Kiwi-Cucumber Cooler

Well it's day 15 of my juice fast/cleanse and I'm doing great!  I get a little hungry now and then but for the most part I feel really good.  I have a lot of energy, I've lost 10 pounds and believe it or not the whites of my eyes are brighter!  Which scares me a little bit...was there something wrong with my liver before I went on this fast?  Anyway, at least I'm going in the right direction.

I don't know how long I will remain on this--I just take it day by day but most likely I'll stay on this course for 30 days.  To keep the weight loss from slipping any further I've added more smoothies to my diet.  I drink a high protein smoothie every day now instead of every other day.  And I've also added a savory vegetable broth as well.  Some times I want something hot and soothing, especially since we've had a lot of rain lately.

Also, I try and change up my juices everyday, but I always include a "green juice" of some sort and alternate certain juices if they have higher sugar content such as beet and carrot, or sweet potato and orange.  I also keep track of the amount of sugar/carbs, protein and fiber in an app on my iphone.  It helps me track if I'm using too much fruit in my juices and smoothies.  But for the most part, I follow the 3:1 ratio of veggies:fruit.  However, if I have four juices a day, then the fruit can add up and so I always drink a pure vegetable juice as one of my juices.

Kiwi-Cucumber Cooler 

3 or 4 kiwi ripe kiwi depending on size
1 cucumber
1/4-1/2 bunch spinach
5 sprigs of mint
1/4-1/2 small lime (I wanted to use Key limes but the store didn't have any)
1/4 cup coconut water

I like peeling the kiwi because it keeps the juice vibrant green but you can juice the skin.  Once all the ingredients are juiced, I stir in the coconut water.  If you want it thicker you can blend in fresh coconut meat or an avocado.  This will also be a great refreshing summer drink served over ice pool side!

Enjoy!

My Juice Cleanse...Day Eight and Counting!

For the past eight days I have been on a Juice Cleanse.  Normally, I wouldn't do something so drastic...it's not like eat a bad diet or need to loose weight but I just haven't been feeling well--very fatigued.  So I went to see my doctor and she did the standard blood work-up and referred me to a nutritionist.  I've never had any interest to see a nutritionist, but I thought it can't hurt and I was curious.  Well, it was basically a waste of an hour and $320 dollars, which thankfully was covered under my insurance, but still.  The first thing she asked me is where I get my protein from since I am vegan...seriously?  She then recommended a diet of 1800-2200 calories per day, based on my activity level and that I should consume 75 grams of protein per day!!!  I almost laughed.  This is so old school.  Seventy-five grams of protein per day would put a strain on my liver.  I believe that my protein should fall in the range of 10-20% of calories consumed.  Anyway, she gave me a booklet with food groups for managing diabetes and I was on my merry way.  Again, diabetes??? my glucose level is 81! 

 

So here I am on day eight of my juice fast.  Why, I'm not sure but I do feel better.  Don't get me wrong, this is not a walk in the park.  Some days I feel great, full of energy and not even hungry and other days I'm sluggish and starved.  I basically drink three 16-20 juices per day and since I don't need to lose weight, every other day I blend up a fiber-protein packed smoothie, full of calories, but low on the sugar.  However, I still have lost about five pounds, perhaps more.  I also drink herbal tea and a liver cleansing turmeric-ginger-lemon concoction in the evening.  I'm not certain how long I plan to stay on this, but for now it's working for me!

Farmer's Market Run

Below are some of my favorite juices I have been making:  Beet Blast, Creamy Greens and Sicilian Screamer.  Not certain why I give them names, but it's more interesting than red, green and orange juice drinks...:-)!  Each recipe makes 16-24 ounces of juice depending on the size of your veggies.  During the work week I usually juice everything at once and seal the juices tightly in mason jars to prevent oxidation.  This way, I can take them to work without losing nutrients and having them oxidize.  By the way, juicing is not cheap.  Everything I purchase is organic and I spend about the equivalent of $20 per day or more on my juices.  This does not include my normal grocery list for items that I purchase for my husband's breakfast and dinner.

Beet Blast

Beet Blast
1 small-medium beet
1 green apple
1 small-medium cucumber
2 carrots
1/4 inch slice of lemon
1 inch piece of ginger

Creamy Greens

Creamy Greens (My favorite--I could drink this all day!  You juice first and then pour it into a blender and then blend in the avocado...just delicious!)
1/4 or 1/2 fennel bulb depending on size
1 small green apple
1 green ripe pear
1 small-medium cucumber
1 stalk celery
1/2 bunch spinach
1/4 inch slice of lemon
1/4 avocado

Sicilian Screamer

Sicilian Screamer (This is another personal favorite.  Add a couple dashes of your favorite hot sauce, cayenne pepper or a seeded red fresno chili for the heat to taste.)
3 large or five small-medium ripe tomatoes
2 or three carrots depending on size
1/2 red bell pepper
1 small to medium cucumber
1 stalk celery
4 sprigs parsley
1/4 inch slice of lemon
Hot sauce to taste

If you're interested stay tuned...more of my favorite juice recipes to follow...Sweet Potato-Cantaloupe-Orange-Carrot-Turmeric, and also a Fennel-Grapefruit-Apple-Spinach, basically, one of my favorite salads in a glass!  To your health!

Big Game Day Salsa

Nothing is better than homemade salsa...well...except homemade guacamole!  I just can't bring myself to purchase store bought salsa unless it is made fresh daily.  Making salsa is so easy and there is no recipe.  Some people like a chunky salsa such as pico de gallo, or a charred smokey salsa, but I have always preferred a simple blended salsa without a lot of chunks.

It all starts with the best tomatoes you can find because this is the base.  In the summer I use juicy heirloom tomatoes, but in winter the next best option is canned San Marzano Crushed Tomatoes.  From there you can build on flavor with finely minced white onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro.  And finish with freshly squeezed lime juice and sea salt.  

So simple, so yummy...and good for you too!  Enjoy the game and the food tomorrow...go Denver...Omaha!!!

 

Mexican Yuba Omelet

I love using yuba (tofu skins) because it is so versatile.  It's great for wrapping/stuffing, stir-fry's and soups.  You can purchase yuba at an Asian market, but I get mine freshly made at my local Sogo Tofu shop.  This yuba omelet tasted like the real deal because I also added shredded firm tofu, mixed with turmeric and black salt found at my local Indian market.  Black salt is an Indian spice that tastes like sulfur and imparts an "egg-like" flavor.  It is "rose" in color instead of black and a little goes a long way because it is very salty!   

For the enchilada sauce, you can purchase store bought or make your own using my recipe.  I cut the recipe in half for this dish, but if you want to make the full batch, you can store it in the fridge for a couple of weeks and use it for another meal.  For my avocado emulsion I used:  1/2 large avocado, 1 cup water, 2 tbsp vegan sour cream, a handful of cilantro leaves, the juice from a 1/2 lemon or lime, and salt and pepper to taste--then blended until creamy.

 

And now for the filling...the best part!  I used everything that I love in an omelet or burrito.  I pan roasted baby fingerling potatoes, and sauteed red bell pepper, onion and garlic.  I also sauteed one link of Artisan Tofurky Andouille Sausages (had this in my fridge and wanted to use it up), but sauteed cremini mushrooms would of been my first choice.  I then added fresh spinach, salt and pepper to the mix and cooked until just wilted.

To assemble, I unwrapped the tofu skin.  Depending on the size you may need to cut the tofu skin, but since they are rather thin I like to leave them big so that when I stuff, roll and wrap, I get double the coverage.  I placed a layer of shredded Daiya Havarti Style Wedge on the bottom, followed by shredded tofu mixed with turmeric and black salt, followed by the potato/veggie mixture, topped with more cheese and wrapped it up like a burrito.  I then added a little olive oil to a saute pan and browned on both sides before placing in a 350 degree oven for about 5 minutes just to make sure that it heated all the way through and golden brown.

Remove from the oven and top with enchilada sauce, avocado emulsion, cilantro and finely sliced green onion.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner...I could eat these every day stuffed with a different combination of ingredients and sauces!  For my next one I'm going to stuff with a stir-fry mixture of fresh veggies, grilled teriyaki tofu and serve with Asian dipping sauces!  YUM!      

Roasted Wild Mushroom Pizza Blanco

I never got my oven fixed last week but when I turned it on the other night it worked perfectly.  I'm sure eventually I'll need to call in the repair guy, or get a new one, but until then it's nice not having to spend the $100 plus!  I'd rather spend the money on quality ingredients to make delicious food!

For this pizza I used a gluten free cornmeal crust.  I really didn't like the crust that much...it was chewy and didn't brown properly and I much prefer an extra-thin crispy crust for my pizza.  I do like using gluten free pizza crusts, but this was not one of them.  However, the toppings were amazing! Here's what I did:

  
I pan roasted both cremini and oyster mushrooms in olive oil, fresh thyme and salt and pepper until lightly golden brown.  While the mushrooms were roasting, I caramelized sliced red onions in olive oil and set aside.  I then sliced baby creamer potatoes about 1/8" thick and sauteed them in olive oil until golden brown.  

To assemble the pizza, I brushed the dough with extra virgin olive oil and then spooned about 1/3 cup of my homemade creamy pasta alfredo sauce on the bottom.  I topped the sauce with one cup of shredded Daiya Harvarti Style Cheese Wedge, followed by the roasted mushrooms and then the onions.  After baking the pizza I topped it with fresh arugula tossed in a little evoo, s&p, and finished with a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

If you make the alfredo sauce the day before and purchase a pre-made pizza crust, then this is an easy Friday night dinner after a long week at work!  And it was delicious!  Now I've got to figure out what I'm making for tonight...stay tuned...will post this weekend! 

Happy Friday! 

Beet Sliders with Dill Aioli and Crispy Onion Strings

I have made vegan burgers with just about every ingredient combination you can imagine (beans, mushrooms, rice, lentils, tempeh, TSP, nuts/seeds, gluten, etc.) and the texture is always off.  They are very flavorful but they tend to be either mushy, gummy, crumbly, or dry and so when I saw these Beet Sliders featured on Diner's, Drive-In's and Dives the other day, I knew that I had to make them for the 49ers vs. Seahawks game yesterday.  (Just a side note--bummed that the 9ers lost...:-(, but go Denver--I like Payton Manning--he's a classy guy!)  Did you happen to notice that my sliders are the same colors as the 49ers uniforms...:-)!

Anyway, back to the sliders.  I served these with two sauces:  a Dill-Green Goddess Aioli and a Tarragon-Spicy Mustard Aioli.  The dill aioli was the favorite, but the tarragon-mustard was a close second--such a classic combination.  To make the aioli dressings I used 1/2 cup Vegenaise and a 1/4 cup sour cream in each bowl.  I then added finely minced dill, green onion and parsley to one bowl, and finely minced tarragon and spicy brown mustard to the other bowl.  I added fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper to each and whisked until smooth.

For the sliders, I purchased beets that were about 3" in diameter, all about the same size and I poached them in a liquid made up of:  water, diced onion, carrots, celery, garlic cloves, fresh dill, fresh thyme, bay leaf, coriander seed, caraway seed, black peppercorns, and salt.  I simmered them for about 1-1/2 hours until tender, let them cool, peeled them and with a 2-1/2" cookie cutter cut them the same size 1/4" thick.  Before serving, I seared them in olive oil, salt and pepper, which gave them a great texture.

The most difficult part about these sliders was locating the perfect size and textured bun.  I went to Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Safeway and Lucky's and I purchased three different bags of buns, which are now taking up my freezer.  I wanted them the exact size of my beets, but I didn't want the bread to be too dense.  It all worked out and the beet to bun ratio was perfect! 

Finally, I shaved red onion very thin on a mandolin and topped each slider with onion, arugula and aioli of choice.  I was thinking about serving them with fries but went with the crispy onion stings.  I used one large sweet Maui onion (serves 2-3 people), shaved thinly on a mandolin and set up a dredging station (wet:  2 cups almond milk with 1/4 cup hot sauce, dry:  2 cups flour, 1/4 cup cornstarch, salt and pepper).  Using a candy thermometer, I heated 1 qt canola oil to 380 degrees and deep fried the onion strings until golden brown, drained on paper towels and sprinkled with sea salt!

These were so yummy and so easy to make that I will probably never go back to making burgers the other way!    

    

Bucatini Pasta Alfredo

I bet you think that all I eat is pasta...not true, but my oven broke yesterday and so the dinner I had planned did not happen.  Luckily I was able to raid my pantry and throw something together quickly.  My oven is circa 1980 and I'm debating about getting a new one or perhaps calling the repairman.  In the 25 years that I've lived in the house, I've only had to replace the bottom coil--not a bad deal.  I'm not certain if today's ovens last this long...but I'm guessing not.  Anyway, if I wait another 10 years my oven could be vintage and then I'll regret getting rid of it!  Will anything in the 1980's become vintage or were the 80's a bad decade for everything? 

I use this alfredo sauce as a base for a lot of dishes:  Strognoff, Lasagna, Pizza, Mac and Cheese, Dips and it is so easy to make.  I didn't use all of my sauce for the pasta and so on Friday I plan to make a roasted fingerling, wild mushroom, broccoli rabe, and caramelized onion, blanco pizza.  I'll post about it on Saturday once I get my oven fixed!

Bucatini pasta is my favorite pasta.  I love the texture and that it has a small hole in the center and holds a little bit of sauce.  I used standard 12" noodles, but you can buy noodles 18-24" in length!  Fun to eat, but oh so messy.

Ingredients:

1 lb Bucatini or linguini pasta
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp fresh fresh thyme, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4-1 lb oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup white wine
Alfredo sauce (see recipe below)
Arugula, spinach or broccoli rabe
Walnut "Parmesan" Cheese (optional)
Fresh lemon juice

Alfredo Sauce:

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 large head garlic, roasted, cooled, flesh removed
1 small yellow onion, sliced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, minced
1/2 cup raw cashews, 1 cup water blended with high-speed blender until smooth
Pinch nutmeg
1 container Daiya Havarti Style Wedge, shredded (about 1-1/2 cups)
Salt and pepper to taste 

Method:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and roast garlic in foil for about an hour until soft
• While garlic is roasting soak cashews and cook onions with thyme until soft
• Add everything to a blender and blend on high until smooth and creamy
• Season with salt and pepper 
• Cook pasta, and drain reserving some pasta liquid and set aside
• In a large saute pan cook mushrooms until golden brown, adding garlic and thyme during cooking
• Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine and reduce
• Add pasta, alfredo sauce (you will not need all the sauce because it is very rich) and some pasta water
• Season with salt, pepper and add arugula just to wilt
• Finish with fresh lemon juice and walnut Parmesan cheese.