End Of Year Reflections

As 2012 approaches it makes me reflect on everything that has taken place in 2011. I've honestly changed a lot this year and look forward to more change in the coming year. I feel much more at peace and complete as a person than I did at the end of last year. Although not everything has turned out how I would have liked this year, what I have accomplished overshadows it. I've learned a lot about myself and it has only worked in making me stronger. The biggest thing that I set out to do this year was to put myself first and get to know myself more, and I did. For years I have been so caught up with other people that I allowed myself to sit on the back burner. That is no longer an option, I've enjoyed being selfish and making sure my needs are met before others. Slowly I have crawled out of a toxic place that I seemed to dwell in and I like the light. Although some of my plans fell through and everything didn't go as I liked I'm okay with that. I know that in this coming year I will set to rights all that went wrong within this year. I made huge strides in becoming a happier more fulfilled person and I feel it. I've learned that believing is the first step in accomplishing what I want, the second is putting action behind it. I have started on some of my goals and although they are not met yet I have done enough to make me feel proud. I've learned that letting go of negative, toxic things will set me free to grow into the person I need to be. I've learned to accept without anger the things that I cannot control and rather try to enjoy what I do have. I've learned that connecting with family although irritating as it might be at times, it is more meaningful than being alone. I've learned that being alone is good for the soul, kind of like a refresher. I've learned that I cannot be without creating. Wether that be writing, cooking, drawing, reading, sewing, editing or even doing makeup. Even daydreaming is essential to my well being. I need to be creative in order to feel productive, something I lacked before. I learned that I am much stronger and braver than I give myself credit for. I learned that it's okay to be emotional. I learned it's okay to live in the now and not stress about the tomorrow. I've learned that I do have will power and can be determined when I put my mind to it. I know that I can achieve and will achieve anything that I really want and set out to do. Nothing is too far-fetched or out of reach if I believe in it and work for it. I know that I will accomplish so much more this coming year simply because I want to. I've learned that I need to take nay-sayers words with a grain of salt in order to press on. I'm excited for 2012, it symbolizes everything that I am excited to accomplish. Although I'm sure I will slip up or have to deal with some setbacks along the way, that's life. There will always be setbacks and so long as you are patient and never take your eye off the prize you will get to your set destination. I will get to my destination, figuratively and literally. Although I was conflicted on my plans to end the New Year after reflecting I'm not any longer. I want to end the year exactly the way that I have positively transformed myself throughout. Rather than spend my time around a group of strangers that don't know me or care to I'm going to be with people who do. I'm going to ring in the new year clear headed, with my loved ones, good food and doing what I love, writing. When I thought about it, I really couldn't picture myself doing anything else that day. I'm thankful for all the blessings that I've had and all the misfortunes that taught me a lesson. So I end this year light of heart, happy and await the New Year with open arms.

Happy New Year!
xo Melissa

Birthday Meal

I went out to a Vegan Restaurant for my birthday and I wanted to share pictures of my delicious meal. I went to a restaurant called Red Bamboo in the city, it was my first time being there and I'm happy I picked that place. My sister ordered some mock pork chops with veggies and I ordered chicken parm with a side of brown rice. Then for desert we split a pumpkin cheesecake, and OMG was it so good.

Waiting for our food

Breaded "Pork chops" with a side of vegetables and corn mashed potatoes

Chicken Parmesan with garlic bread and a side of brown rice. Look at that serving! I gave one of the chickens and breads to my sister it was just too much food.

Pumpkin cheesecake=DELICIOUS! We were so full after our meal but I've been dying to try vegan cheesecake so we split it. It was so worth it!

Holiday Food

This christmas I was a bit lazy about cooking for myself but I managed to make a little something to eat. My favorite thing about the holidays has always been when they make honey ham at home. That was definitely something that I missed on thanksgiving and this time I decided to make my own. It's quite easy really, and to accompany it I chose to make seasoned potatoes and a little avocado alfalfa sprout salad.

Here's what you will need: Raisins, Brown sugar, Water, Maple Syrup, seitan, salt, mustard, BBQ sauce, olive oil, potatoes

So for the potatoes I used some red potatoes and cut them in small peices. Then I tossed them with some olive oil, BBQ sauce and mustard. I put them in a pan in the oven covered and let them cook until soft.

For the Honey Ham this is what I did.
Taking a pan and putting it on medium heat I added some water (the quantity depends on how much sauce you will want to make). Then I added some brown sugar,salt and the raisins as well. Putting the fire up a bit the sugar should start to caramelize. One the sauce starts to thicken you can add your pieces of fake meat and cook it together on lower heat.

Another way to do it if you didn't have any brown sugar or if the sauce wasn't thick enough is to add some maple syrup.

Both of these are such easy dishes and the pairing of sweet mock meat with savory potatoes is a nice combination.

Give this a try and enjoy!

Homemade Pizza

I have been craving pizza for weeks now and I finally got around to making my own. I was hesitant about making dough since last time it ended up in a gigantic mess and fail. But I wanted pizza bad enough that I was determined to make it work so I tried. 

I used Red Stars dry active yeast which if you don't know how to make you can check their website for directions. 

After my dough had been kneaded and rested I divided it up and rolled out some mini pies. I precooked them a bit in the oven and then put my tomato sauce and cheese and popped it back into the oven. After wards I topped it with some alfalfa sprouts and avocado. 

It was so tasty and easy and I enjoyed making it myself. I even ran some olive oil along the edges of the pies and then sprinkled garlic on it to have a nice tasting crust. 

Leftover Bean Burger

Even before giving up meat I have always attempted to make some kind of veggie or bean burger, with no luck. Finally I was able to make something of a bean burger using some leftovers. Its actually quite simple and I make a batch to keep in the fridge for lunch the next day. This definitely tastes better the next day for some reason or other. 

Here's what you'll need: 1 cup of Rice, seasonings (basil, onion, sage, paprika etc),1 cup bread crumbs, 1/4 cup bean juice or broth, salt, 1/4 oil and 1 cup of beans 

STEP ONE: In a blender or food processor add all the ingredients minus the oil. Pulse everything until it is a well blended together, it should resemble something like refried beans.

STEP TWO: Heat oil in a pan on medium heat.

STEP THREE: Scoop out the mixture and form into patties coating each patty with some flour. 

STEP FOUR: After the patties are well coated and the oil is hot place the patties on the pan.

Fry the patties until they are golden brown on each side, about 6 minutes per side is good. 

Afterwards put it on some bread and add what ever toppings you wish. 

I love this leftover burger it takes little effort and it comes out tasty. You get a nice crunch on the outside and its a fulfilling meal. I've tried this recipe using a slice of bread instead of breadcrumbs and different beans.

Give it a try!

Vegetables in Garlic Sauce

`
This recipe actually came about through my brother, we were hungry and I didn't know what to cook. He thought it would be a good idea to make veggies in garlic sauce like they make in the Chinese restaurants. Since I had already made a pot of white rice I let him make it.

You will need: Terriyaki sauce, garlic, mixed vegetables (we used a stir fry mix from trader joes), spinach, broccoli, cornstarch, water, pepper optional

All you need to do is take a pan throw in the veggies you'd like and all the seasonings minus the cornstarch. You can put in 1tsp to start and as it cooks check the thickness of the gravy. You don't want to put a lot of cornstarch at first unless it gets too thick. Let it cook on medium heat and cover it with a lid. After its the consistency that you'd like then just serve.

Made a pot of rice to accompany it

Then because I just wanted some beans I took some refried beans from a can.

The Veggies in garlic sauce came out so tasty, can't wait to try this again. Especially since it's just so simple.

Try this out and enjoy!

Potato Salad and BBQ chicken

I never got to put this post up before thanksgiving so I figured I would put it up now. It's two recipes you can make for anytime of the year, are really simple and tasty.

Ingredients for our BBQ chicken are: Barbecue Sauce,cilantro, milk, basil, paprika, garlic, salt, pepper, cornflakes.

In a resealable bag or a blender grind up the cornflakes(or you can use breadcrumbs). Then when it is all mixed add in whatever spices you'd like (cilantro, paprika etc.) I use dry spices for this part. 

Then I add the milk, crushed garlic and more seasonings in a resealable bag  (or container). Taking your pieces of fake chicken (I chose unseasoned seitan) put them in the liquid marinade and let sit in the fridge for as long as you'd like. I left them alone for around an hour. 

Then put some oil in a pan and let it heat up while you are going to take a bowl and pour in some barbecue sauce. 

Dip your pieces of seasoned chicken in the BBQ sauce and then toss it into the mixture of "bread crumbs" that you made, coating it evenly. 

Make sure the oil is hot before you throw in your pieces of chicken. When it is just let them fry until golden brown on both sides. 

You can place them on some paper towels to soak up the excess oil and then serve with your meal. 

I really liked how this chicken ended tasting, I loved the crunch and the flavors inside. I had this with some potato salad and it was a nice balance. 

Potato Salad ingredients are: Carrots, Red Potatoes, Vegan Mayo, Salt and Pepper. 

OPTIONAL: Tofu,nutritional yeast, flax and Vegan Bacon 

This is such an easy thing to make you boil the potatoes and carrots until tender then let them cool and cut them. I also have made it with some bacon (fake) bits and some eggs (tofu) and it always comes out delicious. I sprinkle some nutritional yeast and some flax after coating them in mayo (vegannaise) and that's it.


I made plenty for thanksgiving and had leftovers for days. My favorite was to eat the potato salad with the chili, the mix of hot and cold was just so good.




Try this out and enjoy!

Green Veggie Pasta

After a trip to target I stumbled upon the grocery section that now sells Asian products. I'm always on the lookout for new foods to try out to expand my menu options. I'm not a pasta fan but when I read it was veggie pasta I figured I would give it a try. It was a big package for about $2 so very cheap considering. 

This is only like half the package here that i boiled

Never heard of this brand

My sister grilled some veggie to go with the pasta and I made garlic bread. The pasta is okay but the two times that I've made it It's only been ok. I don't really know what to dress the pasta with. I didn't like the tomato sauce pairing with it but the first time I tried it with a cheese sauce and it was better. I'm going to have to find a different alternative for next time.

Breakfast Option

Even though breakfast isn't my favorite meal of the day when I want to have something other than toast I like eating oatmeal or cream of wheat. I had tried making cream of wheat since being vegan and that was with my chocolate soy milk(the only thing I had at hand). While it wasn't bad, I wanted it with plain milk. I used my vanilla soy milk but next time I think I will use a plain soy milk instead. If you don't mind a taste of vanilla then it's not a big deal but I prefer to have it taste like I always make it.
Anyway the cream of wheat boxes normally give you the measurements to make it but I have always eyeballed it. I fill a pot with some milk (how much depends on how many are eating from it) then I sprinkle in the cream of wheat. I put in enough flakes that when I put a spoon in and scoop out some milk there is noticeable flakes on the spoon. You don't want to have too much flakes or it won't cook properly and you don't want to have too little or it will be watery.
I scoop in about a spoonful of butter and then sugar,cinnamon to taste adding some salt to bring out the sweetness. You can also throw in some cinnamon sticks which I use maybe two that I break in half.
The key to creamy well cooked Cream of Wheat is to have it on low fire and stir it continuously. I stand there and stir it to ensure it doesn't come out a disaster. If you don't stir it then clumps form and as it gets thicker you will have clumps of it that are uncooked in the middle.
It doesn't take that long to make at all so standing there for like 3 minutes isn't a big deal.
Then I serve it on a flat plate because it cools quicker that way and I sprinkle some cinnamon on top.

You can see some clumps in mine because I got distracted and didn't stir :( but doesn't matter still tasty!

Well try this out and enjoy!

Creamy Vegan Sauce with Pasta and Veggies

I wanted to have a bit of pasta but without any kind of tomato based sauce. I decided to try and make a white creamy sauce kind of like Alfredo but not completely. When I ate animal products I really didn't enjoy white sauces all that much as they felt heavy in my stomach after eating. This sauce was anything but. I didn't have that gross heavy feeling afterwards and I enjoyed the taste. 
Originally I wanted to make it with some spinach but I didn't have any. 


You will need:


Vegan cream cheese
Nutritional yeast
Garlic
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Water
Soy Milk
Any Vegetables of your choosing (I used asparagus and string beans)


So after my pasta was already boiled I started to make my sauce. In a small pan I put about 2 1/2 tbsp of cream cheese, 1-2 tbsp soy milk, about 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast, a sprinkle of paprika, 1 diced clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste. On low heat the cream cheese will start melting and you can mix everything together. If you like the consistency that it is (a little thick) then just toss in your pasta mix and serve. 

I didn't want the sauce to be so thick so I added in a bit of water to thin it out. Then I poured in my serving of pasta and mixed it with the sauce. After plating it I then scooped some veggies on top and sprinkled some flax. 

This recipe is only for one serving so if you want to make for more than just adjust the recipe to do so. I sauteed my veggies with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic and a bit of butter. 


I was pleasantly surprised with this dish since I was winging it but it turned out pretty good. Now I have a recipe to try whenever I'm in the mood for a creamy white sauce.


Try it out and enjoy!

Chicken Salad Wrap

This was something I made the other day after craving chicken salad. I changed it up a bit but it was still good. I used some seitan, carrots, asparagus, vegannaise, flax, nutritional yeast, tortilla, salt and pepper.

Lunch or Dinner Option

This meal I made was for lunch and it consisted of only 4 things, rice, tomato, string beans and tofu. I had some Nasoya extra firm tofu and really wanted some rice so I decided to put it together. My tofu was frozen so after defrosting I placed it on some napkins with something heavy to take out some of the moisture. Afterwards I cut them into slices about 1 inch thick and then halved them. Then I started working on my maranade, which consisted of:

A sprinkle of crushed basil
A sprinkle of Paprika
A slice of onion finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic pureed
2 splashes of lemon juice
A pinch of salt and pepper
A sprinkle of nutritional yeast
A tiny dash of olive oil
About 2 tblsp of barbeque mix
About 1 tbsp of mustard

I mixed that all together and then placed my cubed tofu coating it as much as possible. I let that sit and marinade for about 2 hours so that the flavors could set in. Then because I knew I wanted to fry them I made the coating, which consisted of:

A handful of cornflakes
A handful almost equal of flour
A sprinkle of nutritional yeast
A pinch of paprika
A pinch of salt and pepper

Taking the tofu that had marinaded I simply covered it with the breading and fried it until golden brown.

I served it with some rice and string beans that I had made earlier and then I cut up some tomato slices to accompany it.

I always use only one kind of dressing on my salads and that consists of; olive oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper. Its easy and delicious, I've always prefered this to any gooey dressings.

Hot Cocoa

Even though I wasn't feeling very cold I decided to make myself some hot cocoa. It was too easy not to try it. Basically some soy milk, cocoa powder (Hershey's unsweetened), a bit of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Then I put in some vegan marshmallows. The tricky part was trying to mix the cocoa powder with the milk it only would with vigorous mixing. 

Breakfast Smoothie

I made a quick breakfast smoothie yesterday and I wanted to share because it tasted really good. I can't pinpoint exactly what dessert it tastes like but it's definitely sweet. I used: 1 banana, 6 strawberries, 3 tbsp of Vanilla Soy yogurt, 1/3 cup Vanilla soy milk, sprinkle of cinnamon, flax, 1/2 carrot, 2tbsp of oats

I put them all together in a blender and set it on the smoothie setting.

The consistency's pretty thick so you can add more milk to thin it out if you'd like.

This cup is pretty tall and it came up to the top so this recipe makes quite a bit

Try it out and enjoy!

Vegan Ravioli

I've always wanted to make my own ravioli but felt it was such a daunting task, turns out it wasn't. I originally wanted to make spinach ravioli but I had none and figured I would use up the rest of my "beef" I had bought. 


The ravioli's were made with 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1 1/2 cups semolina flour, 3/4 cup water, 1tsp olive oil.


I seasoned the filling with worchestire, garlic, finely chopped onions, paprika, salt, pepper, flax and nutritional yeast. I threw in some chopped up carrots and shredded mozarella "cheese". Feel free to add more seasonings.

 

I mixed it by hand because it was easier

Cutting the ravioli as even as possible I scooped out small amounts for the filling (which actually ended being too much and had to be cut in half)

Using some water I sealed the edges and used a fork to make the design on the edges

Boil them for about 8 minutes, don't put a lot of them at a time to avoid overcrowding

I didn't have tomatoes at hand so I used a vegetable tomato sauce from Ragu and simmered my ravioli in it. Only putting in a few at a time to cook.

Serve and top with some nutritional yeast (Next time I will use vegan Parmesan) 

I made a lot of ravioli so I stored extras in an ziplock bag for later. I ended up having it for lunch the next day, all I had to do was microwave it for a couple of minutes and I had a meal already done. I'm learning its better to prepare a little more so that I can store it in the freezer for when I want some later. I also had some extra filling left over and used it for lasagna which I made for dinner. It was one less step I had to do which saved me time. 


Give this a try and enjoy!




UPDATE: I tried this recipe again with some spinach,nutritional yeast, Daiya mozzarella and a bit of salt and pepper. Then I fried it and served it in a tomato sauce. It tasted Soo Delicious, but then again fried things usually do.

Vegan Peanut Butter Bars

So this recipe is adapted from a recipe in a cookbook. I have been wanting to try this for ages and finally got around to it. A lot of the measurements that they had originally didn't make sense in making it turn out how it should, thankfully I'm never one to follow recipes to a T, I prefer to wing it. Winging it turned out to work very well in my favor. So here is the original recipe with my adaptions included and some pictures of each step.



Serves 8  157 calories per serving


1/2 cup low calorie thin chocolate wafers, ground (I subbed it for some plain shredded wheat cereal that I ground)
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1/3 cup confectioners sugar ( I used regular sugar)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter melted and cooled (I used about 4 1/2 to make it stick more)
1/4 cup creamy reduced fat peanut butter (used regular creamy peanut butter)
1 1/2 reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature (I used Tofutti cream cheese )
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons semi sweet chocolate chips, melted (Vegan)
optional: cinnamon (to taste)


1. Line a 9 inch loaf pan with parchment paper leaving an overhang on the sides to lift out easier later.

No loaf pan for me, I felt it would be easier to use something bigger and flatter.

2. Combine the ground wafers, oats, sugar and 1/4 tsp in a bowl. Stir in the butter until everything is evenly moistened. Stir in 1 tbsp of peanut butter ( I used 3 tbsp because it wasn't all clumping together) until mixture forms large clumps.Transfer mixture to lined loaf pan and press into an even layer ( I sprinkled a little cinnamon on top not measuring it). Refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes or so.

Before patting it into the pan

It makes quite a lot of it

3.Meanwhile beat cream cheese with a mixer until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes (I just used a spoon). Add vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt and and remaining 3 tbsp of peanut butter ( Since I only used about 3-4 tbsp of cream cheese I used around 2-3 tbsp of peanut butter) I also sprinkled some cinnamon in to make it a little sweeter. Mix until pale and nearly doubled in volume. Transfer to the loaf pan and spread in an even layer over the cookie crust. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes or so.

Nice and creamy, make sure its room temperature before spreading so its easier to work with

Not so even spread but I was using a spoon 

4. Taking some chocolate chips (about 1/3 cup) I melted it for 20 seconds in the microwave adding a tiny bit of water to thin it out. Then I spread an even layer over the chilled peanut butter later. Refrigerate until firm, about 10-15 minutes. Then cut in 8 squares when you are ready to serve.

At first I only melted the chocolate and spread which is why the bottom half is darker and lumpier. The top half on the other hand was thinned out with water and made it much easier to work with.

Cut it up as evenly as I could

I wish I would have gotten a better picture

Next time I will be more neater about making these but I was in a rush and multi-tasking making some dinner. These were gone hours after being made, even my sister who hates peanut butter couldn't help herself from having two. They were just so good. She likened them to Reese's peanut butter cups in taste. The flavors are just so good and work well, I really think the cinnamon helped bring out the flavor better. I'm going to wait a couple of weeks before making these again because I won't be able to stop eating them. 


Give these a try and enjoy!