Almonds!

I've always wanted to use almonds in a recipe in place of meat but the idea always scared me. I don't know why, after trying this recipe from ohsheglows.com, I'm going to have to find other recipes. 

I loved it. And a small amount in a salad really goes a long way. Ray didn't, this is supposed to mimick tuna salad, which he already isn't a fan of. 

Almond "Tuna" Salad

1 cup almonds

2 celery stalks chopped

Quarter of an onion finely chopped

3 tbs veganaise

1-2 tsp mustard of choice

1tbs relish

Soak your almonds in water over night. They'll become plump. Rinse well and pulse in food processor until "flakey." 

Add remaining ingredients. 

Mix well and refrigerate for an hour. I loved it in a salad and it kept me satisfied for hours. 

I had some leftover roasted chickpeas that I added to mine. Pretty good!

Enjoy!

veggie baby and other stuff

Introducing Jack to table food has been an interesting experience. First he hated all fruit. Then he hated vegetables. Now we're in the everything-you-eat-is-mine stage. So when I find a food that he likes for more than a few days, I get super excited and make it in bulk.

In the beginning, nearly everything he ate I bought and puréed. Some women boast their frozen milk stash, I had an impressive frozen purée stash. It's so easy that I honestly can't fathom why people buy jarred food as making his food is cheaper too. Then I realized that what he likes today he may not like tomorrow so cooking in bulk may not have been the best idea ;)

What has never changed is this kid's love of avocado. He eats a couple ounces every day at breakfast and has since 6 months old. All I do is purée a couple avocados with a little water in a food processor, divide into ice cube trays, cover and freeze. Then when it's frozen, pop them out and put them in a large freezer bag. Plus I've learned that I can mix two cubes of avocado with one other vegetable  from my stash for breakfast and he still loves it.

He was sick this past weekend so I started looking for different foods that he would eat (being sick obviously means you're too sick to feed yourself!) and found two chunky purees that he really loved. 

Lentil Puree (adapted from weelicious)

Quarter of an onion, chopped

Few baby carrots chopped

1 tsp minced ginger

2 cups of water

1 cup lentils (I used green)

14oz can tomato purée or sauce

1tbs curry powder

1 tsp Himalayan salt

1 tbs olive oil

Sauté the carrot and onion in oil for a couple minutes. Add ginger and curry, sauté for another minute. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowish, stir, cover and cook for 35 min or until lentils are done (make sure you're stirring occasionally) and in a creamy sauce. Let it cool and puree in a food processor. Freeze in covered ice cube trays, and once frozen, remove and put in a large ziplock bag. Good frozen for 4 months. 

He loved it. It's actually pretty good, I ate some for lunch before I pureed it. 

The second recipe he liked but not the first bite. The quinoa texture threw him off guard but by the second bite he was hooked. It reminded me of rice pudding, and with quinoa, I knew he was getting a vitamin and protein packed breakfast. 

Quinoa banana smash (adapted from weelicious)

I banana

6tbs cooked quinoa

2 tbs plain almond or soy yogurt

Pinch of cinnamon 

Mash banana and add remaining ingredients. Makes roughly 3-4 servings. 

I'll periodically post baby recipes but back to adult food in the next posting!

vegan part trios

Alright so my last go around wasn't too successful. a few days in and Taco Bell started calling my name and I gave in. Then came the holidays and the rest was a gainful history.

but I'm back.

About two weeks ago I contacted a good friend about my frustrations. He and his wife have been vegan for years and both are healthy and fit, so I knew I was contacting the right person. He told me to write down everything I ate for three days. no cheating, no changing how I normally ate, just write it down. It was embarrassing. Even I could see how my diet had become mostly processed, sugar centered and water-less. he took some time and wrote me a thoughtful response about what I need to change and it was like it clicked. the first few days were rough but after that, I fell into my good habits again and I feel awesome. And silly for taking this long to get back into a healthy diet. it's been 7 days now, and already I have more energy, I feel clearer and I've dropped 7 lbs. only a literal ton more to go.

Anyway, I've been getting a ton of my recipes from ohsheglows.com which has been helpful. I nanny part time, so the days I do that, I make vegan soaked oats to take with me in the morning. Its hearty, it satisfies me til I get home and it clocks in at aound 380 calories. No picture because it's really not a pretty dish.

Vegan Soaked Oats:
1/4 c rolled oats
1 smashed banana
1 and 1/2 tbs chia seeds
1/2tsp cinnamon
2/3 c unsweetened almond milk
1/3 c water
1tbs nut butter
flax seeds

Mash the banana really well. Stir in the remaining ingredients except for the nut butter and flax seeds. Put into an air tight container and let sit in the fridge overnight. In the morning, add nut butter and flax seeds (and whatever else you add to oatmeal) stir and enjoy.

It's weird at first but it's pretty good. It doesn't taste like you're eating cold oatmeal either.

up next: almond "tuna" salad  and some baby recipes!