More Time with Victoria Moran and Easy Vegan Takeout

I wrote yesterday about hearing from Victoria Moran and her inspiring words about what it means to live a vegan lifestyle.  Tonight, I got to hear more from Victoria when she led a workshop at Tranquil Space where she again talked about the vegan lifestyle and her formula for healthy living - M.E.N.D.  This stands for Meditation, Exercise, Nourishment and Detoxification.  I don't think I can describe it as eloquently as Victoria did, and I fortunately found a video on YouTube where she talks about M.E.N.D.



My fellow workshop participants were a mixed bag when it came to their vegan journeys. There were folks who have been vegan for years, folks who have been vegan for days and folks who were vegetarians or flexetarians and curious about being a vegan.

During the workshop and in our conversations afterwards, we talked about the common perception that being vegan equals feeling deprived and how, when you're starting out down the vegan road, you might not be sure what to eat, especially if you're "too busy to cook."

I've had a pretty hectic few weeks, but I have managed to do really well with finding quick vegan meals.  Here's a few things I've picked up recently for lunch and dinner.  Now, I don't advocate eating out for every meal, but I want to show how easy it can be to find vegan options, even when you're busy.

Today, I went to a "lunch and learn" professional development event.  When I registered, I requested a vegan lunch.  Today, when I picked up my badge, I was also handed this "Pan-Asian Vegan Salad," courtesy of Lawson's Catering.  The ingredients included Red Peppers, Carrot, Eggplant, Jicama, Cucumbers, and Crispy Fried Wonton Noodles on a bed of Field Greens.

Tonight, on my way to the workshop, I hit up Marvelous Market for this yummy bean and wheat berry salad, as well as the most delicious fresh pineapple.  I need to eat more fresh pineapple - I felt so energized.

This was my lunch yesterday, a Falafel and Hummus whole wheat sandwich from Perfect Pita.  The sandwich typically comes with provolone and feta, but since they are made to order, it was easy to get mine without any cheese.  Check out their vegan menu for more ideas.

This was my lunch from last Friday, the Farmer's Market salad from Pret-A-Manger.  Look at that avocado!  It also had garbanzo beans, lentil salad, pine nuts, shredded beets, shredded carrot, spinach, cherry tomatoes and roasted red peppers.  

I could go on and on - soups, salads, wraps, stir-frys . . . YUM!  What's some of your favorite easy vegan takeout?

PIGS Celebration and Vegan Cocktail Food

Tonight, I attended a cocktail party in celebration of PIGS Animal Sanctuary's 20th Anniversary.  PIGS is a home to many rescued animals, and I one day hope to visit there.  In the meantime, I am happy to support PIGS from here in DC!

Tonight's keynote speaker was Victoria Moran, who is such an inspiration for anyone interested in becoming a vegan.  I'm midway through reading Main Street Vegan and am so moved by how Victoria has shared her personal vegan journey and how she encourages compassion not only for the animals and for the earth, but also for ourselves as we transition from the standard American diet to a plant-based, vegan one.  Tomorrow, I'm attending her workshop at Tranquil Space, and I look forward to learning more from her!

My favorite part of Victoria's remarks was her vegan acronym, which she shares on her blog:

V - Validate your choice by learning all you can.
E - Enjoy the adventure: have fun with this; we’re lucky to know about it!
G - Get to know other vegans, thru conferences, MeetUps, making online friends.
A – Add more than you subtract: new foods, new dishes, new activities, new places to shop — Going veg should make you happier every day.
N - Never forget the animals: If you’re doing this for your health, good for you — but there are lots of opinions on health. Reverence for life, on the other hand, isn’t an opinion based on one study that could be invalidated by the next; it’s a living ethic, a way of being that will enrich your life and cultivate your soul.

Tonight was a perfect example of living the acronym for me!  V - I learned a ton about making compassionate choices.  E - I definitely had fun and enjoyed myself!  G - I hung out with some current veg-friendly friends and met some new ones.  A - I tried some delicious food (see below) and N -  Hooray for PIGS! 

So yes, let's talk about the food.  There was a lovely array of small bites to choose from, from white bean and broccoli raab bruschettas to cheeseless pizzas to hummus and fresh pita chips to a gorgeous veggie plate.  But, my favorite had to be the arugula and fresh fig flatbread.  I adore arugula and fresh figs on their own, but never thought of combining them, and now I think I'll have that combination as often as possible, which won't be much longer as the window for fresh figs is slowly coming to a close.

Here's the delicious veggie plate we noshed on!

Also, I got to sample a Pig-Tini, which helped raise money for PIGS.

Carol and I really enjoyed our Pig-Tinis!

Oh, and I won two items in the silent auction -  an autographed copy of Neal Barnard's Breaking the Food Seduction and original artwork by fellow yogini Mary Catherine Starr:

All in all, a great night!

Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh from The Conscious Cook

L'Shanah Tovah!  Today marks the celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  It is a time to reflect on the past year, as well as to reflect on life's blessings - friends, family and community.

Traditionally, Rosh Hashanah is celebrated with a meal with family.  Growing up, I remember eating brisket, roasted potatoes and apple cake with my parents and grandparents.  Now that I follow a vegan diet, I wanted to capture the same sort of celebratory meal for my husband and me.  The exact elements of the meal don't matter as much as the intangible ingredients - care and love.  And, as our rabbi's remarks spoke about the importance of compassion, I find a vegan meal to be very appropriate for this holiday!  Philosophy aside, I also knew that getting home from services mid-day would give me plenty of time to whip up something special for us for dinner.

With all that in mind, I decided to crack open Tal Ronnen's The Conscious Cook.  In his introductory chapter, Chef Ronnen notes that his goal has been "creating vegan food that was just as mouthwatering and delicious as anything I'd ever had as a meat eater" and that "if you like hollandaise sauce, rich wine reductions and meat-like textures, you'll love these recipes."

I let my husband flip through the book to select what I was going to make.  I thought he would go for the Peppercorn-Encrusted Portobello Fillets with Yellow Tomato Bearnaise and Mashed Potatoes, but, to my surprise, he suggested the Cornmeal-Crusted Tempeh with Smoked Tomato Sauce, Green Chile Relish, Black Bean Puree and Braised Kale.

This recipe has multiple steps and involves a lot of pots and timing, so I'll walk through some ways I multi-tasked throughout the two-hour (yes, you read that correctly) prep and cooking time.  If you're a beginner cook, you may want to pair up with a friend and use multiple kitchen timers.

Simmering the tempeh

The recipe has seven parts: pre-cooking the tempeh, making the smoky tomato sauce, making the black bean puree, making the green chile relish and breading, braising the kale and pan frying the tempeh.  The recipe is very clearly written out, so if you follow the steps as they're written, it won't be stressful.  Note that you'll have a lot of idle time while the tempeh and sauce are simmering, so I suggest doing a good amount of prep then, as the final minutes of the recipe will go by quickly.  For me, this included chopping the kale, chopping the onions and the garlic for the bean puree and green chile relish, and roasting the chile pepper for the relish. 

Since I was only cooking for the two of us, I halved the entire recipe, except the black bean puree (which I thought I'd use in a burrito or another dish).  I prepared the tempeh according to the recipe directions.  The broth, which included soy sauce, ginger, garlic, peppercorns, dried ancho and chipotle peppers and bay leaf, smelled fantastic.  While the broth was coming to a boil, I made sure to start chopping the veggies for the sauce.

The recipe said to reserve the cooking liquid from the tempeh, but I read through the recipe multiple times and couldn't figure out why it needed to be reserved, so I rinsed out that pot and used it for the black bean puree.

Another time saver was using an immersion blender.  Rather than putting the tomato sauce in the blender and putting the black beans in a food processor, I used the immersion blender to puree them.  I had better luck with the beans than the sauce (my guess, not enough liquid), but both came out fine, and this saved some dishwashing for us later.

Since we don't have a gas range, I roasted my pepper in the toaster oven, rotating it with tongs so it would blacken on all sides.

The recipe for the braised kale is in another part of the book.  I found it made sense to make the kale in one pan and fry the tempeh in the other concurrently, as the timing on both of them is similar.

Unlike some of the other recipes in the book, there's no accompanying photo, so I'm not sure what Chef Ronnen intended for plating.  I decided to do three "zones" - the tomato sauce, the bean puree and the kale, then layered the tempeh over the "zones" and sprinkled the top with the chile relish.

The tomato sauce definitely has a smoky flavor, and the black beans were surprisingly and pleasingly sweet.  Simmering the tempeh in broth very much improves the flavor and texture, and for once, I managed to pan fry something without the breading falling off.  If you want to simplify this recipe further, I think you can omit the chile relish.  I don't think it will make or break the dish. 

Objects in This Mirror May Not Be as Vegan As They Appear

I don't know what your Facebook feed looked like on Tuesday, but mine definitely had a trend - the return of the Pumpkin Spice Latte.  The fervor was so strong that I think there may have been an unofficial parade for it.

Even before I went fully vegan, it had been awhile since I had a milk based drink at Starbucks.  I am a big fan of their Zen teas and their snacks, especially when I'm traveling for work, but Frappucinos and lattes never really sat well in my stomach. And, for the longest time, I didn't think I could have soy milk. But, today, when I went in with my co-workers today to grab a bag of roasted almonds, I saw that that their soy milk is organic (and thus GMO-free).  So, I thought I'd try the Pumpkin Spice Latte with soy milk and no whipped cream.

I tried it and I liked it.  I was all set to blog about it.  But, then a voice in the back of my head said "Before you blog about this yummy vegan drink you had, maybe you should confirm that it's actually vegan."

My first stop was the Starbucks website.  They have a handy dandy nutrition calculator, but I couldn't easily find ingredients on their site.  So, I googled.

My answer?  Vegan?  Not so much.  Nope.

Rather than hem and haw about this, I'd like to pass on a few thoughts that you can apply in general to your own vegan journey.

1.  If it matters, do the research.  Just because something looks like it's animal product free, doesn't mean it is.  And if you feel strongly enough about eating any animal products, or if you have food sensitivities, it's worth the time to ask.  Read Don't Kill the Birthday Girl to learn more about where milk and caesin can lurk, especially if you have food sensitivities (plus - it's a great book!).  Thanks to social media and websites, it's usually easy to get that information.  And if an eating establishment won't respond to your customer concerns, do you really want to eat there?  Although I wish Starbucks had a truly vegan coffee option, I do credit them for being forthright and responsive about customer ingredients.  

2.  It's not the end of the world as we know it.   So, I had some condensed milk.  While I'm not happy about it, I'll move on.  Just like if you decide to go vegan and have a little bit of cheese or bacon or what have you, either inadvertently or by choice, don't beat yourself up about it.  I fully commend folks that have the commitment to be fully vegan, lifestyle and all.  But, like any eating plan, going "off plan" once doesn't mean you're "off plan" forever.   From just going Meatless Monday to cutting back on animal product consumption, you are making a big difference.  I'll quote Gene Bauer again - "Don't let perfect be the enemy of the good."  Chalk it up to a learning experience.  If you ate it with intention, allow yourself to meditate on why you made the decision, how you felt afterwards and be at peace with it.  If you ate it inadvertently, see #1 and be at peace with it.

3.  Conversations Matter.  One of the comments on the Your Daily Vegan Post above essentially said "you had a little milk - get over it."  If you follow a vegan diet, you're going to run into this type of conversation at some point.  Use this as an opportunity to patiently explain why you've made the choices you've made, and how many great animal product free options there are out there.  Just like you don't want people to judge you for making vegan choices, don't judge those who aren't up for a vegan lifestyle, or aren't "vegan enough" for you.  Everyone's on a different journey.  Let's all make a vegan lifestyle as accessible as possible.

When it comes down to it, I won't be consuming another pumpkin spice latte in it's current form because a)It's too much sugar for me and b)I feel better when I'm 100% dairy free.  To get my pumpkin goodness, I may try this pumpkin spice breakfast shake.

I Have Found Shangri-La and it is Vegan Cream Cheese

I love bagels and cream cheese.  I'll just throw that out there.  They may very well be my desert island food.  I love me a good chewy bagel and a huge schmear of cream cheese, the thicker the layer the better.

So, needless to say, when I decided to follow a vegan diet, I missed my bagels and cream cheese.  I'd have bagels and Earth Balance or bagels and hummus.  But, it wasn't the same.  And, since most vegan cream cheeses, if not all, are soy-based, with my allergies, I resigned myself to not having them.  And, to be honest, bagels and cream cheese were what usually made me fall off the vegan wagon.  They are my vegan kryptonite.

However, with my recent discovery that I can tolerate non-GMO soy products, I decided to check out Galaxy Nutritional Foods' Vegan Cream Cheese.  While it's not a dead ringer for cream cheese, it hits the spot enough for me to not miss the dairy variety.

Nutritionally, the Galaxy is neck and neck with Philadelphia, so if you're looking for what's "healthier," it's a draw in terms of fat, saturated fat, protein, and sodium.  So, you might choose the Galaxy if you don't eat dairy for ethical reasons, or if you're lactose intolerant or otherwise sensitive to dairy.

For me, this product is a perfect example of how you might use processed foods in moderation to make a plant-based or vegan diet more manageable.  I still absolutely believe that a healthy plant-based diet focuses mainly on . . . well . . . plants.  Today, I had a big bowl of avocado and tomato for breakfast, a ginormous spinach, carrot, broccoli, onion, cucumber and sunflower seed salad for lunch, an orange and peanuts as my pre-yoga snack, and leftover farro alfredo with carrots and broccoli for dinner.   But, if eating vegan cream cheese on my (whole grain!) bagels makes me less likely to throw up my hands and start eating dairy again, I'm all for it.

Two Days of Vegan Deliciousness

I've had two days of really delicious meals to share.

As I've mentioned before, our local market has a number of neat food options.   One of my favorite things about it are the variety of snack options that are friendly to my allergies.  When I popped in to pick up a few things last night, I noticed a new product, Beanitos Black Bean Chips. 

These chips are vegan, and they're also gluten-free, which makes them a great option for folks with celiac and other forms of gluten intolerance.  They also have 4g of protein and 5g of fiber per 10 chip serving.  If GMOs concern you, also note that this product is verified as Non-GMO.

The chips are light and sweeter tasting than your average tortilla chip.  My guess is that the sweetness comes from the brown rice.  They paired well with the avocado, tomato and sea salt you see on the right.

I know for sure that I've mentioned my love of Whole Foods many a time in this blog.  Today, for lunch, I visited the Foggy Bottom store and enjoyed a number of items off of their prepared foods bar.  I particularly like getting prepared foods at Whole Foods since they clearly label their allergens, as well as which items are vegan friendly.

In the picture to the right (left hand corner clockwise around), you'll find Quinoa Ranchero, raw dandelion, beets, kamut citrus salad and carrots with ginger.

 

This is my second time eating the kamut citrus salad, and it continues to be a favorite. The kamut has a chewy, nutty texture, and it's a good source of protein and fiber.  The carrots were even more delicious than I was expecting.  It was also my first time eating dandelion greens.  Like most greens, they are an excellent source of vitamin A & C.  They weren't as bitter as I expected, and I actually thought they were good mixed in with the kamut.

Changing gears.  Sometimes, in the middle of my yoga practice, I get strong food cravings.  Since part of yoga is listening to signals from my body, as long as the cravings are healthy, I listen to them. In my pre-vegetarian days, my cravings were for the fancy McDonald's burger with the red onions and a large fries (the fact that there is a McDonald's across the street from my yoga studio may have contributed to these cravings).  However, as I embraced a pescetarian diet, and then a lacto-ovo one and now my plant-based/animal product free/veganesque one, I noticed that my cravings gradually became for healthier and healthier foods.  For example, I might crave a large salad from Sweetgreen or falafel (or, better yet, the Sweetgreen salad with Falafel).

 

Today, my craving was for vegan pizza.  Yes, specifically, vegan pizza.  This was big for me.  It's been about 19 days since I had my last serving of cheese.  Yes, I fell back on the cheese wagon pretty hard last February.  Recently, I decided it was time to eliminate it again.  That is the subject of another post.

 

If that sounds like the terminology of an addict, it's a fair point.  Dr. Oz and Dr. Neal Barnard back me up on this subject, and these guys know their stuff. I know that dairy and I don't get along - it upsets my stomach, makes me break out, gives headaches, makes me congested, you name it.  Also, I tend to eat much larger portions of food when the dish has a dairy component.  Plus, there's the whole ethics of vegetarianism that makes me pause when I think about dairy products.  

 

That said, if you put cheese it in front of me, I can't stop eating it.  So, it's best that I just kick it out of my diet altogether, and get my protein, calcium and Vitamin D from other sources.

 

So yes, the fact that I wanted vegan pizza, in my mind, was a good thing.  I'm lucky that there are three good options for vegan pizza near our place:  Pete's-A-Pizza, Z Pizza and, you guessed it, Whole Foods.   Since Whole Foods is the closest to our apartment, we opted to go there.  Their vegan pizza is always excellent.  Rather than using daiya or another cheese substitute, their vegan pizza is cheese free and loaded with veggies like peppers, spinach and mushrooms.  It's a little heavy on black olives for my taste, but those are easily removed.  

The good news is that I didn't crave my husband's cheese pizza, so I am guessing that's another sign that I have kicked my desire for dairy.  I'm looking forward to checking out more vegan pizza options in the near future! 

Keep It Simple: What I Ate Today

So, one of the reasons I haven't been blogging lately is that I've been a bit overwhelmed by the exercise.  For someone with my Type-A tendencies, I was getting wrapped up in making something different and inventive every night, photographing it perfectly and writing something semi-interesting about it.  If cooking and eating was my full-time job, that would work for me.  But between working, commuting, frequent traveling, yoga and other pursuits, sitting down to cook something, take pictures of it and write about it while eating it was wearing me out a bit.

But, does blogging have to be so complicated, or am I over analyzing the situation?  One might ask the same question about going vegan, actually.  On the surface, it might seem overwhelming to go on a vegan diet.  If you start looking at books and blogs, you'll see a range of choices and advice.  Soy or no soy?  (Well, for my soy-allergic self, that was easy).  Raw?  Gluten-free?  Macrobiotic?  GMOs?  BPA?  Organic?  Low-Glycemic?  Alkaline foods?  Meat substitutes?  Nut milk or rice milk or coconut milk?  Nut cheese?  "Clean" foods?  Sprouted bread?  Convenience foods?  Oil is okay!  Wait, oil is not okay?  Local!  Carbon footprint!  Is your head spinning yet?

Whether it's blogging or eating, it's easy to get overwhelmed with the myriad of options you have in front of you.  And I know that, when I get overwhelmed, all I want is macaroni and cheese.

So, what it comes down to is that the "diet" that works for you is one that you can realistically sustain.  And that looks different for everyone.  For me, maybe it's a nicely photographed, colorful, homemade dish one day, and a frozen meal the next.  

So, as I was standing in line at the grocery store, I had an epiphany.  I can't be the only person out there that's trying to make going vegan work with a decently busy schedule.  What does someone like me eat every day?  Would it be helpful for me to share how I make doing the vegan thing workable, even if it doesn't involve a lot of fancy cooking?

So, hence, for the time being, I will bring you what I ate today.  I'm hoping this will show the variety of ways you can make a plant-based diet work for you. 

On Sunday, I used our rice cooker a huge batch of Rice Select Whole Grain Blend, which is wild rice, brown rice and rye berries.  This grain blend will be in my meals throughout the rest of this week.  By varying the veggies and proteins I incorporate with my dinners, I'll give myself the variety I crave, but still save time by having pre-cooked rice on hand.

In the fridge, I had some kale and red onion leftover from Sunday's dinner, along with cremini mushrooms.  At Whole Foods, I picked up some multicolored grape tomatoes.  I chopped everything in small pieces and gave the veg a very quick saute in olive oil.  I personally like it when my cooked veggies still have a little crunch, so I often don't saute for more than 5 minutes or so.  Good seasoning is also a must for me, so I included sea salt, ground black pepper, Italian seasoning blend and red pepper flakes. 

For dessert, I had a big bowl of grapes.  I'm partial to seedless green grapes, and there was a huge display at the store today for $2.99 a pound.  Sold!

Vegan Kickstart Check-In

Source: etsy.com via Miriam on Pinterest

Well, I've finished the first two weeks of my version of PCRM's Vegan Kickstart.  While I've been eating almost entirely vegan since December, it was nice to take 21 days to really focus on what I've been eating. This was, I can see what's working well for me and areas that I might want to focus on changing.  Additionally, I wanted to challenge the concept that eating vegan on a regular basis is "too hard," and that it can be done with a busy lifestyle like mine.

You can see the recap of everything I've eaten so far on my personal kickstart page.  Here's what I've learned:

I eat a lot of toast.  Yep, I have little or no variety in the morning when it comes to breakfast.  To be fair though, with my seasonal issues, it's a miracle that I make it out the door in the morning, much less get up in time to make breakfast.  I used to dash out the door in the morning and grab a bagel and cream cheese, so this is a definite improvement.  But, as I start waking up better in the morning (aka, after the clocks go forward in the Spring), I'll explore more variety for breakfast

I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Looking back at the past two weeks, I've noticed that I eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables with every meal.  Between the food I prepared myself and the food I ate at other people's homes or at restaurants, I had over 30 different kinds of fresh fruits or vegetables since January 2.  Let me list them for you!  I ate artichokes, arugula, asparagus, avocado, blueberries, brussels sprouts, butternut squash, cantaloupe, carrots, cucumber, eggplant, green onion, honeydew, kale, kiwi, lettuce, mesculun mix, mango, mushrooms, pear, pineapple, radishes, red cabbage, red onion, raspberries, spinach, sprouts, strawberries, tomatoes, yellow pepper and watermelon.  And that doesn't include the fresh herbs I enjoyed as well.  That's a cornucopia if I ever saw one!  If you focus on eating "real food," versus meat substitutes, you will have no issues with variety on a vegan diet.

Eating out is not a problem.  I went out to eat in DC, suburban Maryland and Southern New Jersey.  Nowhere I went had any issues putting together a vegan meal for me.  At sit down restaurants like Seasons 52 and Founding Farmers, our servers were wonderful about helping me find vegan options on their menus, and the kitchens were happy to customize dishes to make them vegan friendly.  It never hurts to ask a restaurant if there are vegan options - chances are, the restaurant will be happy to oblige.  On the "fast food" side, it helps to choose places that you know have vegan selections on the existing menu - I knew Cava Mezze Grill, Elevation Burger, Roti, Chop't and Sweetgreen would have options that worked for me.  So between a little advanced research and asking questions, you should be fine.

But, I need to be prepared and patient.  Sometimes, you may be in a situation where a vegan option isn't obvious.  When my husband and I were on the way back from visiting my parents, we stopped at a rest stop on I-95.  I was frustrated at the lack of apparent vegan options and ended up getting a plain bagel with fixins from the Roy Rogers station.  Had I taken the time to look harder (aka, been patient), I could have gotten a pita, veggies and hummus from Starbucks.  Even better, I should have packed a sandwich from the various vegan-friendly delights my mother had for us at home.  Granted, one less than satisfying meal in 15 days is really nothing to complain about.

I need to adjust my portions.  My husband gets credit for noticing this before I did - I am eating less food now that I'm not eating cheese or any dairy products.  Not sure if it's because I'm eating higher fiber dishes or if my body is less "confused" without dairy (I found it very easy to overeat when cheese was involved), but I've had tons more leftovers than I usually do.  So, I'll adjust my meal planning accordingly in the coming weeks.  I tend to get bored with eating the same thing three days in a row, so, now that I know I need less food to keep me satisfied, I'll make less to begin with to ensure I get more variety throughout the week.

I'm grateful for a supportive family.  I've heard a lot of people say that their families wouldn't support a vegan lifestyle, but mine have been fantastic about it.  They've also been supportive of my various food allergy issues.  From my husband taking me out for my favorite vegan burger and trying my various concoctions (even the green frankenburger), to my Mom making a vegan version of a favorite childhood soup and stocking her fridge with daiya, hummus and other veg friendly treats, to my husband's grandmother buying a veritable buffet of vegan prepared foods at Whole Foods, I'm downright spoiled. Talk to your friends and family about why you are making the choices you are and how your eating might change from what they're used to.  You may get questions - answer them politely, offer to bring a dish to the next family gathering, etc. 

What questions do you have about eating a vegan diet?  What excites you?  What are you hesitant about?

2012 New Year Aspirations

Source: google.ca via Miriam on Pinterest

I’m not a big resolution maker.  I feel like resolution equals “thing I will stop doing by mid-February, if not sooner.”  But, I can get down with the idea of aspirations and reaching for a higher plane – exploring things I enjoy, taking all that I have accomplished this year from an eating and health standpoint to an even higher level.

As a quick recap of 2011, I decided to stop eating fish in February and found myself gradually and essentially unconsciously, phasing dairy products and eggs out of my diet this Fall.  At this point, the only animal products I eat in are in my occasional indulgence of Orville Redenbacher salt and pepper popcorn (milk in the ingredients – I’ll be trying air popped and nutritional yeast soon!) and the occasional quorn product (egg in the ingredients, though the company is working on some vegan options).  I honestly can’t call myself a vegan as much as “someone who eats a vegan diet,” especially given my shopping habits.  To paraphrase Gene Baur, “don’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” and to paraphrase many of my yoga teachers, “it’s about the journey, not the destination.”

I didn’t start 2011 intending to pursue a vegan diet.  I never thought it was something I would do, given my lifelong obsession with all things cheese.  But, I’ve found it easier to do than I anticipated, and I’m eating an even more enriching variety of foods as a result.  When I told my friend Jenn that I was “off of cheese,” she, being very familiar with my soy allergy, said “I feel bad that you can’t eat anything.” But, I have found that the opposite is true!  When your lunch fallbacks aren’t spinach & mushroom pizza or a cheese sub, you try and enjoy so many more things!

I also became more conscious about avoiding soy products. Since soy is so pervasive, it is extremely challenging to keep it out of my diet.  While I avoided big trigger foods like commercial salad dressings, most meat substitutes and tofu, I found myself “tolerating” products that contained soy for a variety of reasons – convenience sake, my fear of seeming difficult, and frankly, pure laziness.  The result?  Constant sneezing and congestion, severe and unpleasant gastrointestinal reactions, wheezing and a hoarse voice, constant headaches and general malaise.  But, this month, since I have been meticulous about avoiding soy in any form, all of the above symptoms have disappeared.  I also stopped the constant flow of diet coke and sugar substitutes I was partaking in, which have also had a positive effect on my headaches.

On the yoga front, I was going strong until I severely pulled my hamstring doing a full split at the cheer competition at my office’s summer fun day in late July.  Yes, you heard that correctly.  After two months off from my regular 4-5 studio & home practices a week schedule, I’m getting close to building back the strength and flexibility I had pre-injury.  I was able to get back into a headstand this week, and my crow is coming back as well.

On the personal front, I got married, became an aunt and started regular light therapy to help with my seasonal affective disorder.  I knit a boatload of toy animals for the babies of friends and family.  I did a lot of cooking, read a bunch of cool books and traveled enough for work to hit Hilton Gold status.  And, with all of the above going on, I got to stretch my long buried writing muscle by starting this blog.

So, what do I aspire to in 2012?

Source: mariakillam.com via Miriam on Pinterest

Continue to explore a vegan diet.  To be more specific, I hope to continue to cook scratch meals with lots of fresh vegetables and beans, and continue to back away from the fake meats.  I just remarked to husband that “We’re going to be eating a lot more beans in 2012.” His response, “2012 - the year of the bean!” I take this to mean he is on board.

Make friends with the bulk aisle.  I look forward to exploring the bulk aisle at Whole Foods this year – heirloom beans, nutritious whole grains and other finds await!  I look forward to trying cranberry beans, kamut, nutritional yeast, amaranth and more.  This will also give me good fodder for 2012 blog posts.

Enjoy the occasional indulgence.  This could mean the every once in awhile homemade vegan mac and cheese, and especially trying more vegan desserts.

Be more conscious about what I buy.  The animal welfare concerns that have had an effect on my diet are also starting to have an effect on other things I purchase.  I hope to be more conscious about the personal care products I buy, supporting companies that do not test their products on animals and use natural ingredients.  My Beauty Bunny has a great app to help discover these types of companies.  I also look forward to exploring more products by companies I’m currently supporting, such as Lush, EO, JASON and Tom’s of Maine.

Continue to explore yoga.  My regular yoga practice and the warm community of tranquil space have had an extremely positive impact on my life.  Yoga and the Tranquil Space community have been a huge, if not the biggest factor, with helping me overcome years of disordered eating and body dysmorphia.  I look forward to my regular practice, as well as continuing to explore my home practice and partaking in workshops and retreats, including January’s Urban Women’s Retreat and an April art and yoga weekend retreat in West Virginia.

Have More Crafty Fun: I’ve always enjoyed making things – photo collages, jewelry, pottery and especially knitting.  This year, I’ve done a lot of knitting and hosted a knitting salon at my apartment.   I’ve also dabbled in some papercrafting and bowmaking. I look forward to trying more projects and hosting more crafty get-togethers in 2012!

Take Moments Out of My Day to Find Tranquility.  I’m a Type A person in a Type A job in Washington D.C., aka, the definition of a Type A city.  It can be hard to take a deep breath and live in the moment, and it can be even harder for me not to constantly measure myself against others.  I need to remember that life isn’t a competition, and to find enjoyment in every day.  I look forward to participating this year in Kimberly Wilson’s year-long Tranquilologie e-course, which I think will encourage me to relax and reflect.  

So, in addition to my regular cooking blogs, I hope to check in on these aspirations regularly and reflect on how I’m incorporating them into my daily life.  So, this might mean the occasional blog sidebar into yoga, crafts and just stuff in general. But, given how much I love food and cooking, you can still expect that to be the majority of my content, with perhaps a monthly round-up of non-food type things.  Also, yesterday, I got started on Pinterest, which I hope to use as inspiration for all of my 2012 aspirations. 

What are your 2012 aspirations?

Source: everythingfab.tumblr.com via Miriam on Pinterest

Vegetarian Options for Carnivores

Credit: TICNetwork.org

Awhile back, when I was asking for suggestions for future blog posts, my friend Stefanie suggested I do a post on, as she put it, "vegetarian options for carnivores like me."  Well, Stefanie, I finally got around to writing it.

This is not going to be a post on the ethics of vegetarianism, as important a discussion as I think that is.  Rather, this is a post about how to happily feed someone who is used to, for whatever reason, a meal containing meat and have them be satisfied with a vegetarian meal.  To that end, I thought about some of the dining archetypes that might initially be resistant to vegetarian dining and how I would approach each of them.

The Picky Eater - We have all met the picky eater in multiple forms.  The picky eater may refuse to eat unfamiliar foods.  They may want their food to be a starch and a protein, not touching, and refuse any vegetable but iceberg lettuce.  They may look upon my cooking . . . erm  . . .I mean "hypothetical cooking"  . . . and say "Gosh, that's a lot of green stuff!"

The key to dealing with the picky eater is to understand the root of their pickiness.  Chances are, it's one of two forms - they haven't been exposed to the food in question, or they've had it, and it was prepared in some sort of awful fashion.

For those with limited exposure to food in general, the best way to expose them to vegetarian meals is not to hit them all at once with things that scare them, like tofu.  Heck, tofu scares me for a variety of reasons.  Rather, it's best to have them try a vegetarian version of a staple that's typically prepared as a meat dish.  Chili is a great example.  Chances are, the picky carnivore in question has had chili at some point in their lives.  Heck, it may have even been vegetarian!

Some other good items for the limited exposure picky eater include lasagna and other pasta dishes; enchiladas, burritos or fajitas and hearty soups like minestrone.

By gradually exposing the limited exposure picky eater to these types of foods, they will learn that vegetarian cuisine isn't as scary as it seems, and be willing to try new things.  Case in point - when I mentioned to my husband (who will admit he is not the most adventurous of eaters) what blog I was writing tonight, he asked if I was going to tell everyone about the time I made us Seitan Hot Wings.  Ask me if he would have been talking about seitan in a positive light, or even knew what seitan was (admittedly, I had no idea before I went veg!), five or so years ago?  But, since I've gradually been introducing various vegetarian items into our meals and made food he's recognized, he's been willing to taste some of my more off the wall experiments.

Another thing to contend with when it comes to picky eaters is undoing years of vegetable mistreatment.  By this, I specifically mean boiling vegetables into a tasteless mush.  Yeah, I wouldn't want to eat that either!  Chances are, if someone doesn't "like" broccoli, it's because they ate it after it was boiled for an extended period of time, which is a terrible thing to do to a vegetable.

In the case of dealing with Post Traumatic Boiled Vegetable Syndrome, gently expose your picky eater to preparations like steaming (particularly good with broccoli and cauliflower), sauteing (mushrooms, peppers) and roasting (potatoes, brussels sprouts, beets) help bring out the best in vegetables.  One of our family members said to me at Thanksgiving this year, "It's a miracle.  You made brussels sprouts edible."  The secret?  DON'T BOIL THEM.  And, get them fresh and season them well!

Some of my vegetarian cooking experiments I recommend for the picky eater:

Vegetable Enchiladas
Black Bean Burgers
Roasted Vegetables

The Food Snob - If there is such a thing as a vegetarian food snob, it's yours truly.  I watch a ridiculous amount of Food Network.  A happy day for me is hanging out in the Whole Foods produce section.  I love going out to eat at restaurants that serve things that involve the word "emulsion."  I have eaten a mangosteen overseas, before they started showing up here in the states.

But, there are food snobs out there that believe you aren't really a foodie unless you are enjoying some sort of meat.  I remember meat, and, yes, it did taste good and there are some chefs who do amazing things with it.  But, there are also vegetarian dishes that can have the same wow factor.

Food snobs like me appreciate two things - fancy ingredients and awesome presentation.  Like the high school classmates of mine who were proud to have seen Live before they went national and liked Nine Inch Nails before Trent Reznor was a household name, we all like to think we're the first people to discover an ingredient.  So, plan your meals around something schmancy & restauranty- polenta, porcini mushrooms, celery root, farro, etc.  Make a delicious sauce by deglazing your pan with vegetable broth or wine. 

Awesome presentation also goes a long way.  To me, nothing is more boring than slab of meat, plop of starch, sad pile of veg.  I like it when food is art, and so do most carnivore foodies.  So, use the natural color and vibrancy of fruits and vegetables to create a visual dining experience.  Vegetable napoleons are a great example of a vegetarian dish that  presents well.

Some of my cooking experiments that I recommend for the food snob:

Mushroom & Celery Root Lasagna
Polenta Crusted Eggplant Parmesan
Quinoa Cakes with "Meat" Sauce
Kabocha Squash, Farro and Kale
Lasagna Cupcakes

When it comes down to it, the key to having a carnivore enjoy a vegetarian meal, really all it comes down to is to cook them something that looks great, tastes great and is full of love.   By gradually exposing the "carnivore" to delicious tasting vegetarian meals, you open folks' eyes to the worlds of possibilities in vegetarian dining.

Vegetarians - what are the most common objections you hear when you suggest a vegetarian dish?  "Carnivores," what am I missing?  What other questions do you have?

Farm Sanctuary's Adopt a Turkey Campaign and the Spirit of Thanks and Giving

Meet our turkey, Antoinette!

Happy almost Thanksgiving, everyone!  I have been making lists of all the ingredients I need for vegetarian delectables I plan to make for this year's family Thanksgiving extravaganza, and will be posting blogs about each dish.

I obviously won't be eating turkey this Thanksgiving, but I decided to celebrate Thanks and Giving by sponsoring a rescued turkey at Farm Sanctuary. The funds I donated will help with care for 25 sick and injured baby turkeys that were dropped off at the Southern California shelter on November 4.

My husband and I perused all the turkeys, and decided to sponsor Antoinette, whose tagline is "Let them eat squash!"  This is appropriate, as we love a good squash dish.

Farm Santcuary is a terrific organization.  I was lucky enough to hear Gene Baur speak a few months ago, as well as read his book.  This organization works so hard to make sure animals found in the most dire of circumstances are able to receive medical treatment, recover and live out the rest of their time as nature intended.

Me on the left, rocking the hairnet at Everything But the Turkey!

I'll also be celebrating the spirit of Thanks and Giving by volunteering at the Washington DC JCC's Everything But the Turkey event on Monday, November 21.  Monday's volunteer slots are all filled, but you can sign up for Wednesday, make a donation or purchase kitchen tools for the J to use for their Hunger Action Program.   Any way you can support the program will help DC Central Kitchen provide hundreds of meals for over 100 social service agencies in the Washington area.

I'm especially thankful for the DCJCC's community service programs, because, as many of you know, that's how my husband and I met more than four and a half years ago!

What are you thankful for this season?  How do you plan to engage in the spirit of giving?

Some Ideas for Editorial Structure

While I focus on vegetarian cooking and blogging here, I'm involved in a lot of other activities, one of which is my professional society, the American Society of Association Executives.  ASAE is home to a lot of prolific bloggers, including my friend and colleague, Elizabeth Engel, who blogs on association management, pro football and her own food blog.

The subjects of blogs came up at a recent networking event Elizabeth and I attended, and Elizabeth shared a tip with us on being a prolific blogger - setting an editorial schedule.  This piqued my interest.  Since my work, travel and activity schedule can sometimes wreak havoc with my cooking and my availability to blog, I find myself posting sporadically, which wasn't my intention when I started this experiment.

So, I am going to give myself an editorial structure for the next 30 days:

Monday: Cookbook review
Tuesday: Ingredient Spotlight
Wednesday: Restaurant Round-Up
Thursday: Vegetarian Articles

I'll work in food posting and vegetarian on the road segments (yours truly is posting this from yet another hotel) as I can.

Restaurant Round-Up for this week coming soon!  Are there any other regular features you'd like to see?

Bobby's Burger Palace and a Vegetarian Conundrum

My co-workers were making a trip to the new Bobby's Burger Palace in downtown DC and invited me to come along.  They know I'm a vegetarian, but since most of the burger places in DC have a veg option, they invited me to tag along.  I checked the menu before I left and while there are no veggie burgers on there, I knew there were salads and sandwiches, so I was happy to give it a try.

I did get one of the salads (more on that later) but what I found to be more intriguing was a conversation we had with the people in line behind me.  Well, it wasn't so much of a conversation than a blunt statement, but let me recap.

Since there was a lot of buzz about Bobby's Burger Palace, the line was long, so we had plenty of time to review the menu and decide what to order.  I thought the toppings on the burgers looked good, so I wondered aloud if I should ask if I could get a burger without the meat, but just with the toppings.  My co-worker ended up asking an employee monitoring the line if this was an option.  The employee rep said he wasn't sure.  The guy behind us asked my co-worker if he was a vegetarian.  When I replied, "He's not, but I am," the guy shot back "Well, a better question is why a vegetarian would go to a burger place?"

It was our turn to order, so I didn't get a chance to respond.  But, here's what I would have said:

I Love Bobby Flay - It's true.  I watch Throwdown and squeal like a little girl.  I now pronounce chipotle "chi-po-tah-ley."  I still rave about a meal I had at Mesa Grill a few years ago.  If I ever meet the man in person, I'd probably resort to babbling idiocy.  If he has a new restaurant, I was going to try it.

I Love Trying New Restaurants - This wasn't your average fast food joint.  It was a cool concept with different menu items.  If there's a new place in DC, I'm going to check it out and find something to eat there.

I Like Being Included - When your co-workers want to go out to lunch, it's nice to be able to tag along.  My one co-worker who I went wish frequently tags along with me to Java Green, a vegan cafe near my office.  So, I was happy to accompany her to her choice today.

Anyhow, this whole encounter today made me think of the flip side of the equation . . . should all restaurants have at least one vegetarian option on their menu? 

Ultimately, running a restaurant involves making business decisions, and what goes on the menu is a big part of that decision.  If a restaurant doesn't feel they have customer demand for a vegetarian option, they're not going to put it on their menu.  That may be why Burger King has veggie burgers on their menu, but other fast food operators don't. 

It could also be a quality decision.  Take the burger place argument. Let's say they want to make their burgers from scratch, rather than frozen.  So, perhaps they haven't found a veggie burger that they can make from scratch that fits with their kitchen's flip time. 

But, here's the thing - I'd argue that including more vegetarian options is a great business decision.  As articles like this one suggest. More and more consumers are looking for meat free options, even if they're still omnivores.  And this Vegetarian Resource Guide Blog notes that:

• In the National Restaurant Association's "What's Hot in 2011" survey of more than 1,500 professional chefs, over half rated meatless/vegetarian entrées and vegan entrées as a "hot trend."
• Health and nutrition claims on menu items are increasing as consumers look for healthy options in restaurants as well as at home. Mintel found 42 percent growth in such claims from the first quarter of 2005 to the first quarter of 2007. Items labeled vegetarian, low-fat, gluten-free, trans-fat free, or low-calorie grew the most rapidly.

There's also a report you can order -  Vegetarian Means Business - if you want to learn more about it.

There are a variety of reasons folks might elect to order a vegetarian meal.  Like, me, they may have concerns with the treatment of animals in the food industry.  Like Bill Clinton, it could be a health choice.  It could be a religious choice.  It could be a taste preference.  But, the numbers are growing, and the foodservice industry should tap this market as soon as they can.   And, ultimately, an omnivore will happily eat anywhere, and, if the omnivore is in the company of a vegetarian, they'll both end up eating at the restaurant with a vegetarian option.  For example, when my husband want to go out to eat together and he wants a burger, we would likely go to Elevation Burger or BGR, both of whom have terrific veg options.  He gets his beef burger, I get my veggie burger and we're both happy. 

Crunch Salad from Bobby's Burger Palace

So, looping back to Bobby's Burger Palace, yes, their menu has vegetarian options, namely a "griddled cheese" and the Crunch Salad I ordered.  Honestly, I went in with low expectations - I knew the restaurant was showcasing burgers and I wasn't expecting the salad to be the star.  It was solidly in the "ok" category.  A nice surprise was that, although it's not in the menu description, the salad includes kidney beans and chickpeas, which are a tasty addition that adds heft to the salad.  The balsamic vinaigrette was also very good, and didn't have soy.  I found this out by accident when it was accidentally left on my salad when I asked for it not to be included.  But, the good news was no allergic reaction, and the dressing was also very, very good.  The white cheddar chunks were tasty, and I also liked the flavor of the tortilla strips.  The green onions also added some nice flavor.

The downsides - the quality of the lettuce was not so good.  When a salad is advertised as romaine, I expect lots of dark green leaves, but this salad was pretty pale.  Also, when a salad is advertised as having "Chopped Vegetables" and there are a ton of neat toppings on the menu (avocado, watercress), I had higher hopes for something other than just tomatoes.

So, would I order the salad again?  Given all the cool salad places near my office, probably not.  Would I try a griddled cheese?  Maybe - I am trying to cut back on dairy, but every once in awhile, I cave.  Would I call to see if I could get the LA Burger or the Napa Valley Burger as just the toppings on bread?  Definitely - I will try that soon, and try the sweet potato fries as well. 

An Evening with Gene Baur

Tonight, I had the pleasure of hearing Gene Baur, the president and co-founder of Farm Sanctuary speak at Tranquil Space's Benefit for the Animals. Gene spoke about his decision to become a vegan, the work he does with mistreated farm animals and how we can inspire others to eat healthier and with more compassion.  I purchased a copy of Gene's book, Farm Sanctuary, and I very much look forward to reading it!

I talk more about the process of preparing food here than food philosophy, and that's by design.  When I started my vegetarian adventures, I promised myself not to become holier than thou about my eating lifestyle.  After a lot of research and reading books like Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals, I decided I didn't want to support the current system that provides beef, chicken, pork and fish for consumption.  It was my personal decision, and I recognize that it's not for everyone.

But, I did want to pass along some of the things that Gene mentioned in terms of misconceptions about vegetarianism and veganism.  I know a lot of people are concerned about plant based diets not providing enough protein and nutrients to maintain an active lifestyle.  I'm no pro-athlete, but I'm fairly active, and my energy levels have been great since I went veg (I do, as recommended, take a B-12 supplement).  But, if you're looking for pro-athletes that have excelled as vegans, you can look to Prince Fielder, who "feels amazing" without eating meat,  and Carl Lewis, who attributes his success to a vegan diet.  While not an athlete, Russell Simmons is a pretty busy guy who is a yogi and a vegan.

One thing that Gene mentioned tonight that really struck me was "Don't let perfect be the enemy of good."  I am so guilty of abandoning things that are hard for me (Exhibit A - driving).  Rather than making my veg journey all or nothing, I phased things out gradually.  I do the best that I can when my meals are not under my control. So, I am going to try and remember to do my best to "do good" rather than "be perfect" as I work to phase dairy out of my regular diet.  In February, when I gave up fish, it was because I felt ready.  I'm getting that feeling about dairy, especially when I'm eating out and I don't know what process it went through to get to my plate.  Between Gene's talk &  Forks Over Knives and some other things I've been reading, I want to give it a shot.  It may not happen overnight, but I'd like to see where it leads. 

So, you might start seeing more vegan cooking experiments here, and reviews of vegan options at restaurants.  We'll see where things lead.

Choosing Ingredients: Why This Tomato and That Onion

Farro with zucchini, red onion, red and yellow tomatoes and goat cheese.

Since I like to throw together a quick dinner, I often feel like I cook without really thinking.  But, as I prepared tonight's dish, it occurs to me that I do put a lot of thought into which ingredients I choose, but I just don't articulate that process.  So, I decided to talk about each ingredient in tonight's concoction and why I chose it.

I started by mincing a red onion.  I gravitate towards red onions versus white or yellow for a few reasons.  Mainly, I like the color contrast of purple in my dishes.  I also think it has a more interesting flavor.  Tonight, I chose to mince, rather than slice or dice so that the onion would integrate better into the dish.  If you are looking for quick tips on knife skills for onion, or if you'd like what mincing looks like, this video from FoodNetwork.com is a great resource.

Once my onion was minced, I heated olive oil in a large saute pan.  Sauteing food in a large pot means a quicker cooking time than using the oven, a firmer texture for your veggies, and a cooler kitchen (crucial for when you're in a heat wave like we are!).   Get a big saute pan and cook everything in it - less clean-up than making your veg in separate pots and pans!

When you're sauteing food, it helps to have some sort of oil or butter in the pan to prevent sticking, get your veggies to brown or caramelize and add flavor to the dish.  Cooking spray is fine if you're concerned about calories, but I don't think it does you any favors flavor wise.  Butter can add richness to vegetable dishes, but I prefer olive oil.  Not only is it lighter (and easier on the stomach), but it, in moderation, can help with lowering cholesterol levels and controlling blood sugar.  Also, healthy fats help your body absorb fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K.  It also has nice shelf life (though we go through it very quickly!). 

I always like to have something green in my dish.  I like the color contrast the green provides with any sort of grain base.  Kale and spinach are often favorites, but tonight, I was craving something more substantial that I could dice, so I went with zucchini.  In addition to having a nice crunchy texture when sauteed, zucchini has a number of nutritional benefits, including good amounts of folate, potassium and vitamin A.

I almost always cook with fresh tomatoes, which I keep on my counter to preserve their texture and flavor.  For me, I find fresh tomatoes to have more visual appeal and a more interesting texture than canned diced.  Crushed or diced tomatoes make a good sauce in a pinch, but if fresh tomatoes are available, grab 'em!  For cooking, I tend to use grape tomatoes.  The small size of these tomatoes means less chopping, but also additional visual interest for the dish.  I usually halve them or quarter them.  You can also get grape tomatoesin a variety of colors.  Tonight, I used red and yellow, but you can also now find brown, purple and green ones, as well as multi-color assortments, at your local market or farmers' market.  From prior experience, the brown ones tend to turn first, so if you buy an assortment, use the brown ones sooner rather than later.

I talked about the virtues of farro earlier this week.  I gravitate towards whole grains for the health reasons, of course: fiber, less spiking of blood sugar, etc.  But, frankly, they taste more interesting than refined grains like plain pasta and white rice.  There's a chewiness and a nuttiness there that's not present in refined grain products.  If I didn't have farro, I might have gone with an israeli couscous (larger grain than plain couscous),  quinoa, or a wild rice blend.

Seasoning is another thing that's key to me enjoying a dish.  I tend to gravitate towards Italian or Mexican flavors, though you've seen me experimenting with some middle eastern flavors like za'atar.  Tonight, I went with dried oregano and basil.  I prefer fresh basil, but we didn't have any handy.   And, regardless of the flavor direction I'm headed for, I always use salt, pepper and freshly minced garlic in savory dishes.  Salt and pepper help enhance the natural flavors of the vegetables, and fresh garlic adds a nice oomph to foods.  When I want to kick the heat up, my go to is red pepper flakes, which are crushed, dried chilies. Just a few shakes add some good heat that won't overwhelm the rest of your dish.

While I've been trying to cut back on dairy, I do sometimes like to add cheese to my dishes.  Tonight was one of those nights.  Fresh shredded Parmesan (not the powdered kind!), Asiago or Romano cheese are often in my arsenal.  They have a lot of flavor, so you don't need a lot of them to add dimension to a dish. They aren't the moistest of cheeses, however.  Wanting a creamier option for tonight's dish, I used fresh goat cheese.  Goat cheese is creamy and tangy, and can either be stirred into a hot dish a la tonight's concoction, or crumbled on top of a room temp meal.  Tonight's goat cheese came from Vermont Creamery, whose products are all rBST free.

It probably took me longer to write this blog than to make dinner, but there you have it.  In summary, when I cook, I gravitate to meals that involve:

• Fresh ingredients that taste good and are good for me
• A variety of colors and textures for visual interest and, for lack of a better phrase, "yummy mouthfeel"
• A quick cooking technique that doesn't involve a lot of time or pots or baking dishes
• Seasoning that adds depth and a spicy kick
• Leftovers that can be easily reheated for lunch or incorporated into a new dish

 So, while I like to experiment with more complex dishes, sometimes it's just as easy to consider the above five bullets, spin through the grocery store and throw together something yummy in about 15-20 minutes.