What I Ate Wednesday

Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday, where we take a quick peak at what I've been up to in the kitchen.

Breakfast was simple and quick. Just a bowl of these brown rice crisps topped with a banana, some walnuts and some snappy grapes, of course!

Lunch was perfect for a post hurricane warm up :) A bowl of stewed curried lentils and tomatoes with a really delicious apple. I swear I could eat these local apples three times a day.  I love making stews or soups like this and serving them over a big bowl of brown rice, cous cous, farro or quinoa. It stretches out your soup and it also gives it that extra nutritional kick!

My homemade kombucha tea is the greatest drink to have at lunch. I'm so happy one of my dear readers shared her starter with me! I make it with rooibos tea, so it has a nice sweet taste.

Snack was the usual! A chocolate protein powder smoothie made with almond milk, ice, a scoop of powder and half a frozen banana. Topped with cacao nibs, peanuts and some chocolate chips for good measure.

Dinner was some steamed broccoli, orange chicken Gardien and garlic brown rice. Yum!

I don't usually go for the old cooked rice in a bag thing. However, this is simple enough for my nine-year-old to make for himself if I'm not home, so I picked it up at Target. It's actually not bad!

2012 Boston Vegetarian Society Festival

Saturday I attended (my second) Boston Vegetarian Society Festival. It's a very popular event (i.e. super crowded!) held in a college gymnasium. The event draws people from all over New England, excited to hear speakers, meet cookbook authors, mingle with food/clothing vendors and sample lots of food and drink samples.

One of the vendors I like is the Herbivore Clothing Company. I didn't get a t-shirt this year, but if you've seen me wearing a "I'm vegan and I love you" shirt, this is where I got it last year!

Check out their site for unique and cool holiday gifts!

Cool Stuff At Trader Joe's

In celebration of the opening of the Foxboro, MA Trader Joe's (hurray!), every Monday morning I am featuring a Trader Joe's product I like.

This is part of makes Trader Joe's so much fun - all the wacky snacks they carry. However, don't kid yourself and think you can eat just a small handful of these puppies. You WILL eat the entire bag :) Perfect with a wheat beer, in my humble opinion :)

Enjoy your Monday, everyone! And for those of you affected by the storm, be safe!

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup

How about a great recipe for a delicious pumpkin black bean soup? This is easy, freezes well, and with the addition of the spices, has a different flavor.

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup

2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can (16 ounces) pumpkin puree
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 T olive oil (or less)
4 cups vegt. broth
1 T cumin
1 tsp. each kosher salt, cinnamon, allspice
1/2 tsp. ground pepper
3 T balsamic vinegar
Baked pumpkin seeds for garnish

1. place oil, red onion, garlic and seasonings in a large pot.
2. cook on low-medium heat until red onion and garlic brown.
3. puree the beans and tomatoes with half of the veg. broth. Add pureed ingredients, pumpkin and rest of broth to your pot.
4. simmer uncovered until thick, about 45 minutes. Before serving, stir in vinegar. Garnish with baked pumpkin seeds.

Books I Recommend

It's Fall in New England, so tis the season to curl up at night and read a good wellness book, right?

Right? :)

Here are my favorite five:

1. The China Study by T. Colin Cambell
2. Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Caldwell Esselstyn
3. Veganist by Kathy Freston

4. The Engine Two Diet by Rip Esselstyn
5. Eat To Live by Joel Fuhrman

There is also a wealth of information on the web, of course, but these are my tried-and-true books.
The first two are particularly compelling because they are science-based, which is important. It's very hard to deny the benefits of a healthy diet when you see numbers.

And by numbers, I'm not talking about weight, I'm talking about diet as a tool to prevent or reverse the big three diseases in our country: heart disease, cancer and stroke. Very compelling reads!

So treat yourself to a good read that could change your life!

What I Ate Wednesday

Welcome back to What I Ate Wednesday!


Breakfast tasted better than it looks (I know, I know, sometimes soymilk just doesn't photograph well, does it?) This was a mix of old-fashioned oats, grapenuts, walnuts, flaxseed, sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds, topped with half a sliced banana.

Lunch was a roasted butternut squash, carrot curry soup with an apple :) Have you noticed how amazing the New England apples are tasting right now?  Cortland, Honey Crisp, Empire and Macs. Yum!

Snack was the usual smoothie. This one is a scoop of chocolate plant-based protein powder, half a frozen banana, ice, almond milk and a sprinkle of cacao beans on top.

For dinner I made a big pot of brown rice and then topped it with this simple pre-made Indian dish.

What the Bulk!? Cinnamon Bun Granola

One of my favorite blogs is "Oh She Glows," which always features lovely recipes. Here is a recent "what the bulk worthy" recipe she shared :)

''Cinnamon Bun Granola from Tiny Treats Ebook

Shared with permission by Lisa Pitman and Nicole Axworthy. Tiny Treats Ebook. Copyright 2012.
From Lisa and Nicole: If we ever open a vegan B&B, this will be on each breakfast-in-bed tray. We would keep the guestrooms full by serving it up differently each day–in a layered parfait glass with sliced apples and almond yogurt, or on top of our favourite banana soft serve, or in special tea cup with a substantial splash of coconut milk. The options are endless.

GRANOLA

2 cups (215g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (95g) raw buckwheat groats
1/2 cup (65g) raw walnuts, chopped
1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup (40g) raisins
1 tbsp (15mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp (2.5mL) sea salt
1/4 tsp (1.25mL) fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 cup (120mL) pure maple syrup
1/4 cup (50g) Medjool dates, pitted
2 tbsp (30mL) melted coconut oil
2 tbsp (30mL) water
2 tsp (10mL) pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large bowl, stir together the oats, buckwheat, walnuts, shredded coconut, raisins, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
2. Using a blender, blend the maple syrup, dates, coconut oil, water and vanilla extract into a smooth, thick sauce.
3. Pour the sauce into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until all the dry ingredients are well coated.

DEHYDRATOR METHOD

4. Transfer the granola to a Teflex-lined dehydrator tray and spread into a thin (about 1/2 inch thick), even layer. Dehydrate for 8 to 10 hours at 115F.

OVEN METHOD

4. Preheat the oven to 300F. Transfer the mixture to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and spread into a thin, even layer. Bake for 25 minutes, gently stirring every 10 minutes to ensure even browning. Allow to cool completely before gently breaking into clusters. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge or at room temperature.
Makes about 6 cups of granola.