Brussels Sprouts "Cheese" Pasta Bake

Wow, where did the week go?!?  Just finished week THREE of cleaning up my health and getting back on track.  Down only ONE sad pound this week, but fitting backing into my smaller clothes and I feel SO great!!  Trying to remind myself that the scale is not the tell all be all of life!  It is easy to become frustrated after stepping off the scale and just saying, "Screw it I give up." BUT I chose to keep moving forward knowing that how I feel today, how great I feel, how happy I feel...that's the reward.  I have also gone these three weeks with absolutely NO alcohol....zero, null, none!  It feels amazing to go to bed and night feeling good and wake up the next morning feeling great.

This vegan redhead is so excited for the weekend (even with the crappy weather coming)...why you ask?  Because there will be a new addition to the kitchen - YES a new food processor!!  LOL!  May not seem that exciting to some, but if you LOVE to cook and have been using a broken food processer for a while....you'd understand my excitement!! After looking around I have decided to purchase the 11-cup capacity processor from Cuisinart.  We have a Cuisinart coffee maker we love, and everything I have read about this one seems to fit all of my needs.  Originally I looked at buying it from Amazon, however Bed Bath & Beyond has it and guess what I have?? Yep, a 20% off coupon!!  Woohooo....makes this vegan redhead a happy-happy girl!

Last night I cooked up a great vegan meal that was pretty easy and VERY tasty!  There are so many different veggies you could add to this and any of my chilies/peppers can be omitted from the recipe if you don't like your food spicy.

Brussels Sprouts "Cheese" Pasta Bake

Ingredients:
8 oz Quinoa Pasta, cooked according to instructions
4 oz. Can of Green Chilies
1/4 Cup Sun Dried Tomatoes
1 Cup Brussels Sprouts, shredded

Cauliflower "Rice" with Veggies and Tofu

I have been having so much fun in the kitchen lately playing with new recipes.  One thing I have yet to try is replacing my rice with cauliflower "rice." So with cauliflower in hand last night I gave it a try.  What turned out - a VERY yummy vegan dish of goodness!!  My husband who is ALWAYS willing to try something new, couldn't believe it was cauliflower!  That's when I knew it was a true success.

If you are not a huge tofu fan, try searing the tofu really well done.  My husband does not care for it to be too "mushy" but when I cook it really good we both find it to be really enjoyable and tasty.
 

Cauliflower "Rice" with Veggies and Tofu

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1 Extra Firm Tofu, cut into cubes
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce
2 T. Sriracha
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Onion
2 Cups Mushrooms, sliced
1 Bunch Asparagus, cut into pieces
1/2 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice

2 teaspoons Cumin
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Ginger

1 Head of Cauliflower
1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
1 T. Chili Flakes (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste

keeping it cool in the kitchen & a work in progress

Arizona summers can make cooking dinner an agonizing chore.  The heat of the stove top, heat of the oven...no thank you.  Since discovering raw cooking this past winter I KNEW this was my summertime cooking answer!  Last night was one of my favorite go to quick raw meals.  Bonus - it's SO easy to make!! Tip: If you do not like your food spicy just leave out the chipotle pepper.

Raw Vegan Spicy Avocado and "Pasta"

Ingredients:
2 Avocados, ripe
1 Lemon
1 Chipotle.Pepper
1/2 Red Onion, diced
2/3 Cup of Sliced Cherry Tomatoes

1 T. Olive Oil
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1 T. Red Pepper Flakes
Raw Sunflower Seeds (optional)
2 Large Zucchini

non-pasta vegan mac and "cheese" - oh yeah, it CAN be done!

I have been DYING for vegan Mac and "Cheese" but with my weight loss challenge going on at the office I knew that I really didn't need the calories.  But come on, Mac and Cheese is sooooo good!!  All of that creamy goodness who am I to say no?!  So, what is a vegan chick to do?  Come up with a non-pasta version!!  My thought was if I was to cut out the pasta I would replace it with zucchini and then bulk it up with some more veggies!!  Here is what I came up with:

Spicy Vegan Non-Pasta Mac & "Cheese" with Mushrooms and Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Ingredients
3 Zucchini, spiral cut, then cut into smaller pieces
2 Cups Mushrooms, sliced
1-2 T Vegetable Broth
2 Pounds Brussels Sprouts, sliced in half ends trimmed and yellow leaves removed
1 Cup Bread Crumbs

enchiladas or tacos?

The husband worked Tuesday night and I thought it would be better to pre-cook dinner for Wednesday since there was a lot of slicing and dicing involved (and I wanted to walk before dinner on Wednesday!).  My plan was to take this Black Bean Enchilada recipe but cut out the tortillas to save some calories.  I bought Romain lettuce to wrap up the enchiladas but, my error - I should have bought collard greens.  However, the best part about being vegan - Is you can create dinner as you go!  So, for the last two nights we have enjoyed Black Bean Tacos topped with Chipotle Cream Sauce and Spanish Rice!

vegan snacks to die for!

I will be the first to admit - I LOVE junk food!!  After becoming vegan I found that I LOVE vegan junk food too!!  I quickly realized as I finished my first weight loss challenge and gained 14 of the 30 pounds I lost back, that vegan's can be overweight too thanks to vegan junk food.

Beginning of January this year i decided it was time to give up the processed vegan junk food and get back to eating smart and healthy.  My #1 go to snack - hummus!  Oil free hummus at that!  Well, this week I found a new recipe and I'm sorry but this is HUMMUS CRACK!  The creamiest best tasting I have yet to discover.

Roasted Red Pepper & Almond Hummus

by Dreena Burton

Ingredients ½ cup raw almonds (with skins left on) 2 tbsp red wine vinegar 2-2 ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil (optional, can reduce or omit for oil-free) 2 cups cooked chickpeas (rinse and drain if using canned - one can is usually about 1 3/4 cups) ½ cup roasted red peppers (from jar), excess liquid drained off 1 medium clove garlic (or to taste), sliced ½ tsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp sea salt freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 - 4 tbsp water (to thin dip as desired) ¼ - 1/3 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional) 1 - 2tbsp almonds, chopped (for garnish, optional)

who's ready for some weekend?

So excited for Super Bowl weekend...heck, just excited for the weekend period!  This will be our first "raw" Super Bowl AND no beer!!  Yikes, we might actually remember how the game ends lol!  I am really looking forward to making my first raw pizza!  I do not have a dehydrator yet, so using the oven on the lowest setting.  Fingers cross it's as good as the football game should be! 

Big News - I signed up for my first 5k yesterday!!  It's not until the middle of March, but I am really looking forward to it!!  My super duper husband will be there cheering me on.  :)

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful tofu dish.  I found this on Vegan Richa, but made a few changes.  My husband does not care for cubed tofu, so I sliced the tofu super thin and cooked it until crisp which ended up being awesome!

Spicy Orange Tofu and Peppers

hello?....hello?....oh, yes there you are!

I know, I suck.  I truly suck and I apologize for missing for so long.  Not sure what happened.  Work got busy.  Stopped being a healthy vegan.  Stopped working out.  Well - That all changed the beginning of this month when the husband and I realized we REALLY needed to get back to our healthy vegan self's!!

To make sure I really stayed on track I talked my co-workers into another weight loss challenge starting the beginning of January running until May (I'm down 10 lbs. already!!).  Back outside getting my walk (some times run) back on.  My husband and I have also gone more raw vegan which we are loving!  Also gave up the drinking.  Since losing all of my weight and introducing beer back into my diet I started have HORRIABLE stomach issues.  Quit drinking - GONE.  Life is SO much more enjoyable now!!

One of the benefits of eating raw - IT'S SO FAST making dinner!!  Even on the nights the husband works I can whip up something delicious in minutes!  For example, this little gem I made last night.  The original recipe is from Skinny Limits, but I myself was "Limited" with the ingredients I had on hand and came up with this:

 

Raw Vegan Carrot Noodles with Pesto and Mushrooms & Onion

 

Noodles:
 3 large carrots, peeled into noodles (I used just my standard peeler.

Mushrooms:
1 cup of mushrooms, diced.
1/4 cup of red onion, diced.

vegan taco lasagna & a greyt update

I still have not been feeling 100%, but trying to keep going.  I had the option to go out last night, but I have been really wanting to make vegan taco lasagna for dinner and boy am I glad that I did!!  OMG, another two thumbs up recipe.  You really could add more veggies and mix up the bean options to your choice.  The recipe originally called for just black beans, but the pinto beans worked out great!  The husband - again - said it was one of my best!  And all this time people thought us vegan's only ate salad!!  Surprise!! Vegan Taco Lasagna Adapted From: VegNews Serves 8

Ingredients: For the filling: 2 teaspoons vegetable broth 12 ounces button mushrooms, stemmed and quartered 1 onion, diced  1 clove garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper

Making the transition from meat-eater to vegan: the 101 redhead guide

Please note I am not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist – just a redhead who found the love of being vegan.  I was asked by a reader to share my tips for making the transition from meat-eater to vegan.  So this is my basic 101 redhead guide:

Become Informed

First thing is knowledge.  You can go out and buy all the “vegan” crap food you want but you’re missing the boat if you are still buying all processed food (vegan or not).  Netflix is a great source for watching videos.  I would suggest KnifesOver Forks and Vegucated to start with.  The only down fall I had with Vegucated was they pushed the processed “vegan” food and I felt they could have shown better options.
Next hit the bookstore.  If you love detail and love to read check out The China Study.  If you prefer a quick read then try The Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat.  My husband and I liked the quick read better lol. I have also just started reading Vegan For Her (can I tell you I no longer have hot flashes being vegan, sweet huh?).
Blogs and Facebook are a great place to search out places to read more information. Find the vegan ones that speak to you.  Some are pretty hard core vegan sites, don’t let something scare you off. When I first started I wanted to know more about starting out and raising a vegan family. Get ready to be asked, “So, where do you get your protein from?” from pretty much everyone.  Funny, before becoming vegan no one seemed to care where I got my protein from.  Hummm…

diet vs. lifestyle

March 24, 2013 was THE day for me. On that day I knew it was time for a lifestyle change. Diets don't work for me, they are a temporary fix and I knew the facts...I wasn't stupid. I knew in my heart that on this day I needed to live a vegan lifestyle.  I needed to cut out processed food. I needed to quit drinking.  I needed to workout.  I wasn't one of those people who suffered a major heart attack and received that wake up call.  No, I was at a yoga event for our Cavalier rescue in a sea of older HEALTY looking women.  This is how I wanted to live.  Look and feel amazing.  Not tired and sluggish each day that I woke.

My husband and I have tested the vegan waters before and did great, but I never made that 100% commitment.  After more research and knowing that not only was it a great way to eat, but it was the ethical thing to do for animal rights as well.  Thanks to Vegucated I will FOREVER have the image of young male chicks being thrown into a grinder only because they were born the wrong sex...or maybe that is better than the life a female chick goes on to live, I don't know.  I just know that things really need to change.  I am ready in my life to make that 100% commitment.  When I started losing weight I actually had someone I know tell me, "yeah, but when you lose your weight you'll be back to your normal eating and off that vegan diet."  Excuse me?  I don't look at "Vegan" as a "Diet" this is how I want to commit to eating for he rest of my life!  I want to feel this great the rest of my life!

 

only one little pound left...

Around March 20th of this year I was sitting at work thinking about how I really needed to go buy a new pair of jeans as my size 14 were starting to feel a little on the tight side.  I pulled up a photo that one of my co-workers took of me just a few weeks before (they thought they were funny putting a Kyle Bush cut out in my office, as I cannot stand him!).  I thought I looked pretty cute over the winter months.  I got lazy.  Lazy is easy.  Lazy can be fun. Lazy really makes your body feel bad and God, I felt like crap all of the time.

That photo told me another story.  Wow, I had really started packing on the pounds.  I knew why, I'm not stupid -

At that same time that I was contemplating jeans in a size 16 I had a co-worker came into my office showing me her cute new jeans, that she also just purchase in a larger size.  Okay, enough was enough.  I am smart enough to know that I need to take care of myself and this was not good! I had thought of an idea a few nights before so I brought up to my co-worker the idea of doing a summer weight loss challenge for the women in our office (most all of us needed to drop a few lbs), and the challenge was formed!  With the blessing of our bosses we invited all to join us with a $20 entry fee that would go towards the grand prize at the end (July 1st).  March 25th was our first weigh-in an we ended up with a total of six of us joining in (we are a small office).  My start weight was 176.2 (I am 5'10" tall just FYI) and I gave myself a goal of 146.2 (30 lb. weight loss total).  I figure that was a doable number for the amount of time of the challenge.

chipotle mac & chesses with roasted brussel sprouts and some redhead chatter

Last night I tired out a new recipe for a vegan Chipotle Mac & Cheese with Roasted Brussel Sprouts, in the past I had great success with another recipe, but I am always up for trying something new. I love when I am at work and talk about making Mac & Cheese for dinner and I get, "What do you do for the cheese?" It is beyond amazing that you can MAKE cheese from cashews and when I tell them this they don't believe me.  LOL! I have also discovered that most people do not like the taste of Brussel Sprouts, but I guess since I was not subjected to them as a kid I really don't mind them at all.  The original recipe says to drizzle them with olive oil before roasting, but I cooked mine on parchment paper without the olive oil and they turned out great! I have to say it was a VERY easy recipe and did not take much time at all. I doubled the recipe as well so we would have some left overs for the week.  Here is the recipe for Post Punk Kitchen:

Serves 4
Total time: 30 minutes || Active time: 15 minutes

8 oz macaroni (gluten-free, whole wheat, or any type)
1 lb brussels, quartered
1 tablespoon olive oil (I skipped this and cooked on Parchment Paper)
For the sauce:
1 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least 2 hours
4 chipotles, seeded
1 cup vegetable broth
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
2 tablespoons miso (I used chickpea miso) (I skipped this and used lemon juice and a little mustard)
Salt to taste
1 can of diced green chilies (I added this)

Preheat the oven to 425 F for the brussels, and prepare a pot of salted water for the pasta. In the meantime, prep the brussels and make the sauce.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the quartered brussel sprouts with olive oil and a dash of salt. Bake for 18 minutes, until lightly browned. No need to flip them, just let ‘em roast.
To make the sauce: Drain the cashews and place all sauce ingredients in a blender and blend away until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to make sure you get everything. Depending on the strength of your blender this could take from one to five minutes.
When the macaroni is tender, drain it in a colander. Immediately place it back in the pot you boiled it in and stir in the sauce. Place pot on low heat and stir for 3 minutes or so, until the sauce is thickened a bit and everything is deliciously creamy. Taste for salt, toss in the brussel sprouts and serve!