and meat in them. But The Rainbow offers some great vegan items.

As you can see . . . about 98% of the vegan items on the breakfast menu are under “Light & Healthy.” Hmmm . . . what does that tell you? ;) Anyway, I usually get Dan’s Groatmeal. It’s amazing! It’s a bowl full of oatmeal, granola, fruit and you can order soy milk to go with it. I highly recommend it! Oh—and they also make a vegan coffeecake that is to die for!!

One thing this reboot taught me, was that I needed a new blender. Mine sucked. I had an old Hamilton Beach and the only good thing about it, was the pitcher was glass. That’s how old it was. Anyway, I went shopping at Bed Bath & Beyond and after talking with the electronics guy who went through all the specs of all the blenders, I settled on the Ninja.

This thing is amazing and highly satisfying to use. For $80 (I used one of their 20% off coupons), it comes with a 1000 watts and features a vertical 3-blade system. It crushes ice like nobody’s business. When I fired it up to make smoothies for a picnic this afternoon, The Husband remarked that it sounded like a jet plane taking off. The Seventh Grader joked, “I thought ninjas were supposed to be quiet.”

Mango-Strawberry-Cherry smoothies

For the picnic, I also made some hummus and crock cheez and instead of eating them with bread or crackers, we brought cucumber slices, celery, and yellow & red bell peppers with us.

We also picked up some noodles with sesame oil, cucumber, and cilantro from Whole Foods.

It’s been a delicious day . . . and Moe enjoyed the picnic, too.


 

Day 5 of Reboot, Plus More Recipes July 22, 2011

It’s the morning of day 5 of my Reboot and I feel great, especially since I’m even down 5 pounds! I definitely don’t feel as weak and tired as the last few days, not as hungry either. Mentally, I feel clearer and less foggy–able to concentrate longer. Last night we went and saw Harry Potter and we usually go for some popcorn . . . I know, terrible (btw, did you know (according to the latest VegNews mag) that a large movie popcorn–without butter–is 1,050 calories?!) Anyway, the boys finished a vat of popcorn before the movie even started, but I wasn’t tempted to eat any. Wow. That never happens! I’m determined to continue this reboot through Sunday and after that, I plan on making a lot of changes, such as no alcohol, little oil, little gluten, and very little processed foods. That’s the goal at least.

Yesterday, I had a class at the NCW and then worked in the studio for the afternoon, so I needed to come prepared. With salty snacks and soda in the fridge just ten feet from me, I had to arm myself with good food. I made a salad, packed some jicama, yellow bell peppers, and mushrooms and dipped them in dressing. The dressing recipes are from the JointheReboot site. Having both dressings changes things up—it’s great so that you don’t get sick of one.

Ginger-Honey (Agave)-Soy Dressing  and  Agave-Mustard Dressing

Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Ginger
2 Tbsp. Minced Fresh Garlic
2 Tbsp. Raw Honey (I used agave)
4 Tbsp. Nama Shoyu or Tamari
4 Tbsp. Olive Oil

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

Mustard-Agave Dressing

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp. Rice Vinegar
1 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbsp. Agave Nectar
1 Tbsp. Honey (I used agave)
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
1/4 Tbsp. Sea or Celtic salt
1/8 Tbsp. coarsely Ground Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a shaker.

For dinner, I made sweet potato “fries” also from the Reboot site. They were delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

1 large sweet potato, peeled, cut into sticks or crescents

1 tsp olive oil

A couple pinches of sea salt

A couple pinches of black pepper

A couple pinches of cumin

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425. Combine the sweet potatoes with the rest of the ingredients and coat well.

Layer onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or foil. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

I also made lettuce wraps:

INGREDIENTS:

1 can water chestnuts, drained and chopped

5-6 mushrooms, diced

1 avocado, diced

1/2 a large tomato, diced

2 Tbs diced green chilies

3 scallions, sliced

Large lettuce leaves

Ginger-Agave-Soy Dressing

Optional: fresh mint, basil, or cilantro

Combine all the veggies and top the lettuce leaves with a couple of spoonfuls of them. Drizzle with the Ginger dressing. So good!

So this morning . . . I find that fruit smoothies are the easiest way to start the day. I blended up a mango, 1/2 a cup of fresh cherries (I removed the pits first) and about a cup of water. Awesome.

So, I’ll keep going and continue to try different recipes. I’ll keep you posted on my progress—thanks for traveling along with me!

 

Day 3 of Reboot, plus Potato-Spinach Soup July 20, 2011

Filed under: My Vegan Life,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 6:25 pm
Tags: , , , , , ,

So the first three days of a reboot are usually the worst. You’re hungry, tired, and usually suffering from headaches. You may even feel like biting someone’s head off. Just remember, feeling lousy is actually a good thing when detoxing—it means your body is expelling toxins (just try to refrain from murdering anyone).

Today’s been a good day. Yesterday . . . not so much. The Husband was ready to force feed me a burrito or two, but I mashed up an avocado with some lime juice and ate it with a handful of jicama. I admire folks who can do the all-juicing fast—I think I’d keel over after two days of it. Luckily, the reboot I’m doing allows me to eat fruits and veggies in addition to the juicing. I am also allowed to use small amounts of oils and spices. My mid-section is noticeably smaller and I’ve dropped two pounds already. No complaints there!

I started the day off with a kale-strawberry-mango smoothie. The reboot does not include nuts, so when I’m fully rebooted, I think some chia seeds would be ideal in this.


Ok, it may not look appetizing, but it is truly my favorite smoothie! Give it a whirl: 5-6 kale leaves, 5 strawberries, 1 mango, and 3/4 cup of water. Blend until smooth. :)

After munching on salad mid-morning, for lunch, I needed something with some girth. A warm meal sounded great, too. I remembered my Potato-Leek Soup recipe, but it’s not quite acceptable for the reboot as it is . . . so I gave it a reboot of my own.

The original recipe calls for Earth Balance margarine and milk, so I needed to get creative. I added mushrooms to give it that thick and creamy texture and I also threw in some spinach. I incorporated a sweet potato and used a tablespoon of coconut oil instead of butter. LOVED it! It was exactly was I was needing to fill me up and satisfy my comfort food cravings—all with staying within the reboot guidelines!

INGREDIENTS:

1 Tbs coconut oil

1 large sweet potato

1 tsp garlic, minced

3 medium russet potatoes or 6 small Yukon Gold potatoes, diced

2 large leeks, sliced thin, then halved

2 cups mushrooms, quartered

1-1/2 to 2 cups fresh spinach leaves

5 cups water or low-sodium vegetable broth

salt and white pepper, to taste

fresh chives

DIRECTIONS:

In a large soup pot, melt the coconut oil and add the garlic. Saute for a minute. Add the leeks and saute 5-7 minutes, or until they soften.

Add the potatoes and broth/water; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes soften.

Working in batches, ladle into a food processor and add some mushrooms and spinach. Puree until smooth-ish. Transfer to a large bowl. Continue to puree the rest of the soup, adding mushrooms and spinach. Season with salt and white pepper and top with some freshly chopped chives. This was out outstanding and I didn’t miss the milk, cheese, or sour cream that the original recipe uses.

Layer, I threw together another tasty smoothie: 4 kale leaves, 1/2 a small cantaloupe, 1 pear (peeled and chopped), and 3/4 C of water.

I snacked on some salad, munched on some jicama and cherries, and for dinner, I had some more of the leftover potato-spinach soup and decaf herbal tea. I have several more recipes geared up for the next few days, so I’ll be bringing those to you soon. All in all, I feel pretty good and its get easier as I go. The key is planning. Be armed with recipes and ingredients. I recommend planning your meals in advance and spending some time chopping vegetables up ahead of time so that it’s a matter of just grabbing them when you need them. Lack of planning can easily derail you from the reboot!

 

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples, Mushrooms & Sage July 19, 2011

Filed under: Dinners — epicureanvegan @ 8:14 am
Tags: , , , , ,

I found this recipe from the Reboot Your Life website, but I made some changes. First, I reduced the oil from a whopping 6 tablespoons to a 1/4 teaspoon!! I also added the apples, which gave these a sweet and savory flavor. The recipe also calls for salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes, but I wanted to let the flavors of the ingredients to speak for themselves—no need for the sodium!

INGREDIENTS:

2 acorn squash, cut in half and cleaned of innards

1 tsp garlic, minced

1/2 C red onion, diced

1 grannie smith apple, diced

10 mushrooms, diced

2 (heaping) Tbs fresh sage

1/4 tsp olive oil

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 450. Brush the cut side of the squashes with the olive oil. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Bake for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the garlic with 2 Tbs of water. Add the onion, apples and mushrooms. Saute for 7-10 minutes, or until the veggies soften. Stir in the sage.

I transferred the squashes to a baking dish which made it easier to stuff them without them falling over. Stuff with the apple-mushroom mixture.

Bake for another 10 minutes and enjoy!

 

Quick Gazpacho Soup July 18, 2011

Filed under: Lunches,Soups — epicureanvegan @ 1:03 pm
Tags: , , , , ,

This refreshing soup is great not only for the summer, but for a reboot, too! You can actually juice these ingredients, but I decided to use the food processor.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped into big pieces

2 celery stalks, cut into large pieces

1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces

1/4 C red onion, chopped

1/2 C fresh parsley

1/2 C fresh cilantro

Salt and pepper (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Add the onion, bell pepper, parsley, cilantro, and celery to the food processor. Process until smooth. Add the cucumber and tomatoes and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, if you’d like. Enjoy!

Makes about 5 cups.

 

 
Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 205 other followers