Puttanesca Tofu Scramble

Sooo if you are new to tofu, or think that it's not your thing... think again. This is absolutely delicious, and incidentally it looks actually very much like scrambled eggs so YAY for a great substitute for breakfast. I first found this recipe in one of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's books... I think maybe Vegan with a Vengeance? Either way, the recipe is available on her website: NOM! 

Whip this up with a side of toast, fruit salad and a big, big cup of coffee. Hallelujah! 

Vegan, Gluten Free Pizza Dough

I cannot tell you what a saving grace this has been for me, it's so quick and delicious that I sometimes can't believe that I'm able to eat it and not get sick! It's also my solution to when I have a leftover can or portion of coconut milk that I didn't need for a recipe (I haaaate wasting canned coconut milk). 

I first was using a paleo Naan recipe from MyHeartBeets but I've really went wild with it to make it fit whatever my purpose is. I don't follow the portions of tapioca and almond flour anymore, I just add some of each until I get the density that I want. For pizza crusts, I add A TON more almond flour and tapioca so that I get a thick, dense batter. 

Essentially the recipe is:

Coconut Milk + Tapioca Flour + Almond Flour + Salt 

You can modify from there: Add some garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley, Cajun Spice, whatever floats your boat! 

I cook it same as in the original directions (So basically like a pancake) and then let them cool before storing in the fridge (or freezer) until I need them. Then you just reheat in the microwave (The hotter you get it, the more floppy it will be) and then use it as a wrap or gyro bread, personal pan pizza crust, etc. 

The crust was pretty floppy but I could still pick up the slices easily, or eat with a fork (but that's how I like my crust anyways). 

Here I added some Earth Balance and garlic powder, sprinkled some Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese on top and microwaved for 2 minutes to make a "white pizza" - YUM! And also a good way to use up the last of my shredded cheese. I'm sure it would be just as delicious with vegan cheese as well - and I'm definitely going to experiment with that in the future. 

The Best Buff Tofu Wings

I've been using this recipe for ages but I wanted to give it the lime light for a second for two reasons:

One, it was one of the first recipes that I tried way back when that made me realize how possible and enjoyable it would be to be vegan.

Two, recently, it was the catalyst to some hardcore bullying that I received that rather took me off guard.

First off, if anyone is interested in having their minds blown and is digging some buffalo sauce: Here ya go. Now mind you, this recipe is in no way a healthy example of a vegan diet but damn, does it hit the spot! If you need some greasy, hot wing goodness - this is your jam.

Look at this majestic pile of battered and fried, hot sauced deliciousness. I cannot even begin to describe how much this satisfied my craving. This recipe is definitely a keeper for life. 

Here I made a salad out of cabbage, carrots, the Toffalo wings and, if I had had time I would have made some sort of mock bleu cheese dressing. Instead I just put a wee dab of Veganaise for a dip and called it a day. It was really great! I'd love to revisit this and make this buff salad fancier in the future. 

Joni Mari is a vegan goddess and I have loved all the recipes created by her that I've made. If you're new to veganism and/or just want some decadent, delish vegan noms - please check out her blog at http://www.justthefood.com/

Remember! Cheekans are for snuggling, not snacking! UNTIL NEXT TIME, MY VEGERINOS! 

Increase Wisdom, Decrease Gluten

I was going back through my blog from 2012 and, while it was an incredible trip down memory lane, there was plenty of cringe-worthy stuff to go through.

First off, I didn't realize HOW MUCH GLUTEN I was consuming on the daily... breads, pasta, seitan (hello pure gluten), veggie burgers, pretzels, bagels, oh my god. No wonder I would wake up feeling fine and by the end of the day I looked like I was 6 months pregnant. I would literally cry on the way home from work because I was so bloated and miserable (and in pain!) without any understanding of why I was feeling that way! It wouldn't be until November of 2014 and a trip to the emergency department before I discovered that gluten and I just weren't meant to be. Looking back it makes sense, I was tired all the time, I slept A LOT, I was depressed, and I had the GI habits of a donkey.

After discovering my pretty significant gluten intolerance (I have never been formally tested for Celiac's Disease and honestly, I don't have any of the hallmark signs), I took a hiatus from my veggie ways and went back to meat, meat and more meat. It was my crutch.. eggs were my only binder for breads.. dairy was safe. But that too made me feel like shit.

It wasn't until I took a step back and breathed, got myself aligned mentally and spiritually, that I could look outwardly at what I was doing with my diet and health and truly improve upon it.

I discovered my love for all things hippie, natural, and pagan. I discovered my keen interest in astrology, yoga, crystals, meditation. Oh my god, meditation - it is the purest and best thing you can do for yourself. Once I took on a more simplistic way of life, it seemed second nature to apply that to my eating habits. Another cringe-worthy moment from my past was how much processed vegan products I was using, trying to mimic a meat-eaters diet with vegan junk.

Sure it was animal free, but it was still highly processed and not real food.

Then it dawned on me... the simpler the better. Some of my favorite foods are naturally vegan/vegetarian.

• Chips and Guacamole 
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches
• Lentil Soup
• Rice and Beans 
• Cheese Nachos 
• Popcorn
• Oatmeal
• Baked Potatoes (any type of potatoes for that matter)
• Salads

I could go on and on...

Not only are these things veg in their natural state, but they're so much more affordable than all of the vegan fake-meats that I was buying. And they sure as hell taste a lot better!

I will always be curious to try new products and will buy them, even if they're a major fail (hello vegan nacho cheese- I'm looking at you!), but time and time again I'm realizing that homemade and simple is the way to go.

For dinner I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, some Brussels sprouts dipped in hummus. I'm completely satisfied, I feel good, no animals were harmed in the making of my dinner, and I am not farting myself into the next galaxy. All wins in my opinion.

So through my time, I hope to collaborate an arsenal of simple, affordable, and gluten-free vegan recipes to keep me satisfied and my conscience clear, and hopefully I will have the time to share my recipes here with all you lovelies! (If anyone's listening, that is).

New Veg Cookbooks!!

So... a very good friend of mine and I have had this running joke that she's going to just deliver me this gigantic box of goodies one day because she's been holding onto not only my Christmas present, but my birthday present as well. She's unfortunately never having the opportunity to actually give me said gifts. This is 100% my fault because during the winter months I become this secluded, unsocial hermit where I just lay around my house in squalor and hibernate all day but, I digress.



Well she finally found the golden, opportunistic moment to bequeath me with my much appreciated loot and WOW does the woman KNOW ME!!

Check this out- vegan/vegetarian cookbooks! The way to this gal's heart for sure.

Now, I am a major dunce at times and thought that the cookbook meant spirited by "Yay! Feisty Vegetarian!" but NO!

NO.... NO... NO...

It's spirited because every recipe has BOOZE IN IT!! BOOZE! I am so jazzed because I'm a firm believer that things are automatically made fancier simply by sploshing a bit of wine into it.

Upon realizing this, I immediately scoured the recipes looking for something that I had all the ingredients for and boom.

It was go time.

 I cannot tell you how many times I've been bummed about vegan/vegetarian cooking simply because it makes some of my beloved kitchen utensils obsolete. Like my gigantic Le Creuset stew pot. When will I utilize such a thing that clearly calls for large stew-making endeavors?  And what stew would I make that would take that long? Or what about braising? I know that there's tons of veggie recipes that call for that but guess what- I didn't have a cookbook to tell me how. 

Until now <3

So...Freaking...Good....

With a yummy side salad 

Happy B-day to me!

So last week was my birthday, I have finally hit that age where I'm no longer excited and spouting the number out like some willy nilly P.Y.T. That's alright though, with age comes wisdom and I'm happy to say I'm finally growing confident and comfortable with who I am as a person- and I dig it.

I celebrated my b-day by going home to visit the family and taking a long overdue trip to Columbus, OH.

Now, some of you are probably thinking that Ohio is just this vast land of cows, Amish people, and factories with NOTHING to do unless you enjoy cow tipping, porch sitting, and pie? (I don't even know what others think of Ohio, I'm sorry that was lame) But you are WRONG people! Dead wrong! Columbus is an amazing, trendy place to be- there's something for everybody. There are tons of fantastic restaurants, awesome shopping centers, college football, we have the arena district, German village, short north (artsy cultural area), a wide variety of club scenes, etc. And most importantly for me, there are plenty of vegetarian/vegan foodies who with them bring along their amazing foodie products into the stores.

They just re-opened the Whole Foods on Lane Ave. and wow is it big and awesome. I was rather indulgent while I was there and I got an entire pound of their vegan general tso's 'chicken', a whole grain baguette  truffle butter, a brick of Italian flavored tofu, 2 chunks of Kerrygold cheddar cheese, some vegan mozzarella teese, and a wedge of Daiya's new(er) chedder style cheese.....

Have you had this? It's awesome! I feel like a few years ago it wasn't even a thing to dare to dream of, a palatable cheese substitute. I eat this crap on everything! Crackers, fruit, sammies, whatever! Now it does say that it melts but... I prefer the shreds for melting purposes, this is great just cold. It's super, super potent in taste though so a little bit goes a long way- same with real cheddar cheese actually. 

After Whole Foods, we attempted to go to the Cabela's store that just opened up, but it was so utterly packed I couldn't handle it. Afterwards we went to dinner and then back to my brother and sister-in-law's to chill and have drinks.

I think it's safe to say that I have this all consuming addiction to cookbooks. I just have to look at them, read through them, and OWN them. It's a sick, sick obsession and I just can't stop. Luckily, my sister-in-law let me borrow one of her vegan cookbooks that she had, otherwise I would have bought it on Amazon by now. 

I let this cookbook fall open in my lap and I was immediately hooked. The recipes are so simple and incredibly cute. The author is a stay at home mom and it's clear that she really loves her kids. I think the book has such a good vibe, she's really devoted to only giving her little girls clean and healthy food, it's refreshing to see parents so interested in their kids nutrition and health. 

Also, there's a recipe in there for something called a crack wrap. Yup. I wanted to try it just because of the name alone. 

It's basically a tortilla smeared with hummus, sprinkled with vegan cheese, and melted into ooey gooey perfection. I can definitely see why she named it as such, it is addicting. Also only 6 WW points! Woo woo! Next time I eat it, I'll take a photo- I was just too dang excited to eat it the first time. Oops. 

Dinner tonight: Chana Masala, an oldie but a goodie in my meat-free recipe bank. 

I'm convinced that no Indian food really is that photogenic, it's just a saucy mess of awesome. Oh well, I apologize for that. 

If you would like to get your chana's on, here's the recipe.

I sub the lemon juice with a can of lite coconut milk to really give it that full, rich curry flavor I so desperately love. Oh, I also let the said coconut milk reduce for 10-15 minutes on high.

If you split that recipe into 4 servings, it's 7 WW points incidentally. 

That's also lunch tomorrow- yay for not having to strain myself packing! 

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

So... it was kindly brought to my attention by a dear (and encouraging) friend that I hadn't blogged in over a month!! Feeling sheepish, I posted a quick snippet of my review of October's Yumvelope, but that was weak in comparison to my typical posts. I.. am.. a slacker..

I do this, I do this and then I berate myself (clearly). I get in a good rhythm, do something diligently, then I take a break (such as vacation) and never get back on the wagon. I did it with flossing too! I flossed for like 6 months straight, went on vacation, and then forgot to start flossing again. Now now, I started back up so don't get all "ew" on me.. According to dentists, no one flosses anyways.

But, I digress, now back to the topic at hand. I'm back to wanting to blog again but I have some new things I need to add to my regime.

I recently saw some alarming pictures of myself on facebook and realized that I needed to drop some lbs post-haste before this got anymore out of control. So I joined (re-joined) my trusty weight loss plan- Weight Watchers!!

It is seriously the only commercial program I've found where people consistently and efficiently lost weight and I highly recommend it. They take the effort out of tracking your food intake and I have to admit- it's so fun adding the food and exercise to my list!*

One snafoo about this whole thing is, I swear that they penalize carbohydrate intake and reward lean proteins (ei. boneless skinless chicken breast). This makes for a tough, tough time for a vegan or vegetarian. Now some of you might think I'm crazy because the fruits and vegetables are free, but I swear that the nuts, beans, seeds etc. are higher points than their meat equivalents in protein (due to higher fat and carbohydrate I'm sure) so it's tricky meeting your protein needs.

So anyways, my point is, I'm going to valiantly search for WW friendly vegetarian/vegan products and also come up with some decent meals that don't blow your WW budget and are also vegan (or just about).

I'm sure some of you could argue that simply switching to a vegan diet helped you with weight loss instantly but, unfortunately for me, I'm a big snacker and I need to work on portion control- ergo, I use weight watchers.

Anyways.. wish me luck!

Liven' on the Veg

So by the way, if you're ever vacationing in Long Beach Island, NJ, they have the most amazing vegan restaurant right there. In fact, it's the only vegan restaurant on the island- good thing it's so good! 

It's called Living on the Veg which I have to say, being an Aerosmith fan, I totally dig the name! 

It's located on 2613 Long Beach Blvd in Beach Haven.  

It's kind of small, not much seating (especially if it's raining, then you might just want to get it to go). The menu is absolutely impressive however, they have fresh smoothies, fresh pressed juices, wraps, burritos, blue plate specials, salads, sammies, and other hearty entries to satisfy that raging appetite you'll have worked up after laying on the beach all day! 

The menu was a long board above the cash register so I did my best to take a picture of it in two parts... 

My mouth is watering reading over the menu again, I wish I had a place like this in Pittsburgh!!

 

Daily specials..

This sounded so delicious!! I wanted to get it, alas we went around lunchtime, no worries though I had tons and tons to pick from still! I wanted to eat it all!

Also- I would like to point out that any restaurant sporting Bragg's as a condiment is immediately a four star place to eat in my book. 

After much deliberation, Mike and I decided on the Smooth Operator smoothie to split. It was so fruity and sweet and the soy milk added gave it a delicious creaminess, we were sucking this down in minutes!

I ordered the Buffalo Caesar wrap which was in a word, divine. I have dreams about this dish sometimes. The tofu soaked up all the delicious hot sauce and the caesar dressing on it was just perfect. That, mixed with crunchy, fresh romaine lettuce this wrap was perfection in itself. 

And don't even get me started on the potato salad.... I'm broken-hearted that I can't have that everyday. I don't know what they use for dressing on it, but it is literately of the gods. I have half a mind to call them and beg them for the recipe. 

Mikey got the Southwest burrito with a side of coleslaw.  I really dug the coleslaw also but I think he liked my potato salad better, it just had that extra zing of flavor. 

The seitan was very flavorful and cut into bite size pieces so that it was evenly distributed throughout the burrito, and the rice on it was delicious. I took a bite or two but it was so spicy, I couldn't take anymore. Mike, who could eat a jalapeno whole without blinking an eye, thought it was perfect. I liked that it also had black beans in it- love me some beans. 

Take out items, I still kick myself for not grabbing a pint of that amazing potato salad. Sorry for the crappy photo, I was in a hurry.. boo! 

So if you're into healthy food, vegetarian/vegan food, or heck just freaken' good food and you're in the LBI area- you have to stop by Living on the Veg or you will forever regret it and I will put a voodoo hex on you. Don't think that I wont, I actually have a voodoo doll.. 

Mom's Cucumbers & Onions

Now, my mom's a little bit leery about some of my vegan concoctions.  She still loves to call my seitan "satan." Well, little did she know one of her favorite summer dishes is already veggi-fied. Thanks for the recipe mom! 

Mom's Pickled Cucumbers and Onions
6 c. thinly sliced cucumbers
2 onions, sliced thin
1 3/4 c. sugar
1 c. cider vinegar
2 Tbsp salt
1 tsp celery seed (optional)

1. Layer cucumbers and onion in container
2. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, vinegar, and salt
3. Pour liquid over cucumbers and onions
4. Let soak at least 24hrs before serving

Seriously, it's not summer at my house until we've made a big batch of these.... 

The Most Amazing "Chicken" Fingers Ever

Blargh, Mondays come way too soon and this one was particularly harsh.  I feel like I could sleep for another two days straight and I'd be happy.  For some reason, today I was a little mopey and craving some comfort food like nothing else when I got home from work.  I needed some fried chicken finger-esque food- pronto.  I didn't have any ready-made "chicken" nuggets handy, so I had to use my imagination and a little elbow grease.  And if I do say so myself, wow did I do a good job!! 

I know they don't look outstanding in this photo due to my poor photography skills, but they were so juicy and tender - I couldn't even believe it!  Drizzled with "honey mustard" (hint: yellow mustard + agave nectar),  these things really hit the spot. 

Also in photo: Lipton taco rice, Romano beans with sauteed garlic, and my mom's cucumbers & onions recipe. 

And because I'm nice, I'll share: 

Veg-tastic Fried Chicken 

1/2 c boiling water

1/2  vegan chicken bouillon cube (I used Edward & Sons) 

1/2 c TVP (textured vegetable protein)

1/2 c pancake mix, dry (I used Pamela's baking and pancake mix) 

1/2 tsp garlic powder (or to taste)

1 tsp nutritional yeast (or to taste)

2 Tbsp vital wheat gluten 

1/3 c bread crumbs 

1 tsp olive oil 

olive oil for pan 

1. Place vegan bouillon cube in glass measuring cup and add boiling water, stir until bouillon is completely dissolved.  Add TVP to broth, stir to combine and ensure all kernels are wet.  Cover with plastic wrap and soak for 10 minutes. 

2. Pour bread crumbs onto a plate or shallow bowl and set aside (we'll use this for breading the chicken strips later). 

3. Add pancake mix, garlic powder, nutritional yeast, and vital wheat gluten to the TVP and mix well.  Drizzle in olive oil and work through dough (I used my hands).  Coat your hands in olive oil to prevent dough from sticking to you! Dough should be sticky and want to clump together easily, add more wheat gluten if it's too runny or more water if it's dry and crumbly. 

3. Form dough into desired shape such as patties or thick strips, make sure you squeeze the dough firmly to remove any holes or air and prevent cracking during cooking.  Roll in bread crumbs to coat completely. 

4. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your liking to a 10 inch pan and let it heat up for 2 minutes. Add chicken fingers.  Saute until golden brown on all sides, drizzle in more olive oil as needed to prevent sticking and to get that delicious golden color. 

5. Prepare to be amazed. 

Serve with ketchup or honey mustard 

Yield: around 6 chicken strips 

Yay for leftovers, there were enough chicken fingers left to take for lunch tomorrow!! 

Thursday & Friday Updates

Well I've been out of commission for the past few days and decided I'd better get cracken' before I get too far behind. This past weekend (June 30th to be exact) was Mike's sister's wedding. We went to Boston for the weekend, heading out on Friday.  I was, in a word, pathetic about taking pictures, something I definitely need to work on when I'm traveling. But wait, don't let me get ahead of myself... 

This was dinner on Thursday night. Unfortunately, it looked way more delectable in person. I was trying to make a pseudo nicoise salad. This is red lettuce topped with tuna, green beans, capers, blue potatoes, onion, and avocado. I drizzled balsamic vinegar on top and sprinkled on some chives. 

Super, super yums. I'll definitely be making this again. Also- I LOVE BLUE POTATOES! My papaw gave me some when I was younger one time and I've been in love with the pretty lil spuds ever since. 

Dessert was a big bowl of bing cherries with a night of Nurse Jackie. I freaken' love that show! 

Look how pretty and shiny the cherries are... yuuumm.... 

Friday morning we packed up all of our things, took Razor to puppy daycare, and scrounged around in our fridge for any remnants of food.  Mike had eggs and leftover chicken, I had half a bowl of oatmeal and some bread with hummus on top. They weren't even worth taking pictures.

After we got to the airport, I was a wee bit peckish so I got a bag of my ultimate, most favorite, "It's so good I don't care to feel guilty" treat..... 

And proceeded to eat the entire bag (well Mike helped).

This poor bird kept walking around the gate area looking utterly confused.  Clearly he missed his flight.

Our flight to Boston was stress-free and super easy- no complaints here! Once we got in, we took a cab to the hotel and relaxed for a bit.  The rehearsal dinner wasn't for a few hours so we ran over to Dunkin' Donuts and grabbed some sammies and iced coffee.  Oh wow, is their iced coffee delicious.. On our way back into the hotel with goodies in hand, one of the old ladies going to the rehearsal dinner was like, "You know dinner's at 6, right?" 

Yes, I know, thank you for reminding me about the dinner we flew specifically in for, but seeing as how I haven't eaten in 5-6 hours and am currently famished, you'll have to excuse me that I'm eating 3 hours before another meal. We can't all be 70 and eat one meal a day, sorry.  Also, who sits in a lobby, completely dressed and ready for dinner, three hours before the dinner.

So, after eating our sammies (I got a tuna melt, Mike got a breakfast sandwich) we dressed for dinner and went to the lobby to wait for Mike's parents to come down... 

We waited..... 

and we waited... 

Hi- still waiting. Haha. Oh my. 

The rest of the night involved riding the T, taking a subway, walking through China town. All in heels because I thought we were taking a cab. Not fun. 

Dinner was fantabulous, it was at a Chinese restaurant (well duh, we were in china town) but I forget the name of it.  I was too hot, tired, sweaty, and out of my element to take pictures but it all ROCKED. 

To be continued...

Wow....

I am seriously at a loss for words right now- I think I just created something so delicious it is akin to....crack. I guarantee you're going to see me on an episode of Intervention, bowl of this concoction in hand, sobbing  about how no one understands while my mom reads me a letter she wrote about how she feels the banana ice cream is taking over my life. 

Where upon I will break out in a fabulous rendition of Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and be signed onto some major label recording company where I will be madly famous for my soulful voice and upbeat rhythm. I will then move to LA or NY and eat delicious vegan food from here until eternity and never gain weight. See? This stuff is making me hallucinate- it is a drug!!! 

This picture is frustratingly underwhelming- the flavor is so epic I can't even begin to explain... 

Recipe 

Serves 2: 

2 frozen bananas 

2 Tbsp peanut butter 

1-2 Tbsp vanilla soy milk 

1 tsp agave nectar (optional, but if you're using natural peanut butter I highly recommend) 

Toss everything in your food processor or high power blender and blend until well combined. 

Optional additions: chocolate chips, walnuts, dried fruit, peanuts.. skys the limit. 

Enjoy!! You're going to be head over heels I'm telling ya!! 

Again with the madness...

I'm gonna be really glad when my coworker comes back from maternity leave. I miss her and being short staffed sucks. I'm too tired to be witty. I'm going to go watch Friends... and Ghost Whisperer. 

For dinner last night I had a vegan Caesar salad (again!) with smoked eggplant.. noms... 

For dinner tonight I had BBQ'd seitan, collard greens & black eyed peas, and a side salad. NOMS! 

No pic. 

I stink, I know.