Food in Bowls with Rice

I have survived Christmas. Amen and Hallelujah! There was good food consumed, but nothing outrageous – mostly lots of Polish cabbage, and some homemade pie thanks to Peter’s fabulously talented grandma (who wouldn’t let me up from Christmas dinner until I finished my third piece, not that I complained or anything).

It’s nice being back home and back to good, Katie-Made cooking. Two weeks ago I registered to run my first half-marathon, so preparing for that has become quite important to me, which makes good eating – and lots of eating – a priority. Good food = good run. Bad food = less good run. One of the staples of my culinary adventures lately has been the “rice in bowl combined with other things”…a healthy, versatile, and delicious dinner option. I never used to be a big fan of rice, but it’s growing on me, one rice bowl at a time.

Here is my “recipe” for a Katie Rice Bowl – obviously, adjust to your own desires.

1/2 cup dry rice

Veggies (onion, carrot, red pepper, cauliflower…whatever works with your choice of seasonings)

1/2 cup black beans

Tempeh or tofu, cubed

Nuts and seeds (I go with hemp and sunflower, usually)

Sauce (try combining tahini, miso, lemon juice, Bragg’s, vinegar, and a dash of agave)

Avocado slices, dried fruit, sprouts (optional)

The steps here are pretty easy. Cook the rice. While it’s simmering, either steam or grill the vegetables, and grill the tempeh or tofu. Mix up your sauce. When the rice is done, transfer to your favorite bowl, top with the veggies, beans, tempeh/tofu, nuts/seeds, sauce, and other tasty items (raisins or sprouts perhaps).

Voila! Dinner in a bowl!

Dinner with Friends and a Nutty Good Time

I am currently visiting my sister, doing some decent eating, and some very fabulous bonding. Speaking of bonding, I meant to post about one of my favorite things to do – bond with people while eating food. There is something about a good meal that goes very well with good company, as I think my vegan pals can attest.

Last week, Peter and I threw a petit soirée for a few friends of ours, as a study break for the over-stressed students among us (Peter and I not included, fortunately). Now, dinner parties can be one of three things, in my world: a) a potluck where everyone makes one fabulous item; b) a terrific evening where you take on every responsibility, slave over the stove all day, and wow everyone with your culinary talents; c) burgers.

This evening was of the latter variety, in light of the “quick study break” theme of the evening. I threw together the black bean burgers from Veganomicon, which were excellent – not as good as chickpea cutlets, and in need of more spices, but a very good base recipe upon which to build. I think the use of wheat gluten is what holds these puppies together much better than most burger recipes I’ve crossed paths with. Roasted asparagus was an easy-yet-classy side dish, and guacamole with chips rounded out the event.

As for my trip, food has either involved the sole vegetarian restaurant in this city, sushi, or very basic at-home dining (re: cereal and sandwiches). Last night, though, my sister and I decided to go on a nut-roasting adventure using her new acquisition, a slow cooker. We made three varieties: sweet and spicy cashews, orange spiced pecans and almonds, and butter macademia nuts and almonds. All three were very easy (basically just combine nuts, spices/oils, and slow cook for two hours).

The nuts are great on their own, and would be a lovely addition to a big-ass vegan salad. Keep in mind that you can do fun, roasted nuts without a slow cooker – even a frying pan will work, with the right seasonings, some oil, and twenty minutes of your precious time.

Next time on my blog: Learn about the Dr. Ruth Heidrich vegan lifestyle, and read about my foray into her world of hardcore whole eating (the eating that garnered her over 900 medals from races around the world, and fueled 9 Ironman Triathlons). 

That lil’ Quiz

There is a fun vegan quiz going around the blog-world, and, in my procrastination-filled life as of late,  I couldn’t resist. But I promise more original content soon: I have a “dinner-with-friends” post to report on a recent Veganomicon veggie burger triumph, and a fabulous sandwich post to come.

I will also be in Toronto and Calgary soon, meaning good vegan food adventures to come! But for now, the quiz…and please, do it too! You know you want to.

On an unrelated side note, I recently had an article published for T.o.f.u. magazine, a vegan lifestyle magazine from Halifax. It is a gorgeous magazine, $8 a copy (yikes!). The article is part I of a series I am doing for them about the tenuous relationship between welfarist and abolitionist activists – obviously, I’m trying to be impartial. It isn’t working very well. But still, you should spend $8 and read it. Heh.

1. Favorite non-dairy milk?
Natura Unsweetened. And on a side note, the worst non-dairy milk has to be fat-free soy milk. That shit is so vile, it tastes like a 50:50 combination of milk and water. Sick.

2. What are the top 3 dishes/recipes you are planning to cook?
I hope to make a pumpkin loaf, or a holiday loaf of some sort; I want to make pasta because I never eat it and I want to learn to love it; pizza

3. Topping of choice for popcorn?
Sheesh, it’s been so long since I’ve had popcorn – but probably olive oil and a lot of salt.
4. Most disastrous recipe/meal failure?
Probably the “rice in the microwave for 45 minutes” kitchen fire disaster of 1998. Long time ago, but big meal failure. And also very dangerous.

5. Favorite pickled item?
Pickles, but never sweet ones.
6. How do you organize your recipes?
A stack of cookbooks. Good ones are discernible because the pages are covered in stains and bits of food.

7. Compost, trash, or garbage disposal?
Trash. I am disgusting. I wish I had a compost. Maybe this summer I’ll work at that.

8. If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 foods…what would they be (don’t worry about how you’ll cook them)?
Apples. Tofu. Granola.

9. Fondest food memory from your childhood?
Heh. Cool Whip in the closet. Enough said.

But a more legitimate answer might be cherry cobbler at my cottage, homemade cinnamon buns every Christmas morning, or homemade bread maker bread. I really liked food as a child.

10. Favorite vegan ice cream?
The organic rice stuff at the store near me, I forget what it’s called, but the carrot cake, vanilla, and coconut mango are all fabulous.

11. Most loved kitchen appliance?
Toaster.

12. Spice/herb you would die without?
Salt. So much of it. Also cumin.

13. Cookbook you have owned for the longest time?
How It All Vegan…the old vegan standby.

14. Favorite flavor of jam/jelly?
Hm, I’m pretty impartial – maybe raspberry, or apple is good and unusual and fun.

15. Favorite vegan recipe to serve to an omni friend?
Maple-walnut cookies from VWAV always go over very well. Generally just really unhealthy baked goods do the trick.
16. Seitan, tofu, or tempeh?
Tofu.

17. Favorite meal to cook (or time of day to cook)?
Dinner is fun because I feel like I can be more extravagant and often have guests to impress. But I think my favorite is coming back from a run, getting a coffee, and eating breakfast while I procrastinate on the Internet by myself. I’m such a loser.

18. What is sitting on top of your refrigerator?
Tupperware and paper napkins.

19. Name 3 items in your freezer without looking.
Frozen bananas, blueberries, strawberries

20. What’s on your grocery list?
Nothing, because I’m going out of town – but generally, the list always includes more tofu, broccoli, apples, and an avocado.

21. Favorite grocery store?
Duh, mold store. But for non-moldy groceries, the produce place in Kensington run by the Polish crazies, or Noah’s.

22. Name a recipe you’d love to veganize, but haven’t yet.
My mom’s crunchy cheezaroni casserole topped with canned french fried onion rings. I tried to veganize it, but ground beef, cream of mushroom soup, cheese, and canned onion rings are all fundamental ingredients…

23. Food blog you read the most (besides Isa’s because I know you check it everyday). Or maybe the top 3?
Eat Air

24. Favorite vegan candy/chocolate?
Blegh. Ginger Chews.

25. Most extravagant food item purchased lately?
I buy way too much smoked tofu – $4!

26. What was your favorite food BEFORE becoming veg*n?
Eh, Cool Whip?

Avocados Galore

It seems I am constantly on a quest to gain some healthy pounds – too bad that pesky running habit and affinity for raw carrots keeps getting in the way. Har, har, har. Anyways, over the summer I developed a passionate love affair with the avocado: Nature’s Margarine.

Avocados are high in monounsaturated fat (aka – the good kind), and one medium avocado has over 300 calories and 30 grams of the stuff. They are also high in fiber and 20 other important vitamins and minerals. To make a long story short, avocados are radically good for you and radically helpful in weight gain missions.

As an added bonus, they are tasty and versatile – dips, sushi filling, on sandwiches and salads…and as the key ingredient in “The Katie Special”

Ingredients

1/2 medium avocado, mushed up

2 slices of toast, English muffin, or a tortilla

Raisins or tofu and tomato slices

Salt

This one is easy: spread the avocado on the toasted bread of choice, then top with either raisins or tofu and tomato, and throw on ample amounts of salt. I eat this at breakfast, lunch, and dinner (but usually not all three in one day). Give it a try – you won’t be disappointed.

My Bean-Eating Mission: Part I

Beans (re: garbanzo, black, kidney, etc) are one of the staples of a nutritious vegan diet. Or at least, they should be. Unfortunately, despite my best intentions, I’ve had a hard time incorporating these little buggers into my food. I can think of two specific reasons:

1. I am lazy, and cans are more demanding than plastic wrap. When adding protein to a meal, I am apt to tear open a package of tofu, dice some, and go crazy…Yes, I am so lazy that the idea of opening a can and draining/rinsing its contents overwhelms me.

2. I eat alot, and beans are very high in fiber. I eat a lot of fiber already (vegetables, fruits, Ezekiel bread, etc), so I find that the addition of beans to a meal can leave me full for hours – hardly ideal.

Still, I think I need to strike a better balance between bean-tofu consumption, so I am trying out new recipes to incorporate more beans (a serving a day is the goal, right now I get about half that) into my meals. I already enjoy beans in chili and soup, so I figured that would be a good place to start. Yesterday I made a variation on a black bean soup from the excellent Refresh Cookbook.

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

1 red pepper, chopped

2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cans of black beans (drained and rinsed)

6 cups vegetable broth

hickory smoke, chili powder, Bragg’s, salt, pepper, nutritional yeast

Start by sauteeing the onion, garlic, celery, and red pepper in olive oil until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients, and bring to a boil. Then simmer until the sweet potato is soft, and puree.

This soup is smoky and delightful – I added pumpkin seeds and more yeast for a treat.

Sassy Salads

I have an announcement to make. Salads are not always rabbit food. I’m serious, guys. You might think it’s way too stereotypical for a vegan to post a salad blog – but here at my humble abode, we adore a good solid salad. My partner has been known to fill the largest tupperware possible with every vegetable, legume, and protein source available, then douse it in flax oil and balsamic vinegar. Inevitably, he gets a tummy ache.

My own salads are usually smaller, and are often loaded with caloric delights – spinach will only carry these legs so far, kids. Today, I made a salad for lunch with the following ingredients: baby spinach, shredded beets and carrots, broccoli, sprouts, sunflower seeds, cubed tofu, figs, and a dressing of flax oil/miso/rice vinegar/lemon juice/nutritional yeast.

The following are other salad suggestions for you to consider:

Avocado (duh) – Olives – Beans – Rice/Quinoa – Raisins/Dried Fruit – Soba Noodles – Roasted Vegetables – Artichokes – Apples/Pears – Fried or Breaded Tofu – Tortilla Chips – Banana Peppers – Hummus – Pickles

So far this list seems quite short. Please comment and post your own salad innovations, as well as dressing ideas. Good things for dressings in my opinion:

Miso – Flax Oil – Avocado Oil – Lemon Juice – Vinegar – Maple Syrup – Bragg’s – Nutritional Yeast – Silken Tofu – Salt – Mustards – Pepper – Cumin – Rosemary – Tahini – Agave Nectar

Please do not combine all of these into one dressing, as that would be disgusting.

I would also like to make some health and nutritional recommendations to those pondering a salad for their next meal. If you are vegan, especially, please make a proper salad. A vegan salad cannot be constituted solely of vegetables and then be deemed an adequate lunch or dinner. You must eat properly. Not doing so will result in body wasting away disease, and you will feel and look gross, and perpetuate negative stereotypes about vegans. And we will all resent you, and salads would resent you as well.

A Most Glorious Granola Bar

I am a big fan of all things “cereal-esque” – whether granola, oat-based baked goods (hello, date square) or granola and energy bars that have certain cereal qualities. I also like the idea of fitting nutritional goodness into a bar shape, and then having that goodness available in an “on-the-go” and “pocket-sized” format (I like to think of myself as having a “busy lifestyle” that necessitates such things, but I usually just end up eating “on the go” foods while I Facebook-stalk).

Anyways, I am always on the prowl for new products or recipes that align themselves with my affinity for cereal/bars/nutrition/fast-paced lifestyle. In terms of packaged bars, I usually go for Luna Bars if I am forced to buy something – they don’t taste stellar, but they offer serious vitamin and mineral content in contrast to other “granola” bars that offer a lot of cane sugar and not much else.

Generally, I prefer to make my own granola bars, and have one incredible recipe to share with you. The beauty of this puppy is: a) versatility – add any nuts or dried fruit you want; b) nutrition – flax, nuts, and wheat germ? Amen; c) taste – addictive as crack, and taste better too!

Ingredients:

1 cup of quick oats (I buy fortified oats for more iron)

1/2 cup wheat germ

1/4 cup flour

1 cup dried fruit (raisins, chopped dates or apricots, etc)

1 cup nuts (walnuts, sunflower seeds, almonds)

2 tbsp flax meal

1/4 cup soy milk

1/3 cup maple syrup (or less, if you hate sweet things, you viscous beast!)

a few dashes of cinnamon

Mix everything. Press it in an oiled pan, and bake for around 20 minutes at around 375. Let it cool and cut into bars.

Hello Vegan Demons

This is the first post on my new food blog – inspired by friends before me, I want to waste my time by blogging about food instead of reading about Britney’s new hair extensions.

Expect recipes, photos, rants, vegan factoids, nutritional information, and maybe even some yoga, because yoga is so hot right now.