Happy Bloggiversary to me!

So today is my one year bloggiversary! And I know I've been lagging in the posting department the past couple of weeks.  I hope to rectify that soon.  Today I have a post of a ton of stuff I've been eating.  I will do a second post with a special GIVEAWAY!! Yup, look for it.....it's a good one!

Let's start with last week's farmer's market: icebox melon, butternut squash, okra, shiitake mushrooms, sprouts, tarragon, peaches, tomatoes, limes, mustard greens, asian pears, and cucumbers.

Look, some of my indoor grown swiss chard:

Two weeks ago at the market (Hollygrove), someone had made some Caponata for us to try. It was delicious!  Whoever you are, thank you for the recipe.  I made it:

I served it atop some sprouted grain bread with my swiss chard on it:

Here is the recipe (& my changes):

Open-face Sandwiches with Caponata & Herb Goat Cheese

Chop up 3 small eggplant (I used 2 medium), 4 stalks celery, 1 red onion (I used yellow), 5 baby bell peppers (I used 1-2 regular), 5 cloves garlic, and saute in olive oil (I used water) in a large saucepan.  When almost cooked through, add 2 diced creole tomatoes & simmer, covered til all is cooked through (but not mushy). Add 1/2 cup sliced black olives (I omitted...I hate olives), season with salt & pepper, cayenne (I used Creole seasoning), marjoram (left out, didn't have it), oregano, red wine vinegar & basil to taste. Add chopped herbs like parsley, basil & chives to the goat cheese (I didn't use cheese, obviously) & mix well. Slice up your favorite bread, top with caponata & add the goat cheese and some greens, like arugula & spinach.  


It was really good and quite simple to make!

Then I tried to make Mama Pea's Peanut Butter Cup Shake (like a Dairy Queen Blizzard).  Mine didn't come out quite like hers.  I did replace the coconut milk with vanilla almond milk.  It was way too icy, but still good.  The peanut butter cups were awesome! ( I used Sunbutter in mine).  Maybe next time I'll try coconut milk...

I made my stuffed mushrooms again, but slightly different (always depends what's in the fridge). These were local baby portobellas, stuffed with some cooked brown rice, mixed with tomatoes, creole seasoning, some chopped walnuts, chopped celery, & various herbs (basil, parsley).

Made some Red Wine Lentil Soup from an old Parade magazine (sept 10, 2006). It's so good! And I added more veggies, of course and left out the butter. And used veggie broth instead of chicken.

Also toasted up a sprouted grain tortilla in my little toaster oven. Put it in there on about 300 degrees for 20 minutes or so, flipping it once in the middle.  Then I tore it up so I could dip them!

Sour cream & onion dip:

1/2 cup vegan sour cream
1 1/2 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp dried minced onion
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp dried chives
salt & pepper to taste


Stir all together.  You can double the recipe to make more.


Made that Raw Sunflower Seed Falafel again, but served it as mock "tuna" on top of slices of tomato and swiss chard:

Then we had guests over the next day and I served it in cucumber tubs:

After the cucumber tubs, I served my Teriyaki Udon noodles but with more vegetables.

Then a version today with no noodles! Just vegetable Teriyaki:

I think I've finally come to the end of this post.  Phew! That was a lot of pictures.

Stay tuned for the upcoming GIVEAWAY post....TODAY!!!

Eat smart,
T.

The test results are in.

First of all, I'm sorry for not blogging much this week....I've been really busy with work and my husband was sick with a really high fever. I'll try to do better next week.

So most of you know I've been talking about Vitamin D a lot lately. (Check out my original post about it)  Well I finally got my blood test results from the doctor and yup, I'm low too.  BUT....I was slightly higher than my husband (maybe because my skin is a little lighter??).  The number the doctor gave me was 15.  I guess it should be above 20 or 30? So I picked up my prescription of 50,000 Units.  I tried to find out what kind of D it was....and it said the company that made it was Pliva.  You can see it here.  It says that it's similar to Drisdol, which is a brand name for D2, so I'm going to assume that my prescription is indeed D2.  Although I haven't taken it yet....

My B12 was normal!!!

On to the others.  I don't know if any of you know, but I've been trying to lose more weight these past several months.  That's why I started this way of eating in the first place.....sort of a Vegan/McDougall/Low fat way of eating.  I've been able to lose about 24 pounds in the last 6-7 months, so I'm happy about that.  I'm now in a healthy weight range AND.......my cholesterol number was under 180!  I have to tell you I didn't think that would've ever been possible.  This was my last effort to try to lower it.  I had lost about 60 pounds a few years ago and my cholesterol only came down 10 points!  My doctor was surprised as well.  It definitely runs in my family, so that makes it even harder.  But with this new way of eating, it's brought it into the healthy range, FINALLY :)  And without the help of medication.

I guess that's it for now.  I'll probably start taking the Vitamin D soon.

Here are a few pictures from this past week of eating:

A chocolate mousse pie (I bought the vegan crust a while ago and thought I'd use it), made with silken tofu, cocoa powder, agave, vanilla, and amaretto (which is probably not vegan).

Bruschetta made from local hydroponic tomatoes, my fresh basil, a pinch of sea salt, and just a hint of olive oil on sprouted grain bread:

Those Monterey Mushrooms and collard greens with black pepper:

And finally, don't forget to vote for the item you want me to giveaway!! I'll probably decide on the item this weekend and do the giveaway next week....be on the lookout.

And since I forgot this week's blogger of the week....here it is:

Blogger of the Week: Bronwyn Schweigerdt's BeanDiet Blog. She's a nutrionist with lots of great info on vitamins, and your diet in general.

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.

Stuffed Portobellas

So we're still waiting to see where Ida goes.....hopefully just as they predict......East!  Go East! Go East! No offense, FL,AL & MS :)  So if I don't blog over my days off, sniff....it's because the power went out.

I got these huge Portobello mushrooms last week at the market...apparently there's a big mushroom farm near here!  Anyway, I decided to stuff them today for lunch.  For some reason, they flattened out once they were cooked....is that normal?  I was hoping they'd stay rounded....no such luck.  At least the stuffing stayed in!

Here's my recipe:

Tanya's Italian Stuffed Portobellas:


2 Portobello caps, gills scraped out
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 small red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup canned chick peas (garbanzo)
1/2-3/4 cup canned diced tomatoes
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
whole wheat breadcrumbs
salt, pepper, Italian seasoning (basil, oregano, etc), creole spices, garlic

In a saute pan, put in a little water and add the onions and peppers.  Cook until soft.  Add the tomatoes and chick peas.  Crush the chickpeas as much as you can in the pan. Let cook for a few more minutes.  Then add the seasonings & yeast to taste.  Turn off the heat.  Lightly spray a roasting pan of some sort (something with edges, so the juice won't leak out) and place the mushroom caps in it.  Spoon the mixture evenly into the mushroom caps.  Mix the breadcrumbs with the seasonings and sprinkle over the top. Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes.


So tell me, is it PortobellO or PortobellA????  Hmmmm.....

Ok, wish me luck and hope the power doesn't go out and Ida goes elsewhere!  If I still have power, I'll be cooking up a storm AND I'm gonna bake some bread in my new machine!

Eat smart (& stay safe if you live on the Gulf Coast),
T.

A Day of Mushrooms

Hello again!  Welcome to mushroom day.  I had leftover Shiitakes and White Buttons from the market, so I thought I should use them up.  Tonight I made Experimental Stuffed Mushrooms and Teriyaki Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms.  Both were pretty easy (especially the Teriyaki dish).  The most time consuming part was taking the stems off the mushrooms and chopping them.

So here are the recipes!

Tanya's Experimental Stuffed Mushrooms:
(makes 8 mushrooms)


8 large white button mushrooms
1 slice of a yellow onion, chopped
1-2 TB whole wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup canned chickpeas
1 TB canned crushed tomatoes (or tomato puree)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, italian seasonings (basil, oregano, etc.)


Preheat the oven (I used my Cuisinart Toaster Oven) to 375 degrees. Saute the onion in a pan with a little water.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Pull the stems out of the mushrooms (so you get the whole thing and have lots of room to fill) and chop them up.  Add them to the onions.  Add a bit more water, if it's sticking to the bottom.  Cook for 3-4 minutes.  Put the cooked onions and mushroom stems in a bowl.  Add the bread crumbs and the chickpeas.  Mash up the chickpeas really well in there.  Add the rest of the ingredients.  Take the mushroom caps and put them on tin foil or a sprayed cookie sheet. Fill them evenly with the stuffing.  Bake for about 15 minutes. (If you like cheese, you could probably add a bit of parmesan on top near the end of the baking)


Tanya's Udon Noodles with Shiitake Mushrooms:
(serves 2-3)


6 oz dry udon noodles (cook as directed on package and set aside)
2 cups chopped shiitake mushrooms (you can add more...they really shrink!)
~1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (add more or less depending on your taste)


Add mushrooms to pan with a little water (1-2 TB).  Cook on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes.  Add the udon noodles and the teriyaki sauce.  Stir often, so it doesn't stick.  You may want to add another tablespoon or so of water while it cooks.  Again, stir often!  I like it a bit crispy, so I cook it until the noodles have browned and crisped up.  Stir, stir, stir. Done. 


Now, I don't usually measure anything when I'm cooking, so I hope it all comes out right :)  And I'm not sure that Italian style and Japanese style go together.....but it was fine by me!

See? Pretty simple, huh? Watch, I probably forgot a step.  Hehehe......for your sake, I hope not.
Eat up!

Coming up soon: my Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Eat smart,
T.

Potato Vegetable "Saute"

Went to the market this morning, on my way to work.  Sorry, no pictures....was too busy.  But here's what I got in today's "box":  mustard greens, eggplant (not a big fan), yellow squash, apples, rice, satsumas, okra,  cucumbers, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and white button mushrooms.


Ok, I'm really not a fan of eggplant.  Maybe I'll make a dip out of it.  I had a friend with an amazing recipe.  Actually, her dad made it (may he rest in peace) and it was absolutely amazing.  I keep losing the recipe.....guess I'll have to ask her for it again.  If you have a great eggplant recipe, let me know....you know, as long as it disguises the eggplant texture :)

Since I was at work all afternoon, I didn't have much time to make dinner.  I boiled potatoes this morning...remember.....it's really great to have boiled potatoes on hand, when you don't have much time.

Tanya's Potato Vegetable "Saute":


2-3 red potatoes, cooked and cut into smallish pieces
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
1 very small yellow squash, cubed
3 big white button mushrooms
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
salt, pepper, garlic, creole seasoning, paprika

I call it saute, but I used NO oil.  This is my new "McDougall"ism.  Put onion in a pan, put on medium heat.  Add about 1/8 cup water.  When the onion starts to stick, add another 1/8 cup water.  Stir.  After about 5 minutes, add the peppers, squash, and mushrooms.  Add another 1/8 cup water and cook up the vegetables. When the water boils out and the vegetables are partially cooked, add the potatoes and spices to your liking. You may need to keep adding water, 1/8 cup at a time, so the vegetables don't stick to the pan.  (I'm using nonstick).   Not sure I'd recommend stainless steel for cooking w/o oil.  At then end, add the tomatoes and let cook for another couple of minutes, until heated.  


I wasn't originally going to add the tomatoes, but I realized I had some in the fridge that needed to be used up and it's pretty low calorie.  That's another staple I HAVE to have in the pantry: cans of crushed tomatoes and diced tomatoes.  I use those in almost everything!

And I'm excited, because I have some cooked potatoes left and I realized I haven't shared my Indian dish with you yet!  So that will be next!!

Have a good weekend!
Eat smart,
T.

Tempeh and Sweet Potatoes

First I want to say I'm sorry for not posting anything the past 2 days.  I've been pretty busy with work and finally had some time tonight.  Might even have some time this weekend.....after checking out this week's farmer's market!

So the first recipe I did was a new one.  It's from  the Vegan YumYum cookbook: Candied Lime Sweet Potatoes. For my taste, it was a bit too sweet.  I even cut down the amount of sugar a little.  Next time, I'll cut it way down.  It was like eating candy....but maybe it's supposed to be???  I've gotta say, I'm not a huge sweet potato fan.   I think I've only ever made one recipe from them.  Some sweet potato salad, which was actually really good.  I'll have to find that recipe somewhere again if we get more sweet potatoes from the market.

I feel like I need to brush the candy off my teeth now....it's still lurking.  Also, I made it in a nonstick baking pan. Wonder if that was a bad idea.  The whole bottom is black from the caramelization of sugar.  Think it'll come off???  It's soaking, so hopefully.

Second recipe I made was Tempeh Barbecue from the Kripalu Cookbook.  Excellent recipe!  I've made this one a few times before.  The taste varies a bit, depending on the kind/brand of molasses you use.  Some are stronger than others.  I added green pepper this time, because I still had plenty and we're getting more at the market tomorrow. And I use crushed tomatoes instead of tomato sauce.  If you've got tempeh and mushrooms on hand, you HAVE to try this recipe!

Wow, that's it I guess.  We've got leftover tempeh for tomorrow, yay!  Was thinking of making a potato/turnip salad for lunch tomorrow, since we still have more turnips from the market.  We'll see.

Have a good Friday night!
Eat smart,
T.

Roasted vegetables with asparagus

I know, I know, I've already talked about roasted vegetables....blah...blah....blah...

BUT, today I added asparagus and white button mushrooms because I had to use up the mushrooms already (they'd been in the fridge a while) and asparagus was on sale! So that's my excuse. I also had to use up my tomatoes from last week's market (I'm sure I'll pick up more tomorrow). By the way, is it a stalk of asparagus or what? Does a "bunch" have several stalks?

And even though I still prefer my traditional roasted tomatoes, onions, and peppers, you can make it with pretty much anything! Next time I'll post my recipe for roasted cauliflower and broccoli a la lemon, with lemon israeli couscous. Good stuff.

It's gonna be a rainy weekend all around. So don't expect too much from me. We're still going to try and make it to the market tomorrow for our produce box (I think there may be more pattypan squash!!!!), you know....after we stop at Barnes and Nobles to pick up a few vegan cookbooks I've been drooling over. (no, I'm not vegan)

Ever since I had the most amazing vegan chocolate cupcake with peppermint frosting at The Tomato Head in Knoxville, TN, I've had cravings for vegan cupcakes. If you live anywhere near there, I highly recommend that place. The meal was perfect! With great local beer to go with it...on tap!

I can't get anything vegan here.....

Hmmm.....maybe tomorrow I'll make a list of my favorite veg-friendly restaurants from our travels!

Until then, happy eating.

Eat smart,

T.