Yummy Stuff I've Been Eating

My latest obsession

This one: steamed broccoli, chopped onion, chopped tomato, 2 Chao cheese slices minced

First things first. We need to talk about Somer's Early Retirement Quiche which Kittee posted on her blog, Cake Maker recently. I really, really hope Somer hasn't retired forever from sharing her vegan recipes with the world because she is like some sort of genie. Over the years I have made so many tofu quiches, and I liked most of them, but Mr. Vegan Eats & Treats has never liked a single one... much to my dismay. So, imagine my JOY when he declared his deep love for this quiche. Friends, I was SO STOKED.

I made the quiche "crustless" - mostly to cut back on calories and also because I guess I'm just not that into crust right now. Even with no crust, the outer edges of the quiche got browned and crispy and perfect in the oven, and the whole quiche is just incredible. I have already made it five times. 

Second iteration: julienned kale, grilled artichoke hearts, storebought Croatian pinjur, Chao cheese,

 chopped onion & tomatoes

Making this beauty is not for the faint of heart - it actually comes together really quickly - but it's a real workout for your blender, since there's not a lot of moisture in the batter. That said, give your little blendy a rest if necessary, but don't give up... because the end result is the best texture you've ever experienced in a tofu quiche.

I made this one on a Sunday and then enjoyed a slice for breakfast all week - so nice to have such a nutritious and tasty savory breakfast ready in a snap! I always wake up Ready To Eat, so having something ready to go is super helpful for me.

I'm tellin' ya. The yum factor here is super high.

 3rd Quiche: roasted yellow beets, julienned beet greens, artichoke hearts, chopped tomato, sauteed leeks, Chao cheese

Plus, you can just tweak it and tweak it and throw all sorts of stuff in there, and it's always delicious. As you can see, I've made all sorts of variations, and I'm just going to keep on making these. I probably won't force you to look at every single one ... but I might. I have another one in the oven right now. Perhaps I should change the name of my blog to Vegan Eats & Quiches?

Vegan Eats & Quiches - all quiche, all the timez

I also made Apple, Beet and Broccoli Slaw from Superfoods 24/7.  It's a fun recipe because it uses the stems from broccoli! I love this idea, but the recipe was just okay for me. I think our yellow beets were a little too bitter, which is probably just the luck of the draw. Maybe if I steamed them it would have been better. The turmeric is already a bit bitter, so I actually added a bit of sweetener to the dressing, which helped a lot. I still feel like it needed just one more secret ingredient to really make it sing. I'd like to make it again and continue to tweak it.  

Lower Fat Banana Bread from Veganomicon

Man, I have had banana bread on my mind for a long time now. Months, maybe? I had some blackened bananas in the freezer, just waiting to be put to use, and finally the moment was right. This recipe is one of my favorites, it's quick and easy and really reliable. I don't really like chocolate chips in my banana bread... even though I am a chocolate friend, I like banana bread plain and simple. So I used chopped walnuts in place of the chocolate chips called for in the recipe. So good. This happy loaf served us well, although its time with us was short. RIP banana bread, you are remembered with love and affection.

Amey & Banana Bread, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G! 

Masala Root Soup from Voluptuous Vegan

garnished with shredded coconut and fresh cilantro

served with Field Roast

I really love Voluptuous Vegan, and I feel like it doesn't get enough praise as a cookbook. I've made (and loved!) so many of the recipes in this book, and the pages are covered with notes like "We all loved this!" and "So good!," but this one just had "Sounds Good, Try This!" written on the top of the page. Ha ha. So, I did! Many of the recipes in Voluptuous Vegan are filled with complex flavors, but this one was much more simple - and not in a bad way! Sweet potatoes, carrots, onions and a bunch of Indian spices are all combined into slightly sweet, well-spiced soup. 

Back at Thanksgiving I had bought myself a small Celebration Roast from Field Roast, before deciding to make something homemade after all. So I got my little roast out of the freezer for this dinner, and it was such a perfect combo with this soup. Like a second Thanksgiving in the beginning of February! 

soup from a soup mix!

One of my yoga students gave me this soup mix for Christmas and I was happy to put it to use! I added extra onions, celery, carrots, and garlic - and otherwise I followed the recipe on the package...

... and the result was really yummy. The recipe called for Worchestershire sauce and I used the last dregs of my bottle of vegan worch... ( I dislike that word so much) -- Now I have a reason to make the homemade recipe in Vegan DIY that I've had my eye on! 

what kind of a jerk even comes up with such a complicated word?

I feel like I never say it right.

I almost never use things like soup mixes, but this made a big, yummy, and nutritious pot of soup with almost zero effort. I love that! I'm always trying to balance my eating schedule with my yoga practicing/teaching schedule - since I don't like to eat before I teach or practice. For the last few months, I often make dinner in the middle of the day on Thursdays, before class - then I stay after teaching and do my own practice. I get home around 9 or 9:30 pm, but I love coming home hungry to a dinner that is all ready to go! 

Puffy Chia Pancakes from Superfoods 24/7

I decided to surprise my bub with pancakes for breakfast! I loved how super puffy these pancakes got and I loved how the recipe made 12 totally legit pancakes. I enjoyed the chia seeds in there, but poor Mr. VE&T found this to be too unconventional for the world of pancakes. I understand, there are some comfort foods that are just meant to be comfort foods. None the less, I really liked these - especially with a bunch of almond butter and maple syrup! I'll make them again for myself when Mr. VE&T has other plans. ha ha. After making them, I noticed the batter had no sweetener in it, and I think next time I'll add a little bit of sweetener and maybe some vanilla extract too. 

I'll have to make amends and surprise him again with a batch of 100% mainstream pancakes. 

Hope you're all doing well! 

Superfoods 24/7: Book Review & Giveaway

 Superfoods Gang! 

When I think of "superfoods," I think of things like goji berries and lucuma powder, neither of which are staples in my kitchen. But, actually, it turns out that there are so many superfoods that are actually staples in my kitchen! Things like almonds, edamame, walnuts, oats, lentils, turmeric, blueberries, sweet potatoes... and the list goes on and on. When my friend Jess Nadel of Cupcakes and Kale asked me to be a part of the blog tour for her newest book Superfoods 24/7, I was stoked! I enjoy eating healthy and learning about foods that are full of yum-power and nutrition-power.

So, I set to work, super-charging my meals with all sorts of great recipes and ingredients. I was happy to find that many of the recipes called for ingredients that I had loitering in my pantry or my freezer... things like hemp seeds, chia seeds, amaranth, maca, and acai. These were all things that I bought on a whim (probably at Grocery Outlet, where I am unable to resist appealing deals on hippie products), and then didn't know what to do with. As you'll see, I put them all to excellent use!

The first thing I made was Coconut Kale Soup with Cashew Creme Fraiche. This soup is easy to make and has So Much Kale in it!!! It's also got a lot of peas in it, which is a great contribution to the flavor and the overall body of the soup. The recipe doesn't call for any specialty ingredients at all, and actually the flavor isn't particularly complicated... but with each bite, I became more and more enamored with this soup. Then we both went back for seconds. Then I had the leftovers for lunch the next day. Then I decided to make it again next week. So, I'd say that qualifies as a hit.

We had the soup with Turmeric-Roasted Cauliflower Steaks, which was a great combo! I make roasted cauliflower all the time. It's easily one of my favorite foods. But I usually just use a little oil, salt and pepper for seasoning. This was a big step up! We both loved the Indian flavors of turmeric and fresh ginger coating these giant cauliflower slices... and we also both gobbled them down immediately before even getting started on our soup. Honestly, for a less presentation-worthy affair, you could definitely use these same seasonings on every day florets and still have the same great taste sensations!

two important things of note: fresh turmeric is so beautiful, and also

look at my cute mug of cats playing on a swing

Back in VeganMoFo, I learned that drinking coffee or tea within 3 hours of an iron-rich meal will vastly inhibit your body's ability to absorb the iron. This is a bummer for me, because I really love coffee. I usually drink decaf, so that's not the issue. I just like the flavor a lot, and I like how it feels sorta substantial. I mean, herbal tea's o-k... but it's also kinda just a glass of hot water. So, ever since I learned that, I have been on the lookout for other nice toasty beverages. Especially after eating a giant bowl of kale soup -- I wanna maximize my nutrient intake, baby! So, I was excited to finally try something I've heard of before: Golden Turmeric Milk. I really loved this. It's made with almond milk, some great warming spices, and turmeric and ginger. Options are given to use fresh or dried turmeric, so I jumped on the opportunity to buy some beautiful fresh turmeric. I first found out about fresh turmeric when I was in India, and it still reminds me of that special time. I loved this toasty and satisfying drink, and I'll definitely make it again!

I'm always looking for new breakfast ideas. I love to have the same thing for breakfast for a few days and then move along to the next thing. A while back I got some 100% acai packets (at Grocery Outlet, of course), and they've been siting in my freezer ever since. So, when I saw the recipe for Acai Smoothie Bowl with Superfood Toppings, I knew this was my moment! I almost never buy things like bananas or canned pineapple, so they feel like special treats to me! I know that sounds crazy, but we have great local fruit year-round at the farmers markets here, so I mostly stick to that. As a result, buying bananas and pineapple for my acai bowl made me feel like I was treating myself to something super special.

i am a cheap date

I had fun choosing superfood toppings from my pantry, and went with hemp seeds, almond butter, crumbled pecans, and rice krispies. I'm sure that rice krispies are not a super food, but I just had a few left and they were actually a nice textural addition! I have 3 more acai packets left in my freezer and now I am so excited to eat 3 more Acai Smoothie Bowls! This breakfast was different, delicious, fruity, and filling.

In honor of Jess' Canadianness, I used my Canadian Maple Sugar & Cranberries to sweeten my oats!

I also made the Blueberry Chia Overnight Oats. The recipe called for fresh blueberries, but it's wintertime, and I had a big bag of blueberries that I bought in the summer and had frozen for later. So, I used frozen. Overnight oats are so easy and delicious! It's been cold and rainy here, so when I was ready for breakfast, I just microwaved that biz and had a delicious, hot bowl of oatmeal in no-time flat. That left me plenty of time to drink my coffee and do the crossword puzzle before leaving to teach!

 so delicious and so quick to make!!

A few nights ago I made the Hemp-Crusted Tofu with Garlic-Chili Collards, and we both loved this dinner!! So easy to prepare and so delicious!! Back at VidaVeganCon, I answered a trivia question correctly (yay!), and my prize was two big bags of really nice quality hemp seeds. But I didn't know what to do with them. Look no further! I loved the seasoned coating on these tofus so much that I saved the leftover stuff to use it for another batch. These came together quickly and with very little effort, and then the garlicky, spicy collards were a super combo together with the flavors of the tofu. As you can see, I roasted up the leftover florets from our cauliflower steaks to have with dinner too. This whole dinner was quick, super nutritious, super delicious, and felt very emotionally satisfying (like "a complete meal.") Will make again, for sure!

excellent array of colors, flavors & textures in this salad!

Finally, I also made the Vietnamese Brussels Sprouts and Noodle Salad -- another big hit! Mr VE&T insisted on calling this "Viet-Nom-Nom," if that gives you any idea of how much he loved it. I did a couple extra things to the recipe: I doubled the amount of Brussels Sprouts (!), and I also roasted them a bit first... mostly because I thought of it and then I had to do it. This salad came together in a flash and was an excellent light dinner. We had it on a day when we had gone up to San Francisco for a huge fancy vegan brunch, so a light dinner full of veggies was absolutely perfect. On another day I might add in some pan-fried tofu cubes for a little extra protein blast.

Happily, I am able to share this recipe with you! I hope you enjoy it!

VIETNAMESE BRUSSELS SPROUT and NOODLE SALAD

This fresh and crunchy salad is bound to fill you up and brighten your day, with Vitamin C-rich Brussels sprouts and lively flavors from heaps of fresh herbs.

Serves 6, gluten-free 

Prep: 15 mins | Cook: 5 mins

 2 cups (180 g) Brussels sprouts
 3 cups (300 g) beansprouts
 1 large carrot, julienned
 1 cup (20 g) Thai basil (I had to resort to regular basil, since it was all I could find)
 1 cup (20 g) fresh cilantro leaves
 1/3 cup (8 g) fresh mint leaves
 ½ cup (70 g) dry roasted peanuts, chopped
 4 oz (100 g) rice vermicelli noodles
 3 tablespoons lime juice
 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari or light soy sauce
 2 teaspoons water
 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
 1 teaspoon unrefined cane sugar
 1 small Thai chili, minced or ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)

1. Peel away and discard the outer leaves of the Brussels sprouts. Rinse the sprouts well and pat dry. Slice each one in half, then, cut-side down, slice into thin ribbons. Transfer to a bowl and add the beansprouts and carrot. 

2. Roughly chop the fresh herbs and add these to the bowl, along with the peanuts.

3. Prepare the rice noodles according to package directions. If they are long, cut them in half to make tossing and serving the salad easier. Add to the salad bowl.  

4. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients together, toss through the salad and serve.  

Calories (per serving): 178
Protein: 8.5 g
Total fat: 6.4 g
Saturated fat: 0.9 g
Carbohydrates: 24 g
Dietary fiber: 3.1 g
Sugars: 2.7 g
Vitamins: A, C

Credit line: Recipe from Superfoods 24/7: More than 100 Easy and Inspired Recipes to Enjoy the 

World’s Most Nutritious Foods at Every Meal, Every Day © Quantum Publishing, 2015. Reprinted by permission of the publisher, The Experiment. Available wherever books are sold. theexperimentpublishing.com

Overall thoughts

As you can see, we've eaten really well from this lovely book! Superfoods 24/7 is also really beautiful (with gorgeous color photos by Jackie Sobon), an attractive and easily-readable layout, and a few nice features that I really appreciate: each recipe includes the volume and weight for the listed ingredients (I love this!!), very clear instructions with no surprises, and there is also a nutritional profile provided for each recipe.

I have several more recipes marked to try soon, including:

Coconut Milk Amaranth Rice Pudding     ~     Apple, Beet & Broccoli Slaw

Sweet Potato Mac & Cheese     ~     Tempeh Brassica Bibimbap

Gnocchi with Roasted Garlic & Kale Puree'     ~     Almond Tahini Truffles

Crispy Amaranth Coated Edamame     ~     and more!!

The recipes aren't oil-free, salt-free, or sugar-free, but they are quite healthy and are just about at the end of my healthy-eating spectrum. I'm happy to have a book full of healthy-oriented recipes that are also so delicious and satisfying to eat. I still haven't ever tried lucuma or matcha... but I'll have to work on that (and look for deals at Grocery Outlet!). There are definitely some recipes in the book waiting for me when I'm ready!

zipping through the skies, fueled with superfoods! 

Happy News! Superfoods 24/7 Giveaway

In addition to sending me a review copy, the publishers of this book have allowed me to offer a copy to one lucky reader (U.S. and Canada only). To enter, please leave a comment on this post and tell me about your favorite superfood, a food that makes you feel really super, or your favorite super hero. I'll pick a winner in one week. p.s. Just in case you were wondering, I always use the random number generator to select a winner!