Moo Shu Veggie Tofu

I’ve gained five pounds since coming home from my MFA residency. There are so many sources of blame, but the most likely factor is my horrendously weak willpower coupled with an undying love of Chinese food. No kidding, last night I was on the phone with my best friend since elementary school and I noticed a crumpled piece of paper on the floor. It was the fortune from a fortune cookie.

My metabolism started to slow after I turned 29. I’m 31 now and can’t seem to eat at the same pace I once did without needing to purchase terrifying undergarments made of spandex.

This aggression will not stand.

Tonight I learned that I can make my own Chinese-inspired food in the same amount of time it takes to wait for the delivery dude. My homemade meal comes with lots of fiber and protein – but no fortune cookie.

Serves: 4

What you need:
1 cup quinoa cooked with one teaspoon minced garlic
1 package tofu, cubed
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped broccoli
1 cup chopped red pepper
1/2 cup chopped white onion
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
8 teaspoons hoisin sauce

What to do:
Cook quinoa and garlic according to package directions. Saute the tofu in sesame oil on medium heat. Add mushrooms once the tofu firms up (after about five minutes). Add broccoli, carrots, red pepper, and onion once the mushrooms soften. Add soy sauce and saute until everything cooks, but stays crunchy. Add scallions a minute before turning off the heat. Divide everything into four bowls and serve on top of 1/3 cup quinoa. (I save the leftover quinoa to add to soups, stews, or salads.)

Top each bowl with two teaspoons hoisin sauce and toss until mixed. Enjoy.

Chick Pea Herb Wraps With Artichoke Butter

I’m not sure how this happened, but Carl talked me into going to a minor league baseball game this weekend. This will be the fourth baseball game I’ve attended in 31 years of life. I plan on smuggling in a book, headphones, and some yummy plant based sandwiches that are perfect for Labor Day plans of all varieties. I’ve already made big Monday afternoon bike ride plans for the leftovers.

Serves: 4

What you need:
1 can artichoke hearts
1 can chick peas
1 jar roasted red pepper strips
2 cups of spinach
1/4 onion, minced
2 tablespoons fresh green herbs (basil, parsley, or tarragon)
1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 whole wheat tortillas

What to do:
Drain artichoke hearts and puree in a food processor to make the artichoke butter. (I used my mini KitchenAid.) Set aside. Drain and wash chick peas. Mash them in a bowl with a fork. Add olive oil, juice of one lemon, herbs, onion, and stir. Set aside. Spread one or two tablespoons of artichoke butter on a tortilla. Layer with 1/2 cup spinach, a few strips of roasted red pepper, and about 1/4 cup of the chick pea mixture. Repeat until you have four yummy wraps.

Slow Cooker Summer Lentil Soup

Cool breezes are greeting me each morning when I walk Dobby and Scout. While I’m sad to see summer leave, I'm looking forward to fall hikes in the Catoctins. Last week I dreamed up a recipe that reflected the transition between summer and fall. This lemon and thyme infused lentil soup takes less than 30 minutes to prep and requires almost no effort because it cooks in a slow cooker.

Serve with a green salad, roasted summer vegetables, and multigrain bread – or whatever you like. Cut down on prep time by using pre-chopped onions, carrots, and celery.

Serves: Between 6 and 8

What you need:
3 cups chopped lentils
9 cups water
Two cubes of Rapunzel vegan bouillon – I use low sodium.
1 onion, chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 cup baby Portabella mushrooms
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes, julienned and not oil-packed
3 cups spinach
Juice from two small lemons
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp dried tarragon
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. dried thyme


What to do:
Combine everything but the spinach in a slow cooker and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours, depending on the strength of your slow cooker. Add the spinach 30 minutes before you are ready to serve. The soup is ready when the lentils have softened and the vegetables are cooked. Don’t let the lentils get all mushy.

Super Carrot Zucchini Oatmeal

It’s carrot and zucchini time at the CSA and our Friday evening pickup inspired me to throw together Super Carrot Zucchini Oatmeal on Saturday morning, while I killed some  time between dealing with our move, walking the furballs, and taking Scout Boo Radley to his obedience school graduation. The powers that be awarded him a diploma, even though I had to drag him on his belly during the processional – Scout saw another boxer mix/potential wrestle mate on the way down the aisle. Then he saw some squeaky toys ...

Kathy Hester’s Carrot Cake and Zucchini Oatmeal from The Vegan Slow Cooker inspired this recipe. I substituted pumpkin pie spice for the cloves and nutmeg because I had it on hand. I also used soy milk and walnuts instead of coconut or rice milk and pecans.

Not to be a martyr, but I grated the veggies by hand. Feel free to use a food processor to save time and avoid unnecessary bleeding.

I tripled Hester’s recipe and have to say that I felt like a superhero after finishing my breakfast. This oatmeal and fruit salad have seen me through a few long bike rides, runs, and tug-of-war dog walks in the past few days. What more does a girl need from her plant-based breakfast?

Serves 6

What you need:

1. Slow Cooker
2. 1.5 cups steel-cut oats (I used Trader Joe’s ‘cause they’re cheap)
3. 3 cups non-GMO vanilla soymilk
4. 5 small carrots grated
5. 1 zucchini grated
6. 2 tsp. cinnamon
7. 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
8. 6 tablespoons Grade A maple syrup
9. 6 tablespoons chopped walnuts

What to do:

• Combine everything in the slow cooker crock and cook on low. Hester recommends 6 to 8 hours. I have a KitchenAid Slow Cooker and was finished in four hours.
• Top bowls with a tablespoon of nuts.
• Serve with a delicious fresh fruit salad – whatever’s in season. I’m loving apricots, peaches, blueberries and raspberries right now. Scout's loving the leftover carrots.

Pumpkin Spinach Black Bean Quesadillas

We're in the middle of another move, so what better time to relaunch this blog? I'll try and post new recipes and photos at least once a week. I don't know if I'll ever be 100 percent vegan again, but am aiming to eat a vegan diet as much as possible. More on that in another post.

Made these quesadillas last night. Felt full and had a good run this morning, minus some mild heat exhaustion toward the end. The best benefit? This morning I only needed two cups of green tea to feel awake. Generally, I drink between four and five cups. Don't judge, please.

Hope y'all enjoy this meal as much as I did. I served the quesadillas with asparagus sauteed in one teaspoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of minced garlic, and a bit of lemon. Also, mashed up an avocado with half a lemon and a teaspoon of cilantro. Those cute orange slivers are apricot slices.

What you need:

• Six whole grain tortillas
• 1 14. 5 oz. can organic pumpkin
• 1 14. 5 oz. can black beans (rinsed well)
• Six cups spinach
• 1/2 white onion, chopped
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• cookie sheet

What to do:

1. Saute onions in olive oil. Add spinach once onions soften. Cook until spinach reduces, but is not wilted. Add garlic and remove from heat.
2. Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of a tortilla.
3. Spoon two tablespoons of pumpkin onto the tortilla and spread into a thin layer.
4. Top with two tablespoons of the spinach/onion mix, followed by two tablespoons of black beans.
5. Fold the tortilla in half and press down lightly to flatten.
6. Place tortilla on a cookie sheet.
7. Continue steps 1 through 6 with the remaining five tortillas.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn quesadillas over after 15 minutes and bake for another fifteen minutes on the opposite side.

Salted Caramel Crispy Rice Treats

My diabetic mother humored me by making me Rice Krispies Treats on occasion. Okay, she made this sugary "snack" only when I begged, pleaded, and kicked my feet like a lunatic suffering from narcotics withdrawal.

Between working full-time as a medical professional, raising two daughters, and battling a chronic illness that eventually claimed her life, my mother had no time for cooking. Even a recipe as simple as blending cereal with melted marshmallows and butter proved more than she could handle.

When I learned how to cook and do my own laundry toward the end of elementary school, I made my first batch of Rice Krispies Treats, and felt like I had crossed the magical threshold of Adulthood.

Today, as an actual adult who cares deeply about animal welfare and diabetes prevention, I had to give up this so-called snack that is made with ground-up bits of animal skin and bones.

But a few months ago, I discovered a vegan recipe for a rice cereal dessert in Alicia Silverstone's new book The Kind Diet. I modified Alicia's recipe this weekend by adding two teaspoons of cinnamon and two teaspoons of ground flaxseed.

While Salted Caramel Crispy Rice Treats aren't as crunchy as their nutritionally-inferior cousin, I am confident they would win any taste test, hands down.

What you need:
1/2 a bag of brown rice cereal, which you may find in the cereal aisle of most grocery stores
1 3/4 cups of brown rice syrup
3/4 cup of natural crunchy peanut butter
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ground flax seed, which you should be able to find in your grocer's baking aisle
a 9 X 13 pan or glass dish
a large glass or ceramic bowl

What to do:
Pour cereal into the ceramic bowl and set aside. Heat the brown rice syrup over medium heat and add salt. When the syrup starts to bubble, add the peanut butter and stir vigorously. Add the cinnamon and flax seed, and keep stirring until the sauce thickens. Pour the sauce over the cereal and stir until well combined. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to transfer the mixture to the pan; flatten and allow to cool for about an hour. Cut into squares and serve.

Eat Your Veggies: An Impromptu How-To Guide

I don't want to be the Stacy London of the blogosphere, you know, that person who is always telling other people what to eat and what not to eat.

For this reason, I adore the historian James E. McWilliams, who refuses to "preach" a "patronizing list of eating dos and don'ts" (117) in his book Just Food, which is the book that solidified my veggie monogamy.

Because I've done my research on veganism and environmental sustainability, I believe Williams when he writes that "if the world continues to eat meat at current rates, there's simply no way to achieve truly sustainable food production" (120). We can't save the world, or feed the world for that matter, if we keep eating meat at each meal. Something has to give, and that something is the meat-centric Western diet.

If you can't go vegan, at least consider doing your best at vegetarianism as often as possible.

McWilliams, who confesses to eating the occasional chicken (and loving it) suggests that Americans should conceive of meat as the "new caviar" (117). By all means, eat meat. Yet when you eat meat and other animal products, appreciate such food for what it truly is: a precious natural resource. Then, eat meat rarely.

If you want to embrace a veggie-based diet, start small. Do not immediately give up meat altogether. Begin by eating vegetarian meals twice a day. Remember, vegetarians generally eat eggs, dairy, and fish. Vegans do not eat any of the above.

Each week, allow one day in which all meals are vegetarian. When you feel ready, substitute a vegan meal for a vegetarian meal a couple of times a week. In a few months, you may want to substitute two vegan meals for the vegetarian meals, as you consider eliminating animal-based meals altogether from your diet.

At a time when you feel most confident in your ability to maintain a vegan diet, transition fully to veganism. Give yourself permission to eat animal products on occasion, as you would caviar.

Below you will find a grocery list for stocking a vegan kitchen.

Grains
quinoa*
couscous
whole wheat pasta (check to make sure eggs were not used)
cornmeal
whole wheat flour
unbleached, stone ground all-purpose flour
milled flaxseed (also makes a great egg-replacer)
slow-cooking oatmeal (the perfect breakfast)

Beans, Legumes, and Soy Products
black beans (canned or dried)
red beans (canned or dried)
garbanzo beans (canned or dried)
kidney beans (canned or dried)
pinto beans (canned or dried)
lentils (red, yellow, or brown)
black-eyed peas
split peas
edamame
tofu
textured vegetable protein*

Canned and Bottled Items:
diced tomatoes (organic and low-salt)
pumpkin
sundried tomatoes
kalamata olives
tahini paste*
natural nut butters*

Dried Fruit and Jam:
raisins
dried plums
dates
shredded unsweetened coconut
natural fruit jam (no-sugar added)

Nuts and Seeds:
almonds
pecans
walnuts
cashews
sunflower seeds
unhulled sesame seeds*
raw pumpkin Seeds*
natural, no-sugar nut butters*

Oils
olive oil
coconut oil
safflower oil
grapeseed oil

Sweeteners and Baking Ingredients:
grade-A maple syrup
brown rice syrup*
baker's chocolate
grain sweetened carob chips*
grain sweetened chocolate chips*

Top Five Spices
cinnamon
turmeric
cumin seeds
smoked paprika
crushed red pepper

Top Five Herbs
basil (purple and green)
cilantro
dill
parsley
thyme

Veggies We Buy Often
acorn squash
baby spinach
butternut squash
broccoli
carrot chips (carrots sliced into discs)
cabbage (red and green)
cauliflower
cucumbers
kale
eggplant
mushrooms
peppers (red, yellow, orange)
radishes
red onion
seaweed chips*
sweet potatoes
red potatoes

Fruit We Buy Often
frozen strawberries
frozen blueberries
frozen peaches
apples
avocado
bananas
grapefruit
grapes
mango
pineapple
strawberries

*You may have the best luck finding this item at a health food store.

Top Five Books For Compassionate Foodies
James E. McWilliams: Just Food:Where Locavores Get It Wrong And How We Can Truly Eat Responsibly
Jonathan Safran Foer: Eating Animals
Karl Webber: Food, Inc.
Michael Pollan: In Defense of Food
Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung: Savor