More GF / Vegan Goodies

Granola -Take Two
I've been reading a lot of granola recipes trying to come up with the perfect healthy granola. Sorry to those who received my first batch. This one was much better!
Preheat oven to 320 and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a big bowl mix the wet ingredients:
3/4 c pumpkin purée
2 TBS apple sauce
1/2 c date sugar
1 TBS vanilla
2 tsp. pumpkin spice
Then add dry ingredients:
3 c GF oats
1 c pistachios
1 c walnuts
Mix well and spread on baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes stirring once.
Add 1-2 c of dried fruit, I uses raisins and cranberries. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. Let cool and put in an air tight container!

Brownie Bites

I made these wonderful no bake brownies - to me, they seemed more like truffles.  They do call for honey, but you can use brown rice syrup instead to make them vegan.  My omnivore friends  loved these as much as I did!  Super easy to make.

http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/gluten-free-no-bake-brownie-balls

What I Made on Sunday

 Gluten Free / Vegan Chocolate Covered Pretzels

1 bag of GF / VG chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli )
1 TBS Earth's Balance VG Margarine
1 bag of your favorite gluten free pretzels - I used sticks (easier to dip) from Whole Foods
And, you can use any toppings, for some I used unsweetened coconut flakes, you could also use crushed peppermint sticks, sprinkles, chocolate shavings etc

First line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.  Put any toppings you may want on a plate, to roll the pretzels in once they have chocolate on them.

I did not have a double boiler, so I put a glass bowl over a pan with about an inch of water in it, once the water started boiling, I put the Earth's Balance and chocolate chips in the glass bowl.   You must keep stirring the chocolate the whole time!  

Start dipping your pretzels in the chocolate and rolling them in the toppings.  Lay flat on parchment paper.  Once you have made all the pretzels you want, put the baking sheets in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. 

Gluten Free / Vegan / No Oil Granola
The great thing about granola is that you can make it with whatever ingredients you feel like.  Try different  nuts, seeds, dried fruit, sprinkle in some chocolate chips or coconut or both.  This recipe used what I had on hand.  Have a medium bowl and a large bowl ready, pre-heat oven to 320 degrees.

In medium bowl:
Wet Ingredients
1/2 c applesauce
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1/2 c date sugar

In large bowl mix together:
Dry Ingredients
6 c GF oats
1c walnuts
1c pistachios
1c pumpkin seeds
1c dried cranberries

Pour wet ingredients in with the dry, mix until thoroughly coated, then transfer onto two baking sheets covered in parchment paper.  Bake at 320 for 10 minutes, stir the granola, then another 10 minutes.  I baked mine for an extra 5 minutes which made it extra crunchy. This makes a LOT of granola - get ready to share.

Dinner - Mary McDougall's Black Bean Chili
I have posted about this before, so I will spare you the details, but Chad and I both LOVE this recipe.  Super easy, after making the above two recipes I was ready to get out of the kitchen.  It is spicy, so only one girl liked it. We do not use yams, I added white potatoes this time, but will leave them out all together next time.  Scroll down the newsletter to find the recipe for Black Bean Chili

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2011nl/sep/recipes.htm

New Cookbook!

I just received Everyday Happy Herbivore in the mail.  If you are looking for a new vegan cookbook, go order this one right now!  I usually only find a couple of good recipes per cookbook.  Just perusing this cookbook last day, I have not seen one recipe that I do NOT want to try.  I am so inspired, and so excited to get cooking.  So, next week's menu is all based on Everyday Happy Herbivore.
My dinners:
Cajun Chickpea Cakes page 188
Sweet and Sour Tempeh page 145
We will not be eating at home most of the week. 
But this weekend, I am also going to make these treats:

Oatmeal Chews page 253

And, from Mother Nature Network, no bake brownie balls:
http://www.mnn.com/food/recipes/stories/gluten-free-no-bake-brownie-balls

Best meal I have ever made myself!

Well, not sure if my family agreed, but I loved every bite.  And, unfortunately the final meal's photos were somehow deleted from my iphone.  My best creation ever - all proof GONE.  I do not understand how things disappear from my phone, my computer and my saved blog file.  But I do have one lonely photo of the tofu before it went into the oven!

 

On to the meal:
Spicy Orange Greens
This recipe is from a new cookbook Everyday Happy Herbivore.  And the recipe is found in a downloadable pdf with several of her recipes.  Here is the link:
http://www.forksoverknives.com/sample-recipes-from-everyday-happy-herbivore/

I will not write out the recipe, because I really want you to check out the pdf, it has several great recipes.  For my spicy greens, I could not find an orange marmalade without corn syrup, so I used apricot preserves.  For my greens, I used kale.  This recipe was AMAZING.  I wish I still had my beautiful picture.


Orange Beets
I bought the prepackaged, already cooked beets from Trader Joes.  Yes, I would prefer to buy them from the Farmers Market, but sometimes I use short cuts.  I emptied the beets in a dish and poured a little balsamic vinegar and orange over them.  No precise measure, just enough to give flavor.  I served these cold. 

Tofu
My description of this tofu is simply - AWESOME.  I sliced the tofu (extra firm) and pressed the water out.  (This is key to the final tofu not being soggy)  I wrap mine in a dish towel and put a heavy dish on top while I prepare the marinade and crust.  Pre-heat the oven to 350.
Marinade:
2TBS Tahini
2 TBS Water
1 tsp GF Tamari
whisk these together, and spread on the top and bottom of the tofu (I put little slits in my tofu, so the marinade will soak through the middle).  Do not use all marinade, save half for later.
Put tofu on baking dish and roast at 350 for 12 minutes.
Crust:
In my Vitamix, I combined
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup walnuts (You can use any nuts that you like, I try to incorporate walnuts for the Omega 3)
2 tsp cornmeal (makes this recipe gluten free!)
1/4 tsp cumin
2 TBS cilantro
turn vitamix on low - medium for a few minutes
Take tofu out of the oven, put more marinade on, and pour the crust on top (I did not use all of the crust). Place back in the oven for 10 more minutes.  I broiled mine at the end to make the tofu a little more brown, but watch it carefully. 

Omnivore hint - I saved some of the marinade and crust for Chad to use on his grilled chicken!  He loved the kale as well.  He is not a beet fan.  The girls enjoyed the kale, tofu and chicken.  Not the beets.  Which just meant more beets for me.

Picky Eaters

Yesterday was another food challenging day with Ry.  She simply doesnt know what she wants to eat.  After offering her several choices of food she previously enjoyed, I threw one last option out.  Ry, would you like to make your own pizza??  YES, she exclaimed!  This was a lazy Sunday, when we had the time for this option.  So, I pulled the Udi's frozen, gluten free pizza crust out of the freezer, along with 2 flavors of Daiya gluten free, vegan cheese, and Trader Joes' marinara sauce.  I gave Ry a spoon and told her to have fun.

She did a great job and enjoyed every bite of her lunch!

Dinner tonight

Colleen's chick pea burgers:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/colleens-chickpea-burgers-with-tahini-sauce.html
So incredibly easy - I actually made the patties yesterday and put them in the frig last night.  I cooked them in a pan for dinner tonight.

Sides:

1. Served the burgers with Trader Joe vegan sour cream
2. Trader Joe frozen fajita peppers and onions - stir fried with a little low sodium veggie broth
3. Spinach, cucumber, and hemp seed salad with a no fat raspberry vinaigrette
4. Sliced new potatoes, with a little olive oil spray and sea salt - baked at 400 for about 15 minutes, then roasted them  - I did have to keep an eye on these

All I have to say is that EVERYONE LOVED their dinner tonight.  

Thanksgiving 2011!

Oh the holidays!  How does one eat a gluten free, whole foods, plant based diet during the holidays?

Thanks to a friend, Laura, who came up with this adorable idea, this is the turkey I brought:

Yes, and a plug for my favorite movie: Forks over Knives

I also brought gluten free, vegan yeast rolls from Sally's Bakery.  I was very skeptical that yeast rolls would turn out alright, but these were AMAZING.  Soft rolls that did not have the gluten free feel or taste.  Thank you Sally's Bakery!  None GF people enjoyed them as well.  sallysbakery.com

On to the sides I brought:

Citrus Salad

I put these ingredients on the platter:

spinach

beets

asparagus

mandarin slices

walnuts

And, I made a salad dressing from Forks Over Knives Companion Book page 116

1 cup of orange juice

1/2 cup frozen raspberries, thawed

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in blender and voila!

I put mine in that cute pitcher you see and have it in my refrigerator all week - I use it on everything!

 

Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts

This recipe is also from Forks over Knives Companion Book page 165.  The recipe was created by Chef AJ Unprocessed.  She is another great resource, check out her website: http://www.thinnervention.info/

 

Ingredients:

Brussel Sprouts, I used two Trader Joe bags

1/4 cup finely minced shallots

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 tablespoon tamari

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

Diced red bell pepper

chopped walnuts

After cutting the stems off and slicing them in half, I steamed my brussel sprouts or you can boil them for about 2 minutes.

In a large sauce pan, saute the shallots in a small amount of water or veggie broth for about 2 minutes, then add brussel sprouts, saute for a few more minutes.

Dressing - whisk maple syrup, dijon mustard, tamari and arrowroot powder in a small bowl.  Pour mixture over brussel sprouts and shallots, cook for about 2 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Add peppers and nuts and serve.

This may be one of my all time favorites.  I even ate it cold the next day.  Delicious!

Dessert - Pumpkin Bites by fatfreevegan.com

Wow!  These turned out great.  I added vegan / GF chocolate chips to the recipe. You can find the recipe:
http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2009/11/pumpkin-pie-bites.html

I ate these for breakfast the next day :)

So, I was completely satisfied on Thanksgiving, I did over eat, but I over ate and stayed with in my diet integrity.  All healthy food!

Check out Forks Over Knives - the documentary is a must see, the companion book as tons of great recipes, and the website is a great resource.

Mexican Pie

 

Are you looking for a super easy, delicious meal?  I have one that passed all four taste test - mine, omnivore Chad, picky Ry, and veggin lovin S.  I found this recipe in the companion Forks Over Knives Book - The recipe is actually by Karen Campbell, of the The Campbell Family - The China Study.  The recipe is called Polenta with Rice and Beans, it is found on page 143.   I made modifications and will share how I prepared it.

(my family calls it mexican pie!)

Ingredients (I found all ingredients at Trader Joes):

One tube of organic polenta

1/2 cup of low sodium, no fat veggie broth

1 can of Trader Joes' fire roasted tomatoes

1 cup of Trader Joes' frozen organic brown rice

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 can organic black beans drained

1/2 cup fat free, low sodium salsa (I used TJ's green salsa)

• I evenly, yet thinly sliced the polenta and laid the rounds flat in a pie dish.  You want to create an even layer of polenta to serve as the crust.  So, I used my fingers and mashed the polenta together.  Very fun!
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees
• In a large sauce pan, I combined all of the ingredients EXCEPT for the salsa and black beans.  I stirred and let this simmer until the rice was fully thawed.  The recipe says to let all of this cook for about 45 minutes until the liquid is gone.  I did not have time for that, so  I added the black beans, let it cook for awhile longer, then drained the liquid.  
• I poured the rice and black bean mixture over the polenta, then layered the salsa on top.
• Stick the whole pie in the oven for 30 minutes.
• 
  After it cools a few minutes slice, and top with avocado or vegan sour cream.

There are many variations to this dish, dont be afraid to add your favorite veggies, more spices and try out different salsas.

This pie made enough for one dinner for the four of us, S's lunch the next day and my lunch the next two days.  (S and I even ate it cold!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Good morning kale!

 

Kale

Kale loaded with amazing nutrients for your body.  It is very low calorie and low fat but very nutrient dense.  Here are some of the nutrients kale will provide your body:

vitamin A (in the form of beta-carotene), vitamin B6, folic acid, calcium, vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, manganese, copper, and  the plant form of omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid). In addition to the carotenoid beta-carotene, kale contains other very important carotenoid molecules called lutein and zeaxanthin (both necessary for eye health) and numerous other.

Wow!  What a cup of kale can provide your body.  So, how to incorporate this nutrient powerhouse into our diet?  I chop up kale with other lettuces in my salad, I put some in my smoothies, there are numerous kale salad recipes out there, or just make easy kale chips:

Spray a baking sheet (Lightly) with olive oil

take the stems off kale and break apart, lay flat on sheet

Spray oil lightly on top of kale, sprinkle your favorite seasonings - be creative

Bake at 375 for 10 or so minutes - I continually check on my kale through this process, it is very easy to over cook it

I used sea salt and nutritional yeast.  What is nutritional yeast??  One of the few sources of B-12 that vegans can consume without taking a supplement.  Instead of reinventing the wheel - please read this link on What the Heck is Nutritional Yeast!!!

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/what-the-heck-is-nutritional-yeast.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+FatfreeVeganBlog+%28Fatfree+Vegan+Blog%29

Two Easy Dinners that the Girls ENJOYED!

Broiled Tomato and Pasta dinner

Rice noodles (I bought the pad thai noodles) and fresh basil
Sliced tomato with GF bread crumbs, Daiya vegan cheese - broil the tomato for 3-5 minutes

 

Lentils and Sweet Potato Fries

Stewed tomatoes (no salt or fat added), Lentils from Trader Joes, and Rice - put all together in a big pot and cook for about 10 minutes.  Slice an almost cooked sweet potato put on a cookie sheet and broil for 2+ minutes.  Add a little salt to the potatoes.  Salad - spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes, toasted pumpkin seeds.   All spices were added after I served the girls, they do not like spicy things, but Chad and I do!

Oatmeal bars

Enjoy hot out of the oven or cold:
2 cups gluten free oatmeal
1/2 cup soy, almond, rice or hemp milk milk
1 cup applesauce
3/4 cup chopped dried fruit. I used dates, cherries, raisins and apricots
2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
Mix well. Press into 8x8 brownie pan (lightly oiled)
Baked 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes
A great snack, dessert or breakfast - Note - The girls did not like these, I have enjoyed them, as they are an easy snack to carry around when I am in a hurry, better for you than your typical bar!

Lunch - spicy sweet potato fries!

Bake a sweet potato until almost done, then slice and lay on cookie sheet. Sprinkle your favorite spices. I used cinnamon and cayenne pepper. Then broil for a few minutes. Serve with a big salad These fries will wake up your taste buds!

I started cooking again:

Chickpea Burgers
I had a few weeks of uninspired cooking, but I finally started again.  I found this great chickpea burger recipe from fatfreevegan.com.  I am happy to report, Chad ate two of them!  I loved them, and one out of two girls liked them as well.  We used vegan sour cream on top.  I served them with a big salad.

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/2011/10/colleens-chickpea-burgers-with-tahini-sauce.html

I modified the recipe:

• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas (or 1 1/2 cups cooked), drained and rinsed
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced  (I only used 1 clove of garlic)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (I didnt have any parsley, so I threw a big handful of spinach in the food processer with all the other ingredients)
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs (I used about 1/2 - 3/4 cup of gluten free bread crumbs found at Whole Foods)

Directions:

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. (I baked them for a few minutes and then put them in a hot skillet to finish)
2. Pulse the chickpeas in a food processor until thick and pasty. (You may mash them by hand, but it is a little more labor- intensive and time- consuming.) Transfer to a medium- size bowl.
3. To the bowl, add the onion, garlic, parsley, tahini, cumin, coriander, salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and baking powder. Slowly add the bread crumbs until the mixture holds together. Add more bread crumbs, as needed. Shape into patties.
4. Place on a nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 10–12 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom. Using a spatula, flip each patty over, and cook for 10–12 minutes more until the other side is golden brown. Remove from the oven. Alternatively, you may fry the patties with a little oil in a pan on the stove top.
5. While the burgers are cooking, make the tahini sauce, below.  (See the website link) I did not make the sauce

Pimento Cheese??
My girls love pimento cheese, especially from Graces Goodness gracesgoodness.com 
But I have a hard time serving it to them, because of all the dairy, salt, fat etc that goes into it.  I was thrilled when the recipe below hit twitter.  See post from the Atlanta Vegan Drinks group.

http://atlvegandrinks.com/2011/09/22/vegan-pimento-cheese-recipe/


I did however, modify:
I used:

• one cup of the Daiya shredded cheddar
• one cup of the Daiya shredded mozzarella
• I soaked about 3 TBS of raw cashews for about an hour then drained them
• 1/4 of a block of firm tofu, squeezed dried
• 1/4 cup Veganaise
• 1/4 cup vegan sour cream
• 1 diced roasted red pepper
• Cayenne pepper (to your taste)

The recipe doesn't recommend this, but I just put all the ingredients in the food processor for a few minutes and done!  The girls and I love it!  I was out of town over the weekend, and noticed they did eat it while I was gone.  A true testament that they liked it!   The girls have had pimento cheese sandwiches for their school lunch.  It also makes a great veggie dip.

No. 246 - Decatur

I learned from Jennifer Harris at http://www.examiner.com/glutenfree-food-in-atlanta/jennifer-harris that No. 246, an Italian restaurant in Decatur, (http://www.no246.com/), was featuring homemade gluten free pasta for the month of September, in honor of Celiac Awareness month.   I tried to get there all month, and finally was able to go on September 30th!  Chad and I along with another couple ventured into this amazing restaurant.

Several "foodie" friends of mine had given their stamp of approval so I could not wait to try it.  How could one go wrong at a restaurant that was the creation of a Drew Belline, former Floataway Cafe and JCT Kitchen owner, Ford Fry?  The space was comfortable, modern, yet slightly rustic in an all white and black decor.  I felt very "hip" walking in.

On to the food - At first glance, the menu really did not have much for me to choose from.  I humbly asked the waitress if they could fix me anything vegan and gluten free?  She said absolutely, with a cheerful smile.  Really?  That easy?  YES!

The salad

The pasta

Out comes this enormous salad with grilled veggies on top.  Beautiful, absolutely delicious and so satisfying.  I was not sure they could top this salad.  I was wrong.  The homemade gluten free pasta was out of this world good.  I have yet to find anything close.  It included more veggies, incredible spices, herbs, the taste was to die for.  I wish I had the palate to describe to you all the different taste that I encountered, but I am not - I can just say, it was really, really good!  The trance I was in while eating precluded me from even realizing what everyone else ordered.  But, I do know everyone joined the clean plate club and they all commented that they enjoyed their meal.  So - try out 246 in Decatur - they can prepare one of the best vegan / gluten free meals I have had in Atlanta, or enjoy what is on their menu - I was told it was outstanding!  BTW - they are keeping the gluten free pasta after September.

Black Bean Chilli for the Vegan and the Meateater

The most recent McDougall newsletter hit my inbox a week ago when the temperature dropped in Atlanta.  Perfect timing to try out a new chilli -

Another Mary McDougall recipe from her and John's September newsletter:
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2011nl/sep/recipes.htm

From newsletter:
Preparation Time:  10 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes
Servings: 4
½ cup vegetable broth
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped (red or green)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1   4-ounce can chopped green chilies
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
2  15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1  15-ounce can fire-roasted chopped tomatoes
1 cup chunked, cooked yams
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
dash salt
Options:  baked tortilla chips
Chili Cream Sauce (recipe above)
Salsa (purchased)
Place the vegetable broth in a large pot.  Add onion, bell pepper and garlic.  Cook and stir frequently for 3 minutes.  Add green chilies, chili powder, cumin, and oregano.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Add beans, tomatoes, and yams.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.  Uncover and cook for 15 minutes, adding a bit more vegetable broth if the chili is too thick at this point.  Stir in cilantro and salt to taste.  Add optional toppings as desired.

My modifications:  I did not have any yams, and Chad does not like them anyways, so I left those out.  I used only one clove of garlic and added more veggie broth.  I used the Trader Joe's fire roasted tomatoes in a can.  I put Toffuti vegan sour cream on top.

Chad's Chilli - Mine did not photograph as well!

Chad's modifications: - he crumbled Frito's on top with a dollop of real sour cream and a sliced chicken breast.  (If only I could find healthy Frito's - I was a bit jealous of his addition)

We both enjoyed this recipe.  S did try it and enjoyed it, but Ry did not try it - it would have been too spicy for her.  She had her left over lunch for dinner!

My Trader Joe favorites and learning from others...

I am copying this idea from a friend of mine's new blog http:stiritup.me

Now you may wonder why I would read a blog about the Paleo Diet. As I get older, and hopefully wiser, I am learning the importance of keeping an open-mind.  There is always something to learn from someone else.  Yes a plant based diet (this is what I am trying to remember label my "vegan" diet - more on that someday) is different than the Paleo diet, the biggest being that Paleo eats meat and dairy.  But there are two very similar aspects to how I eat - a focus on wholesome, organic foods (fruits, veggies),  and gluten free!  Yes, there are other differences in the diet, but I not here to analyze the two diets.  All I know is that  I have seen LOTS of  recipes on Stiritup.me that I can't wait to try.   In addition, it has the most amazing photos, it is very well written, and it is always enjoyable to read a friend's blog.

Recently, she wrote a couple of posts about her favorite things.  And most of the items (minus meat and dairy) where MY favorite things too!  I decided to take her idea and share with you my favorite things at Trader Joes.
Here is a link to one of her post:
http://stiritup.me/post/9885542861/a-few-of-my-favorite-things-cont

BTW - Trader Joes is extremely gluten free friendly!  Check this out:
http://www.traderjoes.com/lists/no-gluten.asp

Here is one big picture of my recent trip to Trader Joes - all vegan, gluten free.

• Sweet Potato chips - The girls and I love these, they hold up well dipping
• Taco Shells - easy dinner night, rice, beans, veggies - done.  I put them all in little bowls and let the girls make their own.  They gobble it up.
• Unsweetened Coconut milk - good for smoothies, baking, cereal
• Taco seasoning - being gluten free I have to be careful about seasoning. This one is GF, I add it to everything, beans, rice, tofu
• Unsweetened Cocao Powder - baking, smoothies, oatmeal 
• Organic Lollipops - these girls love these treats
• Marinara Sauce 
• Organic Brown Rice - I do not have a microwave, but I put a little water in a pan, heat it, then add the frozen rice, stir it for a few minutes and it is done.  Great, healthy quick rice.
• Light Coconut milk- great for curry dishes
• Frozen Artichoke Hearts - I am adding these to everything these days. Love them in lentils, stir fries, etc
• Crushers - the girls favorite thing to put in their lunchbox.  Ry would eat a box in a day if I would let her!
• Udi's bread - gluten free (not vegan, but dairy free)
• Lentils- these are the easiest best tasting lentils I have found.  They are in the refrigerated section
• TJs organic extra firm tofu - best FIRM tofu I have found.  Will hold up on a grill.
• Almond flour - for baking, and I coated tofu with it last night - I mixed a tablespoon of Tahini with a TBS of GF soy sauce, spread on tofu, then sprinkled the almonds on top - baked at 375 for about 10 minutes

 

• Hummus - Trader Joes' original is GF and tasty
• Veggies - organic cherry tomatoes - put out in a bowl and they are gone by dinner, these cucumbers the girls love, and the mixed veggies are easy for a stir fry

 Close ups:

 And, I forgot:

Ry's FAVORITE SNACK

My afternoon smoothie with spinach!

Work lunch

When my only restriction eating out was that it had to be vegan, it really was pretty simple.  I was able concentrate on getting that one message through to the waiter.  I enjoy eating out, I love going to new restaurants, date nights, girls nights, group dinners, etc -  was I perfect all the time?  No.  Did I sometimes let a little dairy slide?  Yes.  Sorry, hardcore vegans, I am doing the best I can! 

BUT now - eating out as gluten free and vegan is harder.  Yes, there are a lot more options than there used to be, but the combination of GF/ vegan is tricky.   Trying to convince a waiter to go back and talk to the chef and relay the message, no dairy, no meat, no eggs, no gluten - is a challenge.  And, the waiters that succeed do earn a good tip.  Recently, I have realized that I am letting things slide more than I used to, because I am so focused on gluten free.  If there is a little dairy in my dish my body does not really notice, but if there is a little gluten in the dish, my stomach will hurt for days. 

Last week I had one such experience.  I was going on a work lunch.  Talk about difficult, do I really want everyone to hear my long list of eating restrictions? Ugh.  And, we were going to Houston's.  Hum, I had no idea how this was going to turn out.  I ordered a gluten free veggie plate and talked  at length about no gluten with the waiter, but I failed to focus on dairy.  For some reason, I forget that veggie plates to me mean no dairy, but to most it means veggies cooked in butter.  I do want to applaud Houston's - they were extremely creative and came up with items that were not already on the menu.  The plate was BEAUTIFUL.  They were very sensitive and respectful about the gluten.  Unfortunately it was my fault for not requesting no butter.  I did eat some of it, the veggie sushi was amazing, but I really could not eat everything because the butter was too overpowering.  I will go back to Houston's and try again though, I feel confident now that they can prepare me a gluten free / vegan meal.  Yes, Chad, did you hear that?  I am willing to try Houston's!

Gluten free / vegan cooking for others

 I used to frequently get together with a small group of moms when our children where in preschool together.  Now that our children are not in the same school (wipe away a tear) we do not see each other as often as I would like.  In years past, these mom night outs were at someone's house and everyone brought something.  I was impressed by and enjoyed the dishes they created.  This was before I cooked, so I always opted to bring frozen Trader Joe appetizers!

Now that I am cooking - I decided to prepare a few gluten free / vegan dishes for them.  I was nervous about trying new recipes, especially given that they were GF/ vegan.  I picked out a new quinoa recipe, two appetizers and 2 desserts to try.

 I am a fan of Dr. John McDougall (http://drmcdougall.com/)- I first saw him speak in 1990.  He is a proponent for a low fat, plant based diet.  His wife is an amazing cook and has published several cookbooks.  They now have a new app for iphone / ipad.  I found the quinoa recipe and a black bean dip on the app. 

Black Bean Dip

This was super easy and I made it the night before.  2 cans of organic black beans (drained), 1 cup of your favorite salsa and food process it until creamy!   I served it with new chips I founds at Dekalb Farmers Market made with beans instead of corn, and of course GF/ vegan.  The chips and dip were quite tasty.  Next time I may use a salsa with a little more kick.

Mexican Pizza

I began with my favorite pizza crust from Sally's Bakery www.sallysbakery.com.  I had some left over Wholefood organic spicy pinto beans and put that on half of the pizza, on the other half I used the bean dip mentioned above.  I grilled asparagus and peppers, sliced them and layered on top.  Then cooked the pizza for about 7 minutes at 375 degrees.  This was a fun appetizer that went well with the bean dip and chips.

Quinoa Salad with Lime Cilantro Dressing

I also found the recipe not only on McDougall's app but also on another blog that I can share it with you:

http://passthepotatoesblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/quinoa-salad-with-lime-cilantro.html

 The dressing is AMAZING.  And, what I really love is that there is no OIL!  Yay.  This recipe did take a lot longer than I expected.  I also left out the avocado, as I made it the day before. Using half red quinoa and half white quinoa  gave the salad a great texture and flavor.  I am now purchasing my quinoa from DeKalb Farmers Market, it is cheaper and they have more variety.  I will be adding more artichokes to my dishes, I love the tangy flavor they add.  I was skeptical about the quantity of cilantro (well to be honest I just didn't want to clean and separate that much cilantro) but the cilantro added with the basil and lime - unreal.

And, last but not least - dessert

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Why even attempt to bake these, when I can order from Dr. Sweets??
http://www.drsweetscakes.com/
These are gluten free and dairy free.  They are so rich, melt in your mouth, yet crunchy, and just simple awesome goodness.

Chocolate Mousse with Chocolate Crust

This was an experiment that my brave friends willingly gave a try.  The day before I was trying to make healthy no bake brownies by Brendan Brazier who wrote the Thrive books.  Brendan is a triathlete who eats a plant based diet (vegan).  Here is the recipe from his website:

http://myvega.com/recipes/no-bake-brownies

I used almonds instead of walnuts, and did not add cacoa nibs, and added a few coconut flakes.  So, I just threw 1 cup of pitted dates, 1 cup of almonds and 1/2 of cocoa powder in the food processor.  The consistency was not what I thought it should be so I added a little agave syrup.  I patted the mixture into a brownie pan.  No one really liked them.  Then I thought, this would make a great crust.  I broke it apart and put it into ramkin dishes, seen above.

I heard about a chocolate pudding made with avocado instead of dairy.  Yes, avocado.  My curiosity got the best of me and I found several versions on the web.  Paleo blogs have many versions of this recipe.  (Note, if you do not like bananas or coconuts do not try this recipe!)
I put the following in a food processor:
1 avocado
1 banana
4 TBS cocoa powder
4 TBS coconut milk
1 TBS coconut oil
2 TBS agave syrup

Whipped it all up and filled the ramkins.  Well, it is rich, it is thicker than pudding, not overly sweet.  But I probably will not make it again.  I am glad I tried it though!  Now I know what chocolate and avocado together taste like.

 I did have one friend bring a cheese and meat platter and another bring a salad - just in case my food bombed.  So my friends said they liked everything.  I think they did!  But regardless, it was a fun evening re-connecting with friends on our porch and of course enjoying some wine.

Rediscover Cafe Sunflower

For some reason I have not been to Cafe Sunflower in awhile.  I went about a month ago to the Sandy Springs location for lunch but I have not been to the Buckhead location for dinner in a really long time.  I guess I have been focusing on going to newer places BUT going to Cafe Sunflower tonight was like going to a new place.  I knew I was safe on the vegan front - but how would they do on the gluten free front?  Oh - they have an entire gluten free menu, thank you very much! 

It was girls night out.  S&Ry and I were greeted by Joe, our server for the evening.  He immediately won the three of us over with his enthusiasm, big smile and willingness to provide us with drawing paper.  The girls eagerly put crayon to paper to begin their masterpieces for Joe - including their signature hearts all around his name!

Joe share the gluten free menu with me but  directed me towards the VG/ GF quiche.  I am not a quiche fan (I dont like eggs) of course there are no eggs in this dish, but humm, quiche?  His accolades for the dish won me over.  I ordered it.  Ry ordered the mock chicken nuggets and S ordered the minestrone soup.  They both cleaned their plates! 

Wow - Joe was dead on - the veggie quiche was out of this world good.  It was topped with an arugula salad with a perfect balsamic vinaigrette and surrounded by a chilled butternut squash sauce.  Both added the perfect flavor to the quiche.  The quiche was filled with great veggies and an amazing curry flavor.  The texture was incredible, and all of those taste put into one dish - curry, balsamic, sweet, savory - amazing.  Oh,  I almost forgot to mention the crust - I had to call Joe over and ask again if this was truly gluten free.  The crust tasted way too good to be true.  I learned it was made from quinoa flour - go figure!

I joined the clean plate club as well....

Dessert?  Anytime there is a GF/ VG dessert on a menu I order it.  (This happens so rarely!)  They had peach cobbler.  I should have ordered two.  The girls and I were fighting over it - so good.  The girls also had GF/ VG vanilla ice cream.  And what a great touch to put them in fun "fancy" ice cream dishes. The girls LOVED it. 

So, rediscover Cafe Sunflower.  The girls and I had a fabulous evening rediscovering this veggie gem in Atlanta!

Bars

Bars... you know, granola bars, cliff bars, power bars, etc.  There are at least a million different bars offered today.  My relationship with bars has been a long, love / hate adventure.  Back in my college days, a Big Gulp Diet Coke and a chocolate Power Bar from the Kangaroo in Athens would be my breakfast and sometimes repeated for lunch.  Then the arrival of Cliff bars, I thought these were super healthy, so I switched my diet to those and subsided for quite sometime.  Now, I am not dissing any one brand, anyone who eats any type of bar day in day out for a long period of time will a) get stomach aches and b) get completely sick of that type of bar.  I went through a few more brands and finally woke up one day and decided I needed to eat real food instead of bars for breakfast and lunch.  Real, whole, healthy food.  So, I gave up bars completely. (And, yes, diet cokes were eliminated a long, long time ago.)  I had great success with this decision - more energy, less stomach aches, felt more satisfied, etc. 

But, are bars all bad?  No, and sometimes bars are extremely convenient.  This past weekend, we went up to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to go white water rafting and hiking with another couple.  -I digress here, but have you been to the NOC?  SO much fun.  What a great place, I can't wait to go back and take the girls. 

Ok - on to bars.  I was not sure what the food would be like, so I packed a lot of gluten free, vegan snacks, and I went down the bar aisle at WholeFoods.  I was shocked by how many new bars there are.  I found several vegan, gluten free, and even raw bars.  Bars, are sometimes, the least perishable and most convenient snack one can bring on an outdoor adventure.  Several brands went into my basket.  And, my friend whom we went with, also brought up some bars for us to try.
All of these are gluten free and dairy free:

1) Nutty Goodness - raw, simple, good - I will buy this again. The girls enjoyed this one as well-
2) Go Free - we did not like this one, chalky, and hard
3) Two Degrees - I enjoyed this one, especially because it was chocolate and peanut butter.  Added benefit- the company also donates a nutritional packet to a hungry child for every bar bought. http://twodegreesfood.com/
4) Kind Bar - cant go wrong with this bar.  I have tried several flavors, and enjoyed them all.  I particularly like the almond coconut.  Yum.

My two favorites are Two Degrees and Kind Bars.  I do not plan to start eating bars everyday - hopefully ever again.  But on road trips, or just to have in my purse for times when I am not sure I can find GF/ VG food these are great to have on hand.

Circle back to the NOC - I was able to get a vegetarian / GF meal for lunch and dinner!  Yay.

Lessons learned this week...

1) The amount of time spent in kitchen does not always equate  a successful meal.  (Success in my world means at least 3 out of 4 of us enjoy the meal!)
2) Allowing the girls to pick out the recipe does not always mean they will like it.  (I should have known this!)
3) Rice flour is not an appropriate substitute for all purpose flour.
4) Look at expiration dates.

Rainy Monday, I embarked on cooking a meal that my whole family would LOVE.  I got input from everyone, I went to Wholefood and Trader Joes to stock up, and even had to send Chad back to both.  So, 4 trips to a grocery store. I was motivated to make some serious food.  The girls picked out a quinoa, kale and potato stew and I chose a vegan cornbread recipe all from the Appetite for Reduction cookbook that I use often.  I literally spent all afternoon cooking. 

My only success was a third recipe I have mentioned before, an easy trail mix recipe, toasted pumpkin seeds, vegan dark chocolate chips and dried cherries, mix all together while seeds are still hot then let cool spread out on a pan in the frig. and it forms great little chocolatey clusters.  Well - that was the only recipe that two of us liked (me and S).

The stew was a disaster - I ate it (and am still eating it) but the girls attempted one bite and had a fit.  Chad attempted a bite and I saw a face that I had never seen before.  I think it took every ounce of his strength to keep the stew in his mouth.  Thankfully he did, and the girls did not see his face.  The corn bread was even worse.  Rice flour does not equal all purpose flour.  So much for my creative gluten free baking.  Oh - and expiration dates...  I have said before that this cooking thing is new to me, I truly started cooking a few months ago when I started this blog.  The expiration date on my baking powder serve as evidence.  October 2007.  This means this baking powder was packed up from our old house, unpacked in our new house and has not been used in 4 years.  4 years - no baking!!

I won't show pictures of the stew or cornbread.  No need to further embarrass myself.

Yesterday, was my dad's birthday. Happy Birthday Dad!  I was going to prepare a vegan, gluten free meal that would really impress.  But, after my lessons learned on Monday, and Chad's response when I suggested I cook for my dad "maybe we should go out??" I decided to pick up food from Metrofresh.  All gluten free (except for the rolls).  The quinoa and veggie trail mix were also vegan.  Picking up from Metrofresh is just so much easier!  And, everyone ate!

Thank you Metrofresh for saving the day.

Thursday Lentils!

Well - home late after the girls' guitar and piano  classes, they are "starving". I am determined to make KP's lentils. But I dont have time to find the recipe. Off the top of my head, and lots of Trader Joe's ingredients, I actually prepared a dish that 3/4 of us liked.

• 1 box of Trader Joe lentils (in the refrigerated section)
• 1 can roasted tomatoes
• about a cup of frozen artichoke hearts
• juice of 1/2 of a lemon
• 1/2 TBS cumin
• 1 cup of already cooked quinoa (I had this left over and threw it in)
• salt and pepper to taste

Threw all of this in one big pot at the same time, stirred and cooked until simmering.  (about 10 minutes)
I put some of the plain lentils in a separate pot for the girls.  They said they didnt want lentils and tomatoes, in fact they no longer liked lentils.  (Funny with babysitters, they love lentils)  So, I put plain lentils with salt, a sliced peach and lettuce with their favorite dressing on their plate.  I did give S some of the lentil and tomato recipe I made.  They both cleaned their plates.  Finally - Ry ate SOMETHING.  Chad loved the dish, and of course I loved it as well.  So, this is SUPER EASY, and delicious.  S asked for it in her lunchbox tomorrow.  Done!

Dinner this week...

 Last week I was a little lazy about dinner.  This week I am more motivated and am trying several new recipes.  All so far, have been easy, delicious, gluten free and vegan.  So what have we been eating?
Sunday
We went to the Grant Park Farmers Market on Sunday morning.  We got there right when it opened, so no crowds and it was easy to see all the great food offered.  Sierra requested Grace's Goodness pimento cheese for her school lunches and both the girls had to have a King of Pops!  I bought amazing corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, green beans, and onions.  That night I had to fix all of our fresh veggies.  We had corn on the cob, green beans, and a tomato, cucumber, onion salad with red wine vinegar.  I baked tofu as well.  Delicious summer dinner.

Monday

 New recipe!  Chad found a quinoa recipe on Patagonia's blog.  The link is:
http://www.thecleanestline.com/2011/08/climbing-catering-community-quinoa.html

I changed it up a bit - here is what I used:

• 2 cups uncooked quinoa - cook according to directions (2 part water, 1 part quinoa)
• 1 can garbanzo beans , rinsed
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2  bunch scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup pepitas (I toasted mine with salt first) - you can use almost any seed or nut
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes,halved
• Dressing: whisk  1/2 C of water, 1TBS grape see oil, juice from 2 lemons and 2 tablespoons curry powder.

Mix it all together!

Tuesday
I tried another new recipe from my friend KP.  She seems to effortlessly throw things together and create amazing meals.  She can come up with ideas on the spot when I ask her.  Last night I made a few modifications but my inspirations was KP.  This was SUPER EASY.

• brown rice
• 1 can Wholefood Organic Spicy Black Beans - drained
• 1/2 cup diced mangos (I use the frozen ones at Trader Joes)
• 1/4 cilantro, chopped
• 2 minced jalapenos (I put these in after I took the girls portion out)
• salt and pepper to taste

I put all of these in a big pot and let simmer.  I stirred it constantly, it only took a few minutes and it was done.  I served it with new Hemp chips I found at Wholefoods.
 

Wednesday
Last Saturday night, we had friends over for dinner.  We ordered pizza.  So, I fixed my own.  I made the sauce from theppk.com again and used a crust from Sally's Bakery.  As I did in this post:
http://vegginaroundblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/gluten-free-pizza-night-adventure.html
I have some of the sauce left over and I dont want it to go to waste.  Tonight, I plan to use Quinoa, gluten free spiral pasta, this Romensco sauce and broccoli.  Yum!

Thursday
Another KP inspired recipe.  Again, one I have not tried.  I plan to saute all in one big pot:

• Lentils (I buy the box in the produce section at TJs)
• 1 can of fire roasted tomatoes from Trader Joes
• 1/2 cup of water 
• 1/4 cup of veggie broth
• 1/2 of a chopped onion (vidala)
• 1 cup of frozen artichoke hearts - Trader joes
• juice from half of a lemon
• 2 TB Corriander
• 2 TB Cumin

I will let you know how pizza night and lentil night go...