The Veggie Gal

This is yet another wonderful recipe from Dr. Neal Barnard’s “The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook“.  Like I did with the  Black Bean & Corn Salad with Lime I am putting the recipe exactly how it appears in the book and then make my comments about changes.

I did do three things different one was using regular noodles since I could not find any udon noodles at my local store.  I also could not find the chili paste but instead found a sauce that was a mixture of chili paste, rice vinegar and sugar.   I figured it would taste pretty good and probably not be as spicy which is a good thing with my small kids.  I was right it was more mild and tolerable for the kids but would love to try it once with the real chili paste. And finally I had a half of red and yellow bell left over from the Black Bean & Corn Salad with Lime so I used both to equal the 1 cup which I think makes it look more colorful.

I really love how the food stylist for the recipe chose to cut the snow peas down the middle so I did it too, just beautiful and cool looking I think.  I served mine with my Chinese Cabbage Salad on the side and it was a great meal.  Of course this can be completely gluten free if you use the right noodles.

Dr. Neal Barnard's "Udon Noodle Salad" from Get Healthy, Go Vegan

Udon Noodle Salad
Serves: 6

20 snow peas, trimmed
1 (8 ounce) package udon noodles
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1/2 teaspoon chili paste
1 1/2 cups seeded, chopped English cucumber
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup chopped red bell pepper
6 scallions, sliced

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Drop in the snow peas and cook fora bout 30 seconds or until bright green but still crisp.  Immediately remove from the boiling water with a slotted spoon and plunge into cold water to stop the cooking.  When cool, drain and pat dry with paper towels.

Cook udon noodles according tot package directions (you can use the same pot of boiling water as was used to blanch the snow peas).  Drain and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, agave nectar, and chili paste.  Stir with a whisk.

Toss the noodles with about half of the dressing.  Place the dressed noodles on a platter.  Combine the snow peas, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper and scallions in a large bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.  Top noodles with vegetable and serve.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Chinese food, Dr. Neal Barnard, Easy Vegan, go vegan cookbook, Healthy Meal, Quick vegan, The get healthy, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

This Teriyaki Chik’n has been a quick go to dinner of mine for the past few months when I am too busy or too tired to make anything involved.  It can be made in just 10 minutes!!  My whole family loves it and even though all 3 things come from a package they are not all that horrible for you and damn sure better than any drive through food you could buy.

The Teriyaki sauce made by Kikkoman is the one I like the best (so far-have not tried everything) and it does not have anything weird or horrible in it.  There is no fat, a lower amount of sugar and sodium than other brands and no HFCS like some.  All in all not a bad bottled sauce at all. I usually am able to feed my family of 5 with using only half of the bottle but depends on how saucy you like it.  A warning, the sauce is slightly spicy so if serving to kids scoop out the Chik’n en without bringing along additional sauce and toss well to evenly coat rice but not overwhelm it to keep the heat down for their little mouths.

I usually like to make my brown rice the traditional way that takes the 40+ minutes but do keep the boil in a bag brown rice around for such a busy/lazy nights.  I know cooking in plastic is not a desired thing to do but again better than a drive through and it only takes 10 minutes!

Finally the vegan Chik’n is also a quick product since it is precooked and really only needs to be warmed and browned.  I cook mine until it is crispy and the pour the sauce on right at the last minute to keep it crispy.  There are many brands to choose from but Yves Meatless Chik’n Strips seems to be the lowest in fat and does not have too many things to stay away from but really any brand you like is great. If you follow Dr. McDougall this would fit into that plan if you chose the lowest fat Chik’n.  * The Yves will require 2 packages to make 4+ servings, the Morning star requires 1 package.

Teriyaki Chik’n
Serves: 4-5

Vegan Chik’n of your choice (*see above for amount)
1/2 jar Kikkoman Teriyaki Sauce
2 packages of boil in a bag brown rice

Spray a frying pan with a little bit of cooking spray and cook Chik’n strips at a medium heat until brown on all sides, turning often.

While Chik’n is cooking cook the rice according to package direction, should take 10 minutes.  Drain the water from the bag and pour onto serving plates.

Once the Chik’n is cooked through and evenly brown add desired amount of Teriyaki sauce and stir well to coat and heat but do not let sit for long or the Chik’n can become too soft.

Top the rice with the sauce covered Chik’n strips and ENJOY!

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Tags: Chinese food, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, Teriyaki Chicken, Vegan, Vegan Chik'n, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

The flavor of this sauce is OH sooo yummy!  My little ones will eat two servings of this easy.  This sauce would also go great on vegan chicken strips for orange chicken or just over some veggies and rice.

This can be a quick dish if you buy the quick cooking cook in a bag brown rice that cooks in just 10 minutes.

I enjoy pea pods with my orange tofu but add what ever you like best, red sweet bell peppers, sugar snap peas, mushrooms or anything else you can think of would probably go well with it.

Orange Tofu

Serves: 4-6

1 large tub of extra firm tofu
1/2 cup or more pea pods
4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon of dried onion flakes (or 2-3 green onions sliced)
2 Tablespoons water
1/3 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil (optional) or sesame seeds for the top to add flavor
A couple of dashes of ginger powder (or more to taste)
2 Tablespoon water
2 Tablespoons corn starch
4 servings Brown rice

Cook the brown rice according to the package directions.

While rice is cooking chop the tofu into bite size pieces and fry in a non stick pan with a very small spray of cooking spray.  Brown on all sides well.  Add the pea pods the last 5 minutes tossing often so they do not burn but warm up.

While Tofu & rice are cooking mix together in a medium pan the onions, water, orange juice, vinegar, soy sauce,  sugar and sesame seed oil & ginger powder if you are using them.  Cook over a medium heat.

Once the tofu and rice are almost done mix the corn starch and water together in a small bowl until well blended.  Pour into the sauce mixture and cook until it starts to thicken, stirring often so it does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

Just before serving pour the sauce over the browned tofu & peas and mix well.  Dish out the rice and serve the orange tofu over the top of it, add sesame seeds if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Chinese food, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Orange Tofu, Quick and easy, Quick meal, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan mofo 2010, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

The imitation chicken and cashews in this vegetable chow mein make it so delicious, filling  and satisfying that you won’t be hungry in 15 minutes like many Asian dishes tend to do.  I love Chinese food and could eat it several times a week but my family can only handle it once every couple of weeks so I always make extra  so I can have left overs.  YUM!

The brand of imitation chicken you chose can affect your fat intake so if you are trying to keep it lower fat you might want to go with Yves Meatless Chicken Strips.  For me buying that brand means a 30 minute drive to Whole Foods but I can buy the Morning Star Chicken Strips at my local Walmart which is 5 minutes away and they are much cheaper but do have a touch more fat too, you decide.

For those with gluten issues you can use wheat free soy sauce and omit the chow mein noodles and use fried tofu instead of the chicken for a gluten free meal.

Did You Know!?

• The natural oils in brown rice helps to lower cholesterol.
• If you or someone you love is a smoker, or if you are frequently exposed to secondhand smoke, then making vitamin A-rich foods, such as carrots, part of your healthy way of eating may save your life, suggests research conducted at Kansas State University.
• Click here to read more food facts

Chick’n & Cashew Chow Mein
Serves: 6 large portions

1 package imitation chick’n (approx 8 oz)
1/2 cup vegetable broth
4 large carrots, sliced into coins
4 celery stalks, chopped
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, sliced (I only use 1/2 can but if you don’t want to waste use it all)
1 8 oz can bamboo shoots (I only use 1/2 can but if you don’t want to waste use it all)
1/2 cup cashew, chopped to break them up a bit and seem like there is more
1 cup sugar snap pea pods
1 cup of vegetable broth
2-3 Tablespoons Braggs liquid amino
2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon or more powdered ginger
2 Tablespoons corn starch
2 cups brown rice, cooked according to directions

Optional (due to additional fat content):
Chow Mein noodles
or
Toasted sliced almonds

Cook rice according to package directions which should take approximately 45 minutes.

While rice is cooking heat a wok or large frying pan to medium heat and add the 1/2 cup vegetable broth and all the chopped vegetables except the pea pods and the cashews and steam until cooked through and most of the liquid is absorbed.

Once vegetables and rice have about 10 minutes left cook the chick’n in a frying pan with a small amount of cooking spray or a dry in a really good non stick skillet until browned and cooked through.

In a mixing bowl mix together the vegetable broth, braggs, soy sauce, ginger and corn starch.  Whisk until it is smooth and add to the cooked vegetables and stir until it starts to thicken.  Remove from heat and add the chick’n and cashews to coat with the sauce and mix with the vegetables.  You can add more soy sauce or ginger by the taste.

Pour approximately 1/2 cup of rice onto a plate and top with vegetable mixture and then top that with chow mein noodles or almonds and ENJOY!

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Tags: Chicken Chow Mein, Chinese food, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Step by step meal, Vegan, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

I have been putting this post off for a while, writing about making sushi was more intimidating than actually making them for some reason.  Today I just decided I would dive into it and get it out to you because these are so worth making yourself and saving the 7-12.00 they charge you for only 6 of them in the store or a restaurant.  These cost pennies compared to those places  and you get the satisfaction of knowing you did it yourself!

My teenage daughter is in LOVE with these.  She has me make extra so she can take it for lunch at school.  Imagine a teenager pulling out of her lunch box some chop sticks, a package of soy sauce, some wasabi sauce and opening a Tupperware with sushi in it.  Everyone thinks she is so eccentric and are always interested in what she will bring for lunch each day.

I have used many different stuffing’s for these like roasted red bell pepper, broccoli slaw from the bag (the kind with purple cabbage, broccoli and carrot slices), and the traditional vegetarian one with what is listed below.  I have also used different topping sprinkles such as poppy seeds or crushed flax seeds.  Get creative and use what you enjoy or looks nice to you.

Inside Out Vegan Sushi Roll
serves:3 rolls=to approximately 18 pieces

1 serving Botan or other sushi Rice
3-halved Nori seaweed sheets
3 tablespoons of sesame seeds
1 cucumber, de-seeded and thinly sliced length wise
1 carrot thinly shredded in long strips
1 avocado, cut length wise
1 small bowl of water (for fingers)
sushi mat (or you could just use plastic wrap along with strong fingers if you don’t have one)
plastic wrap
Dipping options:
soy sauce
wasabi
hot mustard

Cook rice according to the package directions and set aside with the lid on the pan.  You will have some rice left over to use for other dishes or you can half the rice serving.

While the rice is cooking wash, peel and de-seed the cucumber.  Slice length wise into long thin strips.  Wash, peel and either shred your carrot or thinly slice it into long strips.  Cut the avocado length wise and slice into long thin strips.  You can sprinkle the avocado with a little lemon juice to keep it from turning brown while you work.

Place plastic wrap over your sushi mat (mat lines should be horizontal in front of you) to keep rice from sticking to it.  Cut seaweed in half width wise and lay it shiny side down on the plastic.  Scoop approximately 1/4 cup of warm rice out of the covered pan (recover to keep the rice moist) and place in the middle of the seaweed.  Spread out to cover the sheet and keep it an even, thin layer.  You will need to dip your fingers in the bowl of water periodically to keep the rice from sticking to your fingers while you spread it out.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds.

Flip rice side over so the seaweed is facing up.  Place 1-2 long slices of cucumber on the seaweed closest to you and about 1/4 inch of the edge.  Add a small amount of carrot strands equal to the cucumber and a single layer of the avocado.

Carefully begin rolling, applying pressure as you go until it is a complete rolled up but being careful not to get the saran wrap into the roll.  Apply a little more pressure at the end to ensure it is tightly wrapped and then remove the saran wrap.  Using a sharp knife cut into 6 even pieces, wetting the knife from your bowl of water between cuts so it does not stick and tear the seaweed.

These can take a little bit of practice but are worth the work and once you get it you can whip them out pretty quickly.  Serve with your choice of soy sauce and wasabi.  ENJOY!

Here are some step by step pictures to help you see how to make it.  Use both hands when rolling the sushi, I was taking a picture with the other .

This post was for inside out sushi but I also made a regular sushi roll with the same ingredients but just put it all inside and I did not want to make another post for basicly the same thing.  Here is the beautiful picture of it.

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Tags: Chinese food, Gluten Free, Vegan, vegan recipe, vegan sushi, Vegetarian

This dish is a simple, delicious and nutritious stir fry that the whole family will love.  You can really alter the recipe to your families tastes by using rice noodles like I did, spaghetti noodles or rice as well as what ever veggie you like.  You can make it even quicker by using a bag of frozen vegetables of your choice if you are in a hurry.

Stir fry’s are a great way to get a serving or two of your vegetables for the day and with tofu you get a good helping of protein, calcium and the other goodies tofu has in it.  The sauce is a savory and rich covering for the stir fry and noodles that you can easily double if you like it extra thick and saucy.

Did You Know!?

• 1 head of Cabbage has 11 grams of protein!
• Garlic is shown to actually block cancer causing compounds from forming, and slow the growth of tumor cells.
• Generally, the softer the tofu, the lower the fat content.
• Click here to read more food facts

Tofu Stir Fry
serves 4-6

1 container of tofu- drained, pressed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 Tablespoons of soy sauce (use tamari if you are gluten free)
1/2 package of rice noodles (or 1/2 package spaghetti noodles or 2 cups of cooked rice)
1 onion chopped
2 chopped carrots
1/4 head of chopped cabbage
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 cup mung bean sprouts
Sauce:
1 cup soy sauce
1 Tablespoon agave nectar (or other sweetener)
1 teaspoon ground ginger (or more if you like it)
2-4 cloves of garlic minced
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
2 Tablespoons corn starch
3 Tablespoons water
Sesame seeds to garnish

Cook your noodles or rice according to the package.

Cook the cut tofu in a large skillet with some non fat cooking spray, turning until well browned.  Once browned toss in the pan with 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce then pour onto a plate and set aside.

In the same skillet you cooked the tofu in cook the onion, carrots and cabbage in a little bit of water until softened 5-10 minutes.  While they cook mix together all the sauce ingredients except the corn starch and water.  Add the sugar snap peas to the vegetables and cook about 5 more minutes and then toss with the sauce.  Mix the corn starch and water together.  Add the mung bean spouts and cornstarch mixture.  Stir until thickened and remove from heat.

Put your noodles or rice on a plate, top with tofu/vegetable mixture and garnish with sesame seeds if desired.  ENJOY!

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Tags: Chinese food, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Gluten Free, Healthy Meal, Quick and easy, Quick vegan, Vegan, vegan chinese cabbage salad, vegan recipe, Vegetarian

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer and Autumn Wheat cereal

Lunch:

Roasted Potatoes & a packaged imitation chicken cutlet (GROSS) then a half of a Super Sourdough Sandwich

Dinner:

Broccoli Almond Sweet and Sour Tofu

Daily Reflections:

Today I tried a vegan imitation chicken cutlet by Gardein and YUCK.  It had a slimy top, the texture was weird and my husband and kids hated it but the bigger thing is I hated it and I love a lot of things and am not picky.  I then went to the good old Super Sourdough Sandwich which is always tasty.  It got me through the afternoon easily and it was only a half with the potatoes on the side.

The Broccoli Almond Sweet and Sour Tofu I made for dinner was a new recipe that I got from the book Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday by Lauren Ulm .  It was as tasty as it is pretty.  As usual her stuff it beautiful and delectable!  I plan on adding more of her stuff to this website.  Everyone liked this dish wish is freakin amazing in this picky house.  The tofu was fried which I normally don’t liked to do because of the oil but I think I can make it with a little non fat spray to keep the oil low and calories down and it still would taste great.  I was super satisfied after this dinner and did not need a later snack.

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Tags: Breakfast, Chinese food, Daily Food Diary, Dinner, Easy Vegan, Vegan

This is a new recipe  from  Vegan Yum Yum: Decadent (But Doable) Animal-Free Recipes for Entertaining and Everyday by Lauren Ulm.  Her stuff is amazing!  As usual though I do try and lower the fat where I can.  I only filled the 1/4 of oil up half way and it worked well.  Another time I tried just a quick spray of cooking spray to greatly reduce the oil used but it was not at good as the oil but if you are on a low fat diet you would never know.

My entire family loved this dish and that is so rare since they are so darn picky.  My teen daughter wanted seconds and then was disappointed there was not enough for 3rds.  I would change one thing about it and not fry the tofu in oil but in non fat spray to lower the fat and calories but other than that is is amazing.  I doubled the recipe for my family of 4 and it was enough but I did cook a serving size of 6 for the rice and 3 heads of broccoli.  Adjust per your family size or leftover needs.

I did find it a very messy meal to make because the corn starch balls up on the tofu and comes out in clumps.  I tried it without the corn starch and it is definitely not as good so it is worth the hard work.  Everything else is very easy though.  FYI Tamari is a soy sauce made without using wheat but is you do not have a gluten sensitivity feel free to use regular soy sauce it will not change the taste.

Did You Know!?

• Tofu is also very low in sodium, making it a perfect food for people on sodium-restricted diets.
• The magnesium in Brown Rice has been shown to for reducing the severity of asthma, help to lower high blood pressure, reduce the frequency of migraine headaches, and reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke.
• Click here to read more food facts

Crispy Sweet and Sour Tofu
Serves Two

1 Tub Extra Firm Tofu, pressed
2 tsp Ener-g Egg Replacer + 4 tsp water, mixed
1/4 Cup Cornstarch
1/4 Cup Peanut or Canola Oil (I used half that amount-another time I used just a little cooking spray but oil works best)
Sesame Seeds for garnish

Sauce
3 1/2 Tbs Seasoned Rice Vinegar (you can eyeball the 1/2 Tbs)
1/4 Cup Water
2 Tbs + 2 tsp Sugar
1 Tbs Tamari
1 Tbs Ketchup
1 tsp Molasses
1/4 tsp Ginger Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/2 Tbs Cornstarch + 2 Tbs water

Brown rice cooked
Steamed broccoli

Slice the tofu into triangles or small cubes. Smaller = better for this recipe, since smaller pieces won’t have a tendency to break when you toss them, and they have a bigger surface area to volume ratio (read: they’ll be crispier).

Toss tofu with the egg replacer/water mixture until coated. Then toss in cornstarch until each piece is coated and dry, adding more cornstarch if needed.

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet or wok.

While oil is heating, mix sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch/water into a small sauce pan and whisk over medium heat until sugar and salt is dissolved. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until the sauce thickens. If you leave the sauce unattended now it will thicken and burn, so keep an eye on it. When thick, turn off heat and set aside.

Place tofu in the hot oil, being careful not to burn yourself. You don’t want the tofu to be crowded or the pieces will stick to each other, so fry it in batches if needed. Fry for 3-5 minutes until golden on the bottom, then gently turn and brown the other side.

Drain tofu from oil (in the sink like you’d drain pasta, being very careful), and place tofu in a large bowl. Pour sauce on top and gently toss to completely coat. Sauce should be thick and sticky – it shouldn’t pool at the bottom of the bowl.

Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately.  Serve over a bed of brown rice and steamed broccoli.

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Tags: Chinese food, Dinner, Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegan Yum Yum

Breakfast:

1 cup of Coffee with soy creamer, Green Pepper Hash browns and Almond Maple Bananas

Lunch:

Ramen Noodles and a PB&J bagel

Snack: mid-day

Orange

Dinner:

Chinese Cabbage Salad, Tofu Lettuce Wraps and Blueberry Muffins (I know weird mix)

Daily Reflections:

I caved to the ramen noodles again because of convenience (laziness) and yumminess (is that a word !).  That may have affected my craving for a weird dessert with my Chinese food.  I ended up eating like 4 muffins instead of saving them for part of breakfast or snack the next day.  I did get 2 servings of fruit in and all my servings of veggies for the day so not too horrible.

The almond and bananas with maple syrup is a great treat that I sometimes eat after dinners but had forgotten about it for a while.  I am having to rack my brain to get out of my comfortable 7-10 meals that we all seem to rotate in and out each week or so.  Really it is best to rotate our foods as much as we can so we don’t become sensitive or even allergic to them because of over-usage.  It can be difficult to do this when certain foods are easy to make or you have a super picky family like I do.  My 19 month old son and I are the only ones who really like almost all the foods we eat.  The rest are so sensitive to bitter or bland foods and have a very distinct set of tastes they like and they don’t divert from those much.

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Tags: Chinese food, Daily Food Diary, Potatoes, Quick and easy, vegan chinese cabbage salad