GO GOOD FOOD!!

When people find out that I'm not eating animals or their secretions, and really restricting my gluten intake, I'm often asked "well, what DO you eat?? What's left?!?!?"

The answer is...A LOT!! A lot of healthy, whole, GOOD FOOD. I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, and tofu and tempeh.

I've been trying to limit processed/packaged foods, eating foods as close to their unprocessed, natural state as possible, so I don't have an extensive list of brand-name items. This goes for meat and dairy alternatives, too - for the most part I don't miss animal flesh or secretions, so I don't feel the need for an alternative for them. (In fact, I recently tried Gardein "chicken" cutlets, and they were so much like chicken in terms of look and texture that it kinda grossed me out! They did NOT have that meaty flavor, though, so that was good, but I don't see the need to eat them frequently.) You need to check the labels of any substitute or alternative item, because many items on the market are vegetarian, but NOT vegan - they use milk or eggs as a binder. (For instance, most of the Boca and Gardenburger products are NOT vegan!) I do like Yves brand Meatless Ground Round, and their Zesty Italian Brats. Most of these products are made from seitan, which is pretty much ALL gluten, so I limit them for that reason, besides that they're a processed food.

One meat sub that I like and that does NOT contain gluten or carageenan (which I discuss more later) is SoyRizo. It's available at my local Safeway, as well as Sprouts and Whole Foods. I LOVE THIS STUFF. It really reminds me of chorizo and has an awesome smoky, spicy flavor and great texture.

The general "I don't substitute" rule goes for cheese, too. I've found that for the most part I don't need or want the cheese, and when I just do without I don't even notice. That said there are some times when you just need or want the cheesey taste! (i.e. quesadillas or baked ziti) Read your labels carefully before you buy - Veggie Shreds and Veggie Slices, which are available in my grocery store, contain casein, the (addictive, stomach-upsetting) milk protein. Besides those, I've only tried the Follow Your Heart Brand, and I really liked it. It melted better than I expected, and had good flavor. I wasn't a fan of the texture of the unmelted cheese, though, so I'll only use it for melty applications! I've found Follow Your Heart cheeses at Sprouts and Whole Foods.

Also, many dairy substitutes include an ingredient called carrageenan, which thickens/jells/holds together dairy alternatives, and the jury is still out as to its safety. You can do the online research about it yourself, but to be safe I just limit my use. (In fact, I've only bought two blocks of vegan cheese since becoming vegan almost 3 months ago - one cheddar and one mozzarella - and I plan to keep my usage at about that level.) Again, check your labels before you buy - I've found it in Silk soy milk and some varieties of Almond Breeze almond milk.

As for butter...I now mostly use olive oil. It's healthier and tastes good. But sometimes you don't want that olivey taste. Enter Earth Balance (available at Sprouts and Whole Foods) - vegan margarine. It's non-hydrogenated, And it tastes GOOD. If you can't get to a health foods store, there's also Smart Balance LIGHT - NOT the regular Smart Balance, which contains whey - which is also vegan and available at the supermarket.

FOODS AND MEALS
Ok, so enough chit-chat...what do I actually eat? Keep in mind that this is not AT ALL an exhaustive list, just what came to mind as I was typing!

Breakfast:

• steel cut oats toasted in some Earth Balance, and cooked with water and almond or rice milk, topped with chopped nuts and dried fruit (I love walnuts and blueberries or almonds and cranberries)
• fruit - my current fave is to slice a banana into a bowl and add dried cranberries (10g) and unsalted pumpkin seeds (15g). The seeds and berries stick to the banana, and I eat it with a fork. (For "point"-counters, this is 5 points.)
  
• smoothies - my fave is 1 banana, 5 frozen strawberries, 10 frozen blackberries, about 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 1/2 cup orange juice, 90g silken tofu, and 1 tsp. flaxseed oil, all blended up. You absolutely CANNOT taste the tofu or oil, but they add some awesome nutrition! (For "point"-counters, this whole recipe is 6 points, so perfect for a meal, but not as a casual snack!)
• in a pinch, I'll grab a Larabar - I love these bars, which are vegan, gluten-free, and made from all whole foods. (I also usually keep one in my purse in case I find myself hungry in a hostile eating environment!)
  

Lunch/Dinner:

My biggest recommendation for someone wanting to eat the way I do is to get a couple of good vegan cookbooks - why reinvent the wheel when there are some very talented chefs out there sharing their knowledge and experience?!? I'm not going to post their recipes because I don't want to violate anyone's copyright, but here are some of my favorite books and my favorite recipes (so far!) from each:

• The Cancer Survivor's Guide: Foods that Help You Fight Back! - this is more than a cookbook...it also includes the science behind how a plant-based diet prevents and helps fight cancer. It's available FREE (or for a voluntary donation) HERE.
  
• Skinny Bitch in the Kitch - Eggplant Parmesan
  
• Clean Food - an awesome book, organized by season. Tons of easy yet nice recipes. I love the Quinoa with Sweet Corn, Autumn Harvest Soup, Baked Maple Mustard Tempeh, and Sinful Stuffed Dates.
  
• The Conscious Cook - this is veganism for foodies - we're talking fancy!...and delicious. Tons look good, but I've only tried the Asparagus and Meyer Lemon Risotto, the filling from the ravioli, and Pine Nut and Basil Crusted Gardien.
  
• The Kind Diet
• Veganomicon
  

But there are PLENTY of things you don't really NEED a recipe for, such as:

• baked sweet potatoes
• salads - any combination of veggies, beans, nuts, seeds, and even grains!
• stir-frys - I like to use a frozen stir-fry veggie mix for convenience, and add tofu or tempeh, and serve over brown rice
• brown rice topped with black beans, thawed frozen corn, and salsa - super easy and delicious, and easy to heat up for a quick lunch!
• tacos! Fill 2 hard taco shells with vegetarian refried beans (my fave is Rosarito's chile lime!) and either a faux-ground meat or make "mushroom meat"! I used 1/2 of a container of sliced portobello mushrooms, chopped them up, and sauteed them in 1 tbsp vegan butter (Earth Balance or Smart Balance Light) and garlic, then I added taco seasoning, just like I would do with ground cow flesh. It was delish! Then I added guacamole, salsa, lettuce, and tomato. I thought about splurging and adding veggie cheeze, but I didn't, and I didn't miss it AT ALL.
  

Snacks:

• tortilla chips with salsa or guacamole
• popcorn - make sure that there's no butter...my favorite microwave popcorn is Orville Redenbachers' Naturals Simply Salted and Simply Salted 50% less fat. I thought "Naturals" popcorn would taste like stale cardboard, but it is REALLY good - even Travis loves it!
  
• fruit, fresh or dried - my current faves are apples and grapefruit
  
• raw veggies dipped in hummus, Italian dressing, or vegan ranch dip
• edamame
  
• kale "chips" - Preheat oven to 350 F. Wash one bunch of kale and tear or cut the leaves into pieces, removing the thick center stem. Place in a bowl and toss with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Lay out leaves in a single layer on a baking sheet, sprinkle with sea salt (or your seasoning of choice), and bake for 12-15 minutes, depending on your oven. They're done when they start to get a little brown and look dry. I had to toss and bake in two batches, so I just used 1/2 Tbsp at a time. I know this sounds funky, but these are amazing - even Travis liked them! He said they tasted like pumpkin seeds.
• nuts - I'm currently in love with pistachios...25 of them are only 2 points!

MY RECIPES
Here are some of MY OWN made-up recipes - as with any recipe, feel free to adapt it to what you have on hand or to suit your preferences. Please let me know if you try them and like them!

"If Potato Leek Soup and Corn Chowder Got Married and Had a Baby, THIS Would be it" Soup

1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
2 medium uncooked red potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium leek, halved, then sliced and washed (I put the cut pieces in a colander and rinse well to make sure there is no sand/dirt hiding!)
1/4 cup (2 fl oz) mirin
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 can cream-style yellow corn
3 cup(s) frozen corn kernels
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 cups Almond Breeze plain unsweetened almond milk (or soy or rice milk)
1 cup(s) vegetable broth

Heat oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute about 3 minutes, until onion begins to soften. Add carrots and bell pepper, and saute another couple of minutes. Add the potato, leek, mirin, and salt. Cook another 5 minutes or so, stirring frequently. Add the creamed corn, frozen corn, and garlic powder. Stir.

Add liquids to the pot. They should cover the vegetables - if not, add more veggie stock or water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove from heat. If you have an immersion/stick blender, use it to gently blend the soup in the pot. Blend as much or as little as you like - I prefer it blended enough to be creamy but still with chunks...blend, stir, taste, assess! If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer 1-2 cups at a time to a blender and process until mostly smooth. Then add it back to the pot and stir. Don't try do do more than a couple of cups at a time, for two important reasons: first, you want to make sure you don't overblend - getting the right texture is important!; second, blending hot foods causes them to expand, and they can bubble up unexpectedly, burning you and making a mess. Don't tempt the cooking gods by thinking this won't happen to you. Just be patient and do a few batches, okay?

Add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Makes 9 cups. Each 1 cup serving is 2 Weight Watchers POINTS, and is totally vegan and gluten-free. GO GOOD FOOD!!

(I "gussied" mine up a bit, topping it with 1/2 serving of Pik-Nik Shoestring Potatoes and 1/4 avocado, making the whole thing a total of 6 Weight Watchers POINTS. I could also see myself adding some vegan "sausage", chopped tomatoes, chives and fake bacon...the sky's the limit!)

Chickpea Deliciousness

1/2 cup chickpeas/garbanzo beans, either cooked from dried or drained and rinsed if from a can
1/2 cup corn kernels, thawed if from frozen
3 pieces marinated artichoke hearts (I prefer Cara Mia brand, I buy them at Safeway)
1 Tbsp marinade from the artichokes
1/4 semi-firm avocado, cubed (you don't want it to be hard, but you DO want it to hold its shape - no guac-worthy 'cados here!)
salt and pepper

Combine the chickpeas and corn in a bowl, add the marinade, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to thoroughly coat the chickpeas and corn.

Add the artichoke hearts - I like to cut them into quarters first, so that I get some artichoke in more bites. (Yeah, I'm anal like that. So what?) Add the avocado and gently toss - don't mash up the avocado hunks!

The whole recipe has 8 Weight Watchers POINTS, makes an awesomely healthy and filling lunch (or TWO side servings for four points each) and is totally vegan and gluten-free. GO GOOD FOOD!!


Hey Hey Ole Vegan Taco Casserole

6 corn tortillas, two of them cut in half (I like white corn ones best)
1 1/2 cup(s) cooked frozen corn kernels
3 oz Follow Your Heart Cheddar flavor Vegan gourmet cheese alternative, grated
1 cup(s) canned black beans
1 1/2 cup(s) salsa - NOT fresh pico de gallo - you want the jarred saucy and chunky stuff...I used Pace! (approximately - I honestly didn't measure!)
3 serving(s) SoyRizo (1/2 the package, casing removed)
1 cup(s) Iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 cup(s) tomato(es), chopped
1 medium avocado, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cook SoyRizo in a skillet according to package instructions. Save the other 1/2 of the package for later - if you haven't ever tried this stuff you're going to LOVE it!

Spread about 1/2 cup salsa in a 9x9 glass baking dish. Lay 2 whole tortillas and 2 tortilla halves in the dish, covering as much as possible. Layer on half of each of the corn, black beans, SoyRizo, and cheese, and another 1/2 cup or so salsa. Repeat this process with the tortillas, goodies, salsa, and cheese.

Bake for about 30 minutes, but check it frequently, especially after the first 15 minutes. Everything is already cooked, so we're baking it to meld the flavors, heat it through, and melt the cheese.

Top each serving with lettuce, tomato, avocado, and more salsa or pico de gallo if desired.

Makes four servings. Each serving is 7 Weight Watchers POINTS, and is totally vegan and gluten-free. GO GOOD FOOD!!

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Phew! That was a marathon post - if you made it this far, awesome! (If you skipped around, that's cool too!) I'll post more recipes when I come up with them, and hopefully take some pictures of the food, too!

Feel free to ask any questions in the comments or email me with them!