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If I had a nickle for every time this happened to me, I’d have… 17 cents.
(via badwolfxvx)
Posted on December 5, 2012 via let me be your ruler & baby I'll rule with 20,715 notes ()
Source: ravenroths
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VeganMoFo 2012 - The Mediterranean Diet
Actually, I know very little about The Mediterranean Diet. Other than what’s on that wiki link, and what Jeff Novick has to say about it. I don’t know if I care, I get stuck on the word Mediterranean and think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
It’s all Greek to me.
The book: The Mediterranean Vegan Kitchen by Donna KleinWhy do you have it? Another non-Kindle book! It was a gift, and as the last time, it was picked from my wishlist. I like Mediterranean food.Well, why hadn’t you cooked from it yet? As before, nothing really stood out at me.Did you have difficulty deciding on a recipe? No. After all of these years, I discovered what an index is for. Since my previous experience with these books did not go well, I thought I’d leave it to chance by looking up recipes that would get something that I needed used used quickly. In this case, Kale.
What did you make? Cannellini Beans with Sauteed Kale. Uses Kale, and I happen to like Cannelini beans.How did the cook go? Perusing the recipe… I found that this would be a lightly, lightly spiced recipe. Given my previous experience, I was afraid I’d get a similar result.Did you modify? Because we know you can’t help yourself. I did not have enough beans nor kale to do a full recipe, so I did halve the recipe. I also doubled the spices called for and upped the garlic a little as I was afraid this wouldn’t hold much flavor past the kale. Oil was omitted.
How did the eat go? I have to say that I did enjoy this meal more than the one from the Italian cookbook. That being said, the spice was lost under the weight of the kale flavor. Don’t get me wrong, I love kale. I just wish I got a little more of the other spice coming in. I wound up doing what I do with beans and greens… I hot-sauced it.And The Husband? I think he liked it, but I think he got caught up on the side dish I made for this, just some bulgur and parsley. Turns out he hates parsley… so I don’t truly know how he felt about the main event dish.Will you cook from this book again? It has potential, but I fear it may be some time before I consult it again.
So, what’s your favorite Mediterranean dish? Spanakopita for sure, as I love pastries stuffed with spinach. I just haven’t found a vegan version of it yet, nor have tried to make one as I’m no where near phyllo dough ready! -
VeganMoFo 2012 - A Fast And Easy Vegan
LOL. A fast an easy vegan. :)
No one would ever accuse me of being a fast cook because in most scenarios I am not. Most occasions, I want to take my time. I like to chop things with precision and care. I like to measure and weigh and have everything mise en place.
The trouble is that books that say they are quick and easy have the exact opposite effect on me. I get cranky only because I can’t achieve the 30-minutes-or-less promised by the recipe. I rush. I make mistakes. I burn myself on a pan. I wail and gnash my teeth. It’s quite dramatic.
So that would be the first reason I was dubious about this next book. It would not be the last time I’d question something either…
The book: The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook by Dr. John McDougall and Mary McDougall.Why do you have it? Looking over the past, my tendencies are with the McDougall school of food. I’m fairly likely to severely reduce or even exclude oil in recipes. I prefer whole grains versus processed ones. Am I super religious about it? Maybe I should be but I’m not… though given many years of low fat cooking and eating prior to my vegan conversion, it just tends to be the way I am. If I use oil, I can usually taste it and it tends to make me unhappy. Same with eating out… the more oil, the less I usually enjoy things. It’s just a me thing. This book speaks to the kind of cook I tend to be.Well, why hadn’t you cooked from it yet? It is possible I’ve cooked from this book prior to owning it, as I believe a McDougall recipe I used a while ago for sloppy joes is the same recipe from this book (I could not confirm as of this writing), but otherwise I just haven’t gotten around to it. It should be one of the first things I reach for when I am feeling too lazy to cook and yet there is no middle ground between the desire to make an elaborate meal versus being too lazy to boil a pot of water…. yet I don’t. Go figure.Did you have difficulty deciding on a recipe? Well, yeah, but I think it was because I had difficulty decided what I wanted. Beans? Grains? Potatoes? I was pretty wishy-washy about it until one title really caught my eye.
What did you make? Black-eyed Pea Scramble. I read on to find this also had potatoes in it, so I thought this would be fabulous. Then I read the instructions.How did the cook go? I read the instructions 8 times. I wasn’t sure I wanted to make this after all. I really, really struggled because this was essentially asking me to drown potatoes, black-eyed peas and onions in water to cover and cook and then drain them. I almost backed out, but I didn’t. Draining the mixture proved a little challenging as well… but all in all it came together quick and with minimal mess.Did you modify? Because we know you can’t help yourself. Gracious, I wanted to. I decided to plunge forward with this recipe as is. I was really sure this would be a nasty piece of work, and boy would I blog about it.
How did the eat go? Incredible! This was actually a very tasty meal! It was quick (as promised, and I really was able to get this to the table quickly while cooking something else!) and it exceeded expectations because I was not expecting such a tasty meal. The beans, onions and potatoes, soaking up BBQ sauce, were so tender and tasty!And The Husband? A big hit! ”It tastes like you slow cooked this for hours,” he declared between munches. And there you go. That is why they say to cook it the way they do. If somewhere in the text of this recipe they would have mentioned that, I think I would have been a little less hesitant. Just a little less.Will you cook from this book again? Absolutely. If I have learned anything is that I need super fast meals for those days I’m too lazy to be… well, me. This would be the book that makes the grade, being low fat, high flavor… I just need to be willing to take risks when some of the recipes sound… strange.
So, are you a quick and easy vegan? No. not sure that I ever will be, and I think that is okay. I really do enjoy cooking, even when I don’t want to. There’s something warm and comforting about it, and deeply satisfying in the end. I made this. I know what’s in it. I know it’ll feed me and my The Husband and even if it takes me longer than most other cooks it just means it’s filled with that much more love. -
Maybe a stressful day, but the meals were good.
Breakfast - What is fast becoming a household usual, breakfast potatoes with peppers and onions. A strawberry-kiwi cup and… a bit of unusual, a slice of toast with hummus and fat free cherry salsa. It was okay. Not great. I remembered a cherry salsa we got apple picking last year, and that was very sweet. This was not, but it was not inedible. So I ate it!
Lunch - Spinach Pie &! Today’s salad featured more of the cherry salsa, corn and some roasted black chickpeas (this time simply with salt). Did you know that black chickpeas roast well, but look burned before you even start? Trust me, they taste great roasted up with salt.
Dinner - Leftover beans and greens, courtesy of Post Punk Kitchen/Appetite for Reduction. Did you know I used to hate collard greens and black eyed peas and non-fried-white-rice a lot? It shocks me still the things I love and crave, and how different they are from when I was a child, or even 5 years ago. PS - HOT SAUCE!!!
Unpictured Snackage - A few grapes, a little water melon, and a small bowl of cereal.
Final Thoughts - Homemade Peach Salsa. But not until tomorrow.
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Inside the cabbage roll was a mixture of brown rice, lentils, and many veggies. #vegan #whatveganseat #cabbage #vegetables #beans #rice #plantstrong (Taken with Instagram)
Posted on July 4, 2012 with 4 notes ()
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Big Sunday Dinner: Gingered Beet Salad, Heinz 57 Beans in Tomato Sauce, Corn with Lime and Chipotle, Mushroom Steak with Peppers and Onions. And Beer! #vegan #vegetables #whatveganseat #mushrooms #beer #corn #beans #beets (Taken with Instagram)
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Quick Fix Vegan Artichoke and White Bean Alfredo (made plant strong and added peas), topped with Happy Herbivore Bacon Bits and a side Strawberry Spinach Salad. Yum! #vegan #whatveganseat #artichokes #beans #pasta #alfredo #quickfixvegan #happyherbivore (Taken with Instagram)
Posted on June 24, 2012 with 1 note ()
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The previously posted meal was brought to you in part by… #vegan #lunch #beans (Taken with instagram)
Posted on May 31, 2012 with 1 note ()
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Keeping it simple-ish. Left over black beans with left over frozen mixed veg heated with 2 Tbsp fat free garlic cilantro salsa. Heaped on to Nootcheezy quinoa and peas, topped with loads of fresh cilantro. Hearty lunch and full of fresh flavor! #vegetable #vegan #whatveganseat #quinoa #beans #salsa #lunch (Taken with instagram)
Posted on May 31, 2012 with 4 notes ()
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Silly as he seems, beans will give you your protein!
(so that answers that question.)
My good buddy rice is an energy device!
(and I’m sooooo still immature on that one.)
Beans and Rice, Beans and Rice - non rhyming segment on how this is my favorite comfort food because it is filling, ridiculously easy to throw together and goes great with everything including my sweet mustard roasted brussels sprouts!
Recipe for said ridiculously easy beans and rice can be found in Quick Fix Vegetarian.
Posted on January 11, 2012 with 27 notes ()
A Brooklyn, NY transplant in her mid-thirties woman who lost 176 pounds, whinges on about not having time to knit, cooks food, became a veganist, loves pizza and hates everything (though now she's trying not to).
