Veggie Sushi

These sushi rolls are my husband's creation; I'm just the lucky lady who gets to eat them for weekend lunches.  However, he does use my homemade hummus in them, so I am a small part of their creation.  We think anyone will find them tasty, but vegans, vegetarians and those who get nervous of raw fish may particularly be interested.  The sushi pictured does not contain shredded carrots, but he often adds those as well.

Why It's So Awesome (aka, the nutritional stuff):

• Nori (seaweed):  Seaweed is great for you!  It is full of fiber and vitamins A, B,C, E and K.  It also contains calcium and iron, amongst other minerals.  
• Avocados:   Contain fiber, potassium, vitamins C, B6 and K and folate.  
• Brown rice:   A natural whole grain containing fiber and protein.   
• Chick peas:  A good source of plant-based protein and fiber.  

Veggie Sushi
Makes about 32 pieces of sushi.
Since the recipe involves cooked, chilled rice, it is best to make the rice in advance.  

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups brown sushi rice 
• 2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 
• 6 sheets of nori (seaweed sheets)
• 2 whole avocados
• 2 carrots, (optional)
• 1 can of chick peas, drained, reserving 1/3 cup of the liquid
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger to taste
• you will also need a sushi mat.  A sushi set (such as Sushi Deluxe Set) is helpful.  

Preparation: 

1. Prepare rice according to package directions.  The vinegar adds a slightly sweet taste to the rice; add  to taste.  Refrigerate rice until chilled.   
2. Prepare the hummus.  Combine chick peas, reserved liquid, garlic salt and crushed red pepper in a food processor until smooth.  
3. Peel and chop avocados into thin strips.  If using carrots, shred using a food processor or grater. 
4. Roll up your sushi and enjoy!    

I am not going to go into how to roll sushi in this blog (mostly because that is my husband's specialty, and I have yet to master it), so if you don't already know how to make it, there are many tutorials available online.  I like Allrecipes, so here is theirs: http://allrecipes.com/video/303/how-to-make-sushi-rolls/detail.aspx.     

References:
http://www.self.com/blogs/flash/2011/11/3-reasons-to-eat-seaweed-its-g.html
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/8-healthy-facts-about-avocados

Vegan Indian Wraps

Photo courtesy of Mike Gleghorn.  Yes, that's a watermark
and some crumbs on our table.  Don't judge.  

My husband recently discovered Amy's Kitchen burritos and wraps in the grocery store frozen foods section.  His favorite so far is the Indian Samosa Wrap, which I agree is pretty darn tasty.    But since I am not too crazy about their price tag (or the fact that even though they are organic, they are still processed), I decided that I could mimic them.  I used cauliflower instead of tofu to up the nutritional value, and then added beans for more protein, but overall the taste is rather similar.

Why It's So Awesome (aka, the nutritional stuff):

• Cauliflower:  A great source of vitamin C.  Also contains potassium, fiber, folic acid and isothiocyanate, which helps to prevent disease.
• Peas and Beans:  Good sources of fiber and plant-based protein 
• Potatos:  Provide a source of  potasium.  

Vegan Indian Wraps

6 Servings 

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups fresh or frozen cauliflower florets
• 2 large red potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces (skins on or off, it's up to you)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups water
• 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 15 oz can red beans, rinsed
• 6 flour burrito tortillas 

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat. Add potatoes, cauliflower and ginger.  Sauté about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, add water and spices, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cook until mixture is mostly a paste, with some larger pieces of cauliflower and potato still visible.  Add peas and beans and simmer 2 minutes.  
2. Lay burritos flat and divide ingredients into even piles, placed at the center of each burrito shell.  Fold over sides of each burrito, then top and bottom.  Flip each burrito over and place (open side down) unto a large cookie sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes.  

Nutritional Info:  
http://www.webmd.com

Veggie Lo Mein

Lo mein and stir fry dinners so versatile- they are great for those nights when you have a bunch of veggies on hand but no real plan for what to make.  Plus they are fast, especially when you aren't cooking meat.

Why It's So Awesome (aka, the nutritional stuff):  

• Edamame (soybeans)- good source of meatless protein
• Whole wheat pasta- whole grains, protein and fiber. 
• Green beans, cabbage and carrots- together provide a great source of vitamin C and vitamin A

Veggie Lo Mein

Serves 4-6 as a main dish

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of whole wheat pasta (I used linguine), cooked following package directions
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 bag (16 oz)of coleslaw mix (shredded white cabbage and carrots)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups of shelled edamame (soybeans), thawed if using frozen
• 3 cups green beans, fresh or frozen
• 1 cup Teriyaki sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, pealed and minced

Preparation:

1. Saute olive oil, coleslaw mix and garlic in a round bottomed skillet or wok (such as a flat-bottom 14 inch wok) on medium-high heat for about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium and add green beans and edamame.  Stir-fry for 7-10 minutes until cooked but still crisp.   
2. While the veggies are cooking, whisk together Teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and flour until smooth.  Add in ginger.  
3. Mix veggies, pasta and sauce together and enjoy!   

Vegan Banana Bread Smoothie

So I will start off by saying that I am not a photographer.  If my pictures look like shining examples of bad photography, please try to see past them and move on to the recipes.

This smoothie was created in a moment of very low blood sugar.  I tend to reach that state about mid-morning, especially if I forget to have anything but coffee and a handful of cereal for breakfast.  I needed something that would stop my grouchiness fast- and this did the trick.

Why It's So Awesome (aka, the nutritional stuff):

• Bananas: high in potassium
• Almond milk: 1/2 cup has 25% of your daily calcium needs.  That's more than cow's milk, folks.
• Flaxseed: contains omega-3 fatty acids and fiber
• Honey: raises blood sugar slowly and steadily (has a low glycemic index compared to white sugar)

We sit on the "honey is fine" side of the vegan honey controversy.  If you are opposed to bee saliva, you can substitute maple or agave syrup.


Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (can be bought at health food stores or in the "health food" section of stores like Wegman's)
• 1 tablespoon honey 
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 5-6 ice cubes.  

Preparation:  Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor such as a ninja master prep blender/ processor. Enjoy!  

Nutritional info resources:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed
http://www.livestrong.com/article/471043-honey-blood-sugar/#ixzz2Iv86utXT

The Beginning

"I'm thinking about going vegan for 30 days, to see how I feel," my husband announces one evening about 2 months ago.  He had just finished reading  Eat & Run, and was curious to see how a vegan diet would affect his health, ultra-marathons and the recent stress fracture to his leg.  He wondered if weight loss from a vegan diet might put less pressure on his leg  

My first thought upon hearing this announcement was, "you have fun with that."  For several reasons, I initially didn't want to get involved.  First of all,  I had finally gotten to a place where I could make a decent number of meat-based dinners that were healthy (or so I thought), affordable, and most importantly, the whole family would eat most of the time.  Now I was going to have to start all over, learning how to cook without meat.  With 4 kids to take care of, another to baby-sit, and a household to manage, how was I going to have time to learn vegan cooking?  

The second reason I was initially not crazy about the idea of ditching my meatloaf and chicken fajita recipes was my incorrect ideas about what plant-based cooking entailed.  Visions of tofu and soy milk danced in my head.  Yuck.   
My final reservation was what I pictured I would have to give up.  Giving up meat was not much of a concern, but cheese?  Ice cream??  Milk chocolate???  I don't think so. 

But then a few things occurred to me.  First of all, I want to support my husband and his ideas and goals.  Second, I realized that I could see this as a challenge.  If for even a second I am telling myself "I can't do that", then I want to squash that thought. I also remembered that I like vegetables.  A lot.  Maybe I could find recipes that were veggie based and didn't involve tofu.  And I did.  Lots of them.   

Finally, it occurred to me that the way I eat doesn't have to be all or nothing. My husband has been a pretty strict vegan for the last 2 months.  However, I don't consider myself a vegan.  It's a pretty strict label, as you might be aware. I follow a plant-based diet.  It's mostly vegan, but if I am craving some cheese or chocolate, I indulge a little.  But my goal is to eat as little of animal products as possible.  To base my diet on plants.  

So what follows will be what I have learned.  Recipes, nutritional information, and a little of this and that.  And maybe I can help you to see how delicious vegan food can be and how great it can make you feel.