16 November 2009

Make It (Vegan): Cherry Tomato Rotini Primavera

Day two of Vegan Week is going well! For dinner, I whipped up a vegan version of something I’ve made before (unvegan). This time, I kept it simple.

You’ll need (serves 4):

• 4 servings rotini pasta (or whatever kind you like)
• Small carton cherry tomatoes (or whatever kind of heirloom tomatoes you have on hand)
• Lots and lots of spinach (basically as much as you can pack in the pot)
• About 2/3 C chick peas
• 1/2 T EVOO
• Salt, pepper, and other seasonings (think Italian)

Preparation:

• Boil pasta according to directions.
• Drain pasta, leaving 1/2 C water in the bottom of the pot.
• Add spinach, tomatoes, chick peas, EVOO, and seasonings. I used salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute (WHICH I ADORE!)
• Cook covered on medium heat until spinach is wilted and tomatoes begin to burst (about 5 minutes)
• Serve hot or cold!

I was able to make the whole dish in one pot (I didn’t even use a colander!), and it took about half an hour, including the time it took to boil the water. Cooking (vegan) is hard? Not so much.

For dessert, I had a small granny smith apple with peanut butter. So far, I genuinely don’t miss meat or dairy at all.

Be sure to check out the other Vegan Weeks going on around the blogosphere (and join us!).

Something vegan must be in the air!

I just learned that Katy, from sillytatertot.com, and Michelle, from eatingjourney.com, are coincidentally hosting their very own Vegan Week from 11/16-11/23! I swear, I knew nothing about this before I decided to go vegan for Week 5 of the Winter Shape Up. They’re also promoting Vegan-4-A-Day on Thursday, November 19th (is it just a coincidence that it’s the Thursday before a huge meat-eating holiday in the U.S.?).

Please join them (and me) as we explore the ins and outs of veganism without a huge commitment. Come on, it’s just a week. You can do it! Who’s in?

Make It (Vegan): Spiced Pumpkin Glo Bites from Oh She Glows

Day One of Vegan Week (I started yesterday) was a huge success, in no small part due to Angela’s amazing Glo Bites. I’ll admit, I was a little nervous because a) I don’t normally bake, and b) I’ve NEVER baked anything vegan.

I was able to pick up all the more unusual ingredients at Whole Foods (spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, cane sugar, and sucanat can all be found in the bulk foods section for relatively cheap). I followed the recipe pretty much to the letter and the bites came out beautifully. Not too sweet, lovely pumpkin taste (and aroma! Those things smelled so good in the oven!).

Now, let’s be clear: Just because something’s vegan doesn’t mean it’s healthy. However, because these use spelt flour, whole wheat flour, and flaxseed (which adds protein and fiber), they’re far from nutritionally void. But they’re still a dessert, and it’s important to keep that in mind. (Note: I mostly added that bit for myself).

Anyway, I’m excited for the rest of Vegan Week… I hope you guys are, too! I know I’ll be using OSG as a resource, and I’m excited to see how becoming vegan helps me think outside of the box with my meals.

15 November 2009

Make It (Vegan): Black Bean Chili-Topped Baked Sweet Potatoes

For every day of vegan week, I’m going to post a delicious vegan recipe. Here’s one from The Vegan Chef. I’m going to pretend the sweet potatoes in that picture have Earth Balance on them and not butter.

You’ll need (serves 4):

4 large sweet potatoes, washed well (do not peel)
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 1/2 t. olive oil
1/2 cup green pepper, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
1/2 cup Roma tomatoes, destemmed, deseeded, and diced
2 t. garlic, minced
1/2 t. chili powder
1/2 t. ground cumin
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. freshly ground black pepper
1 - 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed, and drained
1 - 8 oz. can tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce, to taste

Preparation:

Using a fork, pierce the skins of the sweet potatoes in several places. Place an oven-proof rack on a cookie sheet and place the sweet potatoes on the rack. Bake at 400 degrees for 60-75 minutes or until the sweet potatoes feel soft when gently squeezed. While the sweet potatoes are baking, prepare the black bean chili. In a medium saucepan, saute the onion in the olive oil for 3 minutes to soften. Add the green pepper and saute an additional 3-4 minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and seasonings, and saute an additional 2 minutes. Add the black beans, tomato sauce, and season to taste with hot pepper sauce, stir well to combine, and simmer the chili for 10 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, to taste. Remove the saucepan from the heat. When the sweet potatoes are tender, remove the cookie sheet from the oven and leave the sweet potatoes on the rack to cool for 5 minutes. For each serving, place one sweet potato on a plate or in a bowl, split it open, ladle some of the black bean chili over the top, and serve.

Winter Shape Up: Gone Vegan

We’re halfway through the WSU, and I think it’s time to shake things up. My only Week 5 goal is to go vegan! Some of you have made this a goal during previous weeks, and now I want to give it a shot. Two of my friends in college used to go vegan for the month of Lent, and I always really admired them for it. The rest of the year, they were pepperoni pizza guys, but for that month? They totally revamped their eats and ate completely vegan.

I’ve been gravitating toward lots of junky food (meaning food with little to no nutritional value) lately  and consequently haven’t been too concerned with making sure my meat and dairy products come from sustainably and humanely raised animals. I want to change that, so I hereby declare this VEGAN WEEK 5.

My goals for Vegan Week:

• Be more aware of what I’m putting in my body.
• Break my addiction to cheese!
• Experiment with new recipes (I’m trying Angela’s vegan Spiced Pumpkin Pie Glo Bites!)
• See how I feel on a vegan diet.

Who’s going to try VEGAN WEEK 5 with me? Come on, you know you want to! Whatever your goals are for Week 5, be sure to send them to me by tomorrow (Monday 11/16) at 11:59pm EST.