Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Back to Basics

I made a facebook page today, so thank you so so so so much to everyone who has already liked it. And those of you who have not... 
http://www.facebook.com/naturallyhealthyplease
do it please!!! :)

Eating and cooking more naturally means making simple dishes with quality ingredients. Combining these ingredients with flavorful spices is what makes food fun and interesting. It can be really easy if you learn a few basic methods. I realize that my recipes are a little vague sometimes, and I assume that most people can understand them, but for a lot of people reading, you may just be starting to explore cooking and glossing over specific steps can make following my recipes confusing (I guess not everyone watches the Food Network or reads recipes as much as me). So I'll tell you now what I mean when I say "julienne" or instruct you to make a roux. Plus, I'll tell you a couple simple methods that you can use for pretty much anything to make a complete meal.

Prepping for your dishes:
I don't like to waste food and throw stuff away unnecessarily so I don't generally peel my veggies unless I have to. A good scrub under running water usually does the trick.
"Julienne" is a term I use mostly for fresh basil, although it can refer to anything cut in small, thin strips. Basil just looks so pretty this way and leaves ribbons of flavor running through your food (technically it's called a chiffonade, but who's being technical??).
"Mince" means chop it up as tiny as you can. I do this for garlic, onions sometimes, or peppers.
Anything else can just be sliced or chopped to a uniform size. When chopping, I usually try to make about 1 inch cubes so everything cooks evenly.

Actually cooking:
To boil something, turn the heat up to high and wait until you get big, rolling bubbles through the pot.
To simmer means to make little tiny bubbles.
When heating oil, always start with cold oil in a cold pan and then turn the heat on. If the oil starts to smoke, it's too hot. It should just start to ripple and become less viscous and more liquidy when you move the pan around. Be careful when you add things to hot oil. Adding water makes the oil pop and sends little drops of hot oil shooting from the pan and onto you. Ouch.
Sauteeing just means adding the food to a little hot oil and cooking it to your desired doneness. It's important that the oil is hot so it's just used to keep the food from sticking and not to be absorbed by the food. Always keep an eye out when you're cooking, it's easy for stuff to burn at this stage. If you're going to add salt, this is a good time to do it so the moisture is released from the food (don't do this with mushrooms or eggplant, they'll get tough).

How to cook rice, and other grains, perfectly every time:
I just learned how to do this. I used to burn the rice every time I tried to make it, but when I actually had a little patience and took the time to read instructions, I figured out that cooking rice is the easiest thing ever. Add 2 1/2 parts water (or other cooking liquid) to a big pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 part rice (or other grain like barley, oatmeal, or quinoa) and immediately bring down to a simmer by turning the heat down to medium low. Cook until all the liquid is absorbed and your grain is tender. For brown rice, this is about 30-40 minutes. For oatmeal, it's only about 5 minutes. If you use this method, you will never have burned rice!

How to cook pasta:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a little salt to the boiling water. Drop your pasta in the water and cook according to package instructions. Check to see if it's done by tasting it (not by throwing it against the wall).

The cheater's way to steam veggies:
I get a little lazy when it comes to steaming veggies. It's a real hassle to boil a pot of water and precariously perch your veggies above it without them touching the water. So I often use this method. Just put your veggies in a pan and add a few tablespoons of water. Turn the heat to medium and cover the pan with a lid. Stir the veggies often so they don't stick, and make sure there's always a little water in the bottom of the pan. Cook until tender.

How to roast anything:
This method works for everything: veggies, potatoes, chicken, whatever. You can leave the food whole or chop it into bite sized pieces (I chop my veggies and potatoes, but leave chicken, fish and tofu whole). Turn your oven on to 400 degrees. Put whatever you're going to cook in a big bowl. Add a couple tablespoons of oil, just barely enough to coat your food. Add salt and pepper and whatever other seasonings you choose. Fresh herbs for veggies, cayenne and cumin for potatoes, mustard and basil for chicken, lemon and dill for fish, for example. Get creative and mix and match flavors. Spread your food out in a baking dish in a shallow, even layer. Baking until cooked through. I would start checking after about 20 minutes for most things.

How to cook dried beans:
Cooking beans yourself can save you a lot of money but it can be a daunting task. The first time I bought beans in bulk, I had to do a lot of research to figure out how to cook them. I cook mine in 1 cup batches now to last me about a week. Put the dry beans in a large pot. Cover them with water and let them soak overnight. The next day, drain the beans. In the pot, make a layer of cut vegetables. Keep them in big chunks so you can fish them out later. I use onions, garlic, bell pepper, carrots, celery, and a sheet of seaweed. Then add any other spices you want to use. Add the beans to the pot in an even layer. Add just enough water to cover. Put the lid on and turn the heat on high. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn down to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, about 40 minutes.

Basic vinaigrette:
Add 1/2 cup of acid (either vinegar or citrus juice), 1 tbsp mustard or honey (to emulsify the dressing), add any other seasonings you want to include. While whisking, slowly pour in 1/3 cup olive oil.

Combining a couple of these methods tonight, I made a yummy dinner. I brought 1 1/4 cups water to a boil and added 1/2 cup brown rice. About 10 minutes before it was done, I added a chopped sweet potato to the pot with 1/2 cup cooked pinto beans. When it was done, I stirred in 1/2 cup salsa. This made about 3 servings. I had this with some faux steamed baby kale. 2 cups of baby kale cheater steamed like I described above. I finished it with a little red wine vinegar and a drizzle of olive oil.  Yummmm :)
nomnomnom

That's all I can think of to clarify now, but let me know if I'm missing anything!


Thursday, July 26, 2012

Well Now I Have Diabetes...

Today I was a busy little bee baking some yummy chocolatey treats. I started off making some vegan birthday chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting. While I was making them, my silly little Mexican roommate came down to "help." He kept telling me I needed to use "real" ingredients and throw an egg in there. Also, he wanted brownies. So I told him I would make him "real" brownies. I lied. We went to the grocery store, and he meandered through the aisles on one of those electric wheel chair carts with his broken foot (too funny!!!). I came home and started to bake some more. I tried to make them vegan and whole wheat but he caught me halfway through. They're still mostly vegan, and it would only take 1 substitution to make them completely vegan. So here it goes... my recipe for diabetes in a day.

Chocolate Cupcakes With Chocolate Frosting
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup vegan sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed
1/2 bag vegan chocolate chips2 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners. In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let that sit while you get the other ingredients together. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Combine the oil, almond milk mixture, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of the batter in each cupcake liner and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely.

For the frosting:
2 cans of coconut milk, left in the fridge for at least 2 hours (it will separate into butter and water)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 bag chocolate chips

3 tbsp chocolate almond milk (you can use regular, but I had some chocolate leftover)

Using a double boiler (simmer some water in a pan and put the chocolate chips in a bowl over the top of the pot, careful to not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl), melt the chocolate chips and almond milk together until smooth. Take the chocolate off the heat and allow it to cool slightly. When the coconut milk has separated, add the butter portion to the melted chocolate. Add the powdered sugar, and using an immersion blender, blend ingredients until thick and creamy. Put the frosting into a zip-top bag, and cut a corner off the bag. You may need to put it in the fridge or freezer for a couple minutes if it starts to melt. Pipe some frosting onto each cupcake. 


This was seriously the best frosting ever. It's light and fluffy and just sweet enough. And there was some leftover!! (I may or may not have licked the spoon)




Diabetes Brownies
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups vegan sugar
1 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup water
1 cup vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 bag chocolate chips
3/4 cup chocolate syrup, divided (to make these vegan brownies, make your own chocolate syrup with some melted chocolate chips and enough almond milk to make it smooth)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9x13x2 pan. Sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, and baking powder in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. In a separate bowl, mix the butter, water, 1/4 cup of the syrup, and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the pan and spread it out to all the corners. Pour the remaining syrup over the top and mix it slightly with a wooden spoon so you have ribbons of chocolate syrup (heaven). Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 


Daniel topped his with some chocolate and vanilla ice cream (I tried to trick him into buying the low fat one, but he caught me) and more chocolate syrup. I practiced a little self-control (ok not that much because I went back for seconds), and topped mine with coconut milk ice cream. Delishhhh. He even agreed that they were amazing even though they were whole wheat and there were no eggs. He kept limping around the kitchen telling me he would throw an egg in the batter (he's going to be pissed when he sees that it was vegan butter muahahaha).

I feel like I am going to vomit from all the sugar I just ate, but it was worth it. Yummy!!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Flavor Combos For International Cooking

A really good way to add flavor to food without adding calories is with spices. Spices and seasoning add interesting dimensions to your food so you don't get bored eating the same bland foods. Different combinations add different international flavors to your food so you can get creative and take your meals all around the world.

I came up with the idea for this post while I was cooking my beans for the week. I cooked chickpeas and pinto beans and added spices to each pot. Although I added some spices to both, I added different ones to try to create two distinct flavors. It's amazing how you can take a couple flavors and combine them differently to really change how they taste together.

Here I'm including a short list that just covers the basics. I feel that it's easier to buy a couple basic spices and mix and match those, but feel free to buy more exotic flavors and experiment.

Mexican:
Mix and match cumin, oregano, cayenne, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro, and cinnamon to make yummy southwestern flavors.

Italian:
For Italian cooking, include seasoning like basil, parsley, oregano, garlic, and red pepper flakes.

Mediterranean:
For Greek flavors, it's all about freshness. Lemon, garlic, fresh oregano, dill and mint are great for those dishes. For other Middle Eastern dishes there's a smokier, deeper flavor with things like cumin, cayenne and dried oregano.

Indian:
For an exotic Indian dish, use things like cumin, tumeric, cinnamon, garlic, ginger, cilantro, red chili paste, and saffron. You can accent with coconut, sesame, and peanut butter. Other Asian flavors are pretty similar with a couple little tweaks.

Salt and black pepper and garlic and onion pretty much go with everything. I always try to add something fresh at the end of cooking too. So if I'm making Italian, I'll stir in some fresh basil at the end. Or I'll finish a batch of hummus with a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Feel free to mix and match any of the above flavors. There's really no set rule that says you have to stay in one country while cooking. That's what I love most about cooking. You can do whatever you damn well please. And you should. Happy cooking everyone :)

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

How To Stretch Your Healthy Dollar

Eat This Not That recently tweeted that it cost something like $3 a day to eat junk food and $36 dollars a day to eat healthy. I don't know where they got that statistic, but it is true that eating healthy can be more expensive than the dollar menu. Luckily, there are some ways to stretch your dollar a little further.  Buying healthy groceries and preparing them in a super savvy way can help make eating healthy a little bit more reasonable. Here's how I do it!

Plan ahead:
Make a tentative menu of what you want to cook, and shop with those ingredients in mind. Don't buy more than what you can use before it will go bad. Making your food at home will let you control what goes in to your food and save you lots of money.


Make your own:
If you're avoiding buying junk food and frozen dinners, you're already saving money, but by making things from scratch like soup, baked goods, and sauces, you can control the quality of the ingredients and the price tag. Making soup and pasta sauces is really easy, and if you have a crock pot, they practically cook themselves. And I've already shown you a lot of recipes for these! Eating at home is wayyyy cheaper than eating out, and if you make big batches, you'll always have leftovers for cheap, easy meals.

Prepare your own:
It may seem convenient to buy pre-sliced or chopped vegetables, but it is much more cost effective to chop them up yourself. This is why one of my time saving tips (from a previous post) is also a money saving tip. As soon as I get home, I chop up my fresh veggies and pack them in water in plastic bags so they are just as convenient, and it takes just a little longer. I also cook my own beans and rice, rather than buying canned or frozen products.

Grow your own:
If you have the time, space, and patience to grow your own vegetables, these foods are practically free! I don't have much of any of those things, but I do manage to grow my own green onions. I'm going to try really, really hard to grow my own herbs again (I always end up killing them), and I found some really easy ways to grow other veggies. I'll get around to it one day. ;)

Avoid waste:
Planning ahead will help avoiding some waste, but using every part of your food will help too. After you've prepared all your veggies, you can save the ends of carrots and celery, the ends and skin of onions, mushroom stems, or tough ends of asparagus or broccoli stalks. You can throw all these in a pot with some water and salt and make your own vegetable stock. You can do the same thing with bones and leftover pieces of chicken, seafood or meat too. If you are really ambitious, you can make compost with leftovers. Or you can save the leftovers, and have someone pick it up to make compost (like Project Angelfaces if you're in Las Vegas!!) They do all the work, all you have to do is put the food you were going to throw away in a different bin. This way, if you recycle too, you'll have practically no waste!!

Buy in bulk:
I buy things like beans, rice, flour, oats, bread, pasta and meat (when I buy it for little bro) in bulk. The beans and grains keep forever, and the bread and meat can be frozen. This way, I can buy stuff when it's on sale and only buy what I need, rather than buying a pre-packaged product. These are really cheap products and can be inexpensive building block to your meals.

Pick your battles:
Buying everything organic is really impractical with the expense and the small selection at most grocery stores, but there are some things that you should definitely buy organic. These foods are called the "Dirty Dozen" and have the highest level of pesticides. These foods include (in order of chemical content): apples, celery, bell peppers, peaches, strawberries, nectarines, grapes, lettuce and other greens,  cucumbers, blueberries, potatoes, and green beans. Luckily there's the "Green Fifteen," the foods that have very low levels of pesticides and can be bought conventionally: onions, corn, pineapples, avocados, cabbage, peas, asparagus, mangoes, eggplant, kiwi, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes, grapefruit, watermelon, and mushrooms. A good rule of thumb is if it has a thick skin that you peel or don't eat, it's ok to buy it conventionally. If it has a thin skin that you eat, buy organic. More good news is that there are some foods with very little price difference between organic and conventional. The beans that I buy in bulk, for example, are the same price for organic or conventional and are only 99 cents a pound, rather than $2.50 for a can of organic cooked beans. Celery, carrots, potatoes, and greens are all only a little more expensive for organic varieties.

Avoiding junk food and animal products will save you money too! I hope this helps you all live a little healthier for a little bit less. :)

Monday, July 23, 2012

What If Plants Have Feelings Too??

I just finished reading a really awesome book called The Gradual Vegetarian. It didn't really teach me anything new, but it did open my eyes to a few different styles of eating that minimize animal products. Every person is different in their wants and needs in a diet, so naturally, there are many different ways to customize a plant-based diet based on the individual desires. The most important thing I got out of this book is that you don't (and shouldn't) make drastic changes all at once. Small changes, a little at a time, will be easier to stick to and will leave you feeling less deprived. So today, I wanted to go over the different philosophies of vegetarian eating, and give you a little insight on mine. 

If you are a meat eater, that's totally cool. I was for most of my life. Everyone's interests are different and it's really no one's decision but your own as to what you choose to do with your body. Which brings me to my next point: I am getting sick and tired of people criticizing the way I choose to eat. First of all, what business is it of yours if I eat meat or not? I enjoy eating healthy food, and having a diet that limits animal products. Second of all, when I do indulge in something that's not completely healthy, I don't need to hear your crap about it. Most people eat like that all the time, so one exception from me is not that big of a deal. I will eat as I please. And to answer the nagging smart ass question that often comes at me, if plants did have feelings, then I am still hurting less feelings by eating less animal products. It takes much more plant material to produce a pound of meat than it does to produce a pound of plants. So suck it. 

I really do enjoy healthy food. I get so much satisfaction over making a delicious, healthy meal, and sharing it with others. I get really excited over making good food taste good, and feel like I'm doing good towards my body. When it comes  down to it, you really are what you eat, and I would like to fuel and nourish my body with good, healthy food. What I believe that is, may be different from what you believe. If everyone had the same opinion on what was a healthy diet, there would not be a billion dollar industry based on the latest diet fads and superfoods. There are a few different types of vegetarian philosophies I'm going to tell you about, but this is not an exhaustive list, and none of them are set in stone. You can feel free to combine different aspects of several of them to create a plan that is best for you. 

The first type of vegetarian is the most traditional, lacto-ovo-vegetarian. This type of person does not eat meat, but does include dairy and egg products. Some may also include seafood. This diet is easy to follow, and is very versatile. You can take most traditional dishes and change them up a little bit to create a meal that fits this plan. There are tons of options for you if you are eating out as well. 

The next type of diet is the vegan diet. This plan eliminates all animal products, including dairy, eggs, and less obvious items like red food dye (made from beetles, yuck), and honey. This takes a lot of getting used to and may prove difficult to follow, when dining out. But you can find substitutes for pretty much anything. There are some soy products that taste just like the real thing (tofu hot dogs are delicious). 

Another, less known, type of diet is a macrobiotic diet. Macrobiotics are not strictly vegans, or even vegetarians (a traditional macrobiotic diet includes fish), but it can accommodate a vegan or vegetarian diet. This type of diet focuses on the balance of yin and yang in your food. Yin foods are considered expansive foods, foods that grow quickly, grow in warm environments, foods that are stimulating (spicy food, alcohol, caffeine). Yang foods are those that are contractive foods, those that grow in cold climates, salt, meat. Whole grains, nuts, and seaweed are said to be very balanced foods. This diet focuses on whole grains, unprocessed foods, and combinations of food that are easily processed by your body. Major meals should consist of a dish from each of seven categories (one dish can represent more than one category): soup, grain, bean, cooked vegetables, salad, pickle, dessert. Meals are simply prepared, and a beverage is taken after your meal is complete. There is much, much more to this diet that I can't really explain in a few short sentences, but if it is something that interests you, do some research to better understand it. 

Food hygienists are another group of vegetarians (some do actually eat meat, but again, it accommodates a vegan or vegetarian diet). This is based on not only what foods you eat, but how you eat them. It is a diet based on food combinations. Foods all fall in to a specific category, and are eaten in a specific way. Fruit is only eaten with other fruit (and melon is not eaten with anything else), no protein is eaten with starch, no fat is eaten with protein or starch, and green vegetables can be eaten with anything. It is suggested that fruit be eaten for breakfast, vegetables plus a starch eaten for lunch, and vegetables and protein eaten for dinner. 

I combine a few aspects of all of these diets into my life. The way I choose to eat, is to basically follow a lacto-ovo-diet, with most of my meals striving to be vegan (there are a few slip-ups every once in awhile). I take cues from the macrobiotic viewpoint by avoiding processed food as much as possible. I don't specifically use food combining, but I do usually eat just fruit for breakfast. My ultimate goal is to follow a vegan diet that follows most of the macrobiotic principles. 

Following a specific diet this way is difficult and takes planning, but it doesn't have to be boring. I hope that I have shown you how healthy food can be delicious in my previous posts. Eating healthy is an investment in your future and in your well-being. I always feel much happier after I have eaten a light, healthy meal, than I do after I have gorged myself on something unhealthy. I just made a couple batches of some macrobiotic staples and I'm really excited. I'll let you all know how it turns out!! :)

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Spicy Broccoli and Three Vegan Desserts!!!

Wednesdays are my absolute favorite day of the week. It's my day off, I can sleep until 3 in the afternoon if I want, and I don't have to wake up early the next day. Today my glorious day consisted of reading, hot pilates, and of course some cooking!!!

The first thing I made was some spicy coconut broccoli stir-fry. I was feeling super lazy, but I wanted something healthy-ish that was easy and reminded me of Chinese takeout. So I came up with a 10 minute tasty dinner. (Ok, I had it for lunch too.) I've actually had it three times in the past two days. Super yummy.

Spicy Coconut Broccoli Stir-Fry
1 serving whole wheat udon noodles (in the Asian foods section of the grocery store, they're sold in bags with three little single-serving bundles)
2 cups broccoli
1 clove garlic, minced (I actually grated mine in)
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce (I was lazy and used store bought, but you can certainly make your own)
2 tbsp coconut water
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Grated frozen lemon to taste


Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. Cook the noodles until just underdone. Cook the broccoli with the garlic, and red pepper flakes in the oil until just cooked through. Add the teriyaki sauce and coconut water. Drain the noodles and add them to the pan with the other ingredients. They will finish cooking and absorb all of the yummy sauce. I also had some curried, sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds that I threw in at the last minute. They added a crunchy smoky, element that went perfectly. Then grate some frozen lemon over the top. (In a previous post I mentioned this. Now I keep a lemon or two in the freezer and grate it over everything.)

After I ate my stir-fry, I of course had to have something sweet, so I decided to make some vegan cupcakes!! I wanted something light and refreshing so I decided on a lemon-ginger cupcake. They're delicate and sweet and light and moist and sooo good!! And, it only took about a half hour to make them.

Vegan Lemon Ginger Cupcakes
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup vegan sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut oil, warmed
2 tsp vanilla extract
zest of 1 lemon
1/3 cup ginger lemon simple syrup (leftover from my green tea, just heat 1 cup water with 1 cup sugar, zest of 1 lemon, and 2 tbsp chopped fresh ginger for about 10 minutes, then strain it)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners. In a small bowl, combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and let that sit while you get the other ingredients together. Sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda and baking powder in a large bowl. Combine the oil, almond milk mixture, vanilla and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Pour a little less than 1/4 cup of the batter in each cupcake liner and bake for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. When they are hot out of the oven, drizzle each cupcake with the simple syrup. Let them cool completely.

For the frosting:
1 can coconut milk, left in the fridge overnight (it will separate into butter and water)
1/4 cup ginger lemon simple syrup
grated frozen lemon

When the coconut milk has separated, put the butter in a large bowl. Combine with the simple syrup and blend until thick and creamy. Top each cupcake with a little frosting and then zest the frozen lemon over all the cupcakes. Yummy!!! :)




Now for a bonus recipe!!! These are my all time favorite, always requested, easy peasy dessert. They are a variation on the peanut butter cups from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. I made them once and they were so good, I make them all the time now.

Vegan Peanut Butter Cups
3 cups vegan chocolate chips
1/3 cup almond milk
1 cup crunchy peanut butter
1/3 cup vegan butter
1/3 cup vegan sugar
3 brown rice cakes
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Slowly melt the chocolate and the almond milk over a double boiler. Make the rice cakes into crumbs in  a food processor. I usually use graham crackers, but as I finished making my crumbs today, the bottom of the magic bullet broke and spilled them all over my floor, so I improvised and these turned out just as yummy. Melt the butter, peanut butter, sugar and rice cake crumbs over low heat. Line 2 cupcake pans with 18 cupcake liners and fill each one with just enough chocolate to cover the bottom of the liner. Then add about a tablespoon of the peanut butter mixture on top of the chocolate. Then top with the remaining chocolate. Then put them in the fridge to cool. Then try to fight off everyone that tries to steal them.


Bonus bonus recipe!!!! (Don't you feel lucky)

This one is easy and pretty tasty too. In fact it's so easy, I feel like I'm cheating by even saying it's a recipe.
Vegan Chocolate Chia "Pudding"
1 tbsp chia seeds
1/2 cup chocolate almond milk

Combine and refrigerate overnight. Maybe top it with a little coconut frosting?!

Consider yourselves spoiled for all that I've shared with you!! ;) Enjoy! I'm going to get back to my super busy night off of reading and cuddling with my dog.

Thursday, July 12, 2012

I must really like you guys...

Maybe I'm just giddy with my blog getting over 1000 views today (yay!!!!), or maybe I'm feeling extra generous today, but I'm about to present you with the best gift you've ever received... The recipe for my world famous lasagna (ok, maybe not world famous, but statewide recognition at least. My recipe hasn't traveled to all the corners of the Earth yet so they don't know). This recipe has been begged for, praised by picky relatives, and has brought on one or two marriage proposals. This would be a great dish to impress a mother-in-law or something. Plus, it's loaded with veggies, and really pretty healthy for how decadent it is. So I'm a little hesitant to share because then I won't be needed to make it, but what the hell, I'm in a good mood. And trust me, it looks way more complicated than it actually is. You can even make it ahead of time and just pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat.

This was adapted from a recipe of Giada's on the food network. I never actually looked at her recipe, I just watched her make it, but the only thing it really has in common with mine is that there's spinach inside and it's rolled in little jelly rolls. Mine is a much healthier, guilt free version. In my opinion, food tastes better when you don't feel bad about eating it.

Lasagna Rolls
1 box whole wheat lasagna noodles (I like the ones with the curled edges because they look really pretty when you roll them.
1 10 oz. box frozen spinach, defrosted
1 15 oz. container low fat ricotta cheese
1 12.3 oz. box extra firm silken tofu, pureed (oh, don't turn your nose up, you can't even taste it!)
2 cups low fat mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1 egg
2 green onions, chopped (see my previous posts to grow your own like I do!!!)
1/4 cup fresh basil
salt and pepper to taste
Full recipe of cream sauce (below)
2 cups marinara sauce (you can use store bought if you must but it's super easy to make your own with the recipe below!!)


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cover the bottom of a large glass baking dish with the cream sauce. Boil the noodles until they are just barely underdone. I cook them for a minute under what the package says. Drain the water out of the spinach. I put it in a clean dish towel and wring it out, then break it up a little. Combine the ricotta, tofu, spinach, egg, 1 cup mozzarella, 1/4 cup parmesan, green onions, basil and salt and pepper in a mixing bowl. Lay the noodles out on a cutting board and spread each one with 2 tbsp of the ricotta mixture. Roll each one up like a jelly roll and place them in the baking dish. Top each roll with a little marinara, a little mozzarella, and a little parmesan. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10 minutes until the cheese barely begins to brown. Now this is the most important step, but it's the hardest... You have to let it sit for at least 10 minutes before you eat it so everything can set together. Patience is a virtue, my friend. After 10 excruciating minutes, you can dig in.



This recipe easily doubles or triples for parties, and leftovers freeze well (not that there are ever leftovers). I'm not just saying this because it's my recipe, but it's the best lasagna I've ever had. Some lasagna comes out bland or too salty or mushy, but this is perfect. Plus, the little rolls make portion control easier. I've had a few people tell me it's better than their mom's or grandma's which really makes me happy because everyone thinks their mom cooks the best.

For the cream sauce:
4 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 tbsp oil, butter, or butter substitute (I used Earth Balance)
2 cups almond milk (I used to use regular milk which works fine, but I never have it on hand, and I don't feel like buying it and having it go to waste just for this. Plus the almond milk adds a nutty complexity to the sauce)
1 cup vegetable broth
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter, or heat the oil in a pan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add the milk and whisk until everything is well combined. Turn the heat down to low and cook for about 10 minutes until it's thickened up. Add the nutmeg and salt and pepper, and all finished!!

For the marinara sauce:
60 oz. each diced tomatoes and tomato puree (it doesn't have to be exactly 60, just whatever you can get close to with the size you are buying)*
1 large onion, diced
1 large bell pepper, diced (I buy the tricolor peppers already sliced and frozen so I don't waste them, so I ended up using about a cup of those)
1 1/2 cups diced mushrooms
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano**
1 tsp dried parsley**
1 tsp dried basil**
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup dried basil
2 tbsp fresh parsley

Start off by heating the oil in a pan. Add the onions and peppers and cook over high heat until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook until the mushrooms have released most of their water. Add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper and cook for an additional 2 minutes. If you are going to add meat, at this point, you would brown 1 lb. of ground meat and add it to the veggies to cook through.
Meanwhile, Add the tomatoes and the dried herbs and remaining salt and pepper to a crockpot. You can use a large pot too, but this is so easy and you don't have to worry too much about stirring it. It practically cooks itself. Add the sauteed veggies to the tomatoes and cook for at least 4 hours over low heat. The longer it cooks, the better it tastes so up to 8 hours on low heat is great. About 30 minutes before it's done, stir in the fresh herbs.


This makes a ton of sauce, which I love to keep on hand for all kinds of stuff. You can use it as pizza sauce, over pasta, over spaghetti squash, for eggplant parmesan, the possibilities are endless. Just freeze it in small containers so you don't have to defrost the whole thing every time. When my brother was younger and we lived together, he was really picky about eating veggies so this was a great way to sneak them in. You can chop up spinach, zucchini, eggplant, pretty much anything and sautee it with the rest of the veggies and they'll never know. I also did that when I made him meatballs, and he said they were the best meatballs he's ever had. Little did he know, they were 75% veggies with a little ground turkey to bind them. Muahahaha. I also used to stir in a can of pureed pumpkin to the sauce when I made it in the winter, and it was so good!! It made it really rich and creamy. Just make sure you don't buy pumpkin pie filling, that could be gross. For lunch today I had zucchini with marinara. Yum!!


*If you can, buy the tomatoes in jars rather than cans (or make your own). The acidity of the tomatoes reacts with the lining of the can to create a nasty chemical called BPA that you do not want in your food.
**I would normally suggest fresh herbs, but dried herbs have a different flavor than fresh, and, in this, they have a really rustic earthy flavor that reminds me of when my mom and dad make spaghetti. The fresh ones at the end add a brightness to the sauce.

We had a little girls night tonight so I served my lasagna with salad, sauteed zucchini, foccacia bread and angel food cake with strawberries, chocolate, and ice cream!!!
Nomnomnom

The chocolate sauce was super easy. Just melt a cup of chocolate chips and 3 tbsp of coconut milk. So good!!

I hope you enjoy the gift I have given you today. And thank you all so much for reading! I really appreciate it!! :)

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

How to Cure a Hangover

I apologize to anyone I texted, called, or saw on Sunday because I was a hot mess. A serious shit show. But, I had a great time, so I'm not really that sorry. However, Monday morning made me want to die. Luckily, I've been in this situation once or twice, so I've perfected the art of the hangover cure.
Ok, this was Sunday, but it's pretty much how I felt on Monday...

Preparation is key. If you're going to be drinking, make sure you have something in your stomach, and you're not already dehydrated when you start drinking. And if you can, drink some water and eat something before you go to sleep (pho in Chinatown open 24 hrs).
Vegan pho at 4 in the morning.


The first thing you have to do is rehydrate (after you brush your teeth and get the taste of shame out of your mouth... while you're at it, you probably need a shower...). I drank a ton of water and some coconut water too. You are really dehydrated after a night of drinking so you have to replenish fluids as well as electrolytes. Potassium is super important for this so I ate a banana too.

Next, no matter how much you want to puke, you have to eat something! Thank goodness I live right down the street from the best breakfast place ever, so that step is easy. As much as you want to eat something greasy and bad for you, it will just make you feel worse, so try to eat something healthy-ish. Stay away from anything super sugary too. It always gives me the worst headache. Try eating a little fruit with your breakfast. The free radicals that are created when alcohol is broken down need antioxidants to be eliminated.  Vitamin C will help too, so eat some grapefruit, or drink some orange juice. My go to hangover breakfast is the veggie crepe with whole wheat toast and grapefruit from Egg Works. Bomb. Is it bad that the waitress knows me there? Like she legit has my phone number. Yeah, I got there that much.

I take the time during breakfast to piece together my night with a puzzle of incoherent texts, facebook posts, tweets, pictures and bank statements. And I give my boss a call to let him know I'll be late (unless he's the one that made me get so hungover then I just send an unpleasant text).

A lot of people say the only way to treat a hangover is with the hair of the dog that bit you. That sounds like the worst thing you could ever do to me (unless you're on vacation because in that case you can just be perma-hammered the entire time). But, my hair of the dog is kombucha. At first when I tried it, I hated it, but now I can't get enough. I have one almost every day. The ginger one is my favorite. Kombucha is a fermented tea drink that is a little fizzy and contains trace amounts of alcohol, due to the fermentation process. It supposedly helps detox you and aids in digestion. Plus, ginger naturally soothes an upset stomach. And it's yummy! It also contains caffeine which can combat the chemicals that are released during the breakdown of alcohol. Just make sure you continue to drink a lot of water, because caffeine is a natural diuretic.

Work out!! I know, I know, it's the last thing on the planet you want to do, but it will make you feel soooo much better if you can get through the first 10 minutes. Seriously, a little cardio will help out so much. I like to go for a little run and do some hot yoga. Just keep drinking water!!

So that's how I go from the brink of death to feeling like a brand new person. Happy hangovers everyone, and please don't drink and drive!!




Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Happy Fourth of July!!

Today I went to my aunt's house for a little holiday barbecue. It wouldn't be a family gathering without someone climbing on the roof of a trailer, so after dinner (and a few drinks), we climbed up and jumped over to the roof of the house to watch fireworks. Since it rained earlier, it was still a little humid out and I felt like I was in Florida with the other half of my family. It was the perfect way to spend my night.

My aunt and uncle were grilling up hamburgers so I decided to bring a couple dishes over. I brought sweet potato burgers, grilled veggies, and watermelon salad. It went perfectly with their burgers, beans, corn and potato salad. My sweet potato burgers had a crispy crust and a Southwest flavor and would be awesome with some sliced avocado (which I brought, but forgot to use). Even people who were devout meat eaters said they were great. I also made another Red, White and Blue cake (from my last post) and my aunt made red velvet cupcakes. So yummy. Here's my recipes!!



Southwest Sweet Potato Burgers
2 large sweet potatoes, shredded
1/2 onion, diced
1 can black beans, slightly mashed
1 can vegetarian refried beans
1 cup corn
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp black pepper
salt to taste
oil for sauteeing

Combine all the ingredients except the oil, and form in to patties. Heat the oil over high heat in a pan and cook the patties about 3 minutes on each side. Then toss them in to a 350 degree oven to cook all the way through (about 15 minutes). Set them atop a whole wheat bun and top with your favorite toppings!

Watermelon Salad
1/2 large watermelon, cubed
1 cucumber, seeded and sliced
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1/4 cup basil, julienned
juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Put the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the salad. Toss to combine and chill until serving. Not that there will be leftovers, but if there are, make sure you eat them within a day or so because the salt draws the water out of the watermelon.

The other two recipes are things that I have already posted (grilled veggies and red, white and blue cake) so check out my previous posts!!

With all the craziness that is my life, I am so incredibly thankful for nights like these with my family. I love them so much. They bring me back to reality and remind me what's important. This was the first holiday I've had off work in a very long time, and I'm so glad I could spend time with them. I hope you all had a wonderful holiday as well!! <3

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Simple Vegan Recipes!

Today I cleaned out my fridge to make room for some of the stuff I bought yesterday and commenced my prepping of food for the week. I cut up my celery and carrots and thought that some hummus sounded reallllllly good, but I didn't want to go to the store. I had all the ingredients on hand so I whipped some up and was so surprised at how easy and delicious it was (super surprised even though everyone already told me this). So here's my yummy recipe!

Homemade Hummus
1 16 oz. can garbanzo beans
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 green onion* (see below)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper

Put all the ingredients except the oil and the onions in a food processor. Turn it on and slowly add the oil. Fold in the green onions, and that's it! Really. That's all. Then you can eat it!! Nomnomnom




*I grow my own green onions and it's super simple. I have a black thumb and I can do it. Next time you use one in a recipe, chop it up, but leave about 2 inches up from the roots. Then drop it in a shallow cup of water with the cut side up. Refill the water every couple days, and you'll have your own home grown green onions!

You didn't think I was done yet did you?! I read the other day how you can make coconut butter with a can of coconut milk so of course I had to try it. All you do it put a can of full fat coconut milk in the fridge over night. The next day, open it up and on top you'll have a thick, creamy, coconutty butter. On the bottom you'll get coconut water that you can use in smoothies or sauces (another recipe coming soon). Well, now I had to figure out what to do with this delicious creation. I thought I'd do a red, white and blue cake for Fourth of July. How freaking festive am I?! Here it is!!

Red, White and Blue cake
1 2/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
2/3 cup agave nectar
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (trust me you can't taste it)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup frozen blueberries (you can certainly use fresh if you have them)

For the filling:
2 cups chopped, frozen berries (again, you can use fresh)
1 tsp sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Just let these sit together for about 10 minutes. 

For the frosting:
1 can's worth of coconut butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Just blend these together.

Preheat your oven to 350. Oil and flour 2 8 inch round cake pans. Whisk the milk and vinegar in a large mixing bowl and let sit. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the remaining wet ingredients to the milk and whisk. Slowly add the dry ingredients until combined. Fold in the blueberries and divide the batter equally between the two pans. Bake for 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool COMPLETELY. Then put one cake on a plate, top with the berry filling, top with the other cake, then frost it with the coconut frosting. 

I used 9 inch pans and my cakes came out a little too flat so the layers aren't as defined, but if you use 8 inch pans it should look prettier. I don't claim to be a baker, so I'm just glad this was edible, but I dare to say, this is the best recipe I've posted yet. Yep. It's true. This is freaking good. It was so good that when I brought a slice to baby bro, he said, "What's in this? Crack?" I'll take that as a compliment. Go make it. Right now. :)





Sunday, July 1, 2012

Certified Fatass.

So I was at work today and my roommate texted me and told me he wanted to go to Lindo Michoacan (naturally). Hokayyyyy let's go!!! Every time we go, we eat so many chips and salsa and guacamole that we're not even hungry for our food. I was slightly more well behaved today, but still sooo full when I left. Also I got frozen yogurt after. Couldn't resist. I got back to the office and went back to work for about an hour. Then the girl at the cubicle next to me started eating Chinese food. I couldn't see it, but I could smell it, and my mouth started watering. I was still uncomfortably full, but I seriously thought about going across the street and ordering everything. I somehow restrained myself for another couple hours.

I got home and took a nap, woke up, and couldn't handle it anymore. If my craving wasn't satisfied asap, I was going to go rob Panda Express. Gross. I always talk about the shortcuts I take to make simple stir fries, but I've never actually shared a recipe. So here it is: how I stopped myself for stuffing my face with  fried, sugar-coated, greasy grossness.

Simple Stir Fry
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1/4 cup frozen broccoli
1/4 cup sliced zucchini (or yellow squash like I used)
1/4 cup sliced bell peppers
1 sliced carrot
1 green onion
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp fresh ginger
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp grated frozen lemon* (see below)

Heat the coconut oil in a pan over high heat. Add the broccoli, zucchini, peppers and carrot, and cook for about 5 minutes until heated through. Add the pepper flakes, and grate in the garlic and ginger (I just used my box grater). Cook for an additional 2 minutes over medium heat. In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sugar, and sesame seeds. Pour mixture into the pan, and cook for 2 more minutes. Turn off the heat and add the chopped green onion (I grow my own!). Add the grated lemon, and serve over the rice and with my Ginger Iced Green Tea (previous post).
Nomnomnomnom

*I read a tip the other day that suggested keeping a whole unwaxed lemon in the freezer and grating it into all your food. You can grate the whole thing, the zest, the rind, and the actual fruit. It adds a burst of bright flavor to everything. I've been adding it to just about everything, and it makes everything better.

This is wayyyy healthier than whatever I was smelling over my cubicle wall, and it still satisfied my craving. I also made my Ginger Green Tea into a spritzer, mostly because I didn't have ice and I wanted it nowww. I poured it over frozen strawberries and added a splash of club soda. Yummy!

Now that I have thoroughly stuffed myself, I'm going to slip into a food coma and watch The Next Food Network Star in hopes that I'll be on there one day. Haha enjoy :)

Hot Yoga for a Hot Bod

A little over a week ago I got a membership for a hot yoga studio, and it is amazingggggg. I used to do a yoga dvd every night before I went to bed, and it made me feel relaxed and peaceful. But I got bored doing the same routine every night, and now that I work nights, it's harder to do. I had been wanting to try hot yoga for a long time, but I didn't think I would be good enough to actually be in a class full of pro super bendy people.

I started researching studios in my area to try anyway, and I found one that is literally right down the street. I got a free week for going to an orientation, but after my tour, I was hooked. I signed up that day. I took my first class that day, hot pilates. It was 95 degrees and 40 percent humidity in the room. I had never been so sweaty in my life. I've gone almost every day since I signed up. Eight classes in nine days! (I'm pretty proud of myself.) It's pretty expensive so it motivates me to go more and not waste my money.

I try not to force my beliefs on other people because I know how annoying that can be, but when I start talking about hot yoga, I get a little preachy (sorry Danielle). It just makes me feel so great, I want everyone else to feel this way too.

I was happy to see that there were a lot of beginners and people even more inexperienced than me taking the classes, so I don't feel like anyone is being judgmental at all. There are classes for every level of experience.

What I really love about this place is the variety I get. Bikram yoga has become really popular recently, but not all hot yoga is Bikram. Bikram is a specific set of 26 positions that is the same no matter where you take a class in the world, and it is done in a hot room. That sounded boring to me, so the place I go has all kinds of different classes like pilates, kettlebells and bootcamp classes, and also a yoga class similar to the Bikram routine, all done in hot rooms. They even have running classes a couple times a week.

I love how I feel after the classes. I feel energized, purified, and seriously sweaty (everyday I think "There's no way I can be as sweaty as yesterday, and everyday I'm wrong). I already see and feel a difference with my body. I feel stronger, and I feel like I get a good workout without being super sore the next day. It gives you long lean muscles and great abs. It also made me much more flexible. ;)

Awhile ago, I read that yoga is directly related to mindful eating, and I've noticed that with myself. I don't want to stuff my face with crap after I work out, I would rather fuel myself with healthy foods and nutrients. My new obsession is coconut water. I tried it before and thought it was repulsive, but then I had fresh coconut water, and I can't get enough. It's super important to stay hydrated during and after these classes, so I refill my water about 3 times and drink one of these!
So yummy!

By the way, I'm still running and working out conventionally, just supplementing with yoga and pilates.  I feel like if I'm going to be a hippie, I might as well dive right in. My experience has been so amazing, I can't wait to keep going to classes and feel the transformation in the next few months. It's really fun to feel myself push a little harder and stretch a little further with each class. I always feel so accomplished after. So if you haven't tried hot yoga yet, you should! Namaste :)