i forgot to tell you all that i used to be vegan years ago (or maybe i did mention it in passing), for a few years. we were vegan and vegetarian, off and on. it seemed like everytime i got pregnant i would switch my eating habits. so, just wanted to remember to mention that. this vegan thing does come pretty easily to me. and yet, at the same time, it is hard to jsut switch your diet, to take things out taht you have become accustomed to eating. we get so attached to our food. and it often takes some great health crisis to change people's eating habits for the better, at least that is what i have seen working with people in becoming invested in their health and well being.
so, anyway, today we are walking down to the farmer's market. my friend, Erin, is in town and she loves checking out the farmer's markets. last night after she got here we had a great vegan dinner. we stopped at the co-op and got some extra fixings to go with some of the pinto beans i had made earlier in the week. i always make a bunch of beans when i cook them. i mean, if you are going to soak them and cook them forever, you might as well get a few meals out of it. so, we had burritos. i roasted a poblano pepper, peeled it and sliced it up. we also had guacomole, lettuce from my farm box, fresh salsa, crisp geren peppers...all in a nice little wrap. it was soooo good. and we also had french 75's to drink. YUM. you shake cracked ice with a little sugar (1/2tsp) and fresh squeezed lemon juice (1oz) and gin (2oz), i like Plymouth gin. after you shake it all up, you strain it into a glass with more cracked ice and top it off with brut champagne. holy cow, they were so good. and vegan!
the kids have been doing great at vegan week. although lily was quite upset, um, ok rageful, about the chard and squash in our tofu scramble we had this morning. whatever, they're vegetables, get used to it kid, you need them to live. and levi, i loved this...he was at his friend's house the other night and when he came home he was telling us about the dinner they had and how the chicken apple sausages looked so good and that he really wanted one but didn't eat it. i was like, what? they wouldn't give you a sausage? and looked at me like i was crazy. Mom. sausages aren't vegan. i was so proud of him for sticking to his choice, even out in the world, even in the face of a delicious chicken sausage. but then last night he went with his friend Cole again and they went to a hotdog place in town and he looked at me and said...mom, can't i jsut take tongiht off from being vegan? :) i said it was up to him.
ok, so after the farmer's market...we need to head to the mac store. my computer died last night. jsut out of nowhere, white screen, and nothing will change. jsut a white screen, a clicking noise and a flashing file folder with a question mark on it. hmmm. this mercury in retrograde thing is really serious this time. wtf. we are really wroking to save money for this europe trip and it seems like everything is popping up that we have to spend money on...computer, car, etc.
OMG! i almsot forgot. i had the yard sale yesterday. and i made $180.00! not bad for a day's work. well, actually a month's work. hey, wait a minute, now my 180 doesn't sound like so much!
i hope this computer thing doesn't cramp my blog style...luckily Erin has her laptop so i could blog this morning.
and happy anniversary Jamie. xoxo
melissa
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Here We Go!
Good Morning! We are back from Chamonix and we had a great time! Here is a picture of how beautiful it is! We stayed in a great little apartment looking at the Mont Blanc mountain and it was great!
I write this as I have my first cup of coffee with no cream :) and so far so good. Today is my first vegan day ever and I am building up my motivation everyday. As Melissa reminded me it is a challenge and sometimes that can be fun! That is the piece of advice I am using so thanks Melissa! I am going to shop tomorrow so here is my weekly menu. I am going to try a few new recipes but mostly stick to thinks that I make often and that my kids will eat. I would like to try other new recipes..the site Melissa posted is great but I need to spend some time at the grocery store Monday looking to see what I can and can't get and then I will have a better idea of what to make. Here is the menu!
Monday-Vegetable with Quinoa saute with orange
Tuesday-Indian (have not totally figured this out but we are having company for dinner so I will use a mixture of veggies and chicken. I may use parts of Melissa's recipe but we do have a somewhat bigger ethnic section of the grocery so I will see...kids will not be eating with us tonight so a good night to try something new!)
Wednesday- Chicken Man! No not vegan or for me! Geneva has these carts set up all over the city on different days of the week with roasted chicken. Ian and I have a work function so the girls will have this and I will eat leftovers/salad etc.
Thursday- Stir fry with peanut sauce
Friday- Mexican and black bean casserole
Saturday- Rice and chickpea stuffed cabbage
Sunday-Middle Eastern veggie and couscous
Kinda looks ok? We will see! So my girls start school tomorrow...I am so nervous. I think I would be nervous for them anyway but it is just all so new and they both have a 100% FRENCH day tomorrow so no English at all from 8-4. That just seems exhausting. Off to clean the house and pack backpacks! What to eat for breakfast?
Happy Vegan Day!
xxoo-Dina
Monday-Vegetable with Quinoa saute with orange
Tuesday-Indian (have not totally figured this out but we are having company for dinner so I will use a mixture of veggies and chicken. I may use parts of Melissa's recipe but we do have a somewhat bigger ethnic section of the grocery so I will see...kids will not be eating with us tonight so a good night to try something new!)
Wednesday- Chicken Man! No not vegan or for me! Geneva has these carts set up all over the city on different days of the week with roasted chicken. Ian and I have a work function so the girls will have this and I will eat leftovers/salad etc.
Thursday- Stir fry with peanut sauce
Friday- Mexican and black bean casserole
Saturday- Rice and chickpea stuffed cabbage
Sunday-Middle Eastern veggie and couscous
Kinda looks ok? We will see! So my girls start school tomorrow...I am so nervous. I think I would be nervous for them anyway but it is just all so new and they both have a 100% FRENCH day tomorrow so no English at all from 8-4. That just seems exhausting. Off to clean the house and pack backpacks! What to eat for breakfast?
Happy Vegan Day!
xxoo-Dina
Thursday, September 2, 2010
how it all vegan...
(I couldn't resist, there are so many cookbook that use that kind of humor in their title....dumb)
so yesterday was day one of vegan living for the Baumgarts. yep, you heard me right, the whole gang is joining in. i asked them all if they wanted to be a part of it, and not just at home when i cook, but out in the world...and they said they wanted to try it for at least a week. i think jamie, my husband, is going to be vegan all month with me. i hope the kids choose to as well, after this first week.
when asked how the first day went, here are their answers:
Lily-"it didn't feel any different."
Levi-"it didn't feel any different."
Tallulah-"I don't like being vegan."
Jamie-"i thought it was great, soy creamer is kinda beat though. Indian food was killer, didn't even know it was vegan."
yesterday started with no coffee...and it wasn't too bad. i didn't have any soy milk and boo for black coffee, i just don't feel it. i found the recipes i wanted to cook by looking through some food magazines and searching online. Tastespotting is a great website that compiles recipes from millions of blogs. i go on and search, for example, pinto beans...since i had soaked some the night before and knew i wanted to used them in my dinner. i also searched vegan and got some good ideas, but i have to say, when i did the vegan search...most of the stuff is something i feel i can totally just do on my own. it was fun to find a recipe in Bon Appetit for the curry, because it was not in a vegan category, just a "hey, this is flipping delicious" category. so i picked my dishes to make and got a list together and off to the co-op i walked, i know, so hippy....so green.
the shopping trip was refreshing, and not just because of the triple soy latte i ordered. there were so many areas i didn't even have to look at...meat, cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt (cause let's face it, soy yogurt sucks.) i don't know why, because when i tried to explain to jamie last night he didn't get it, but as i turned the cart past the yogurt...i felt a sense of lightness and ease. maybe it wasn't the yogurt, i don't know. i doubt yogurt could have been the source of unease in my life before vegan month. and now back to the "walk to the co-op" part...it was hard to limit my shopping, and i had to carry 4 super heavy bags (yes, you guessed it, i brought my own canvas bags) home. luckily i live less than 10 blocks from the market, and it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be.
I got home around noon and was a mad cooking machine until 3pm when i had to go to work. where were my kids all this time you may be wondering? playing with the neighbors...one of the many things i love about apartment living. oh and maybe watching their new favorite cartoon, Avatar-the last airbender...not to be confused with the blue people avatar. anyway.
I made these two recipes:
Tbikha Kale with Pinto beans and Roasted Red peppers
( from 64 sq. ft. kitchen blog)
*this blog also lists recipes in French...just for you, Dina!
Recipe: Serves 4
- Two bunches of Tuscan Kale (or curly kale)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can pinto beans, drained
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (or whole depending on your taste)
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp cumin, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and finely diced
- The juice of 1/2 lemon
Wash the kale and remove the stems. Chop roughly and set aside.
Pour the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, cover and cook until translucent but not browned, stirring frequently. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, cumin, paprika and herbs and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped kale, cover and cook until wilted and the leaves turn bright green. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans, drained, and the roasted red pepper. Stir, cover and let cook for another 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse.
Serve in a plate drizzled with some good olive oil, the lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped coriander and green onion.
B'ssahatkoum (To your health!)
and this one from Bon Appetit magazine
Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce
This vegetarian entrée would also be delicious served with lamb or shrimp.
4 servings
PREP:1H
TOTAL:2H
Recipe by Quinn Hatfield, Hatfield's, Los Angeles, California
September 2010
Ingredients
Curry Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped and pounded with meat mallet to flatten slightly
1 1-inch piece unpeeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups fresh carrot juice
(*i added 1 can of coconut milk at the end)
Vegetables
1 1/2 pounds eggplants (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound assorted summer squash (such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound green beans, haricots verts, and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
4 ears of corn, husked
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 cups (packed) arugula
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
What to Drink; Pour a light red.
Test-Kitchen Tip
To release the most flavor from the lemongrass stalk, it's important to coarsely chop and flatten it.
Preparation
Curry Sauce
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, lemongrass, and ginger; sauté until slightly softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add apple and curry powder; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in carrot juice; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to generous 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through fine strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
(I didn't end up with 2 1/2 cups, so i added the coconut milk...and i just remembered i forgot the ginger!)
DO AHEAD Curry sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.
Vegetables
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place eggplant cubes in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and toss to coat; sprinkle with salt. Spread eggplant cubes in even layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Toss squash and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread squash in even layer on another large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash and eggplant are light golden and tender, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes for squash and 40 minutes for eggplant. Remove baking sheets with vegetables from oven and set aside.
Fill large bowl with water and ice. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on size of beans. Using tongs, transfer beans to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Maintain boiling water in same pot; add corn. Cook until corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain corn. Cool slightly. Cut kernels off corn cobs; discard cobs.
DO AHEAD Vegetables can be made 4 hours ahead. Combine all vegetables on large rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix garbanzo beans into vegetables; bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Combine hot vegetables and hot curry sauce in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in arugula and basil.
i made the dishes for some really dear friends that are going through a challenging time in life, and i saved some for my family too. luckily i didn't save too much for us, because the kids hated it. Tallulah even went as far as to call me at work to tell me she didn't like the dinner and her papa was making her eat it. seriously!? i was like...you called me at work to tell me this?...you better get off of this phone, girl!
i had quinoa and kale for dinner, but i have that a lot. no nothing different there.
hope you try one of the recipes...let me know if you do.
and now off to the storage unit. man, i am getting nervous about being ready for the yard sale.
xoxo melissa
so yesterday was day one of vegan living for the Baumgarts. yep, you heard me right, the whole gang is joining in. i asked them all if they wanted to be a part of it, and not just at home when i cook, but out in the world...and they said they wanted to try it for at least a week. i think jamie, my husband, is going to be vegan all month with me. i hope the kids choose to as well, after this first week.
when asked how the first day went, here are their answers:
Lily-"it didn't feel any different."
Levi-"it didn't feel any different."
Tallulah-"I don't like being vegan."
Jamie-"i thought it was great, soy creamer is kinda beat though. Indian food was killer, didn't even know it was vegan."
yesterday started with no coffee...and it wasn't too bad. i didn't have any soy milk and boo for black coffee, i just don't feel it. i found the recipes i wanted to cook by looking through some food magazines and searching online. Tastespotting is a great website that compiles recipes from millions of blogs. i go on and search, for example, pinto beans...since i had soaked some the night before and knew i wanted to used them in my dinner. i also searched vegan and got some good ideas, but i have to say, when i did the vegan search...most of the stuff is something i feel i can totally just do on my own. it was fun to find a recipe in Bon Appetit for the curry, because it was not in a vegan category, just a "hey, this is flipping delicious" category. so i picked my dishes to make and got a list together and off to the co-op i walked, i know, so hippy....so green.
the shopping trip was refreshing, and not just because of the triple soy latte i ordered. there were so many areas i didn't even have to look at...meat, cheese, eggs, milk, yogurt (cause let's face it, soy yogurt sucks.) i don't know why, because when i tried to explain to jamie last night he didn't get it, but as i turned the cart past the yogurt...i felt a sense of lightness and ease. maybe it wasn't the yogurt, i don't know. i doubt yogurt could have been the source of unease in my life before vegan month. and now back to the "walk to the co-op" part...it was hard to limit my shopping, and i had to carry 4 super heavy bags (yes, you guessed it, i brought my own canvas bags) home. luckily i live less than 10 blocks from the market, and it wasn't as bad as i thought it was going to be.
I got home around noon and was a mad cooking machine until 3pm when i had to go to work. where were my kids all this time you may be wondering? playing with the neighbors...one of the many things i love about apartment living. oh and maybe watching their new favorite cartoon, Avatar-the last airbender...not to be confused with the blue people avatar. anyway.
I made these two recipes:
Tbikha Kale with Pinto beans and Roasted Red peppers
( from 64 sq. ft. kitchen blog)
*this blog also lists recipes in French...just for you, Dina!
Recipe: Serves 4
- Two bunches of Tuscan Kale (or curly kale)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 can pinto beans, drained
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped (or whole depending on your taste)
- 1 cup parsley, finely chopped
- 1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp cumin, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and finely diced
- The juice of 1/2 lemon
Wash the kale and remove the stems. Chop roughly and set aside.
Pour the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the onions, cover and cook until translucent but not browned, stirring frequently. Add garlic, jalapeno pepper, cumin, paprika and herbs and cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the chopped kale, cover and cook until wilted and the leaves turn bright green. Season with salt and pepper. Add the beans, drained, and the roasted red pepper. Stir, cover and let cook for another 10 minutes for the flavors to infuse.
Serve in a plate drizzled with some good olive oil, the lemon juice and sprinkle with chopped coriander and green onion.
B'ssahatkoum (To your health!)
and this one from Bon Appetit magazine
Summer Vegetable Ragout with Exotic Curry Sauce
This vegetarian entrée would also be delicious served with lamb or shrimp.
4 servings
PREP:1H
TOTAL:2H
Recipe by Quinn Hatfield, Hatfield's, Los Angeles, California
September 2010
Ingredients
Curry Sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 small carrot, peeled, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, coarsely chopped and pounded with meat mallet to flatten slightly
1 1-inch piece unpeeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons curry powder (preferably Madras)
2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups fresh carrot juice
(*i added 1 can of coconut milk at the end)
Vegetables
1 1/2 pounds eggplants (about 2 medium), peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound assorted summer squash (such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, and pattypan), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pound green beans, haricots verts, and/or yellow wax beans, trimmed, cut into 2-inch lengths
4 ears of corn, husked
1 15- to 16-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
2 cups (packed) arugula
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
What to Drink; Pour a light red.
Test-Kitchen Tip
To release the most flavor from the lemongrass stalk, it's important to coarsely chop and flatten it.
Preparation
Curry Sauce
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, lemongrass, and ginger; sauté until slightly softened but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add apple and curry powder; sauté until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, then flour and stir 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually pour in carrot juice; bring to boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered until sauce is slightly thickened and reduced to generous 2 1/2 cups, about 20 minutes. Strain sauce through fine strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids in strainer. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
(I didn't end up with 2 1/2 cups, so i added the coconut milk...and i just remembered i forgot the ginger!)
DO AHEAD Curry sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover; chill. Rewarm before using.
Vegetables
Preheat oven to 400°F. Place eggplant cubes in large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons oil and toss to coat; sprinkle with salt. Spread eggplant cubes in even layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Toss squash and remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Spread squash in even layer on another large rimmed baking sheet. Roast until squash and eggplant are light golden and tender, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes for squash and 40 minutes for eggplant. Remove baking sheets with vegetables from oven and set aside.
Fill large bowl with water and ice. Cook beans in large pot of boiling salted water until just crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes, depending on size of beans. Using tongs, transfer beans to bowl of ice water to cool. Drain. Maintain boiling water in same pot; add corn. Cook until corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Drain corn. Cool slightly. Cut kernels off corn cobs; discard cobs.
DO AHEAD Vegetables can be made 4 hours ahead. Combine all vegetables on large rimmed baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix garbanzo beans into vegetables; bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.
Combine hot vegetables and hot curry sauce in large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in arugula and basil.
i made the dishes for some really dear friends that are going through a challenging time in life, and i saved some for my family too. luckily i didn't save too much for us, because the kids hated it. Tallulah even went as far as to call me at work to tell me she didn't like the dinner and her papa was making her eat it. seriously!? i was like...you called me at work to tell me this?...you better get off of this phone, girl!
i had quinoa and kale for dinner, but i have that a lot. no nothing different there.
hope you try one of the recipes...let me know if you do.
and now off to the storage unit. man, i am getting nervous about being ready for the yard sale.
xoxo melissa
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