Some Vegetarian/Vegan recipes

I am reading the book "The China Study". Please read it if you can.

A couple of vegetarian recipes that worked out over the last 2-3 days:
1. Shepherd's pie with Ground Round
2. This Tofu recipe: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2009/08/saffron-scented-tofu-scramble-breakfast.html
3. Pan fried spinach: Recipe below

I hate tofu. Really don`t like it. I`ve tried to like it time and again. But the more I try, the closer I get to getting used to it.

Some secrets to cooking tofu: Don`t skip any of the steps.

1. Get the freshest tofu you can. The older stuff will smell awful and fall apart.
2. Dry the tofu thoroughly in kitchen towels.
3. Break or cut into small pieces and pan fry. This changes the outer texture somewhat and that really helps. You don`t have to deep fry. For 2 cups of tofu, use 2 tsp of oil to pan fry in a non-stick skillet.
4. Add salt during the pan-frying process above.

Recipes I can't wait to try:
Cream of Wheat
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/12/20/gingerbread-swirl-creamy-wheat-cereal/
Cinnamon Rolls
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2012/02/coffee-cake-cinnamon-rolls-orange.html
Tofu:
http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/08/01/five-ingredient-tofu-scramble/
Breakfast Sandwich:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2010/06/breakfast-sandwich-vegan-recipe-in-15.html
Veggie Burger:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Z8W35FEzg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OE6H_M52Sng
Other Breakfasts:
http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/2004/04/recipes-breakfast.html

I think it's safe to say that the fewer processed foods you eat the better. So, ultimately, I'll be removing ground round, tofu and all those things from my diet. There are so many recipes to try WITHOUT using processed vegetables.

Pan Fried Greens

Now, this recipe is for die-hard greens lovers - like me. If you aren't particularly fond of greens, you probably want to try a different recipe.


Ingredients

Greens - any kind will do. Really. Lettuce, Arugula, Chinese greens, Spinach, Kale. Whatever.

1 clove of garlic, whole

2 tsp oil

salt

Wash and chop the greens.
Heat your pan.
Add oil.
Add the whole clove of garlic. Let it sizzle for 30 seconds.
Add the greens. Add salt.
Toss/mix. Cook uncovered for 5-10 minutes.

Serve with fresh rice.

I found this works best with a particular kind of Chinese greens that don't really wilt when cooked. They retain a delicious crunch and lose the raw flavour. The greens are called "Gui Lan Chinese Greens" and they look like the picture here: Gui Lan/Chinese Broccoli, GaiLan

The Mystery of Asparagus Guacamole (Recipe included)

You know how you can't describe the taste of sugar... you have to taste it yourself...? Well, that was the case for me and the Asparagus Guacamole. I love asparagus. I cook it often (at least 2-3 times a month). I love Guacamole and always make my own because it tastes better and has a better texture than the store bought fare. I couldn't imagine Asparagus tasting ANYTHING like Guac. I was a non-believer.

Well, last night, I wanted to do Mexican night for supper. I didn't want to spend 5 whopping points on guac, so I decided to give this a try. I had so little belief in this recipe that I almost bought an avocado. If it wasn't for a selection of completely unripe avocados, I would have bought one.

So the verdict? It's nearly inexplicable...

Asparagus Guacamole IS REALLY LIKE Avocado Guacamole!! It has an eerily similar look, colour, texture, flavour and taste to regular Guacamole. How does that happen? I really don't know. There are a few things to keep in mind while preparing the Guacamole in order to achieve the right texture:
1. Use fresh asparagus only
2. Don't boil the asparagus. Steam it or microwave it with no added water.
3. Do puree the asparagus. You can't mush it with a fork.

 And remember, unlike real guacamole - which you can eat on it's own if you were so inclined, this asparagus guacamole can only be used as an accompaniment. Although, on it's own, it's quite a tasty preparation.

And here's the recipe:

1 lb fresh asparagus spears

2 scallions (green onions), chopped

2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tbsp of lime juice

1 tbsp half-fat mayonnaise

2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

salt to taste

Wash the asparagus. Chop into 1 cm pieces. Discard the tough stems. Make sure you do this. Otherwise the dish may be ruined.
Place the asparagus in a microwave safe bowl and microwave till tender. Don't overcook. Stir occasionally to  ensure even cooking. In my small microwave it took 7 minutes to cook the (less than) 1 lb of asparagus.
Take the asparagus out of the microwave and let it cool for 5-10 minutes. I stirred it occasionally to hasten the cooling process.

Prepare your other ingredients: slice the scallions, crush the garlic, chop the coriander leaves.

Once the asparagus has cooled, add scallions and place in a blender. You want to pulse for 30 seconds and mix the ingredients. Keep repeating the process until you see a nice, homogenous mixture. I don't recommend blindly pureeing for X minutes because the texture will not be what you want.

Once you are happy with the texture of the guacamole, add salt, lime juice, crushed garlic, mayonnaise and coriander leaves. Adjust the salt and lime juice to taste.

To make our Chicken Fajitas, I took a Tortilla (from La Tortilla Factory), added small pieces of cooked chicken, grilled peppers and grilled onions, salsa, sour cream and this wonderful guacamole. And just like regular guacamole, I just couldn't stop eating this. I don't know how the flavour of the asparagus is transformed to something so close to guacamole. If you eat it by itself, you can definitely smell and taste the asparagus. But in the fajita, I couldn't tell.

I am a believer.

Sadly, I don't think I'll ever eat real Guacamole again. :(
I think I can live with that. Especially because regular guacamole is 5 points for 1/2 a cup, and this one is 1 point for 1 cup.

Eat Not That Which is Processed

One day I wanted to discover HOW MUCH processed food I was consuming without being aware of it. So I thought to myself: Let's start with processed things in my freezer, and then break down further by meals in the day. I opened up my freezer and found the following: Hash browns, breakfast sausages, bacon, orange juice, frozen waffles/pancakes, and frozen whipped topping. Awesome. Almost my entire breakfast plate is processed food. Interesting. Let's move to lunch and dinner...this must be a bit better... opened the freezer again: prepared frozen entrees for lunch, prepared frozen vegetables (like green giant peas or brussel sprouts, frozen chicken, fish sticks/fish fillets with seasoning/sauce. Ok, so let's say 60% of my lunch and dinner are processed. How about snacks? Frozen wings, hot dogs, hamburgers. How about dessert? Icecream, cheesecake, popsicles.

At this point I hadn't even gone into my pantry/cupboards that are filled with canned soups, instant noodles, packaged snacks like popcorn, pudding powders, twinkies, etc.

So once this enormous realization kicked in: that I have inadvertently made processed foods the foundation of my meals, I got into a self-directed battle to remove processed foods from my diet while not feeling deprived. It was a slow process but it's not just about NOT BUYING processed items. It's also about being in the mindset that maybe I don't need to eat hash browns everyday. Foods prepared more simply can make the bulk of my diet and more complicated home-made treats can be for special occasions.

So, when I want to have hash browns, I buy a potato, chop it into small pieces, pan fry it with spices and some oil and voila. I know all the ingredients that are in my meal. Unlike the times when I'm eating frozen hash browns, I am not trying to guess what's been done to what tastes faintly like potatoes in perfectly shaped cubes, that probably have components that won't exit my body until I turn 98. This realization of wholesome potatoes feeding my body Feels Good.

I don't like eliminating things from my diet. I like eating. But there are some things I've decided are just not worthy of human consumption. Hot dogs are one such item. You can read up all about it online or just read the list of ingredients in a hot dog packet, but here's a video that took all my love of hot dogs and made it vanish.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAn0PBjhwW4

Amazing Indian Chai Latte

 (source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ Sura Nualpradid)
I've had little luck finding good Chai at the latte joints. Now I have a recipe that I can enjoy at home when I'm relaxing. Here it is:

1 cup skim milk

1 cm piece of peeled and washed ginger

1 tsp tea leaves

1/2 tsp 'MDH Tea Masala' (if available) otherwise use a pinch of ground cinnamon and a pinch of ground cardamom

1-2 tsp Splenda or sugar

Put milk,ginger,tea,spices above in a microwave safe bowl and microwave till the milk comes to a boil. Pour the concoction through a sieve and into your favourite cup. Add Splenda and stir.

Enjoy!!

 

(source: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/ Jomphong)

Low Points Snacks - Arranged by Points

My biggest enemy is wanting a yummy taste in my mouth even when I'm not hungry. Having a list of eligible snacks that are arranged by points seems like a good idea especially when you have a limited number of points left before the day is about to end. For example: It's 8:30 p.m., you only have 1 point left, but you got the munchies. Well, looking up the table and fighting the good fight (against gluttony) seems like the best course of action. So here are the snacks:

0 points:

Cherry/Grape tomatoes
Baby Carrots
Cucumbers
Celery
Peppers (Green/Red/Yellow)
Apple
Grapes
Pear
Orange
Berries (Strawberry/Raspberry/Blueberry)
Fresh Pineapple

1 point:

1 La Vache Qui Rit/Laughing cow cheese
1/4 cup Humus + Carrots/Celery

2 points:

Amazing Indian Chai Latte
String Cheese + Baby Carrots
Cottage Cheese + Strawberry/Kiwi
1 Boiled Egg (This is an especially good treat because it keeps you full for at least 2 hours)
2 points crackers (Melba Toast/Wasa/etc) with Fat Free Salsa

3 points:
Tuna Salad with lettuce/cucumbers/shredded cabbage/etc
Cobb salad with infinity greens, 1 boiled egg, a little ham and fat free dressing
Mixed salad with salad dressing and bacon bits


Clearly this list needs a lot of work. Please comment below to suggest more items, and I'll incorporate your comments into my article for a more comprehensive list. If you want, I can make this a printable list as well.

What a great article!!

How to stop Over-eating.

http://johnshore.com/2010/01/07/how-to-stop-overeating-with-one-simple-realization/

Broccoli and Cheddar Quiche

This is a weight watchers recipe. It was just ok. I won't be making this again. It's a fair number of points for not enough taste payback.

Ingredients

6 oz pie crust, 9-inch, refrigerated
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup(s) (sliced) uncooked red onion(s), chopped
1 1/4 cup(s) part-skim ricotta cheese
1 cup(s) low-fat shredded Cheddar cheese
1 large egg(s)
2 egg white(s), large
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp table salt, or more to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or more to taste
10 oz cooked frozen chopped broccoli, thawed and well-drained
1 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Press pie crust into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch, removable-bottom tart pan or a 9-inch pie pan; refrigerate until ready to use. To make filling, heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Transfer onion to a large bowl and add ricotta cheese, cheddar cheese, egg, egg whites, mustard, oregano, salt and pepper; mix well and fold in broccoli. Spoon mixture into prepared crust and level surface with a wooden spoon; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake until a knife inserted near centre comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing into 8 pieces. Yields 1 piece per serving.

PointsPlus™ Value: 6
Servings: 8