Winner of my $65 CSN giveaway!!

First, a little recipe.  I made this a while ago....and then I made it again recently, replacing some items.  Did not come out quite as good the second time, so I'm going to stick with my original!  The second time around, I didn't have enough queso, and so I used 1 cup of almond milk and some nutritional yeast. NOPE.  The casserole didn't hold together.  So make sure you use ALL queso and make sure it's thick enough, otherwise it won't hold together very well :)

Cheeezy Broccoli Rice Casserole:

3 stalks celery, chopped or sliced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped

3-4 cups chopped broccoli (small florets plus chopped stems)
1 green pepper, chopped
2 large tomatoes, chopped
5 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups of my vegan queso (or any thick queso)
salt to taste
water for saute pan

In large saute pan (make sure it's deep enough...all of the ingredients are going in there), add 1/4 cup water, celery, and onion.  Cook until soft.  Add the broccoli, pepper and tomatoes. Cook an additional 5 minutes. (If you're going to bake this, there's no need to cook until soft. If you're not baking this, but eating  right out of the pan, cook them until desired softness) Add more water as needed, so it doesn't stick to the pan. Add the brown rice and mix it up.  Add in the queso and mix until well-combined.  Add salt as desired. Spread in a greased/oiled 9x11 baking pan and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes, until the top is browned and a bit crisp.  OR eat once combined, without baking!


Remember that awesome soup I made the other day?? Here's a picture. It doesn't do it justice, but I made it twice and it's sooooo good :)

I guess that's it........HAHAHAHA just kidding!

The winner of my CSN Stores giveaway is......

Lindsay: "I follow you on twitter" 

Congratulations!!! 

Ok, NOW that's all....

Eat smart,

T.

This week's produce and MY vitamin D!

So if you read my post about Vitamin D, you'll know I'm waiting on my levels.  I got a call today saying my prescription was ready to pick up (automated), so I went to the drugstore and lo and behold....there was a prescription for Vitamin D waiting for me!  My doctor hasn't even called me yet to let me know ANY of my blood test results.....but I guess I must be low on Vitamin D, since he apparently called in a prescription without my knowing.  Mine must be higher than my husband's though, since mine only had one pill for 50,000 units and his had 4!  Hmmmmm.......and the pharmacists didn't seem to know the difference between D2 and D3 because when we picked up my husband's prescription, they looked confused when I asked them.

I haven't taken mine yet.  I'm pretty sure it's D3....I'm going to assume.  I wonder how you'd find out....do they even offer D2 by prescription?  Or is that something you have to purchase online (because EVERY Vitamin D container I've looked at in Walgreens, CVS, and Target are ALL D3)? Thoughts?

On to the food segment of this post....

Saturday's produce: strawberries, brown rice, baby turnips, mustard greens, green onions, cabbage, lettuce mixes, kale, shiitake mushrooms, and hydroponic tomatoes.


Last night, I made a broccoli mushroom bake again, since I had plenty of shiitakes and lots of broccoli.  I also added some of the kale and I used about 1 cup of cooked brown rice instead of pasta.  It was really good!

I also made some more raw spring rolls, but left out the collard green leaf inside the rice paper.  Was still good, and rolled well, but didn't hold as well in your fingers without the leaf for support.  Still good though :)

And speaking of Vitamin D.....guess what I found at Target this morning??  Monterey Mushrooms!  They're grown with 100% Vitamin D, so I thought I'd try them, even though they're all the way from California.

And there's another giveaway on Averie's blog LoveVeggiesAndYoga: Lunchbox and Cooler Set! Looks awesome :)
Guess what? Someone else also has a giveaway for lunchboxes: Adventures of a Gluten Free Mom.

Eat smart,
T.

Tomato Chickpea Soup and Raw Cauliflower Salad

So yesterday I made two recipes, neither of which were my own, but both were delicious.

First, I made a Raw Cauliflower Salad with Orange Vinaigrette.  I came across it on a raw food blog.  You should really check it out! The only thing I did differently, was I left out the asparagus (I didn't have any), I used the purple raisins instead of the golden (didn't have any of those either), and I replaced the oil in the dressing with water.  It was a perfect recipe for yesterday's weather, which was around 70 degrees.  A perfect summer salad, if there ever was one :)

To go with the salad, I made VeganYumYum's Spicy Tomato Chickpea Soup.  I don't have a blender, so blending it wasn't an option.  I did however puree the chickpeas in my little food processor before putting them into the pan.  I also used crushed tomatoes instead of diced. Tossed in a bit extra turmeric...it's good for you! And once again, I  left out the oil....didn't need it.  I saute everything in water these days.  It was quite nice and spicy.....thumbs up.

And I also just wanted to say...I LOVE KALE AND BROCCOLI!!! I really do.  I think I'm addicted to them now.  I buy it up at the farmer's market, but I always run out in a couple of days (kale)....I'm almost out of it now and should've gone to the market (yup, they're open on Tuesday afternoons now too) to get some.  Too tired.  They haven't had any broccoli in a while, so I buy that at the supermarket, but we eat it practically every day.  Is there such a thing as overdosing on green stuff????  Jeez, I hope our blood doesn't just run out of us if we get cut, LOL!

Next post will be that FL trip post (Disney)....coming soon.  I've got the pictures all ready to go :)

Eat smart,
T.

Broccoli Bake and the Goods

Several days ago, I made VeganYumYum's Creamy Broccoli Mushroom Bake and it was absolutely amazing! I will definitely make it again and again.  I used arrowroot powder instead of corn starch and I left out the oil.  I had some leftover mini spelt shells, so I used those instead of orzo.  I was a bit worried when I put it into the 8x8 pan.  It was quite liquidy(not a real word, I know) and really soaked up the breadcrumbs when I put them on top.  But when I took it out of the oven, it had solidified and the breadcrumbs on top gave it a nice crunch.  So it really did come out great :)

On our way back from Florida yesterday (more on that awful trip later), my husband was nice enough to let me stop at a big health food store in Mobile, AL (Virginia's Health Foods), even though he was sick....poor guy.  I tried to make it quick....you know, quick for me....at a health food store :)

The goods: bulk oat groats, bulk raw sunflower seeds, bulk raw cashews, Artisana Coconut Butter, raw almond butter, Primal Strips, sprouted grain pasta, large agave nectar, chia seeds, quinoa, millet, and Arame. Forgot to add the tempeh to the picture.....can't find it here, so I bought two packages!

It's very exciting....I love health food stores! Is that so wrong? I guess it's a good thing I didn't spend all day in there, or I would've emptied out our bank account :)

Perhaps I'll wait until tomorrow to blog about our disaster of a trip....something to look forward to.

Eat smart,
T.

The market, radishes, and broccoli

By the way, I guess it's a little late to say Happy Hanukkah.....here's a little glimpse of ours:

And for those holidays that have not yet passed, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

We had a rehearsal this morning (yes, Nutcracker), and so I had to pick up my vegetables from the market before rehearsal.  Got lots of good stuff: spaghetti squash (my new addiction), green onions, mustard greens, lettuce, mizuna, white button mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes (hydroponic), white sweet potatoes, white turnips, strawberries, grapefruit, tangerines, oranges, satsumas, cabbage, and meyer lemons.

Radishes & Broccoli:

From my various research online, I've found a couple of good snacks! One seems to be French: sliced radishes on some butter (I used Smart Balance), sprinkled with salt and pepper, all atop a nicely toasted slice of bread (I used sprouted grain bread).  Delicious!  The other, is a broccoli dip, spread on toasted bread.  I took one of those bags of broccoli florets and steamed it in the microwave.  Then I put it in a food processor with some lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic.  You could add some diced tomatoes or something for a little more flavor.  I read it should be more flavorful once it's chilled a bit.

Vacation starts Monday, yay!!  Don't forget to vote in my vegan cheese and diet polls on the right side of the page!!


Eat smart (even over the holidays),
T.

A McDougall Day

I used the "Monk Bowl" idea for lunch today.  I cooked some brown rice in the rice cooker and steamed veggies on the stove.  For the sauce, I made the Shiitake Mushroom Sauce from The New McDougall Cookbook.  The only I did differently, was I used fresh Shiitakes, because I had a ton from last week's market! It made a lot of sauce, so now I have a ton leftover....which is good, because I also have a lot of leftover rice. And by the way, I used a flat leaf type of kale in the vegetables.  It was grown on the property at the Saturday market!

For dinner, I basically made my Cauliflower a la Lemon recipe, but I added some potatoes, because I didn't have a ton of broccoli and thought they would go nicely with the lemon flavor. However, I left off the couscous for this meal, since we had potatoes in there. And I didn't add oil, just a little spray on the pan first.

Tomorrow's market day!  I'm excited, are you?? (Is it wrong to look forward to Market Saturday every week?)

Eat smart,
T.

Broccoli-Barley AND Eggplant!

Ok, wow....so today I did two meals.  BUT.....the first was from (mostly) the McDougall cookbook I have.  Dinner was my own concoction....but was pretty darn good, if I don't say so myself!

Let me start with lunch.  I made the Broccoli-Barley Toss from "The New McDougall Cookbook".  I only changed a few things.  First, I added kale, because I love kale! Second, I used Shiitake mushrooms instead of regular ones (actually, he doesn't specify, to be exact).  I didn't have snow peas or bean sprouts and I left out the green bell peppers.  I think that's it.  And technically, I didn't toss it!  I put the vegetables on top of the barley.  It was very good, but it could've used just a bit more flavoring.  Maybe next time I'll use real ginger and something else.

On to dinner.  I still had some eggplant left...I had already sliced it and put it in a bag, raw.  I'm really not a fan of eggplant....I'm sure I've mentioned that before.  My husband wanted me to make something with it....something with tomato sauce and something spicy.  So I did.  And I actually liked it!  It tasted very much like eggplant parmesan, except there was no cheese in it.....it was vegan!

Tanya's Eggplant Parmesanless:


1/2 big eggplant (or a whole one), sliced 1/4-1/2 inch thick
1 large green bell pepper, sliced in thin strips
1 yellow squash, sliced
1 cup whole wheat breadcrumbs
1/2 cup almond milk, unsweetened
32 oz can of crushed tomatoes
italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, black pepper, salt, creole seasoning

fresh basil


Put the eggplant in a colander and sprinkle a lot of salt on it.  Let it sit for 30 minutes to draw out the water/bitterness.  Rinse, dry, and set aside.  Spray a bit of oil on a cookie sheet.  Mix the breadcrumbs with the seasonings (unless you have pre-seasoned crumbs), to taste.  Put the almond milk in a bowl.  Dip the eggplant in the milk, then cover with breadcrumbs.  Lay them all out on the cookie sheet, single layer.  Broil about 7 minutes on each side.

Spray a little oil in a 9x13 pan.  In a large bowl, mix the tomatoes with the spices (unless you are using jarred sauce, with seasonings).  Spice it up!  It's really good spicy.  Put about 1/3 of the sauce at the bottom of the pan.  Lay half the eggplant down on top of the sauce.  Then add the peppers and squash.  Pour more sauce over it.  Then add the basil all over the top, followed by the rest of the eggplant.  And top with more sauce.  And sprinkle a good amount of seasoned breadcrumbs all over the top.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. 


I made some extra red wine sauce to go on top, but as it turns out....we didn't need it.  There was plenty of sauce in the baked dish.  You could add zucchini, onions...etc...if you want.  

We invited our friend, Dave, over for dinner.  I think it was maybe a bit too hot for him.  But if you like it spicy, go for it!  I hope I didn't forget anything because I never write this stuff down. 




I forgot, I made some hummus as an appetizer:


Tanya's Hummus:


1 16 oz can chickpeas
juice of 2-3 lemons (I like it lemony!)
1 tbsp tahini
salt, pepper


Blend it all together, add a little paprika and it's done! Served it with some raw veggies.


And I guess that wraps it up!  Still going to make millet soon......maybe tomorrow?

Until then....
Eat smart,
T.

Veggie "Fries" w/Steamed Kale and Broccoli

I was browsing blogs today and found a good recipe for "Veggie Fries" here on the VeganMindedBlog site.  Looked so good, I had to try it. I also used zucchini and yellow squash.  I used only a very small amount of unsweetened almond milk and Vegenaise.  Had whole wheat breadcrumbs, which I flavored with Italian Seasonings, garlic, creole seasoning, salt, and pepper.  Was pretty good!  I served it with some steamed kale and broccoli.  Had some leftover Asian Ginger sauce from a recent Monk Bowl.

I'm not sure the 2 went together....the Italian seasoning, with the Asian.  Oh well....had to use up the sauce.  I was going to make a millet dish (I was so excited that I bought millet today!), but decided I'll do that maybe tomorrow.  I've never made millet, but I noticed so many vegan blogs use it.

I also ordered nutritional yeast!  A lot of vegans use that, and seems to add some "cheese-like" flavor to foods, so I'm excited to start using that too.  And it's an excellent source of Vitamin B-12!  Since I'm really cutting  down on my dairy consumption, I thought I could use some.  Speaking of that, the McDougall program seems to be doing the job.  If I stick with  non-oil and non-dairy foods, my weight really does go down!  Yay for rice and potatoes! :) .....and now for millet!  (although I do have quinoa, which I love too)

Tomorrow, I may go to TWO markets.  Yes, 2. We'll see how the day goes and how many vegetables I can handle.  Wish me luck!

I finally have a few days off, so I can do a little blogging.  Exciting, no?

So that's all for now....off to see a chamber music concert in a bit (Musaica).
Eat smart,
T.

Roasted broccoli & cauliflower a la lemon

Hey everyone!

For tonight's meal, I roasted broccoli and cauliflower and served it with Israeli couscous.  This is a recent discovery of mine, and I love it!  It's really easy too, once you've broken up the broccoli and cauliflower. I suppose you can always buy the packaged florets, but it's fresher to do it yourself. But some of us have more time than others....so do what you have to do. Here's my oh-so-lemony recipe!

Tanya's Roasted Broccoliflower a la Lemon w/Israeli Couscous:

Broccoli and cauliflower, broken into florets (enough to fill a roasting pan)
1-2 lemons
1 cup Israeli (pearl) couscous
olive oil
spices: salt,pepper, lemon-pepper (if you have it), garlic powder
2 cups water


For roasting:
Put all broccoli and cauliflower in a bowl.  Add about 1-2 tbsp olive oil,salt, black pepper, lemon-pepper (I use Mrs. Dash), and some garlic powder.  Add juice of 1/2 lemon.  Mix well and let sit a few minutes.  Put in a greased roasting pan, spread out evenly.  Put in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30 minutes.  After 15 minutes, mix them up so more sides can get that "ever so slightly burnt" look.  Once out of the oven, add the juice of 1/2 lemon and mix it up in the pan before serving.

For couscous:
Put 1 tbsp olive oil in a pot.  Add couscous and heat, toasting them nicely.  Once toasted, add juice of 1 lemon, salt, pepper, and 2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, turn the heat way down and let simmer, covered (or mostly covered) for ~15 minutes or so....however long it takes for the water to be absorbed.  In some cases, you may need to add a bit more water, if couscous is not fully cooked.

I love lemon, so I always add extra once it's on my plate!


And that's it for today, folks.  I don't know what's on the agenda for this week....haven't thought that far ahead.  But I do know I have lots of vegetables from the market this weekend, so I'll have to think of something.  Still wondering about that golden zucchini.....

Enjoy the last of your weekend!
Eat smart,
T.