Thursday, July 29, 2010

Adventures In Eating

Since going vegan in March, I have also made some other changes in my diet. I try to eat mostly whole foods and avoid added sugars. I also try my best to eat only whole grains and choose organic whenever possible. For the most part, this means many of the foods posted here on the blog don't come from a package.


However, there are definitely some things I need to turn to the inner aisles of the grocery store for (I'm not at the point where I'm baking my own bread yet or shelling my own peanuts). In this post, I've tried to highlight some of the products I've been trying. If you feel like being adventurous, look for these items at your local Whole Foods, Trader Joes or organic market.


For breakfast today I had a simple fruit smoothie with almond milk, strawberries and peaches. I paired it with some cinnamon raisin Ezekial bread with one of my favorite flavors of Peanut Butter Co. While these peanut butters are delicious and all natural, they are sweetened with evaporated cane juice. This is part of what makes them so delicious, but I try to think of them as a treat rather than my go to peanut butter choice.








I was on the go again today, getting in my various doctors and dentists appointments before school starts. Around lunch time I had two hours in between appointments to kill so I stopped at Whole Foods hot bar for some grub and some easy reading. I have to admit, I always eat the same thing at the Whole Foods hot bar despite their amazing selection. Today, like every other time I go, I had the vegetable korma with brown rice and a few extra veggies from the salad bar (steamed kale and broccoli).








For dinner tonight, I thought I'd try a new recipe, which I will share with you. Since going vegan there are a few foods which I used to order out at restaurants that I now miss. However, I have found that I can create a much healthier version of these same dishes at home and that I can easily veganize my favorite meals in my own kitchen. Tonight's adventure...


Veggie Loaded Fettuccini Alfredo:


1 diced organic zucchini
1 diced organic orange bell pepper
1 cup chopped string beans -green or yellow or BOTH will do : )
1 box Spelt Ribbons or brown rice pasta
1 cup almond milk
2 1/2 tsp arrowroot
1/2 cup vegan parmesan (Veganaise makes one that will work)
1 small container plain coconut yogurt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste (optional)


1. Saute veggies in olive oil.


2. While veggies are cooking, cook spelt or pasta according to directions on box.


2. In a separate sasuce pan, whisk together milk and arrowroot on medium heat until it begins to thicken. Remove from heat.


3. Stir in cheese, yogurt and nutmeg.


4. Toss together pasta and veggies. Stir in sauce until noodles and veggies are coated in the creamy alfredo.













For dessert I made some yummy carrot cake from the Babycakes cookbook. Unfortunately I can't post the recipe here but the cookbook is definitely worth the amazon purchase, trust me!


I tried to get some of the baking products I use in the shot. Here is a list of what you see here:


Organic Maple Syrup

Organic Agave Nectar

Unsweetened Almond Milk

Earth Balance "Butter"



Are there any nurtitious products you really like that I should try??? Post a comment if you have a yummy one to share. I'm always up for the adventure : )



















































4 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh! Youre dinner and dessert looks sooo yummy!! I'm definitely going to try both..but honestly, how hard is all this stuff to make Beanz? You know I can just about follow a Betty Crocker cake mix...

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  2. I promise that none of the recipes pictured here are too difficult for a new cook to try! Afterall, I am a new cook myself. The most difficult part of some of these recipes is probably finding all the ingredients in the grocery store when you are new to vegan cooking, but that can be fun too! I love spending time looking through the different foods available : )

    Let me know how your culinary adventures turn out!

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  3. Rina, I was just at trader joes and Tom and I came across something called peanut flour. Have you ever used that for baking? It seemed interesting, but I wasn't sure if it could be used as a replacement to regular flour.

    xox kiirst

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  4. Hmmm... peanut flour. If it tastes anything like peanut butter I know I would love it in baking : )

    I will try it soon and let you know how the baked goods turn out! Thanks for the great suggestion!

    Usually I use whole wheat flour/pastry flour or spelt flour in my cooking and baking but there are sooo many options out there for people with gluten allergies. Don't think that just because you are allergic to gluten you will never enjoy a cake or cookie again. There is hope for you!!

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