The Christmas Dinner

 

Fa la la la laaaa la la la laa! Lol Yes I counted how many la's are in that hook.  I crack myself up. I'm mean really! Yes I did!

 

I'm going to get straight to it.

Entrée:
Salisbury Steak
Mashed Potatoes
Spaghetti Squash with Greens Beans (recipe below)
Mediterranean Stuffed Collards
Green Peas
Dessert:
All American Pear and Cranberry PotPie with Ice Cream
Pomegranate Pistachio Cake

Yes it was quite a menu.  The Golden Hits were Stuffed Collards, Pomegranate Pitachio Cake, and PotPie with ice cream

Salisbury Steak, Mashed Taters, Spaghetti Squash and Green Beans, and Stuffed Collards

All American Pear and Cranberry PotPie






Spaghetti Squash and Green Beans
1 spaghetti squash
1 chopped onion
1 tbsp. minced garlic
1 lb green beans
2 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp sage
1 tsp better than bouillon
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 large tomatoes chopped

Preheat oven to 350
Cut squash in half.  Oil it and place squash down on baking sheet.  Bake 45 min.  Let cool, then scrape with fork to remove squash put in bowl. 

Add oil, onion, garlic and green beans to a skillet and sauté 5 minutes.  Add squash, spices, bouillon paste, and water.  Cook an additional 5 minutes. Stir in lemon, salt and tomato.

Well in my porky the pig voice.  That's all folks !



Happy New Year and as always Happy Eating :)
















Christmas Time is Here

C H R I S T M A S   C O O K I E S

 

 

On the 24th day of Christmas my true gave me.... 24 hand decorated Christmas cookies.  We made Christmas cookies and decorating them today on Christmas Eve!  Whew am I tired.  I had to go by the store and get Christmas cookie cutters stand in line and wait.  Who likes that??  It was worth it to spend the time doing this with my son.  He really enjoyed baking these. Cinnamon tea pairs well with these.  The Cookie Recipe was used from Colleen Patrick Goudreau's  Vegan Baking Cookbook.

Cinnamon Tea

4 cups water
4- 5 Cinnamon Barks
1 tsp Agave  more to taste.

Add all items to  saucepan.  Boil 20-30 minutes until tea changes colors.  A light bronze color.  That's all!

 

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Goodnight.  Enjoy your friends and family and the true reason for the celebrating!!

 

I'll will share photos of our Christmas Dinner Tomorrow

 

Happy Holiday Eating :0) 

My Sweet November We Must Catch Up II

VEGFEST!!! The 2nd annual Vegfest in Atlanta is one of the great highlights of my November.  It was super special because I was a volunteer! Helping the vendors, seeing vegan chefs, authors it was such a great place to be.  The crowd was pretty thick.  We had a line outside well before the event started.  To make everyone aware of the festivities that lie ahead of them, as a courtesy, I lend a hand in greeting the amazing people waiting patiently outside, and it was a chilly morning.  My 'tis was a wonderful way to spend my Saturday!  And get this, after the show was the after party =) at least for the volunteers and such.  There were cooking demos from many chefs, to name a few Meet the Shannons, Afa Ibomu, and Isa (coauthor of Veganomicon, and author of a slew of cookbooks herself).  I grabbed a hug from her I was so excited, Veganomicon was my first vegan start.  It taught me the basic of vegan cooking.  So it was such a pleasure to meet one of the authors of this inspiring book.  Many Atlantanian vendors were there showcasing their vegan cuisine, I chose Dough had a bacon, egg biscuit and yes it was vegan.  It was a heaven for plant based eaters because it was so many choices all under one roof.  Volunteering was great as you get the behind the scene before the action begins.  Enjoy and review the list of vendors and the snap shots.

 

 

 

--Healthy Essence Food Truck--

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                   

      Isa (vegan author) and Atlantanian Elena Paulsen (cofounder Veganesp)

 

Find more information regarding the vendors right here ==> VegFest 2013 Vendors 

 

 

 

--FAVORITE TREASURE--

One of my treasured take aways from this year's Vegfest is dum dum dum dummmmmm!!!!! Teeccino Herbal Coffee!!!!!!!   I've always loved the smell of coffee and for a couple years I drank it but the caffeine is not good to the body so for vitality health I stop ingesting caffeine.  But miss the taste of coffee.  This is the best alternative to coffee, and I'm the biggest herbal tea lover, this is a great addition to my herbal tea collection.

--RECIPE TIME--
As always I'll share a recipe.  Just ate these for breakfast this morning!

Apple Cinnamon Waffles Topped with Walnuts with  a bowl of strawberries and Yogurt.

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Cinnamon Waffles
1 1/4 c flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp sugar

1 c milk

1 apple chopped finely -food processor
1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp. oil

 

Preheat waffle iron. 

Mix dry ingredients flour, baking powder, cinnamon, sugar in one bowl.  In separate bowl mix wet ingredients milk, apples, vanilla and oil.  Add wet ingredients to dry.  Combine. 
Cook until brown.  Top with chopped walnuts and maple syrup. 

Happy Eating :)
 

My Sweet November We Must Catch Up I

Happy Thanksgiving!  I know I'm running behind I had every intension to post something earlier before thanksgiving, but with my indecisiveness I couldn't narrow down what I wanted.  I didn't go to the grocery store early to avoid the mean crowds the day before Thanksgiving, and because I was traveling to my mom's I couldn't just leave and arrive thinking I would have food ready for me to eat since I'm solo on the vegan train at my family gatherings.  So I search the cabinets and fridge and came up with a last minute throw it together Thanksgiving dinner.  The menu included:  Acorn squash with roasted root vegetables with parsley and onions, Cornbread Dressing, Macaroni and Cheese, Collard Greens, and a Lentil Loaf.  For dessert I bake some oatmeal cookies that I had frozen for a later date to make. 

My photo didn't turn out great as I forgot my camera and used my sorry phone camera to take photos.  I have a confession to make I loved my cornbread dressing it's so delicious with collards. The collards were cooked by my mom but she knows how to make them good without the traditional southern seasonings.  It was delicious very pleased with my dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

Cornbread Dressing:

 

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, diced

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp parsley

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups whole wheat bread, cubed

2 cups corn bread, cubed

1/2 cup vegetable broth

2 Flax Seed Egg 

--2 1/2 tbsp. ground flax 6 tbsp. water = 1 egg-

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Sauté the onion and celery in oil. In a large mixing bowl, combine the seasoning with the bread and cornbread, mixing well. Add the onion and celery and stir to combine. Add broth and blend mixture.  Pour into oil pan and Bake for 20 minutes. The edges should be crispy. If you don't have a recipe for vegan cornbread check out a post done previously.

 

**Since I'm playing catch up I must create a couple post to tell you all about my Sweet November**

 

Happy Eating :)  More to come......

 

 

Now or Later Vegan Burger with Fried Pickles

This recipe is featured in one of my vegetarian magazine subscriptions "Vegetarian Times Apr/May 2013 edition".  You can also find this recipe online, I wanted to share the recipe its a simple burger to make and it's delicious.

 

 

2 cups cooked beans of your choice

4 carrots peeled and grated

1 small onion

1/2 cup whole rolled oats

1/2 cup parsley

3 cloves garlic (minced)

1 tbsp. chili powder

1 tsp seasoning salt

pinch  cayenne pepper

4 tbsp. olive oil

4 hamburger buns

4 tbsp. mustard

Lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and red onion, condiments of your choice

 

Pulse beans, carrots, onion, oats, parsley, garlic, chili powder and salt and pepper in food processor until combined.  Make sure mixture holds together. Let rest before shaping patties chill in fridge for 30 minutes or even overnight. 

 

Shape mixture into 4 1 inch thick patties.  You can shape and freeze or shape and cook.  This is where the now or later comes into play. 

 

Coat pan with oil and add patties cook 5 minutes on each side or until brown. 

 

 

A nice comforting appetizer to these burgers would be as promised in my last post Fried Pickles.  Yeah I'm a southern girl people and treasure my southern roots. 

 

Fried Pickles Recipe

1/3 cup pickle juice (from the pickle jar)

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp. flour

1 tbsp. cornstarch

1 tsp prepared mustard

1/2 tsp dried dill weed

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups of hamburger chips pickles

Oil for Frying

 

In a bowl combine juice, 1 tbsp. flour, cornstarch, and mustard.  Stir set aside

In a separate bowl combine 1/2 cup flour, dill weed, red pepper flakes, and salt Stir. 

 

Heat oil in pan

 

Coat pickles in flour mixture, then batter, then flour.  Add pickle into hot pan until full cook for 8 min or until brown. Remove cooked pickles on to a paper towel line bowl.  Enjoy pickles as is or dip in ranch dressing (recipe in a previous post)

 

Happy Eating :) 

 

 

 

 

"Football Food" Hot Wangs

Football season has officially started!  One might say I'm a bandwagon fan but I don't think so.  I stick to my main ones but I do often switch depending upon how my esp. direct me.  College football is more of my forte it's a little more exciting than pros in my opinion.  I grew up going to high school football games they were the best. Would you have guess my concession stand favorite is green!  It's pickles these little busters are the right combo of salt and tart.  Hmm I should include a recipe of fried pickles yeah I think I'll add that to the itinerary of to do's and post the results and share with all you lovely folks.  Ok so back to my recipe, Hot Wangs yummy!  Once at the salon, the stylist ask how long I was vegetarian I answered her and she responded... me and my girlfriend were for a year  but she said, I couldn't give up wings.  Well honey, if you take a bite of these wangs I'm sure it will satisfy your craving.  These are a huge hit.  **Caution** as we know these aren't the healthiest because they are fried but hey at least they are cholesterol free.

I make a batch of the seitan every month and freeze it.  I have it handy whenever I want it in a short time.   You can buy 2 prepackaged but I prefer to make it myself recipe is included. You will need 2 cups worth.

Wangs
Add 1 cup flour to a bowl, coat 2 cups seitan pieces with flour.   Double coating with flour guarantees a better crispiness. Pan fry pieces 3 mins on each side.

Sauce
1/4 cup Frank's Red Hot
1 tbsp. melted earth balance
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Mixed together and toss fried pieces into the sauce.  Double sauce recipe if needed.

before sauce is added

 

Finish

 

 

Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup vegenaise

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/2 tbsp. fresh parsley

salt as needed ...add water to desired creaminess

 

Chick Recipe

 

In a bowl combine

1 1/2 cup vital wheat gluten

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 1/2 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Mixed all these items in bowl with spoon knead for about 4 mins or so until dough forms.  Cut into 4 even sized pieces

 

Using the slow cooker add the following

7 cups water

1 stalk celery

3 Bay leaves

1 tsp dried parsley or 1 sprig of fresh

2 pressed garlic cloves

3 bouillon cubes

 

Add pieces of seitan into the broth and cook in slow cooker for 3 hours. It will double in size.  Once done freeze into portion size freezer bags.  You don't have to use slow cooker you can easily do it over the stove just cook for 1 hour.

 

Happy Eating :)

 

 

Juicy Fruit....Juicy

 

 

Juicing is a major part of my dietary intake.  My breakfast starts with a juice most days.  Lately it seems I've been inspired to write about the questions I get the most from the inquistive people I come in contact with.  Green juice it's nasty, it's green I don't want that so I've been told. Ha! Juicing can be sweet, pungent and bitter.  It's all depending upon the items you choose to include in your concoction.  Summer is still here even though the past few days in Georgia it's felt like October's fall weather.  I am a huge fan of watermelon you will see a watermelon cooler smoothie recipe below.  I have also added my juice recipe I made when I participated in the Holistic Health Expo.   My juicer is Hamilton Beach 67601 it works for me I'm a woman on a budget and it serves me well. 

You may ask what's the difference between juicing and smoothies?  In short, juicing extracts the juice while smoothies uses the whole vegetable and fruit.  I love them both, juicing yields quick nutrients released into the blood stream, while smoothies is more like eating the whole fruit in a glass which is digested  just as the food we eat but slighly faster than solid food. Juice gives you a boost quicker while smoothies are more like liquidizing your food. 
 

Smoothie

Watermelon Cooler Smoothie

1/2 sliced small watermelon cubed

6 mint leaves
Place in blender and drink

 
Green Lemonade

4 - 5 hand fulls of spinach

1 large cucumber

2 green apples

1 or 2 pears

1 peeled lemon
Run all ingredients in  juicer and drink

 

 

 
 

 Picture taken at the Holistic Health Expo
 

 

 

 Happy Drinking :)

 

 

I'm hungry what's for lunch?

Hi There!

Throughout the course of the month it became evident I needed to address what vegetarians eat at lunch.  This has been a topic that I wanted to cover for quite sometime. Recently, I sat down at a restaurant with a friend and my friend mentioned they just didn't know what to eat through the week.  That they had fell off.  How do you do it? they ask. This is a question I have received on numerous occasions.  So it's time I provided a couple of suggestions to help you all out.  I understand being tired when you get home and not wanting to cook a thing, this is very familiar to me as I have also many times just wanting to go straight to bed after a long day.
 
Ideas for weeknight cooking and preparing your lunch for the next day:
 
1. Sauté in a little water and oil 1 - 2 bunches Kale or Spinach with garlic and onions and a little salt, sauté 2 chopped sweet potato add a little oil, and lima beans or any bean of your choice
 
2. Thai Lettuce Wrap quick and easy - recipe: 1/2 cup cooked brown rice, 1 cucumber sliced thin, 1 c. cubed firm tofu, shredded carrots, 8 lettuce leaves, 3 green onions, cilantro, Thai peanut sauce (store bought )put all together  in the lettuce and top with peanut sauce
 
3. Strawberry and Spinach Salad - recipe: vinaigrette  dressing, 2 c. spinach, 1 c. chopped strawberries, 3 heart of palms (artichokes) 1/4 can white beans, 1 tbsp. chopped pecan
 
4. Veggie Potpie - recipe: In a stock pot add 1 chopped onion with 1 tbsp. oil 3/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste, 2 chopped celery stalks cook 2-3 minutes.  Add 3 cups water to pot along with 2 1/2 cup mixed frozen veggies.  Once heated thoroughly in a small bowl add 3 tbsp. of flour  mixed with 3 tbsp. water add  to pot to thickening the base.  Pour the veggie mixture into a casserole pan.  Top with biscuits either home made or can biscuits.  Bake At 375 In Oven For 30 Mins
 
5. Lentils and Rice with Green Beans. recipe: Cook 1 c. lentils to 2 cups of water add 1 stalk celery and 1 carrot, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper to taste.  Cook lentils according to package.  Cook Rice according to package.  In a pan steam green beans with 1/4 c water add a little earth balance and seasoning to taste.
 
6. Lazy Not So Nachos  recipe: In a plate add two handfuls of tortilla chips, lettuce, warm a can of black beans warm with water, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp cumin and salt  to taste or warm a can of refried vegetarian beans, onions, salsa and guacamole. When packing it for lunch store your chips in a separate container to keep chips crunchy
 
7. Pasta with marinara and fresh chopped basil, black pepper
 
8. Veggie stir fry cut your favorite veggies cook in a wok/pan with 2 tbsp. oil and garlic add a dash of soy sauce and lay it on a bed of rice. 
 
Eating Out at Lunch: Be sure to click on each of the links to route you to the different websites! 
 
Chipotle - Burrito Bowl with Black Beans ~ other Mexican spots look for veggie fajita, some places serve tofu

Tin Drum - Tikka Masala, Basil Fried Rice, Teriyaki Stir Fry, Sweet n Sour
Stir-Fry, Pad Thai Noodles ~ other Asian spots choose Noodles or Rice, with Vegetables, Spring Roll and Ginger Salad
 
Carrabba's  - Tag Pic Pac, Penne Franco, Pasta Sostanza ~ other Italian Restaurants - Pasta with Marinara, Salad, Vegetable Tomato Soup check ingredients
 
Dominos - Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich, Build your Own Pasta, Breadsticks and Salad, ~ other pizza places - breadsticks and gigantic salad, order a veg pizza however I order it without cheese it's more like a flatbread than the standard traditional pizza surprisingly it's good

Jason Deli  - Spinach Veggie Wrap, French onion soup ~ other sandwich shops Veggie Sub, Chips and Water
 
I hope this help you all!! 

Until next time :) Happy Eating

 
 
 
 Are you in the Metro Atlanta GA Area?  Interested in fine tuning your cooking skills?  Please complete the survey! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/L96DWPD
 

It's personal

Hi Ladies! A couple of people have asked what products do I use at home.  I will have more than one post regarding this area as there are many things to share about personal hygiene, my vitamins and self health products and cosmetics.  The pictures in this post will give an "eyedea" on what these products look like if you were to go searching in the stores.  Aside from the skin care line all  groceries products should be located in Kroger and Target, and even Walgreens will have the other products! 

MY HAIR CARE regime is very simple. Simplicity is the name of everything for me if it's not simple I don't really like to fool with it.  I normally purchase my hair care products from Target it's the Shea Moisture Line. 

• Wash my hair with sulfate free shampoo African Black Soap Deep Cleansing Shampoo  1 per month.  
• Co-wash almost every week with African Black Soap Balancing Conditioner. 
• Once my hair is nice and clean I use a Shea Mask to moisture my wet hair. As a styling aid I use just a small amount of Coconut & Hibiscus Curling Souffle.

That's it.  Everyday I wake up I refresh my curly hair with a mist of water and olive oil or Jane Carter Leave In conditioner. 

 

MY SKIN CARE regime is the EvanHealy the Blue is good for sensitive skin as my skin is very sensitive and this line is holistic which mean there are no artificial ingredients or harsh chemicals and the line uses essential oils so the smell is nice and light but because it from essential oils the benefits are excellent.  Use twice a day can be purchased online or at Whole Foods Market.

 

MY DENTAL CARE regime is Tom of Maine Toothpaste, toothbrush and a tongue scrapper.  Flossing is important to me especially when I get something stuck in between my teeth.  It's annoying the dental picks which are not shown below is what I use.   I will be purchasing a water pick soon and will give updates on whether this is a great addition to my regime. 

 

MY IMMUNE BUILDING CARE regime is drinking a shot of probiotic every morning and taking vitamin C.  The probiotic is for good flow of healthy bacteria in your gut.  A healthy gut = stronger immune system.  I drink Good Belly the taste is not bad and the results are fantastic.  No colds, or stomach bugs and I have great digestive system since drinking this and staying on top of taking my vitamin C. 

In a post to come, I will share other personal items that I'm using that works for me.  And my friend you will still find that I have included a recipe for you! The heat is up and what a refreshing cool dip this can be. Instead of ranch, dip your baby carrots in this creamy dip.

Avocado Chive Dip

1. Two avocados
2. 1/4 cup v. mayo
3. 1/2 cup fresh chives
4. 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
5. Sea Salt and ground pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in food processor until smooth about 1 min.
Serve with cut up raw veggies, pita chips or anything of your choice


Happy Eating :)

Grilling Out

Yesterday was not a typical day for grilling as we had showers for most of the day. But we wanted grilled food.  On my menu were veggie dogs which aren't eaten until I eat grill food, corn, vegetable kabobs, potato salad, baked beans, balsamic kale, apple crisp with non dairy ice cream and it was all washed down with a delicious mocktail.  Tis was a great Sunday Feast! 

The kabob included a mixture of my favorite vegetables zucchini,onions,carrots,vegan morning star chick starters, marinated in Stubb's BBQ  my fav store bought sauce, and cauliflower.

Following is the recipe for the delicious mocktail!

Virgin Miami Vice

2 tbsp pineapple juice
2 tbsp coconut cream
1 tbsp almond milk
3 tbsp strawberry puree (4 fresh strawberries pureed in processor)
3 tbsp fresh lime juice (juice of about 3 limes)
2 tsp of simple syrup 
1 cup ice

Mix all ingredients and top with ice. Makes 1 serving.  But you definitely can make more

 

Happy Eating!!

Spring Forward

The time as come your emails are being saved and the contest is now on! To recap the wonderful blog reader will receive Collen Patrick Goudreau 30 day vegan challenge including videos, recipes etc. to help you successfully incorporate a balanced plant based diet!

Its April already guys and we are beginning to feel the spring weather in the South!  This pic was taken yesterday I love it!!!

Spring Salad Recipe

6 tomatoes diced
2 cucumbers
1 avocado
1 cup cilantro
1-2 limes juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt, oregano and pepper to taste

**Eat as is or top on a bed of rice or tortilla chips**

Happy Eating! 

ANNNOUCEMENT! PAY ATTENTION!

The thought of eating a plant based diet to some may sound extremely limiting or just down right impossible to consider for some.  In an effort, to help others who may be thinking about transitioning or those who desire is to increase thier diet with more fruits and vegetables we can help.  In the next few posts I will be bragging about this awesome giveaway to one lucky blog reader.  I'm super excited about the new drawing for Colleen Patrick Goudreau 30 day Vegan Challenge program.  The giveaway features in short the winner will receive recipes, videos on what those on a plant based diet eats, and she Colleen Patrick Godreau pratically holds your hand during this 30 day period!  Isn't this AMAZING!!!  Sounds interesting? The winner will receive this program valued at nearly $40 all because your a great blog reader.  I want to show my love is not only for the animals but for all humans as well by jumpstarting a healthy plant based lifestyle.   It could be you! All emails received with your name and state to ebskerrit@gmail.com will be placed in a jar and we will draw a name the old fashion way.  Stay Tuned contest will begin before April 2013. To find out more click on this link http://www.the30dayveganchallenge.com/fe/29377-program-details

And here's a quick recipe, apples were calling my name and this is what happened

Apple Crisp Smoothie

1 medium apple
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. maple syrup
3 or 4 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in blender and mix until combined. Enjoy

Happy Eating :) And remember to be on the lookout for more info about the AWESOME giveway

The V Day Red Light Special

Since it's already well into year 2013 its odd to say it now since it no longer Jan but hey it's still a new year.  Happy New Year to you all!  Hope your January was well and your resolutions are nearly completed by now.  It's February and "V" Day is this week and in the with all things red floating around in the media and the grocery stores and the heart box chocolates.  I had my eye on this recipe which is dark red.  To my lovers out there make this dessert and feel good about it I'm really loving it on this rainy day in GA.  My slice actually two slices :) were enjoyed while watching this obnoxious movie Ted it's a bit filthy but this Cherry Almond Streusel Tart is just lovely.

Cherry Almond Streusel Tart

Pastry for single crust pie( 9in frozen pie crust thawed)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
dash salt
4 cups of tart cherries thawed (2 10oz bags frozen cherries)
1/8 tsp almond extract

Topping:
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
3 tbsp. flour
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 tbsp. silvered almonds
2 tbsp. cold butter

Press pie crust onto an ungreased tart pan
In a saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and salt.  Stir in cherries bring to a boil and stir constantly cook for 2 mins. Remove from heat and add extract.  Pour mixture into crust. 

For topping combine all until it resembles coarse crumbs.  Sprinkle over filling.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes until golden brown. 

 

 

 Until Next Time....Happy Eating!