Indian, Mexican, Asian, and American!

No theme today, just a roundup of some yummy foods I've eaten recently!

Indian-Spiced Lentils with Spinach and Rhubarb from Vegetarian Times, served over some brown basmati rice. I had such high hopes for this dish, but I was a little underwhelmed. You would think that a dish with rhubarb, raisins, and ginger would be exploding with flavor, but I thought this was rather bland. I think it needed some lemon juice. I also would add the raisins later in the cooking process so they maintain some of their sweetness. My hubby really liked it, though.

Clockwise, from top: Hearts of Palm and Jicama Salad from Southern Living magazine; Mexican Millet from Veganomicon; and frozen roasted corn from Trader Joe's. This plate was a pleasing melange of textures, flavors, and temperature (cold salad; hot millet; warm corn). Yumbles.

Spring Vegetable Stew with Soft Polenta from Vegetarian Times. You can't see the polenta because it's buried underneath the veggies, but trust me, it's there. I've made this recipe before and loved it, but this time I had to make a bunch of substitutions - frozen leeks instead of fresh leeks; zucchini instead of yellow squash; yellow pepper instead of mushrooms; and canned whole tomatoes instead of chopped tomatoes. It definitely tastes better when you make it according to the recipe! I also think it needs way more salt, IMHO. Still, it's pretty tasty and nutritious.

Clockwise, from top: homemade coleslaw (I tried to replicate the awesome spicy coleslaw from Sweet Tomatoes, but I missed the mark); Marinated Asian Tofu from Veganomicon; frozen broccoli; and millet. Yup, I love me some millet!

Forty-Clove Chickpeas & Broccoli from Appetite for Reduction. Mushy, garlicky goodness!

Masala Baked Tempeh from Appetite for Reduction and Purple Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing from Choosing Raw. I loved the contrast of the spicy, crusty tempeh and the soft, sweet kale salad. Great combination!

Another favorite from Choosing Raw, the Sweet Potato and Black Bean Enchiladas with Tomatillo Sauce. This dish is a hit in my family! The creamy bean-and-mashed-sweet-potato filling rocks my socks and I love the slightly spicy tomatillo sauce. A little melted Daiya Pepperjack cheese on top doesn't hurt, either :)

Have a wonderful day!

Summer Salad Slam!

If I had my way, I'd exist on smoothies and salads for the entire summer. I love their taste, nutrition, ease of preparation, flexibility, and portability. I also love the fact that I don't have to turn on the oven and make the kitchen any hotter than it already is!

Here are some salads I've been enjoying lately:

Roasted Portobello Salad (except I sub eggplant for the 'shrooms!) from Veganomicon, with a side of millet:

Roasted Cauliflower and Rice Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Lightened Up Protein Power Goddess Bowl from Oh She Glows, with a side of Chickpea Pancake with Rosemary from 1,000 Vegan Recipes:

Arugula and Apple Salad with Creamy Mustard Dressing (1,000 Vegan Recipes), frozen Alexia fries, Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction), carrot sticks, and roasted chickpeas:

Umm...I can't remember where this recipe came from. It appears to be massaged kale, apples, carrots, and something else?? I'm sure it was tasty!

Raw Mediterranean Kale Salad from The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen:

Romaine and Grape Tomato Salad with Avocado and Baby Peas (1,000 Vegan Recipes) and Forty-Clove Chickpeas & Broccoli (Appetite for Reduction):

A completely random salad made with baby arugula, chopped tomato, chopped cucumber, celery, carrots, fava beans, roasted red peppers, nutritional yeast, chopped green olives, pine nuts, capers, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Yummmm.

My new obsession - Purple Kale Salad with Creamy Apricot Ginger Dressing, Walnuts, and Apples from Choosing Raw:

I've been eating it by the boatload lately. Here it is with some brown lentils and more socca (my other new obsession):

This is the simple but tasty Chopped Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes), served with Basic Baked Tempeh (Appetite for Reduction) and a baked potato. The romaine lettuce was fresh from a friend's garden and it was so tender and delicious!

Creamy Curry Pasta and Vegetable Salad (1,000 Vegan Recipes) with some steamed broccoli:

And, finally, another delicious smoothie creation. This one had spirulina, hemp protein powder, hemp seeds, spinach, pineapple, coconut water, and ginger. So tangy and refreshing!

What are your favorite summery salads?

Appetite for Reduction Blitz

Anyone who's ever read my blog knows that I am quite fond of Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Appetite for Reduction. I have tried 79 recipes (and counting!!) from this cookbook, and it's the one that I reach for when I want something quick, healthy, and filling. Here are some things from AFR that I've made recently:

Tamarind Quinoa (left) and Curried Chickpeas & Greens:

Quinoa Puttanesca, arugula & tomato salad with white balsamic vinaigrette, and garlic bread:

Portobello Pepper Steak Stew, served over a baked sweet potato:

I substituted tempeh for the seitan, white onion for the red onion, and omitted the red pepper flakes. I wouldn't really call it a stew per se...it was more like what goes into a Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. No matter, it was still tasty! Next time I'm going to add some banana peppers, Daiya mozzarella, and a torpedo roll and make a vegan Philly Cheez!

Finally, this was a dish I wanted to love, but it fell a little flat for me. This is Pasta de los Angeles (with brown rice penne instead of whole wheat angel hair pasta):

It's fresh jalapeno, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, black beans, shallots, lime zest, and lime juice tossed with pasta. It's supposed to have 1 cup of fresh cilantro in there, too, but I didn't have any on hand. Maybe that would have made the difference?? I don't know. I mean, I love Mexican flavors, and I love pasta, but I didn't love them together. Oh well. My hubby and son seemed to like it, though. And besides, there was bound to be a recipe or two that I wasn't crazy about!

If you have AFR, what are some of your favorite dishes?

Eggplant-Chickpea Curry with Cranberry-Cashew Biryani

Nothing beats a good curry. I love how they can be packed with different spices, veggies, and proteins (beans and lentils are my faves), and they match beautifully with grains such as rice, couscous, or quinoa. A curry dish is often a complete meal for me, hitting all of my nutritional bases (fats, carbs, proteins, veggies) in one pot.

I was looking for some curry inspiration and came across the Eggplant-Chickpea Curry recipe in Appetite for Reduction. It just so happened that I had some eggplant in my fridge, so it seemed like destiny.

In the recipe notes, Isa says that this dish pairs well with the Cranberry-Cashew Biryani in AFR, so I looked to see if I had those ingredients as well. Turns out I did, and the result was a plate of divine Indian flavors.

The curry features eggplant cooked low and slow until it breaks down and gets silky. There is also some fresh tomatoes, ginger, onions, garlic, chickpeas, and cilantro in there, too.

To start the biryani, you heat some oil in a pan and then toast some cumin seeds and mustard seeds until they start to pop and become fragrant. Then you add in some garlic, carrots, spices, and basmati rice and let it cook for while. Finally, you add in some dried cranberries, cashews, and frozen peas. The cranberries give it a great burst of flavor.

I had some agave-sweetened ginger ale to round out the meal. Yum!

Mixed Vegetable Curry with Basmati Rice

I've been on a bit of a curry kick lately. There's just something so appealing about a big bowl of tender veggies, fragrant spices, coconut milk, and soft basmati rice. Curries highlight some of my favorite ingredients - fresh ginger, garlic, cinnamon, cumin, coconut - and they make the house smell so darn good when they are bubbling away on the stove. They are also endlessly adaptable, lending themselves easily to substitutions and personal preferences.

The Mixed Vegetable Curry from Party Vegan is a perfect example. The recipe calls for fresh green beans, cauliflower, and jalapeno (along with other veggies). I had none of these ingredients on hand, but I did have some fresh baby bella mushrooms, red bell pepper, and baby spinach. I also had some frozen green beans. I used the veggies I had on hand and otherwise followed the recipe as instructed. In just 30 minutes, I had a beautiful, comforting bowl of curry laden with tons of veggies and kidney beans.

This is a great way for kids (and adults!) to get a bunch of nutrition in one meal. In this one dish, there are a rainbow of different veggies (onions, carrots, garlic, ginger, green beans, mushrooms, bell pepper, spinach, and peas); protein and fiber from kidney beans; and whole grain brown rice. It's also a great way to expose young palates to a variety of different flavors and spices. Don't be afraid to get spicy! :)

Vegan MoFo Day 20: Beautiful Barbados!

One of the best trips I ever took was in December 2005, when my hubby and I spent a week in Barbados. My parents and brother had both taken trips to Barbados, and everyone told me how awesome it was there - beautiful beaches, friendly people, yummy food, and uber-relaxing. I am not a big "beach person," but I was definitely intrigued. Then, I found an insanely cheap package deal (air + hotel) online at TNT Vacations, and I booked a trip on the spot (hello? $399 for an entire WEEK, with breakfast, for 2 adults, at a beach-front hotel?! Heck yeah!) We were off to sunny Barbados!

Greetings from sunny Barbados!

We stayed at this cute little hotel called Coconut Court Beach Hotel in Hastings, Christ Church. Actually, looking at the website, it appears they've done some major updating and upgrading since our visit. It was definitely more shabby-chic (emphasis on the shabby) when we visited! But we really didn't care. It was on the beach, had a clean bed, and terra-cotta tiled floors, so they didn't care if you tracked sand into the room.  Did I mention it was on the beach?

Of course, my hubby and I didn't realize how doggone hot it was in Barbados. I guess being that close to the Equator will do that ;-D We spent most of our beach time relaxing in the shade of a palm tree.

We also just sat on our balcony and enjoyed the view.

The best part, though, was catching the amazing sunsets each evening from the beach.

We also did some fun things, like taking Ted's Tour of the island and enjoying a Tiami lunch cruise. We got to swim with giant sea turtles and snorkel above a sunken shipwreck. It was awesome! I won't show you any pictures, though, since most of them include me in a bathing suit LOL But mostly, we just spent our days relaxing on the beach and taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Now, truth be told, when I was in Barbados, I wasn't vegan. I ate a lot of the traditional Bajan food, like flying fish, macaroni pie, and breadfruit (which could be vegan, but I'm sure it was prepared with butter). But I do know that Bajans use a lot of spices in their cooking, and beans, greens, and rice are commonly used. Therefore, I decided to make a meal that may not be traditionally Bajan, but it was definitely inspired by the flavors of the island.

First, I made Curried Chickpeas & Greens from Appetite for Reduction. At least, I made something very similar to Curried Chickpeas & Greens. I mean, I had to make a few bunch of substitutions, but I think the essence of the recipe was still honored. And it was delicious, regardless, even if I used different beans (black-eyed peas) and different greens (collards instead of kale). And changed up some of the spices. And used different tomatoes. Essence, people, essence!

While that was cooking, I also made Curried Cabbage & Peas, also out of AFR. This time I just switched up the type of cabbage (savoy instead of regular white) and reduced the amount of curry powder. I couldn't believe it when my 2-year-old scarfed this down. I mean, he was practically hoovering it. Very cool!

I piled the curry on top of some brown basmati rice and added the cabbage on the side. This was a meal that everyone enjoyed!

Of course, what's a good meal without a good dessert? It's Fried Plantains from Caribbean Vegan. Plantains + oil + skillet = YUM. Sweet, caramelized yum.

I know fried plantains are not really dessert, but it served our purposes just fine. It was sweet, warm, gooey, and delicious.

I hope you enjoyed our trip to Barbados! See you next time :)

Vegan MoFo Day 2: Kickin' it Caribbean-Style

I feel the need to make one admission before we continue on our little journey around the globe. Here it is: in case you couldn't already tell (and we all know that it's completely obvious, right?), I am not a great photographer. My pictures are frequently out of focus, grainy, poorly lit, blurry, or sometimes a combination of all these things. I know all the reasons why: I don't have a great camera, I have shaky hands, and I need more practice and patience. I'm getting better (I think), but there's still a long way to go. The only way I am going to get better, obviously, is to take more pictures, and I am doing well with that. The very, very sad reality is, I didn't take many pictures at all during the first 8 or so years of my marriage. During those first 8 years, we traveled to many incredible places (Europe, the Caribbean, Montreal, San Francisco, Grand Canyon), but I have very few pictures to document these experiences. So while I'm super excited to revisit some of these past adventures, you'll have to forgive both my not-so-great photos and my occasional lack of photos. But if you're still with me, thanks for sticking around...and let's get going!

I have been on two cruises in my life: a Mediterranean cruise, and an Eastern Caribbean cruise. Let's talk about the Eastern Caribbean cruise today. Like much of our travel adventures, this one was a completely last-minute excursion. It was the fall of 2006, and I needed a vacation. I was working long hours at a job I didn't like, and I was majorly stressed out, burned out, and wiped out. All I wanted to do was get away from work, drink pina coladas, and not think about balance sheets and lines of credit (I was an accountant). What better way to escape than to spend a week on a floating bar? I found a last-minute deal online when I was supposed to be working taking a break, booked it then and there, and started dreaming of the sunny paradises that were waiting for me.

Something else happened to me in the fall of 2006. In fact, it happened about 3 weeks before we booked this cruise, and about 6 weeks before we actually took the cruise. I became vegan! So I did what any normal, newbie vegan would do: I booked a week-long cruise on a never-ending buffet barge. Genius!

I checked out Carnival's website and saw that guests with special dietary needs could be accommodated. Still, I wasn't taking any chances. I packed 2 bottles of my favorite salad dressing (Annie's Green Goddess Dressing, holla!) and figured I could live on salad and fresh fruit if need be. Fortunately, Carnival was wonderful and provided me with a vegan entree and dessert for dinner each night. Thanks, Carnival! The food was simple but well prepared: an Israeli couscous dish, pasta, roasted veggies, and tofu were some of the entrees I remember having. I had to fend for myself at breakfast and lunch, but there was always oatmeal and fresh fruit at breakfast, and an abundant salad bar at lunch. I was probably the only cruiser to maintain their weight during the week, ha! :)

Our ship had port calls in Nassau, Bahamas; Charlotte Amelie, St. Thomas; and Philipsburg, St. Maarten. We went snorkeling in Nassau, which was a lot of fun (we used a disposable waterproof camera, however, so no pics to show you :) We opted to take a ferry over to St. John during the St. Thomas port of call, however, because I was dying to visit Trunk Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It did not disappoint!

Heres's my hubby taking a dip in the crystalline blue water...

We also went to Orient Beach on St. Maarten...

But mostly, we just enjoyed relaxing on the boat, reading books, listening to music, and acting like big kids...

Because it was a cruise, we ate all of our meals on the ship, so it was a lot of American-style fare. But in honor of my journey through the Caribbean, I wanted to make a Caribbean-style meal for dinner tonight. And for that, I turned to my trusted Appetite for Reduction and Isa's recipe for Caribbean Curried Black-Eyed Peas with Plantains. 

Black-eyed peas are cooked together with shallots, red pepper, habanero pepper (I substituted jalapeno 'cuz I'm whimpy), garlic, ginger, bay leaves, curry powder, cinnamon, thyme, salt, agave, lime juice, and coconut milk. While the curry was simmering, I put on a pot of brown rice and steamed some plantains and broccoli. 

Since I don't have a vegetable steamer, I improvised by putting my giant colander full of plantains over a big stockpot of boiling water. I put a lid over the plantains and let them steam away. After several minutes of this, I added the broccoli to the water in the stockpot and steamed them both simultaneously. Worked like a charm!

Assembling the meal was as easy as putting a bed of rice in the bottom of a wide bowl, then topping it with the curry, steamed plantains, and broccoli. It was so colorful, so wonderfully fragrant, and super flavorful. My hubby gave it rave reviews!

After dinner, I was in the mood for a little dessert, so I grabbed a little package of chocolates that I bought in Costa Rica (which is not Caribbean, obviously...but it's chocolate and passion fruit, which is tropical!) It was the perfect, sweet ending to a delicious meal!

Where will be be going tomorrow? Tune in and see!