LOCATION CHANGE

Yes. I have joined the masses at WordPress. I couldn't help it They are more aesthetically pleasing to me, and making importing entries oh-so easy!

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http://lovelytummy.wordpress.com

Lunch For Tomorrow

Ancient Harvest Quinoa, spinach, string beans, and shrimp with a little diced garlic thrown in for good measure (cooked in broth).

Roasted Eggplant Soup

I had an eggplant that was just dying to be used before it went bad. Rather than the usual baking, I decided to make a soup and I was definitely not disappointed. Delicious, creamy AND low in calories/fat. This recipe is modified from one I had found in Bon Apetit. I apologize for the crappy pictures but the lighting in my kitchen was pretty terrible.

Roasted Eggplant Soup

Ingredients
* 1 lb Eggplant, quartered
* 3 medium Tomatoes, whole
* 1 small Onion, sliced
* 2 tbsp Olive Oil
* 4 cups Vegetable Broth
* 6 cloves Garlic, whole
* 1 tbsp Thyme, Fresh
* 1 tsp Salt
* 1 tsp Paprika
* 1 tsp pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place tomatoes, eggplant, onion and garlic on large baking sheet. Brush vegetables with oil. Roast until vegetables are tender and brown in spots, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven. Scoop eggplant from skin into heavy large saucepan; discard skin. Add remaining roasted vegetables and thyme to same saucepan. Add 3.5 cups broth and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook until onion is very tender, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to saucepan. Stir in more broth. Bring to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Season soup with salt, paprika and pepper. Ladle into bowls.

Makes 4 small servings.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 122 * Calories from Fat: 69.4 * Total Fat: 7.71 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 9.62 g * Fiber: 2.35 g * Sugars: 4.2 g * Protein: 2.93 g

Ghetto Thanksgiving

Sans turkey...
Cornbread stuffing, blackened garlic and asparagus.

Times are tough when I haven't gone food shopping in a while!

Keeping With The Mexican Theme...

Dinner 01/28:
2 Whole Wheat tortillas, Cuban black bean salad, sauteed onions and greens, Trader Joe's beefless strips, avocado, and fresh green onion. Salsa on the side. :)

Can you tell I've been too busy to post recipes lately? That and the above is just pretty self explanatory. :)

Breakfast Meats Are My Crack

My boyfriend and I make breakfast together most Saturday and Sunday mornings. Usually my choice of food is an egg white omelet with an crapload of mushrooms and spinach. One thing that I have had a problem with, while attempting to eat less animal products, is getting rid of that "breakfast meat." Mind you, we would either eat turkey bacon, turkey sausages, or roast beef hash (eep!).

Last weekend, it just so happened that my local Waldbaum's had Morningstar breakfast "meats" on sale - 2 for $5! What better time to try them than that?!

I bought the Morningstar Bacon Strips AND the Original Veggie Sausage Patties. I could not explain to you how excited I was to try them. I rushed home, took out my omlet pan and actually cooked one individual sausage patty. After it looked done enough, I quickly cut off a piece and...fell in love (while burning my tongue)! Yes, they were that good! As a testament to these Sausage Patties, I can tell you that my vegetable-hating boyfriend, and THE PICKIEST eater I have ever met, loved them!! If I didn't know any better, you could convince me they were the real deal!

The bacon strips were a little less exciting. Although a little off-putting in color, they satisfy that smoky, bacon craving with a little bit of crunch. My boyfriend did not hate these, either, and actually ate half the package with me during our usual weekend breakfast pig out! :)

So although not vegan (and the sausages are made of TVP, which a lot of y'all be hatin' on), I think both are a perfect, meatless substitute! If nothing else, they are a lot less unhealthy than the real thing, and I don't think they sacrifice much of the taste.

This fake meat experience was A LOT better than the time when I tried veggie dogs. ::vomits::

Lunch Tomorrow

Whole wheat tortillas (Trader Joe's) stuffed with Cuban black bean salad, grilled peppers and onions, and a tiny bit too much red pepper flakes. Topped with sprouts and some grape tomatoes to snack on. :)

I'm excited!

Dinner Tonight

Tofu loaf, mashed potatoes, and some sauteed greens (turnip, mustard, and spinach), with baby bellas and a lot of garlic. :)

Tofu Scamble Terror

Last week, I decided to make a tofu scramble for dinner. I love me a good tofu scramble, that's for sure. Load it up with spinach and mushrooms and I'm in heaven. Now, usually I flavor my own scrambles with the spices I have on hand (always including Turmeric for that yellow, eggy look). This time around, I decided to try a packet of the Fantastic World Foods Tofu Scrambler.


I really, really wish I hadn't done that because I wasted a pound of perfectly good tofu on this not-so delicious seasoning. It smelled terrible and tasted like a moldy kind of sawdust, with some rolled oats thrown in for good measure. It was completely NOT salvageable and I threw out the rest of the seasoning packets without giving it a second thought.

I also have a box of Fantastic World Foods Nature's Burger Mix but after this experience, I'm a little scared to try it!

Ewww....polenta?

It's been far too long since I posted a recipe on her...and one with pictures? Say it isn't so! I have been on a healthy kick though and that is always a plus. Although I have not been as strict in the 21-day vegan challenge as I was hoping, I have greatly improved my eating habits. I'm trying to let my body decide when I'm hungry or full. I'm trying to re-learn all those cues lost to so many of us thanks to the conditioning of the current food industry.

At Trader Joe's this weekend (I'm officially and completely obsessed), I picked up a roll (are they called rolls?) of polenta with the intent of trying it, loving it, and adding it to my repertoire of go-to meals. I was not disappointed, as much as the texture freaked me out when first out of the wrapper. Also, I was not expecting it to spew polenta juices as me as I unknowingly pierced the plastic with my heavy-durty knife. But I survived and cooked an amazing, vegan meal that was utterly satisfying and a great first experiment with polenta. My solution for when trying anything new? You can't go wrong with layers of spinach and mushrooms!

Needless to say, it was absolutely delicious and I would most definitely make it again - maybe mix up the assortment of veggies used as a topping.

Spinach and Mushroom Polenta Bake



Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Roll of organic, pre-cooked polenta (cut into 1/4 inch thin slices)
- 8 cup (or 1 bag) Fresh Spinach
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup Onions (diced)
- 8 Baby Portabellas (or white button) mushrooms (halved)
- 4 tbsp Eggplant Garlic Spread*
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste


* Here's the thing, you can probably use tapenade, or even hummus, or nothing at all! I just got this amazing spread I wanted to try out and it helped add a touch of flavor to the mix.

Directions
1. Pre-heat the oven to 400
2. Cut polenta, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. Set garlic, onions and mushrooms aside.
3. Lightly sautee the polenta in 1 tbsp olive oil and set aside.
4. Sautee garlic in 1 tbsp olive oil and add diced onion. Cook until onion becomes translucent and add sliced portabellas.
5. Season mixture with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
6. Add in spinach and stir well.
7. In the meantime, lightly coat a 10 inch square pan with olive oil.
8. Layer the bottom with the polenta and top with your spread.
9. Cover the layer with the cooked spinach/mushroom mixture.
10. Cook in the oven for about 10-15 minutes.

Serves 2 people as a hearty entree.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories: 434 * Calories from Fat: 154 * Total Fat: 17.0 g * Cholesterol: 0.0 mg * Total Carbohydrates: 58.4g * Fiber: 7.7 g * Sugar: 10.3 g * Protein: 11.5 g