So simple. So Easy. What else could you expect from Real Simple? 
I really don’t have much else to write about this one except it was incredibly easy to make and quite tasty. I found a great deal on Wild Alaskan Salmon in the freezer section at Trader Joe’s. I served it with steamed broccoli and brown rice. Yumm Yumm.
Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
http://food.realsimple.com/realsimple/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=659320
The following is less of a recipe and more of a suggested assembly of products as there is scant cooking actually involved.
What is it about those calorie and cholesterol packed breakfast sandwiches served at the golden arches? I have never been a real fan of other things served there but I will be honest and admit that there have been times that what my sister refers to as a “meaty cheesy yum-yum” has been a lifesaver the morning after imbibing too much.
There is no reason that you can’t make a healthier version of the famous breakfast sandwich at home and that’s what I did this morning.
- I toasted a whole wheat english muffin
- I followed the heating instructions on my favorite veggie sausage patty (Morningstar http://www.seeveggiesdifferently.com/product_detail.aspx?family=934&id=355 )
- I brushed some of my favorite vegan margarine on the toasted muffin (Earth Balance http://www.earthbalancenatural.com/#/products/original/ )
- I assembled the veggie pattie and a slice of “Swiss” soy cheese (Veggie Slices http://www.galaxyfoods.com/ourbrands/usa/veggie.asp )
- I put the sandwich open faced under my broiler until the cheese melted (you could also use a toaster oven).
- Serve!
You’ll notice that I didn’t have any egg on my sandwich which is because I never really ate the egg product served on those famous muffins anyway. There is no reason that you couldn’t add an actual cooked egg (or egg whites) if you eat them or use an egg substitute and add it to your sandwich assembly. Even if you use non-soy products like a turkey sausage patty and real cheese on your homemade muffin sandwich it will still be a million times better for you than the fast food version without skimping on taste.
I found the following recipe on the El Burrito website ( http://www.elburrito.com ) and I have to say that it was so stinkin’ good! I can’t believe that this rich and filling chowder is low-fat and meat & dairy free. This is a MUST TRY! It was a tad spicy (which I don’t mind but…) I added a ton of Tapatio before tasting it and I think the soyrizo is spicy to begin with.
My only change to the recipe is that instead of using fresh corn from the cob per the recipe; I used 1/2 a bag of roasted corn that I found at Trader Joe’s and it turned out great. I topped the chowder with a little fresh parsley & chopped green onions. You would never know that this chowder was meat and dairy free. Serve it to your meat eaters and see for yourself!
Recipe Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars. I really enjoyed it! :)
http://www.elburrito.com/RecipePages/redpotatocornsoyrizochowder.html
Healthy is not a word that comes to mind when you think of layered bean dip, right? Well it can be with just a few tweaks.
‘Tis the season for football and this is a great appetizer to bring along to any party that will sure be a crowd pleaser.
Layer all of the following ingredients (in the following order) in a casserole dish and serve with corn tortilla chips.
- Vegetarian Refried Beans (Amy’s Organic is an excellent brand)
- Fat Free Plain Greek Yogurt or Vegan Sour Cream
- Reduced-fat shredded cheese or shredded soy cheese
- Pico De Gallo (Note: A nice chunky pico de gallo in best. If your brand has too much liquid just drain a little before you layer).
- Chopped tomatoes
- Chopped green onions
- Chopped cilantro
- Another layer of reduced-fat shredded cheese or shredded soy cheese
- 1 can of drained black olives
My new flexatarian ways will be put to the test this week as my sister and girl friends are coming to visit me in Las Vegas for a few days. We are staying on the strip where food temptations abound around the clock 24-7. It is really easy to control what you eat when you cook at home (No Duh!!) but sometimes when you eat out your options aren’t as healthy. That is why I think it is important to have a game plan beforehand. I plan to eat vegetarian as much as possible with the addition of fish as I know there is sushi on our agenda (for which I am VERY excited!). I will let you know how it goes!
Sometimes when I am asked to bring an appetizer to a party or get together and I know I don’t have a lot time to cook; I opt for the following fake-out. I buy a nice brand of quality pre-made hummus and I dress it up. It’s super simple, it’s “semi-homemade” and people love it.
My Hummus “Accessories”
Add the following to 12 to 14 oz. of quality store bought hummus
1 stalk of celery finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded, finely chopped (optional)
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded, finely chopped
Handful of chopped fresh parsley
Freshly squeezed lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Easy breezy!
Do you have any healthy fake-out tips on “semi-homemade” dishes that you prepare? If you do, please share!
I was recently asked a question about the best places to shop for some of the items that I used in my week of vegan cooking. If you are not used to this style of cooking you may not know where to find some of the healthier items. Here are my tips…
- Fresh & Local is best! If you have a farmer’s market near you, I highly suggest buying your produce there. This is not always the most convenient option but it will guarantee that you are getting the freshest (and best tasting) produce possible and in addition you are supporting your local farmers. Yay Farmers!
- Many of the box stores are carrying a variety of healthier items now. Great news, right? Sure but I’ll tell you this you will probably pay a little more than you need to at the box stores (unless you have a coupon). My suggestion is to hit your neighborhood Trader Joe’s. You can find a wide variety of healthier food options such as tofu and meat and cheese alternatives at this great store. Fresh and Easy and Henry’s also have great selections of healthy food options.
- Some items such as nutritional yeast or amaranth cereal can only be found at your more specialty health food stores like Whole Foods. I love Whole Foods but I don’t do the majority of my shopping there because it doesn’t really fit into my thrift-wise budget.
Hopefully these tips help!
So… After a week of “Goin’ Vegan” my boyfriend and I started to notice some really postive changes in our bodies and how we felt in general. So positive that we decided to stick with it for another week. Are we going vegan for good? Nope. My friend Chelsea told me about a term called “Flexatarian” which I have looked into since then. Basically it is someone who eats a mostly vegetarian/vegan diet but will eat lean meat or dairy on special occasions or when they really feel like it. A flexatarian diet really fits our lifestyle. I found this write up on the benefits of a flexatarian diet. http://www.femhealth.com/FlexatarianBenefits.html
So… just in case you were wondering there will be non-vegan recipes featured on this blog once again. The only difference is that those non-vegan recipes will also be balanced with some great vegan ones!
I found the following recipe at www.vegweb.com and it is really yummy. It is so hard to believe that there is no cheese in this dish! It was rich and filling and flavorful.
I made the following revisions to the recipe:
- I used 15 tortillas instead of 10. I was actually cramped for time so I didn’t roll the mix into the tortillas but instead what I created was an enchilada casserole, layering tortillas and then the cheesy bean mixture.
- I used 2 cans of beans instead of 3. My preference was organic pinto beans and black beans
- I used 1 onion instead of 2 which was plenty
- I deleted the olives because my man does not like black olives and I am impartial to them
I served this yummy enchilada casserole topped with sliced avocado and chopped green onions.
Recipe Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
I found the following recipe on a great website called The Post Punk Kitchen (www.theppk.com). This site was recommended to me when we decided to go vegan for a week. There are so many recipes on this website that I can’t wait to make. Seriously, Check it out!
The following recipe was called Peanut Noodles with Zucchini. I changed the name because I made a few little revisions and after I made it my boyfriend called it “Peanuty Pasta Goodness”! And that it is!
To the recipe I added the following;
- I used 2 zucchini instead of 1. One of the reviewers recommended adding some sliced red bell pepper which I plan to do next time.
- I added Thai Style Baked Tofu from Trader Joe’s which I cut into bite sized chunks and added to the skillet after the zucchini had cooked for about 5 minutes.
- I added the juice of 1 lime to the sauce and as well as a little Sriracha.
I served the rich sauce over whole wheat pasta and topped the dish with sliced green onions for a fresh n’ crunchy bite.
I will definitely be making this recipe again!
Recipe rating: 4 out of 5 stars
http://theppk.com/recipes/dbrecipes/index.php?RecipeID=192#review
