Gratitude of the Day: Being an easy-going cook

Now, I wouldn’t be so bold as to say I am a good cook. If you put me on the set of one of those reality cooking shows I would stare at the rows of ingredients like a deer in the headlights and then maybe manage to whip together a mediocre salad off the top of my head. I wouldn’t know where to begin when creating a recipe for muffins or cookies or pies from scratch. I don’t know anything about palates or contrasting flavors or any of those things cool people go to culinary school to learn. What I do know is that I am relatively easy to please and my mother was kind enough to instill upon me what I call the “shrug and go” technique. It involves exactly what it implies. When you come upon an ingredient you don’t have or a method you don’t understand you simply shrug and proceed ahead with whatever first pops into your heard. For instance, this evening, I decided to put together a recipe I found for Kelp Noodles and Spicy Peanut Sauce and my inner monologue went something like this:

“I only have one package of noodles instead of two. Ah well, never liked noodles much anyway — more veggies for me! Oh. I don’t have broccoli. Brussel sprouts it is then! What on earth are Enoki mushrooms? Let’s pretend it says button mushrooms. One teaspoon of grated ginger? What if mine is frozen into a solid block formation? Hmm… yes this large chunk I have sawed off will do. Don’t have red curry paste…let’s go with green. Two teaspoons? That’s awfully complicated to measure. I think a small-ish sized glob will be just fine. Hey wait, I don’t have cumin or coriander or chili sauce like I thought. Curry powder? That’s spicy-ish. And cultural. Meh… sound good. Hurrah!”

And I gotta say… it was a pretty darn fine meal. I mean look at it:

Now, truth be told, this method doesn’t work for everything. I once swapped evaporated milk in for condensed milk and the results were not pretty. I probably should have assumed from the names that evaporated would be the exact opposite of condensed… but hey — live and learn! I don’t think I’ve ever followed a recipe word for word and I’m okay with that. It all tastes fine to me!

P.S. You should totally try this recipe in whichever form works for you — because it’s seriously delicious.

30-Day Vegan Challenge is complete!

Well folks, it’s official: at 5 p.m. yesterday I completed the 30-Day Vegan Challenge. And I gotta say, it was a lot of fun. And surprisingly, a whole lot easier than I would have guessed. Granted, I think a lot of the simplicity was thanks to the fact that September was a relatively quiet month for me. Which brings me to the main point of this post: my list of what is awesome about being vegan as well as what makes veganism a little more on the challenging side.

What is awesome:

• It does wonders for your insides. Seriously. I read a lot about how veganism can make you feel better from the inside-out and I definitely see what people were talking about. I literally didn’t have an internal issue in the entire month period. And as someone who tends to have tummy aches, poor digestion and/or abdominal pain multiple times a week — this is a pretty awesome and welcome change. And by some bizarre chance of fate, it actually worked out that I had plans to go to a restaurant with no vegan foods whatsoever at pretty much the hour I had finished the challenge — and my body definitely felt the effects.
• Although it is certainly possible to eat vegan unhealthily, it does eliminate many of the usual bad options you might be prone to turn to. Think about it, how many bad foods can you think of off the top of your head that don’t contain some kind of animal product? Not a whole lot. Pizza, cream sauces, chocolate bars, ice cream, burgers, candy, etc. all involve animal products. So if you go at it with the right approach, it’s very easy to totally recalibrate your eating habits.
• The majority of vegan recipes don’t just remove the meat or dairy and call it a day. They tend to experiment with a huge variety of different grains, legumes, nuts, vegetables and more. I haven’t tried this many different healthy foods in such a short amount of time in so long! Very satisfying.
• It can help you eliminate some of the things you weren’t really loving in the first place. I’ve never particularly liked milk or eggs or red meat but I felt as though there were no alternatives. So experimenting with flax eggs, soy/rice/almond milk and tempeh/tofu were welcome changes that taught me a lot about how easy it can be to reduce your impact on animal production.
• You find super yummy new things like using ground cashews as Parmesan cheese and putting alfalfa sprouts on everything.

What is less awesome:

• There were lots of people that were very welcoming of the changes I was making and were excited to learn more and share their experiences and thoughts. But I also encountered some people that responded in very odd ways which was upsetting. Some looked at me like I was crazy, others seemed angry and a select few actually made fun of me. And as someone who doesn’t really know how to handle confrontation, this left me feeling sad, confused and even embarrassed. If you’re considering going vegan, don’t let worry of such attitudes deter your — there are definitely more positive people than negative. But it can be challenging at times.
• Eating out is undeniably different than eating out when you aren’t vegan. I got in the habit of making big quantities of food and then packaging them individually in case I had to go somewhere and would need a meal which made it a lot easier. But if you’re going to someone else’s home or have been invited to a restaurant that doesn’t have vegan options, be prepared for big changes.
• For me, I think one of the biggest challenges was feeling as though I was inconveniencing people or offending them in some way. In most cases I don’t even think it was anything they said or did, I was just overly worried that I’d be putting someone out. As someone who has loved being able to respond to the question “I made ____ is that okay?” with “Of course, I eat everything!” — this was a big change for me and not one I think I could easily get used to.

So where does all this leave me?

I suppose you could say it leaves me enlightened but confused. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to speak to someone who has fully research the both sides of the debate and she helped me figure out how I feel about everything. I do believe that human beings are meant to eat meat. But I don’t believe that we need quite as much meat as we have become accustomed to and I don’t believe that animals should be treated the way they are treated in order to satisfy our mass consumption. It also frustrates me that there’s this notion that we’re at the top of the food chain and that entitles us to eat as much meat as we want. But the factories we get most of our meat from don’t have cows grazing around a field until it’s time for them to be used. They’re stuck in unbearable circumstances that no living creature should have to endure. If a cougar tracked down a person and ate them, that would be the circle of life. But have you ever heard of a cougar tracking down a person, tying them into a miniature cage, force feeding them food and hormones to make them gain weight, impregnating them so they would produce milk, taking away their baby at birth so the baby could be used for baby meat and then killing and eating them? Nope. Cause that’s not how the circle of life is supposed to work. But I digress — all this is just to explain why I think changes do need to be made — although I don’t think it has to be all or nothing. There are plenty of naturally raised farms in Canada where the animals are treated very humanely and even enjoy equal or better lives than they would in the wilderness. I’m just not a fan of how treating animals cruelly in the name of meeting demand has somehow been deemed okay. But it’s obviously a complex issue and I do believe there are dozens of worthwhile ways to look at the issues. Now, where was I? Oh yes… I have also come to realize based on a lot of research that the whole notion of drinking another creature’s milk or eating their eggs just doesn’t make sense to me. That doesn’t mean I’m going to go to a restaurant and ask if each item on the list contains the products — but I am going to stick to cooking with flax eggs at home and drinking soy or almond milk wherever possible.I definitely respect vegans that are able to cut them out entirely no matter where they are, but I don’t know that’s where I am yet.

I read a wonderful book called The Main Street Vegan that opened my eyes to the possibility of being an “at home vegan.” Where essentially you eat in a vegan way at home and make vegan choices when available while you’re out but if they aren’t available that’s okay to. The author suggests that living this way can help people gradually move towards being more vegan if and when they’re ready, or if not, they’re still doing something to help the world and that’s great. If anything, these 30 days have taught me it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. I can still do my part to help the animals while I’m at home but I can also enjoy the health benefits that come from eating healthy meat products when I’m out. And I can also not worry about offending someone when I’m a guest in their home or not being able to pick an option I can eat off the menu. These beliefs might change with time and that’s okay too. We’re all just trying to find that happy balance between what we feel is right and what makes us happy — and as long as we keep fighting to find that, we’re doing okay.

Most importantly, I hope I haven’t offended anyone in writing this. Whichever side of the debate you may sit on (or somewhere in the middle!) I hope you can understand that I’m new to this and am just another person trying to find my way and discover what I think is right. As I’m sure we all are! But I’m always open to new perspectives — so please feel free to share your thoughts!

Super Healthy Dinner: Vegan Tempeh Marinara Pasta

This dish is the perfect combination of healthy and tasty. Which is great because I so rarely think of pasta as being “good for you”. But this dish is full of nutritious goodies. And I finally feel like I understand why Italians love making their own marinara sauce. The taste is so much better! I followed a recipe I found on Healthy Happy Life with a few minor adjustments:

• I used sliced portobello and button mushrooms instead of of shitake.
• I doubled the amount of kale (for some extra green goodness)
• I used about half the amount of olive oil recommended just because 1/4 cup seemed like a little two much
• I realized at the last minute I didn’t have any onion which was too bad, but I’ll make sure to have some on hand for next time!
• For the sauce I did a small ziploc bag of plain tomato sauce that I happened to have in the fridge and then cut up one roma tomato and one normal tomato. I also chopped up a red pepper and added it along with the garlic and spices.
• I ground raw cashews into a powder as topping instead of getting a Parmesan cheese substitute.

Next time around I think I’d like to use whole wheat pasta or maybe soba noodles. This was my first time using tempeh which was cool. It was very interesting. I’m excited to try grilling it to see how that works. Definitely a day of firsts!

Day 7 vegan discovery: Delicious wraps

I am pleased to say I have finally solved a mystery. In the past when I have made a wrap for myself it typically just involved me throwing some cheese and maybe a little ham in a whole wheat wrap, warming it up and calling it a day. So it’s no wonder I didn’t find it as exciting as when I got a wrap at a sandwich shop or restaurant. But when you have the right ingredients — a wrap made at home can be even better than one you buy.

Seeing as I’m not spending money on meat, cheese, or dairy products anymore, I have some extra funds to buy ridiculously awesome produce that I would otherwise have talked myself out of. And that lead to creating the best wrap of my existence. I filled a whole wheat pita with tomatoes, red pepper, lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, avocado, shredded carrots and the “piece de resistence”: lentil hummus.

I found the recipe on Oh She Glows and it was unbelievably easy. I’ll be making it a lot more when I want a change from chick pea hummus. So simple and so good!

Mushroom and Kale Gravy over Millet

Oh She Glows is overflowing with healthy and delicious recipes such as this scrumptious Mushroom and Kale Gravy over Millet. The gravy is creamy and delicious while the kale adds a nice chewy texture and the millet adds the perfect tender crunch. I followed the recipe quite closely except that I used red onion instead of white because it was all I had and I substituted 2/3 button mushrooms and 1/3 portobello mushrooms because I didn’t have cremini. I also doubled the kale quantity for some added fibre and leafy greens. And because I didn’t have nutritional yeast I ground cashews into a powder instead. It was so good I literally closed my eyes to savor it. Enjoy!!

Peanut Butter Soba Noodle Stir Fry

Okay, I virtually always like the things I cook. Even if something I whip up may be disgusting, the fact I made it makes it my baby and I feel I am required to like it. But this…this dish is AMAZING. I seriously feel like you could find it in a restaurant. It’s nutty, creamy and delicious.

I used this recipe almost verbatim: Soba Noodles with Shrimp, Snow Peas & Carrots — with a few exceptions…

1) I realized after I had started that I only had half the amount of shrimp I needed. So I pan-fried a diced chicken breast in sesame oil and added it to the mix at the same time as the sauce. I strongly recommend it!

2) I accidentally used snap peas instead of snow peas — but it was still delicious!

3) I forgot to add the cilantro which was sad but I have plenty of leftovers that I will load up with the stuff.

4) I think I added close to an extra cup of grated carrot which I think made it even better so I would totally recommend doing so.

5) I used these super cool soba noodles I found at my local health food store:

They’re 95% buckwheat and 5% sweet potato! How cool is that!? If you can track them down I can practically guarantee you will love them. Enjoy!!

Healthy Banana Bars

A little while ago I came across this recipe for Peanut Butter, Banana and Honey Road Cake. And this morning, as a reward for the busy day I had yesterday, I decided to finally enjoy some quality baking time. Unfortunately I didn’t have one of the title ingredients — honey. But the fact it was the healthiest banana bread I had stumbled across in some time (possibly ever) made me decide it was worth trying anyway. And the substitutions I made seemed to work out perfectly. The only thing I think I could have added but didn’t think of until it was too late was chopped walnuts. Walnuts are always a great addition to banana bread. Oh well — next time! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe bananas, mashed
• 1/4 cup Splenda (or other sweetener of choice)
• 1 egg (or flax egg if making vegan)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1 heaping tablespoon creamy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons apple sauce
• 3/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine banana, Splenda, egg, vanilla, maple syrup, peanut butter and apple sauce in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Ensure all banana lumps have disappeared.
3. Stir in flours, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
4. Pour mixture into a greased 8 x 8 baking pan. Even out mixture.
5. Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes. You can check on it at 25 minutes but I find the bananas cause the mixture to take a long time to cook.
6. Let cool for 10 minutes or so as bread will continue to cook on the inside and then serve.

Note: Loaf can easily be cut into squares which are convenient to take with you as a quick snack or breakfast on-the-go.

Veggie, Chicken, Noodle Stir-fry

Sometimes it can be nice to follow a recipe perfectly and know you will get it just right. But it can also be deeply rewarding to play around with a recipe and really test one’s kitchen knowledge. It can be really satisfying to look for substitutions and alternatives. So this recipe originally started as Mushroom Asparagus Japchae but I wanted to add in some different veggies, mix in some chicken and used a different type of noodle because of what I had on hand. Never the less, it turned out wonderfully. I highly recommend it has a great combination of all the nutrients your body needs and it’s delicious to boot!

Veggie, Chicken, Noodle Stir-fry

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 200g noodles (I used rice spaghettini but glass noodles or vermicelli would also work great)

- 500g sliced assorted mushrooms (I used a combination of button and enoki mushrooms but shitake or oyster would also work)

- 1 chicken breast (butterflied and sliced thinly)

- 1/2 bunch of asparagus (chopped into 1 inch pieces)

- 1/2 head of broccoli (chopped into small florets)

- 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil (divided)

- 3 tablespoons chicken broth

- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)

- 4 tablespoons soya sauce (divided)

- 4 teaspoons brown sugar (divided)

- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (divided)

- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds (divided)

- salt and pepper (to taste)

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Blanch sliced mushrooms in boiling water for 10 seconds. Strain mushrooms and run under cold water. Set aside.

2. Prepare noodles according to package instructions. When they are done you can strain them and set aside. While noodles cook, proceed with the rest of the steps.

3. Heat 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil in a frying pan with chicken. Once you can no longer see any raw sides in the chicken, add in the broccoli and garlic. After 2 or 3 minutes, add in the asparagus. Cook until veggies achieve desired tenderness. Add in chicken broth. Let simmer for a minute or two. Then transfer into a bowl.

4. Add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil to the same pan and stir in mushrooms. Stir in 2 tablespoons soya sauce, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon sesame seeds. Remove from heat and add to bowl of veggies and chicken

5. Heat remaining oils, soya sauce, sugar and sesame seeds. Stir in cooked noodles and let them soak everything in. When noodles have warmed, add in the bowl of veggies and chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste.

It’s delicious eaten right away later as leftovers!

Israeli Couscous with Prosciutto, Asparagus & Mushrooms

When there’s a totally new ingredient in my kitchen I simply refuse to use it in an average dish – I become determined to use it as it was meant to be done. My mom brought home some Israeli couscous and as soon as I came across this recipe I knew it was a match made in heaven. This dish is the perfect combination of meat, cheese and veggies so you must give it a try!

Israeli Couscous with Prosciutto, Asparagus & Mushrooms

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 8 oz. Israeli couscous

- 6 oz asparagus (sliced into 1 inch pieces)

- 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

- 8oz  cremini mushrooms (sliced)

- 2 cloves of garlic (minced)

- a pinch of red chili flakes or paprika

- 1/2 cup dry white wine

- 3 oz. prosciutto (chopped)

- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for sprinkling

- 1/4 cup fresh parsley (finely chopped)

- salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of water (salted, if desired) to a boil. Add in couscous an cook until al dente. This may take a good deal longer than you expect as the couscous is large and takes a while to cook through. Once it reaches al dente, toss in the asparagus and let cook for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan. Add mushrooms and cook until they become tender. Add in the rest of the olive oil, garlic and red chili flakes/paprika. Stir until well combined and then add in white wine and let simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Add prosciutto and let simmer for a minute or two.

4. Stir in Parmesan cheese, parsley and salt. Mix until well combined.

5. Serve with an additional sprinkling of Parmesan and salt if desired.

Curried Veggies & Bulgur

The best way to describe this dish is a healthy version of chicken fried rice – and all you have to do is try it once and you’ll never go back to the old way again. I came across this recipe that used bulgur – I’ve never used the stuff before but I am so glad I tried it out. It is the perfect cross between rice and quinoa and is incredibly good for you. So there really isn’t a bad thing in this dish!

Curried Veggies & Bulgur

Serves 4

Ingredients:

- 2 tablespoons olive oil

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 2 tablespoons curry powder

- 2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

- 1 cup bulgur

- 1 and 3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

- 1/4 cup currants and/or raisins

- 1/3 cup frozen peas

- 1/3 cup frozen corn

- 1/2 cup button mushrooms, chopped

- 1/4 cup sliced or chopped toasted almonds (I simply chopped up some whole almonds and toasted them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes)

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 4 eggs

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pan on medium-low heat. Add in onions and cook until caramelized. Stir in curry powder. Toss in the bulgur and mix well so it becomes coated with some oil. Add in carrots and let sit for a minute or two.

2. Pour in the broth and currants/raisins. Cover the pan and let cook for 10 minutes.

3. Pour in the peas, corn and mushrooms and cover again. Let cook on low heat for another minute or two before turning the heat off and letting the mixture sit, covered, for 15 minutes.

4. While the mixture sits, fry the eggs in a pan until yolks achieve desired level of hardness.

5. When the bulgur mixture has cooked enough, stir in the almonds and salt. Scoop mixture into bowls and top each with a fried egg.

Note: If you are cooking the mixture to last you for lunches/dinners through the week it is probably best that you not fry all the eggs at once but rather cook them one at a time as needed.