Breakfast Qunioa

Post number 21 for VeganMoFo. I met my goal to have 20 blogs during Vegan MoFo! Now I am exceeding it!

I am not all that exciting when it comes to breakfast on weekdays. I would like to be, but I do not want to wake up any earlier than I already do. I generally eat something quick like dry gluten free oatmeal (that may seem gross to you, but wet oatmeal often makes me gag), gluten free English muffin with peanut butter and banana or other toppings, or gluten free cereal. As you can see, weekday breakfasts are not very inspiring.

After visiting a B&B recently, I was introduced to the idea of quinoa in the morning. It blew John and I away. It was so delicious, filling, and nutritious. We have now incorporated it into our routine and sometimes cook it the night before. Not only is quinoa delicious and versatile, it is also healthy. It is rich maganese, magnesium, iron, copper, and is low in fat. Having quinoa in the morning is a good way to add some nutrients early on in the day. I also plan on adding fruit and vegetable smoothies, but I am taking it one step at a time.

We buy mostly black and white quinoa based on the availability in our bulk section. This week we had black quinoa, which looks more purple when cooked. They probably all taste the same, but I tend to prefer the black and red. This is the recipe we make, but you could add in any nuts and fruits.

Breakfast Quinoa
1 cup of uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups of water
1 Tbsp chopped pecans
1 Tbsp chopped walnuts
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
Fresh organic raspberries
Blood orange infused olive oil (you could use regular)

Bring the water to a boil and add in the quinoa. Simmer covered for 15 minutes. When finished, fluff with a fork. Place a serving in a bowl and sprinkle in the pecans, walnuts, cranberries, several raspberries, and a drizzle of the olive oil.

Sweet Potato Nachos

Post number 20 for VeganMoFo. I met my goal to have 20 blogs during Vegan MoFo! I might even exceed my goal by a post or two.

The concept of the sweet potato nacho is not a new one. I am sure I have seen it on other MoFo blogs and that it is in several cookbooks that we own. I am posting it here not as my own recipe, but just to share a fun idea.


Sweet potatoes are always in season in North Carolina, so we can find them every weekend at our year-round farmers market in Durham. This is a vegetable that I have only recently begun to like. I decided that when I became vegan that I would try to like everything that is vegan. Now that I am gluten free and vegan, I do not refuse any food as long as it comes under both categories. If I can eat it, I will eat it. In making myself consume sweet potatoes, I actually began to like them with the caveat that I only like them savory. Well, unless you bake a vegan and gluten free sweet potato pie. I think I would like that, although I never had the non-vegan or vegan version of it.

This week we had four sweet potatoes, two large and two small, and we decided to make sweet potato nachos. I am not going to post a recipe, since it is not mine to share. I will, however, tell you what I used. I roasted potato slices with smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne, and cumin. When the potatoes were crispy, I placed them on a plate and added the following toppings: vegan refried beans, tomatoes, salsa, black olives, hot red pepper, avocado, and cilantro. You could even throw on some vegan cheese to make this more fun.


Serve this up with some greens and you have a healthy and fun meal!

Raw Kale Salad

Post number 19 for VeganMoFo. I'm one post away from my goal of 20 posts this month for MoFo!

I have had a cold for about a week now. It started off feeling like the flu, but now it has manifested into a cold. This feels like a long time to have a cold. I am wondering if my immune system is down a bit since I had some accidental incidences with gluten over the summer. I am trying not to be too concerned about it, but I can't help but wonder.

With these concerns, I have wanted to eat more greens. We purchased greens at the farmers market this past weekend and felt that a raw kale salad was in order. I have been on a kale kick all year. I can't get enough of that green! It is delicious and the most nutrient dense food available. To make the salad we use a whole pound of kale and share it, therefore we each eat a half a pound of kale. Because of the density, this salad is so filling. We normally switch up some of the ingredients, but kale, avocado, and the dressing always remain the same. We served this with a tempeh and bell pepper stir fry. The salad was so filling, that I only had a small serving of the stir fry.

Raw Kale Salad

• 1 pound of kale, washed, stems removed and leaves torn*
• 1/2 cup sungold tomatoes from our garden, washed and cut in half
• 1 avocado
• 1/3 c fresh squeezed lemon juice**
• 1/4 c flax seed oil
• Few drops of Braggs liquid aminos

Place the prepared kale in a serving bowl and add in the tomatoes. Prepare the dressing before cutting the avocado. Place the lemon juice, oil, and Braggs in a bowl and whisk vigorously until mixed. Set aside. Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and scoop out the goodness. chop into small pieces and sprinkle on the salad. Whisk the dressing again and pour it over the salad. Toss to make sure that the dressing coats the leaves and the avocado. Let the salad sit for 10 minutes to soak in the flavor. Serve and enjoy!

*We used dinosaur kale as it is our favorite.
**The lemon was large, so we only needed one. If you have a smaller lemon, you will probably need two

Gluten Free Menu at Thai Spices and Sushi

Post number 18 for VeganMoFo.

When I learned I had to be gluten free, I never thought that I would be able to dine at my favorite Thai restaurant- Thai Spices and Sushi. I was heart broken over this, but alas I did nothing about it. I did not email the restaurant, call, or stop by to see if they could handle gluten free. I just assumed that this my favorite restaurant, that understands vegan mind you, would have no clue. Lucky for me, someone else was contacting them and they did have a clue!

In late summer I received an email from a friend telling me that That Spices and Sushi had a gluten free menu. I was completely overjoyed and responded with tears in my eyes. This may seem silly to many of you, but those of you that are gluten free (and vegan) know what I'm talking about here. The smallest gestures of gluten free accommodation can be be so huge in our world.

At the same time, the restaurant had a Twongo deal. So, we bought the deal and started planning a group dinner with friends. Eight of us, four couples, met for dinner there this past weekend and we had a wonderful evening of delicious food, break dancing (one of our friends showed us her break dancing skills), and conversation. I ordered the Param Tofu with a lovely peanut sauce and a hot ginger drink. John ordered a sweet and sour tofu dish and a beer (both not gluten free).



The meal was delicious and I am dreaming of my next visit. They have the most amazing curry dishes there and several of them are on the gluten free list.

Saturday Morning Farmers Market

Post number 17 for VeganMoFo.

I am lucky to live in a place with an abundance of farmers markets. We have a state run one which I would never waste my time at as they truck in produce from other states. It sort of defeats the purpose of a true farmers market. We also have many local markets. The one in Durham only allows farmers within 75 miles of Durham so that the food there is truly local. Many of the other smaller markets have the same restrictions and it really allows the residents to buy local.


The market also gives us the freedom to ask farmers questions and make educated choices in the produce that we purchase. John and I made the decision that we will only purchase produce from those farmers that don't sell meat. We also only shop at the stands that choose to care for their plants in a way that is compatible with the earth. We refuse to buy from those that use harmful pesticides and herbicides. We would choose only organic, but unfortunately the farmers are small and being certified organic is expensive.

Our market is open all year long and for that we feel fortunate. Every week that we are in town, we wake up and head to the market to get as much as we can local. We are approaching the end of October and we are still able to buy an abundance of produce for the week. This week we purchased the following: Swiss chard, kale, ginger, passion fruit, sweet potatoes, radishes, tomatoes, bell peppers, and red leaf lettuce.


Below is a close up of the beautiful red leaf lettuce that we purchased. If you have never had lettuce grown in your back yard or from a farmers market, you are missing out. It is so much better than what you can get in stores. The same is true for tomatoes. Local food is healthier because it does not have to travel for hundreds of miles and therefore is given more time to ripen, increasing its nutrient value. It is also more flavorful!

Please remember to patronize your local and sustainable farmers!

Pad Thai and Sesame Cucumbers

Post number 16 for VeganMoFo.

I seem to have caught a cold. This is my first cold since going gluten free. Before I was diagnosed, I got sick all of the time. My immune system was in shambles. Now that I've been gluten free, I have noticed that I am less susceptible. This, however, was hard to avoid. I feel as though half of my co-workers have been sick and have been coming into work when sick. I do notice that I am recovering quicker than I would have before going gluten free.

I was not much in the mood to cook last night, but I wanted something warm and filling and Thai food fulfills that for me. I have to warn you that this is not authentic Thai food. I am not Thai nor is any of my family from Thailand. I am Italian, German, and some other things. None of which come from Asian countries. Even with that being said, I pretty much always am in the mood for Thai food (Indian too!).

I am going to share my sesame cucumbers and Pad Thai with you. We served this with baked tofu. While they may not be authentic, we enjoy the flavors. So here is to soul warming and filling food!

Pad Thai

Stir Fry

• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 small hot pepper, seeds removed and diced
• 1 or 2 carrots chopped
• 2 cups green cabbage, shredded
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into moons
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 3/4 cups roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1 box of gluten free pad Thai rice noodles

Sauce

• 3 Tbsp tomato paste
• 2 Tbsp gluten free tamari sauce
• 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp agave nectar
• Juice of 1 lime

Cook the noodles per the package instructions, drain, and set aside. Meanwhile, in a bowl mix ingredients for the sauce. If the mixture is too thick, add some warm water. The sauce should be thick, but not too thick.

Heat the olive oil in a wok on medium heat. When hot, add the onions and garlic an stir fry 5 minutes until the onions become slightly translucent. Add in the peppers, carrots, and cabbage and stir fry for 3 minutes longer. Add in the cucumber, tomato, and noodles and stir fry 3 minutes longer. Then add in the sauce and stir fry for another 3 minutes or until heated through. Turn off the heat and mix in the peanuts and cilantro. Serve warm.

Sesame Cucumbers

• 1 1/2 cucumbers, peeled, sliced in half lengthwise, and cut into moons
• 3 Tbsp rice vinegar (I use the kind that is no sodium and no sugar)
• 1 tsp ume plum vinegar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp gluten free tamari
• 1 1/2 tsp sesame seeds (white or black)

Place the cut cucumbers into a bowl and add the rice vinegar, plum vinegar, sesame oil, and tamari. Mix well and let sit for 15 minutes. Then add the sesame seeds, mix, and let sit for another 15 minutes. Serve with the Pad Thai and enjoy!

Almond Brussels Sprouts and a Liebster Award

Post number 15 for VeganMoFo.

The brussels sprout is a strange and cute looking little vegetable. It resembles miniature cabbage, but is part of the mustard family (or at least that is what Merriam-Webster says). When you mention the name of this vegetable, you generally get a strong negative reaction from folks. Not from me! Brussels sprouts made many appearances on the dining table of my childhood and I always enjoyed them. I would picture myself as a giant eating a tiny, delicious shrub.

John never had them as a child and I wanted to introduce them to him. Lucky for me, he like them! Now we use them in stir fries, steam them, and roast them. Growing up, my family roasted them with olive oil and garlic. The outer leaves become crispy and the inner leaves become tender, juicy, and sweet. To make them our own, John and I came up with a recipe that incorporated balsamic vinegar and almonds. I recommend that you give this recipe a try, you might just learn to love these sprouts!

Toasted Almond Brussels Sprouts

• 1 lb of brussels sprouts, washed, bottoms removed, and slice in half
• Olive oil spray
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup of sliced almonds
• 3 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat your oven to 375. Spray a baking pan with a couple of squirts of olive oil spray. Place the brussels sprouts in the pan and drizzle with the teaspoon of olive oil. Roast for 10 minutes. In the meantime, heat a small dry pan to medium heat and toast the almonds until crispy on each side. This process should take about 3-5 minutes. When finished, set aside.

When the sprouts have roasted for 10 minutes, remove them from the oven and sprinkle the balsamic over them and toss to coat. Use more olive oil or spray if needed. Add in the toasted almonds and roast for another 10 minutes until crispy. It is ok if some of the leaves become a bit crispy as they are crunchy and delicious!


Now....on to the award!

Kristen of Different Shades of Green, Theresa from The Vegan Version, and Dawn of Veg-am- were kind enough to pass on the Liebster award to me. Thank you so much! The Liebster award is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers to show a little love to them. I appreciate the love and now it is time for me to pass some love around!

Here's how it works:

1. You show your thanks to the blogger who gave it to you by linking back to them.
2. You reveal YOUR top 5 pics for bloggers with less than 200 followers, and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Post the award on your blog. (Right click on the image, and select 'save image as'.)
4. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the internet! And in this case, fellow mofo'ers.
5. Have fun, and spread the love! :)

Here are my 5 MoFo blogs to share the Liebster with. I have really enjoyed reading all of them and they have made me inspired to be more creative. So, here they are in no particular order:

1. Cara of Fork and Beans- She makes the most amazing vegan and gluten free candy. Before her awesome blog, I never thought I'd have my favorite candies again.
   
2. GiGi of VEGANVILLE- The humor and creativity keeps me coming back to this blog each day. Often times I laugh out load when I read her posts.
   
3. Mandee of Cupcake Kitteh- She has been taking on cooking challenges and tackling recipes in several major cookbooks. I am usually drooling and dreaming of her recreations.
   
4. Kittee of Cake Maker to the Stars- This is Ms. xgfx! She was the first vegan and gluten free blog I came across. Her pictures, stories, and adventures are a delight!
   
5. Ashley of (vegan)(kitchen)(nuggets)- She has been delighting my taste buds with all of her fall inspired creations. I especially love all of her posts with peanut butter!

Please make sure to check them out and show them the love!