New Start & a delicious curry recipe

I have not been doing so great on this journey, I can make a pile of excuses including being on holiday and eating whatever was served by my cousin who is an amazing cook. But as a person who believes we should all take responsibility for our actions, the truth is I have just not been considering the effect of eating poorly over the summer.

I went on retreat over the Labour Day week-end and had answer to my prayer of 2 weeks ago. The prayer was on the lines of "Help Lord, I eat healthily by general standards, keep off meat, fish & gluten most of the time yet I am yo-yoing in a 3kg window. Show me what I need to do & please help me do it"

While up in the beautiful Rockies I began re-reading  my book on Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish. I got to the bit on fats. Well of course I don't eat much fat I thought, but decided to do his calculation any way.

What a shock! My healthy breakfast of porridge made with water, fruit, nuts and my 'elevenses' of a bagel with a scrape of vegan marg put me 8 grams above the daily allowance I should be aiming for!

I had this OMG moment & realized that this may be the glitch. Came on to my blog today & what do I find, my last post used a whole tin of Coconut milk - very high fat content!

So when I got home on Monday evening I decided to go back to keeping a daily food log as this really helps me keep track and think twice before I put anything in my mouth. I have succeeded in keeping my fats intake down to 18-20gramms per day since Tuesday, have had no gluten & have been in vegan delight with delicious meals. I will weigh myself tomorrow to see if it is helping in that department.

Delicious Curry

I love creamy curries with coconut milk so trying to create one without was my challenge yesterday. It turned out good and once the rice was mixed in it was more like a biriani.

Way to Go:
Put 5-6 dried shitaki mushrooms broken into pieces to soak in enough boiling water and 1-2 tbsp of low salt tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) before preparing rice.

Remember that whole grain rice and wild rice take about 50 minutes to cook so get that going first. It is good if it can stand for at least 10 minutes before adding to the rest of the mix.

1/2 cup of wild, brown & other whole-grain rice mix (I used Lundbergs)
1 1/4 cups water
pinch of sea salt
Put all in large wide bottom pot, bring to boil, stir & turn down to simmer. Cook for 50 minutes til rice cooked but still firm & whole. Turn off heat & leave covered.

2 tsp birani curry mix - feel free to use your favourite mix or make your own & adjust to your heat level
1 head of garlic peeled
3 carrots chopped into bite size bits
1/2 very large sweet potato chopped into bite size bits
1 small red potato chopped into bite size bits
1 onion peeled & chopped into bite size bits
2 vegan stock cubes - I like McCormmicks
1 tin chickpeas drained & rinsed this helps reduce the salt content.
water to nearly cover
Feel free to add any other veg you might enjoy - this was just what was in the fridge on a Friday night.

In a very large pan on medium heat add the spice mix & stir for a moment until aroma begins to rise. Be careful not to burn the spices. Add all dry veg & stir. Add water, stock cubes, mushrooms and their liquid, chickpeas and enough water to nearly cover the  veg. Bring to boil, stir and then turn down to simmer. Cook for about 30-50 mins, this will depend on the size of the veg pieces.  Add rice & cook for 2-3 mins so all flavours are mingled.

This amount made enough for 2 bowls last night & for lunch today.

Tagine Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

I discovered some Tagine sauces made by Alfez in the store yesterday. I picked up the Apricot & Coriander variety.Oh so yummy! Slightly spicy and not too sweet for someone who enjoys sweet!
So of course I had to develop an recipe...

Quinoa Tagine Stuffing:
In a large saucepan I began to sauté

• one chopped onion, 
• one diced carrot, 
• 6 or 8 mushrooms cut in thick slices
• about 6 cloves of garlic which had been peeled and cut in half.
•  I added a diced red pepper and cooked till they began to soften. 
• Then I added a half cup of Quinoa and stirred.
• Next I added 1.5 cups of water and a pinch of salt.
• I put half the jar of Tagine sauce in & stirred it all together.

I let this simmer for about 20 minutes till the water & sauce was nearly gone -Then I added about half of the remaining sauce and stirred it in & left on the heat a couple of minutes to make sure it was all hot. The mix was still a bit sloppy.

I ate  about half of that with a vegan sausage for supper.  The rest went into a container in the fridge.

Today I got a big red pepper out, cut it in half, removed the seed, pale membrane bit & stuffed it with about half of the remaining Quinoa Tagine mix. I put it in the oven at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes til the pepper was cooked and the quinoa top was crisp. 

Served with a salad it was a delicious lunch! 

Turmeric Mayo
I have been reading about the health benefits of Turmeric,  (see my page on Health Benefits above)  I'm  especially interested reducing inflammation and helping with heart problems; so today I added 2 tsp of turmeric to my veganaise then added 1/2 tsp paprika and a dash of lemon juice. I spread it on some gluten free toast added sliced tomatoes and a sprinkle of "Montreal steak spice" it was delicious!

Creamy Veg with Lemon Quinoa

Having lived in Jersey off the coast of France I miss the cream sauces of French cooking. Being a lover of Asian fusion cooking I love the tang of lime or lemon and a hint of spice heat. So this week I made one of my favourite dishes to combine this mix of delightful tastes.

Ingredients:

Any mix of  veg; I used

zucchini aka courgettes for my English friends - cut in 4 lengthwise & then sliced in chunks

green onions aka spring onions - sliced 

garlic - I left the smaller cloves whole & cut the big ones in half

crimini or brown cap mushrooms - cut in quarters

asparagus - each stalk cut into about 4 pieces, reserve the tips for later

baby bok choy - white part cut into 4 and green part reserved for later

a little oil to stirfy

After these had stir fried til just starting to get tender I added some pre soaked and cooked shitaki mushrooms.

Add asparagus tips and bok choy greens

Add cayenne, tamari (gluten free soy sauce) and liquid from cooked shitaki mushrooms.

Stir fry for a  couple of minutes to combine flavours.

Pour in tinned coconut milk.

I have not put amounts as you can make this a big or small as you like and adjust the amount of cayenne to your taste.

 Lemon Quinoa
1/4 cup of Quinoa per person
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp of water per person
juice of lemon  I used 1 lemon to 1/2 cup of quinoua/1+ cup of water.

Cover pan with lid.  Bring to boil, turn to simmer, cook for about15 mins until quinoa is cooked. Turn of heat & let sit for a few minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork & serve with creamy veg.

I really wanted a more "meaty" burger, not so much that I wanted a burger that was like meat but I wanted one that was more textured. I also wanted a protein burger with lots of mushroom flavour.
So I experimented and came up with this. These are not quick, but can be made in advance, and actually are better when made the day before:
Mushroom Nut Burgers
Preparation ingredients:
6 -8 dried Shitaki Mushrooms, including stems; broken into pieces & soaked in hot water with
1 tblsp miso
Soak mushrooms 'til softened (1-2 hours is best)
1/2 cup ground flax soaked in 1 cup of warm water, this will make a gooey mix which thickens in about 20 min
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
Other ingredients:
1/2 cup of chopped nuts, any nuts you like, preferably raw unsalted. Mixed nut are best, as cashews are soft & creamy, almonds crunchy & other nuts add different textures
4-6 brown or crimini mushrooms roughly chopped
1/2 small onion chopped
3-6 cloves of garlic or more sliced
2 tbsp. wheat free Tamari
1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
1 tbsp apple sauce
ground chillies/ cayenne to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1/2 cup of almond meal/ground almonds or more to thicken to right consistency
olive oil for fying
Making the burgers:
Once Shitaki mushrooms have softened chop the stems into small pieces, make sure the rest of the mushrrom pieces are not too huge but big enough to give some texture. Place mushrooms and their stock in a large bowl with the quinoa and the flax mix. This is a bit sloppy.
In a frying pan toast chopped nuts, stirring frequently until just browning, be careful not to burn them.  Add to quinoa mix.
In same pan add a drip of olive oil, just to stop any sticking. Cook mushrooms, onions and garlic 'til browned. Add to the quinoa mix.
Add tamari, liquid smoke, apple sauce and seasoning.
Add ground almonds and leave to sit for 15 minutes.
If the mixture is still too wet add more ground almond.
Cover bowl and put in fridge for at least 1 hour or overnight
Cooking the burgers:
Take a heaped tablespoon of mix and with hands form in to a ball, then flatten to make patty. I usually cook one first to make sure the seasoning is right and  it is not too wet still, if so add more seasoning and/or almond meal and wait 15 mins before cooking the rest.
Fry 3-6 patties in a little oil on a low heat turning after 5-8 minutes. They should be brown & crispy on the outside, hot and textured on the inside. I served them with salad.
I also made this into mini laves and it was really good with roasted  sweet potatoes, veg and vegan gravy.

Holiday in Nelson

It is so good to get to Nelson and spend time with my daughter Bex & Sue; having Dave my husband here is a huge added bonus. We came to hear her play in her showcase at Selkirk College. to see her fantastic performance. Please go to http://www.ustream.tv/channel/shambhala-music-hall to see for yourself. She is the 2nd performer on 27 March
Another great thing is there are so many places to eat that provide wonderful gluten free vegan food. We went to KC on Baker St, they have sushi, Thai & Chinese - yum what a delight - especially their Omega 3 sushi - double yum & healthy; what more could you ask.
I found some tofu with sea veg in a supermarket so I'm looking forward to trying that.
I made my favourite roast veg for supper the other night & that went down well with everyone. (See the recipe section - though it is so easy you probably do this already!)
The difficulty I am having is both Bex & Sue are amazing cooks; so I have not been totally vegan or gluten free this week; with the usual uncomfortable results of course! I have been attempting to base my eating therefore on the 18/21 principle - that is if you eat 3 meals a day for 7 days a week then 18 of them should be healthy; in my case vegan & gluten free. Then snacks I try and make as many as possible g.f & v- which is generally pretty easy.
Had a bit of a disaster last night; I tried to make wraps with coconut flour, but as I had no xanthan gum they were not going to hold together. Still no problem the mix will be added to other ingredients to make a banana bread for desert tonight.
Love & blessings to all who read my blogs. xxx

Protein and being vegan

I am always amazed  by how many people say to me the reason they don't consider going vegan is because they feel there would't be enough protein in a vegan diet. I guess I shouldn't be surprised to hear this from my fellow Albertans, after all beef is big round here!

It does concern me though that this myth continues. Most westerners eat far more protein than is actually needed by our bodies. In fact some studies show that the average sedentary American eats about 50% more than the daily recommended amount. I'm not sure how Canadians fare with this. The daily recommended is 40 - 70 grams per day. This is just as easy with a vegan diet as it is with a carnivorous diet as you can see below:

Table 2 shows the amount of protein in various vegan foods and also the number of grams of protein per 100 calories. To meet protein recommendations, the typical adult male vegan needs only 2.5 to 2.9 grams of protein per 100 calories and the typical adult female vegan needs only 2.1 to 2.4 grams of protein per 100 calories. These recommendations can be easily met from vegan sources.

Table 2: Protein Content of Selected Vegan Foods
FOOD	AMOUNT	PROTEIN(gm)	PROTEIN(gm/100 cal)
Tempeh	1 cup	41	9.3
Seitan	3 ounces	31	22.1
Soybeans, cooked	1 cup	29	9.6
Lentils, cooked	1 cup	18	7.8
Black beans, cooked	1 cup	15	6.7
Kidney beans, cooked	1 cup	13	6.4
Veggie burger	1 patty	13	13.0
Chickpeas, cooked	1 cup	12	4.2
Veggie baked beans	1 cup	12	5.0
Pinto beans, cooked	1 cup	12	5.7
Black-eyed peas, cooked	1 cup	11	6.2
Tofu, firm	4 ounces	11	11.7
Lima beans, cooked	1 cup	10	5.7
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	9	3.5
Tofu, regular	4 ounces	9	10.6
Bagel	1 med. (3 oz)	9	3.9
Peas, cooked	1 cup	9	6.4
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP), cooked	1/2 cup	8	8.4
Peanut butter	2 Tbsp	8	4.3
Veggie dog	1 link	8	13.3
Spaghetti, cooked	1 cup	8	3.7
Almonds	1/4 cup	8	3.7
Soy milk, commercial, plain	1 cup	7	7.0
Soy yogurt, plain	6 ounces	6	4.0
Bulgur, cooked	1 cup	6	3.7
Sunflower seeds	1/4 cup	6	3.3
Whole wheat bread	2 slices	5	3.9
Cashews	1/4 cup	5	2.7
Almond butter	2 Tbsp	5	2.4
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	5	2.1
Spinach, cooked	1 cup	5	13.0
Broccoli, cooked	1 cup	4	6.8
Potato	1 med. (6 oz)	4	2.7
Sources: USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005 and manufacturers' information. The recommendation for protein for adult males vegans is around 56-70 grams per day; for adult female vegans it is around 46-58 grams per day (see text).

It is very easy for a vegan diet to meet the recommendations for protein. Nearly all vegetables, beans, grains, nuts, and seeds contain some, and often much, protein. Soybeans, quinoa (a grain), and spinach also are considered high quality protein. (http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/protein.htm)

I do hope this will help dispel the idea that vegans are protein deficient, in fact it is very difficult for anyone who is not starving to death to be protein deficient.

It is true though that we sometimes crave protein and when I do I just eat a handful of nuts. When I want a high protein meal I make my Quinoa Protein Blast:
        1 cup cooked quinoa
        1/4 cup almonds
        1/2 cup chickpeas
        a few slashes of tamari (gluten free soy sauce)
        chopped chives
        dash of cayenne
Mix together, leave sit for 15 minutes for flavours to combine. Eat on its own or serve with veg or salad.  Yummy

Gluten Free Scones

My first attempts did not turn out well, very dry & crumbly :(
If you can cope with Kamut or Barley flour which are not gluten free, then the scones do turn out rather well.
Make sure your mix is a bit more wet than wheat scones would be.

INGREDIENTS:

· 1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour

·  1/4 cup "moist" gluten free  flour

·  1/4 cup quinoa flour

·  1/4 cup (60 gm) sugar

·  2 ½ tsp (12ml)gluten free baking powder

·  1/2 tsp (3ml) baking soda)

·  1/4-1/2 tsp salt (3ml)

·  1/3 cup (65 gm) vegan margarine 

·  1 cup (250 ml) rice or coconut milk

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 425°F or 220°C.

Grease baking tray with margarine. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt together.

Cut in the margarine or butter till mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Add the milk and mix to make a smooth dough. (add more milk if necessary to ensure mix is not too dry)

Knead very lightly for ten seconds on a lightly floured surface.

Roll or pat to about 3/4" thick (2 cm) and either cut into individual scones or cut into wedges, leaving intact (pizza style) to make a loaf.

Baking time approximately 12 minutes for individual scones.

Brush tops with melted butter after removing from the oven.

Moroccan Squash, Sweet Potato and Chickpea Soup

This is not a recipe from Morocco, rather it is a recipe I made up using spices I know to be used in Moroccan dishes.

It is a hearty, filling and delicious soup which I love and change depending on what I have on hand.

Don't be put off by the amount of spices or garlic, these become mellow in the cooking.

1/2 a medium size butternut squash, peeled & cut into 1" cubes

1 med. sweet potato (the orange ones) wash & cut into 1" cubes

2-3 carrots, scraped & sliced

1 small red skin potato, wash & cut into 1" cubes

1 med. onion, chopped

2 heads of garlic, peeled, cut large cloves in 1/2

1 15oz can of cooked Chickpeas drained

or equivalent of home cooked dried chickpeas

2 tbsp. ground coriander

2 tbsp. ground cumin

1 tbsp. ground turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne (use less or more to your taste)

1 or 2 vegan stock cube (depends on the brand)

1 tbsp virgin cold pressed olive oil

Water to cover well, at least a couple of inches above the veg

Put a large soup pan onto a low to med heat. Add oil, onions and garlic. when they begin to soften add spices and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly. if it gets too dry add a bit of water.

Add all the veg and stir to coat.

Add water and stock cube(s). Stir bring to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until veg are soft.

Remove 1/3 of veg and set aside.

Liquidize remainder of veg and stock. This should produce a thickish creamy soup.

Return to pan, re-add veg that was set aside. Add chickpeas. Stir and bring back to just below boil. Simmer for a few minutes. If the soup is too thick add a little water or stock. If it is not thick enough scoop some of the veg and chickpeas into the blender and liquidize, then return to soup blend.

I do not add salt as I find the spices and stock cubes (I use McCormck's) add enough flavour. But if your tastebuds demand some then feel free to add a little.

Serve and enjoy

Quinoa, Hemp, Veggie Burger

I love veggie burgers. This recipe can also be put in a loaf tin and baked. These started out as a way to use up leftover rice or quinoa & other veg in the fridge. They have now become a delicious treat when I crave a burger. Feel free to add other veg, more mushrooms is particularly good, as is sweet corn or a few slightly mashed beans or chickpeas.

Ingredients:
2 -3 cups mixed cooked brown rice, wild rice, red & blacked quinoa
1/4 cup shelled hemp seeds
1/2 cup cashew pieces
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 medium size onion chopped finely
3-4 mushrooms chopped finely
1 small carrot grated
1 medium to large stem & leaf curly Kale chopped finely
3-4 cloves of garlic crushed
2 tablespoons almond meal or flour
1 tablespoon golden flax seeds
1 tablespoon flax meal/ ground flax seeds
2-3 tablespoons dried herbs - whatever your favourites are. I like parsley, oregano and basil
2-3 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce
1 vegetarian stock cube
1tablespoon miso
1/4 cup boiling water.
1/4 tsp sesame oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 heaped tsp quinoa flour or other gluten free flour.
Cayenne - anything from a pinch to 1/4 tsp depending on how spicy you like it.

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper


Method
Heat a dry frying pan and add a few grinds of sea salt, when hot add cashew pieces, hemp seeds and sesame seeds. Toast stirring for 2-3 minutes till lightly coloured. Tip into large mixing bowl. Add rice & quinoa mix & set aside.
put olive oil into the frying pan and add onion, mushrooms, carrot, kale and garlic. Stir-fry until softened and onions are slightly browned. Tip into bowl with rice mixture. Add almond flour, flax seeds, flax meal and hebs. Stir well to mix all ingredients together.
Pour boiling water into small jug add the broken up stock cube and miso stir to dissolve. Add sesame oil and apple sauce. Mix together & then sir into the rice mixture. The mixture should be moist but not sloppy. If it is too dry add more apple sauce. Stir in  a little salt and a few grindings of pepper, cayenne. Taste & adjust seasonings. Stir in quinoa and then set aside to rest for at least 10 minutes.

After 10 mins the mix should hold together well when a spoonful is shaped into a patty in the hands. When making pan fried burgers  if it is too wet or crumbly add another tsp. or two of flour, mix & set aside for 5 minutes. Do not do this if cooking patties in oven as flour cooks slower and patties can be gooey.

Shape into patties. Either fry in a lightly oiled pan for 5-7 mins each side or place on a slightly oiled baking sheet & cook in the oven 400 degrees for about 15 -20 mins. The patties should be crisp and browned on the outside and moist in the centre. The texture varies between firm and slightly crumbly depending on amounts used. Either way delicious.
Makes about 12 to 16 burgers depending on size.

I love them served with a vegan mayonaise, salsa, cherry tomatoes and oven sweet potato fries. This was my supper tonight; yummy :)

This mix can also be placed in a loaf tin which has been lightly oiled. Sprinkle top with sesame seeds and cook in oven 375 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Test with a knife & if it is still too wet  cook for additional time till the texture is moist but firm.

Enjoy,
Debbie

"English Tea" Vegan and Gluten-free style

My friend Jane and I wanted to put on an English afternoon tea for a few friends.  Over the past few weeks we have been considering what this should look like considering some of us are vegan or gluten free or both; of course there are some who can just eat anything & not be bothered at all.
Yesterday was the big day and I must admit I was very pleased with the results!

Jane makes some fabulous short bread and a stellar trifle, both which were well received by those who can tolerate some dairy and gluten. We also added some store bought "normal" scones and baklava.

However, the biggest selection came on the vegan and gluten-free table. We figured that even those who can eat dairy and gluten would really enjoy the chance to take a step on the wild side and try these delights!
In the foreground right are open avocado sandwiches; to the left are two types of scones, behind which are a bowl of dairy free cream and a bowl of strawberry jam. Centre are open chickpea vegan mayo sandwiches topped either with baby tomatoes or baby cucumber slices.To the right of them are crustini: g-f bread topped with a cashew cream & then either mushroom medley or caramelized  onions which is then baked. Behind these are 2 types of mini quiches. On the blue plate is some delicious chocolate and raspberry cake made by my friend Bev. Just in front of this yummy cake is a plate with vegan marg next to some rather good store bought stem ginger cookies. On the little raise platter are some store bought almond balls behind which are a bowl of strawberries.
Finally at the to the far left of the table (back of first picture) is a plate with g-f banana & walnut bread and a plate with little petit fours cases holding some chocolate covered berries and almond.




My fantastic house-mates Lauri & Tom provided the beautiful table cloths and china. And it was so wonderful to be able to use their traditional tea trolley for the teas and cups
It really was so much fun putting this on and everyone said how much they enjoyed it, so Jane & I are planning to do this again. I am so grateful that I live with Tom and Lauri, being able to entertain again is such a huge BLESSING Their generosity in letting me use their beautiful possessions overwhelms me.
I will try to get the recipes up here over the next couple of days, so please bear with me.
                         Love & blessings
                                   Debbie

Finding my way

Over the years I have been finding my way as a vegan; discovering new foods, new ways of cooking; what things can be substituted for ingredients that disagree with me.
I am always learning, always wanting to learn so please feel free to add anything you try or discover.

Aha!

Over the week-end I was away at two different retreat centres. Both provide good vegan meals which was a delight.
However, my body has re-adjusted quickly to eating more whole grains, so having less of these over a few days, combined with an indulgence of the unhealthy sort on Sunday resulted in weight "gain" and bloating on Mon.  Two days back on eating whole grains, no wheat and I am back on track, full of energy and feeling good.

What a difference a day makes!

Re-Starting the Vegan Journey

Some years ago I became vegetarian, I continued that lifestyle for many years. The trouble was I ate too much cheese and eggs & ended up with headaches and migraines.

Later when my back was bad I began eating a vegan diet. Wow what a change! I began to feel healthy, I lost weight and I got my motivation back.

Did I continue?
No, of course not. I love all food. Even though I know that meat, dairy, and wheat are really bad for me I still get tempted to just have a little to satisfy my taste buds. But like any addiction it is a slippery slope to destruction.

Then I had a heart attack. Double quick return to being a vegan.

But can you believe it 8 months down the road there I was consuming the same old stuff again! Oh I'd still have healthy eating days, but put me in company and I'd eat like a demented person who had been starved. The miracle is I kept most of the weight lost after the heart attack off. But I did not loose any more; which I desperately need to.

So here I am back to beginning. I went back to Jersey (UK) for Christmas and ate enough to put 2 kg on. I've lost it again by going back to my delicious, delightful vegan eating.

This blog is for me to record the journey; it's to encourage you if you decide to try the vegan journey for whatever reason; health, moral, weight.

Come have fun in discovering the most enriching delicious and delightful way of eating, living and being.