Baked Falafel & Tahini Sauce

Lacey, here!

I've been meaning, for years, to try homemade Falafel. And tonight was the night.

Falafel

Ingredients:

1 can garbanzo beans (rinsed & drained)

1 Tbsp EV Olive Oil

1 1/2 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dill weed

1 small onion, quartered

1/3 cup parsley leaves

3 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon baking powder (optional, but it makes them fluffy)

dash of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Place all items in food processor. Process for 10 seconds.

Scrape down the sides and then pulse about 10 times, or until it's the consistency you'd like. Some like little chunks, some like it smoother.

Form your batter into ping-pong sized balls. Press down a bit if you want patties.

Bake for 20 minutes, flip, bake another 20 minutes. Ta-da! (I know these are traditionally fried, but we don't need that!! Bake at a high temperature for a crispy outside!)

Tahini Sauce

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Tahini
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp coconut water (or regular water)
1 small tomato, diced
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
1 small dill pickle, diced
3 garlic cloves, diced and then mashed into a paste
Dash of paprika

 Diretions:
Place tahini in bowl. Add in lemon juice and stir with fork until blended into paste.

Slowly add in coconut water. Stir, stir, stir.
Add in remaining ingredients.

The finished product. I'm quite proud of it! The falafel was a great consistency. I'd love to try out some other sauces in the future! Maybe some peanut butter based sauce. Mmmm.

The final meal included spaghetti squash with a Thai seasoned carrot/onion/tomato topping.

I hope this encourages you to try out new meals that may seem intimidating. I really regret not making Falafel sooner!!

Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe # 5: Shallot & Hazelnut String Beans

This is a blend of a few recipes I've seen online. So, it's still my own version, but heavily inspired by others I've seen out there.

Photo from Cooking Light

Ingredients:
1 pound string beans (cut off stems)
Olive oil (to your liking)
5 shallots (sliced thinly)
1 garlic clove, minced
salt & pepper
1/3 cup hazelnuts (chopped)
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves (must be fresh, not dried!)
1/2 tablespoon dried Thyme

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425.
In a baking dish, toss string beans, shallots, garlic, and salt & pepper with olive oil (lightly coated).
Roast for 15-20 minutes, until string beans become lightly browned.
After pulling out of the oven, immediately add the zest, hazelnuts, Thyme and parsley.

Enjoy the fresh, light, and healthy taste as a side to your Thanksgiving meal!

Happy Vegan Thanksgiving (Countdown: 7 days)

My incredible husband had the perfect idea the last week.  He said "Let's stay home for Thanksgiving, make a vegan feast, and then you can have all these recipes to post to your blog so everyone else can do it, too!" Gosh, I love him so much. And, apparently he likes you all, too.

So, here's the dealio. This is our menu of what we're going to make for our Thanksgiving meal. Remember, it's vegan, so you're not going to see the traditional turkey. Nor will you see a "tofurkey" (sorry, just can't bring myself to do it).

- Vegetable Pot Pie
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes (trust me, they are going to be decked out with some amazing spices)
- Quinoa Corn Chowder
- Whole Grain Stuffing
- Pecan-Fig Stuffed Acorn Squash
- Curried Corn & Red Pepper
- Shallot & Hazelnut Green Beans
- Vegan Pumpkin Pie
- Raw Chocolate Covered Strawberries (dairy free)
- Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
-Apple Pie

How good does that all sound? Yeah, that's what I thought, too.

Everyday, for the next 4 days (Saturday through Tuesday), I'm going to post THREE RECIPES A DAY. That's 12 recipes for you! Why? because I want you all to be able to see these recipes ahead of time so if there's anything you want to make for your special Thanksgiving meal, you have the recipes readily available and have enough time to run to the grocery store if you need.

All 10 of our menu dishes will be posted and then there will be 2 bonus dishes that we're not making, so that, just in case there's something on our list you hate, you'll have 2 other options to chose from. Sound like a plan? Good.

Have I mentioned that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday?

Vegan White Chili

I got this recipe from The Pioneer Woman, who has some incredibly tasty recipes.  I simply adapted it to be vegan & crock pot friendly! (Her recipe calls for chicken, chicken broth, whole milk, cheese & it is cooked on a stove top.)

Ingredients:
1 medium onion
4 cloves garlic
1 can chopped green chillies
1 pound raw Great Norther Beans or Navy beans
8 cups Vegetable Broth
1 whole Jalapeno, sliced
1 1/2 Tablespoon ground Cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
Salt to Taste
1 cup Soy milk
2 tablespoons cornmeal
Vegan Monterey Jack cheese (I could only find Pepper Jack)
Cilantro

Directions:
In a pan, saute onions and garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add chopped green chillies.

Put onion, garlic, chillies mixture in your crock pot.

 Add rinsed beans & vegetable broth.  Add jalapenos, salt, pepper, and cumin. Turn crock pot on low for 4 hours.

After four hours (or when beans are soft), mix milk & cornmeal in a bowl.  Add to chili.  Add cayenne pepper & paprika.  Turn crock pot on high for 30 minutes.

Add your "cheese" and give in a few minutes to melt.  Serve in your bowl and top with fresh cilantro!

Thanks to The Pioneer Woman for putting this recipe together. I hope you all love the healthy adapted version I came up with.  I certainly loved it!

Mexican Casserole

This is a recipe I improvised using the last of our ingredients in our house. I knew it would be a lot of food and it was super filling.  You could definitely add this into some soft tortillas or buy a natural tortilla chip to dip in.


Ingredients
3 cups uncooked long-grain rice & 7 1/2 cups of veggie broth (to cook rice) OR 2 cups quinoa & 4
   cups of veggie broth
5 potatoes, diced smaller than normal
3 Tablespoons vegan butter
2 cups corn
1/3 cup diced onion
Green onions to taste
1 clove garlic
3 cans of black beans
2 red peppers
1 diced tomato
1 bag vegan cheddar "cheese"
Texas Pete Hot Sauce (to taste)
Taco Seasoning (Cayenne Red Pepper, Chili Powder, Onion Powder, Ground Cumin- all to taste)
Cilantro to top casserole

Temporary photo until I put up my own. Borrowed from SFZ.

Directions
1. Cook rice or quinoa in vegetable broth.  This will take approximately 20-30 minutes so be sure to start this first.
2. Dice potatoes and add to a large skillet with butter. Stir frequently on medium-high heat until cooked.
3. Add Corn, onion, garlic, black beans, peppers, tomato, and taco seasonings when potatoes are fully cooked.
4. Add cooked rice to potatoes & veggies mixture. Stir, test for seasonings.  Add more if needed.
5. Add Texas Pete Hot sauce to taste
6. Get casserole dish.  Put a 2" layer of this mixture and top with vegan "cheese". Add another layer of mixture, top with "cheese". Repeat until whole mixture is used. Top whole casserole with "cheese" and cilantro.
7. Cook in a 375 degree oven for 20 minutes.


Let me know if you've made this & what substitutions you made (like refried beans, or any other veggies!)

Macadamia Nut Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto

I also use this pesto on top of my salads or on wraps. So many possibilities! Enjoy the fresh, summery taste of tomatoes and basil.

Here's my favorite pesto to make:

Ingredients:
1   3oz bag of sun dried tomatoes
1   2 . 25 oz bag of macadamia nuts (*Buy Diamond, it's in the baking aisle. So much cheaper!!!*)
1   teaspoon of lemon juice
1   garlic clove
Handful of fresh basil
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of sea salt and a twist of fresh cracked pepper

Directions:

Place all ingredients in food processor & process for about 30 seconds or under everything is evenly chopped.

The great thing about this recipe is you can exchange out the macadamias for walnuts, or any other hearty nut of your choice. If you want the pesto more liquidy, add more Exta Virgin Olive Oil. This pesto is so packed with flavor, you really don't need to pile it on like a tomato sauce.  Just top a plate of pasta with about 3 tablespoons of the pesto and you'll have more than enough!

Quinoa Stuffed Pattypan

This is a fabulous summer recipe I adapted from the Oh She Glows blog.  The light cucumber taste with the grainy quinoa makes for a filling but light tasting dinner. Have with a side of red wine and good company.

Ingredients:
2 pattypan
1 cup uncooked quinoa/2 cup vegetable broth
1 clove diced garlic
1 onion
1 carrot
1/2 cucumber
1/4 cup tomato sauce
3 tbsp Earth Balance "butter"
Fresh parsley
Fresh ground pepper
parmesan "cheese"
lemon pepper, italian seasonings....all to taste

Directions:
1. Put quinoa & veggie broth in saucepan and bring to boil.  Once boiling, add lid and cook on low heat for 15 minutes. Add garlic & stir.
2. While quinoa is cooking fill a pot of water & bring to boil.  Put in pattypan and cook for 6-7 minutes.

This, my friends, is pattypan.

3.  While pattypan is also cooking, preparing stuffing.  In food processor add onion, carrot, 1/2 peeled cucumber & process until mixed/chopped together. (Leave in food processor)

Onion, carrot, and cucumber.

4. In a small bowl, mix softened Earth Balance & tomato sauce together.  Add to quinoa when finished cooking.

5. After pattypan is finished and mostly cooled, cut the tops off and scoop out the inside.  Take what you scooped out and add to the food processor with onion, carrot, and cucumber & process together.
6. Take this vegetable mixture and add to quinoa in pan. Stir. Add in seasonings (lemon pepper, etc).
7. Stuff pattypan with vegetable/quinoa mixture. Bake in 375 oven for 25 minutes.

Whatever extra quinoa mixture you have, just place directly on the pan.

8. Top with parsley and parmesan "cheese" and add to oven for 2 more minutes to melt "cheese".

Had to adapt and use cheddar "cheese" instead.  Still good but definitely not AS good as the parmesan.

ENJOY!!

How to Eat Well at 4th of July Picnics

The most difficult times to consciously eat well is 1) when traveling and 2) when going to holiday picnics or parties.  Chips, hot dogs, & mayonnaise-filled potato salads make it hard to choose wisely.  Now, for those of us who get physically ill from eating unhealthy, cheating isn't too much of an option or you'll be paying for it for the rest of the week.  For those of you who don't mind cheating every few months I say, be careful & don't overdo it.  Since you eat well a majority of the time, your body isn't used to digesting some of the harsh foods.  Cheat, but in moderation.  While you may not have medical issues to worry about, your body still isn't used to the toxic nature of some of these foods. Be kind and don't gorge yourself.  As momof3 says: ~Savor the run cheat.~

Photo source: Lookiloos

Here are some foods to look out for or minor modifications you can make.  It's hard to be perfect at events like this, but knowing what you can do before you go can minimize the possible damage:

1. Fruit salad. Most parties include that big bowl of watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, strawberries, & bananas.  Load up!

Refreshing Mint Tea

My days consist of drinking water. Lots of it. I don't drink anything else (unless it's the occasional glass of wine with dinner).  No juice, no soda, no sugar-loaded teas, no coffee. But, when summer comes, I sometimes feel the urge to have something with a little more flavor. I love my water, but it's good to have variety.

This is my homemade, super flavorful, extremely light mint tea.

Peanut Butter Banana Granola Bars

This is very similar to the Very Berry Granola Bars.  I just added 2 items (peanut butter & bananas) and took out the berries.

Ingredients:
2 cups of oats
1/4 cup ground flax seed
3/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup peanuts, crushed
1/2 cup brown sugar or OR 1/2 cup stevia & 1 T molasses (mix with fork)
1/2 cup all natural honey
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter
2 tbsp butter (We use Earth Balance natural spread)
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas worth of Dried Honey Bananas or just buy a bag of dried bananas if you don't have a dehydrator (about 54 slices needed)


Directions:
1. Crush peanuts in a ziploc bag using the bottom of a measuring cup to smash it against the counter.
2. Mix peanuts, flax seed, sunflower seeds, and oats together. Put on cookie sheet (with sides) and put in 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly toasted (mix halfway through).
3. Put brown sugar, honey, peanut butter, butter, and vanilla extract in saucepan and simmer, constantly stirring until all melted together.  This will be the "glue" for your bars.
4. Mix the dry & wet ingredients you just prepared together in large bowl. Stir in ONLY about 5 or 6 chopped up dried banana slices into this mixture.  Keep mixing until all of the dry ingredients are coated with your "glue".
5. Spread mixture into a glass baking dish lined with wax paper & coated with a non-stick spray. At this point, evenly place all of your banana slices on top. Press them gently into the mixture so they stick to the bars. (I line 6 down and 8 across so you get 3 slices on each bar. Look at the photo below)
6. Lay another piece of wax paper on top and press down on the mixture to pack it tightly, even using the bottom of a measuring cup to pound on it.  You want it flat and tightly packed. If it's not, when you cut it into bars everything will fall apart.
7. Once packed, put in the refrigerator for about an hour or two.  Pull out of the 'fridge, take out of dish and put onto a cutting board and proceed to cut into 16 bars.

8. Individually wrap in saran wrap or put into a large container to store at room temperature. ENJOY your cheap, and healthier homemade granola bars!

The truth about protein.

This post is for our vegans, vegetarians, or those curious about how we don't wither away and die.  This is also to get you thinking about the food you consume and how meat is not the end all-be all to protein consumption.  I'm not saying you have to give up your meat, meat-eaters, I'm just saying let's love our veggies & beans a little more!

                                                                                   photo credit happykanppy

American's have become extremely protein focused & obsessed while meat has intrusively made it's way onto the center of our plates.  Most American meals revolve around a piece of meat while other "less important" items are pushed to the side, donning the name "sides" or "side dishes". It was actually thought by many, at one point in our history, that vegetarians would quite literally die of protein deficiency.  Surprise! We don't.  So, let's get the truth about protein, what we need, how we can get it, and why these "sides" can give us the same benefits that meat can (and offer more in nutrients!)

Well, first, what is protein? Protein (other than the standard scientific definition) helps build muscle, hair, nails, & connective tissue in the human body.  Many of the body's chemicals are also made up of protein (enzymes, neurotransmitters, hormones, DNA), so it seems obvious that it would be a crucial part of our diet.  But how much do you actually need?

Your recommended protein consumption will vary based on your age, weight, & how active of a lifestyle you live.  This typically seems to be the calculation used by many: weight (in pounds) x .37= daily protein minimum in grams.  Are you 126 pounds? You should be consuming at least 46 grams of protein a day (up to about 58g).  There are more complicated methods out there, but this is the standard used by most nutritionists.

Now, how easy is it to reach this minimum on a meat-free diet? Actually, let me make this more strict.  Meat free AND dairy free.  Here's an example menu for one day.  You will see the food and then the grams of protein within that specific food:

Look at that! With this menu, you've actually exceeded the daily recommended MINIMUM, sans meat & dairy.  This is just one example.

In America, the average weight of each person has skyrocketed from 50 years ago.  In 1960, the average woman weighed 140.2 pounds.  Today, the average woman's weight is 164.3, but the average protein consumption of each American is 91 grams.  But let's do the math.  164 x .37= 60.  The average person is consuming over 30 grams more in protein than necessary.  And let's keep in mind, most Americans are sedentary (desk jobs, watching TV, and getting little to no exercise) so there's especially no reason for the extra protein. So, while people are kicking and screaming about how vegetarians/vegans are not getting enough protein, this may be true for some, but in reality, most meat eaters are over consuming and many vegans are getting just the right amount.

"Remember, though, with protein, more is not necessarily better. There do not appear to be health advantages to consuming a high protein diet. Diets that are high in protein may even increase the risk of osteoporosis and kidney disease." -Protein in the Vegan Diet 

But be careful vegetarians.  I know some of you, and scarfing down microwave dinners and pasta every meal of the day is a very easy way to prove all of this wrong.  You're not fooling anyone by saying your eating habits are healthier simply because you don't eat meat. There's much more to it than that. The key is to eat a variety of foods that are fresh and nutritious.  Hot pockets and baked ziti won't cut it.

Here's a list of vegan friendly foods that you can add to your meals that have a decent amount of protein (thanks to The Vegetarian Resource Group).  Meat eaters- think about how these can become main dishes and not just a side next to your burger or steak.

-Lacey