Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 5

Posted on October 29, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Prep
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 0.5
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 1
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 2
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 3
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 4

My Day 5 Eats:
For breakfast I made a Blueberry Peach Smoothie. I drank about half of it right away, followed by a cup of hot herbal chai tea with vanilla stevia.

After a 30 minute walk to work I had the other half of my smoothie.

At 11:30 I had a salad of Lemon Pepper Coleslaw, romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, and Balsamic Vinaigrette, alongside some warm Lentil Taco Filling. I also had a cup of herbal tea.

Around 3pm I had some hummus with cucumber and orange pepper, as well as some steamed green beans with Bragg’s and black pepper.

At 5pm I walked for another 30 minutes.

Once I was home, I enjoyed a big bowl of Butternut Squash Lentil Soup.

Around 9pm I tried my hand at making a pumpkin pie smoothie. I didn’t quite get it right, but I drank it anyway.

My water intake for the day: 9 cups.

Jem’s Day 5 Eats:
For breakfast Jem had a smoothie made of 1 cup frozen mixed berries, ½ cup greens puree, ½ cup frozen peaches, ½ a banana, 1 tbsp hemp protein powder, 4 drops vanilla stevia, 1 ¼ cups unsweetened almond milk, and ½ cup water.
At 12 she had 1 cup of Lentil Taco Filling.
At 2 she had some Butternut Squash Lentil Soup.
For dinner she had a stir fry of cabbage, broccoli, bok choy, mushrooms, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes.
In the evening she had a Chocolate Covered Blues Smoothie.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 4

Posted on October 28, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Prep
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 0.5
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 1
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 2
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 3

On Day 4 I had a full day of school, which means I was away from the house for 11 hours. I was a little scared of being stuck without enough food so I made sure to take some time the day before to make coleslaw, soup, and taco lentils. It’s a good thing I do well at thinking of planning ahead when it comes to having food on hand to take to school and work, otherwise this definitely would have ended up as a cheat day!

Day 4 Eats:

Breakfast at 6:30am was a Pineapple Peach Smoothie. It had 1 cup frozen pineapple chunks, ½ cup frozen peach chunks, ½ a banana, ½ cup Greens Puree, 1 tbsp hemp protein powder, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 5 drops of orange stevia. This was quickly followed by a cup of hot rooibos tea.

Later in the morning, once I arrived at school, I had some ginger rooibos tea (which unfortunately did not live up to expectations) and some hummus and raw vegetables.

At 1pm I enjoyed some Butternut Squash Lentil Soup on my lunch break. I knew I wouldn’t be exercising this day, so I also snuck in a 15 minute walk in the sunshine before class started again.

I made this Butternut Squash Lentil Soup by adapting my Golden Lentil Barley Soup to the Challenge rules, basically by using butternut squash in place of root vegetables and omitting the barley. I was really pleased with how this one turned out!

Butternut Squash Lentil Soup
1 clove garlic, minced
½ an onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 medium-sized butternut squash, peeled and diced
½ tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground cumin
⅛-½ tsp cayenne (to taste)
1 cup red lentils (I used 1/2c split and 1/2c whole), rinsed
5 cups low-sodium vegetable broth OR 5 cups water and 1 vegetable bouillon cube (I like Harvest Sun)

In a large pot over medium-high heat, water sauté the garlic and onion until translucent.
Add in all other ingredients, cover, and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and let simmer, stirring occasionally, until the lentils and squash are tender.
Enjoy!

I forgot to take photos of the soup once it was done, but this is what it looked like while cooking:

At 4pm I had a salad of Lentil Taco Filling, Lemon Pepper Coleslaw, romaine and red leaf lettuce. This had enough flavour that I didn’t end up using the pictured Balsamic Vinaigrette.

I made the Lentil Taco Filling without any onion, tomato paste, cilantro, or bell pepper, and added an extra diced carrot.

Around 7:30pm, when I finally got home I had the rest of my hummus and vegetables.

Later on I enjoyed another Chocolate Covered Blues Smoothie. This ones a winner!

My water intake today: 11.5 cups!

Jem and I weren’t together most of the day, so except for the morning Pineapple Peach Smoothie we actually ate differently today. For lunch, Jem had a salad of 1 cup of red leaf and romaine lettuce, 1 cup of Lemon Pepper Coleslaw, artichoke hearts, Balsamic Vinaigrette, and ½ cup Lentil Taco Filling. In the afternoon she had a large vanilla rooibos tea with soy milk and a Naked Fruit Smoothie. For dinner she had Butternut Squash Lentil Soup.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 5

Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 3

Posted on October 25, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Prep
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 0.5
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 1
Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 2

Today is actually Day 5 of our Challenge, but my full school day (which means I’m gone for almost 12 hours) didn’t leave any time for posting.

Things are going pretty good. I’m feeling less hungry and have more energy than I thought I would. I am enjoying the food once I’m eating it, but am having to talk myself into making it. Still daydreaming about all the other things I’d like to be eating. Like bread and avocado and Granny Smith Apples and coffee and dark chocolate and peanut butter… Only three more days to go!

All recipes below without a link can be found at the Vedged Out Green Smoothie Challenge page.

Day 3 Eats:

Breakfast was a Razzleberry Lemonade Smoothie. As usual, I used ½ cup Greens Puree in place of the greens, only ½ a banana, and left out the ice. I also used ½ of a lemon (segmented and some peel). I’ve had this smoothie before, and I love how different it is. The sour berry lemon flavour sure wakes up the tastebuds!

Once again, I forgot part of my smoothie in the freezer for a little bit and ended up with some lemonade slush. Yum!

After my smoothie, I had some warm ginger mint herbal tea.

I put together a big salad plate for lunch. It tasted just as good as it looks! It had romaine lettuce, red leaf lettuce, Balsamic Vinaigrette, artichoke hearts, cucumber, orange pepper, Italian White Beans, and some Lemon Pepper Coleslaw.

The Lemon Pepper Coleslaw was something I had just come up with. Basically, I was thinking of making my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw challenge-worthy, and this is what I ended up with. Without any sugar or oil for balance, it is quite sour, but has made a great addition to salads and other things.

Lemon Pepper Coleslaw
3-4 cups shredded cabbage
Juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp ground black pepper

Mid-afternoon Jem and I met for a study date at a coffee shop. It was very difficult to talk ourselves into having herbal tea and nothing else! We both ended up with vanilla rooibos tea with steamed soy milk. The milk isn’t really challenge-approved (though it doesn’t actually say anything about it other than it is in some smoothies), but I’m pretty sure it was the only thing coming between us and a sweet caffeinated drink and/or a treat.

When we got home, we each had a plate of mini lettuce wraps (because we had already torn the lettuce). Our lettuce wraps were just red leaf and romaine lettuce with hummus and Lemon Pepper Coleslaw.

A couple hours later, dinner was leftover Hot & Sour Soup. Still just as good as the day before!

I made a Berry Vanilla Smoothie (based on the Blueberry Vanilla Smoothie) for an evening snack with ½ cup Greens Puree, 1 cup mixed berries (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries), ½ cup blueberries, ½ a banana, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tbsp ground flax, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, and 5 drops of vanilla stevia.

My water today: 7 cups.

Jem and I ate the same Razzleberry Lemonade Smoothie for breakfast, except that she used a whole banana and hemp protein powder instead of flax. During the morning she had ginger mint tea and some hummus with orange pepper, carrot, and cucumber. She didn’t actually have a salad or a second smoothie on this day, but had the same vanilla rooibos tea, lettuce wraps, and Hot & Sour Soup with me.

Green Smoothie Challenge: Day 4

I’ve shared this post with Healthy Vegan Friday #66 and Gluten Free Friday #62.

My Most Made Recipes

Posted on September 23, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Vegan MoFo 2013 – Post #12

I don’t have a lot of time today for a post, as I should be spending the day studying for a test I have tomorrow, so I thought I’d just share with you some of the recipes I’ve posted about that I actually make repeatedly. The number is actually pretty small. There are just always so many new and interesting recipes to try that I find it difficult to repeat past ones, even when I really loved them. The ones that I do repeat are usually the ones that were really quick and easy, in addition to tasty.

I make these Chickpea Flour Omelettes all the time! They are quick, easy, very filling, and easily adaptable to whatever vegetables I have on hand. My favourite fillings include spinach, peppers, something spicy like pickled jalapeños or red pepper flakes, and a bit of Daiya Cheese.

And for a variation, I’ve made these Vegan Scrambled ‘Eggs’ a few times since I discovered them.

I’ve been making these Easy Hot & Sour Refrigerator Pickles on and off all summer long and they always disappear very quickly! I mostly just eat them as snacks.

It isn’t a recipe, but I am pretty much obsessed with falafel salads and wraps. (Seriously, search my blog for ‘falafel’ and you’ll see one pop up on almost every What I Ate Wednesday post.) I used to use Casbah Falafel mix, but now I’ve been using the Baked Falafel Burgers from Veggie Burgers Every Which Way. Staples in my falafel salads are cucumbers, peppers, either hummus or tahini sauce, and (lately) Sriracha.

These Wheat-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies from Veganomicon are a big hit with my family and I. I love the texture and taste from the oat flour and the recipe is really easy. The small batch means you won’t be taking cookies in and out of the oven for hours, and you won’t have too many leftovers to tempt you in the following days.

This Lower-Fat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread from Veganomicon has been repeated quite a few times in our household, and is a big hit with omnivores and vegan (just me) alike. You can also see it here, with the addition of raspberries!

This Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw is (in my humble opinion) crunchy, tangy, coleslaw perfection. I make this quite a lot, both for myself and as a contribution to family dinners. My mom and sister have also requested the recipe and made it a few times! 🙂 I find it seriously addictive, in a good way, and it never lasts long.

And last, but certainly not least is my Avocado Toast with Balsamic Vinegar. Sometimes the simplest things are the best. I make this all the time, at all times of day, and I always thoroughly enjoy it! Hearty crunchy whole grain bread (I prefer Silver Hills), rich creamy avocado, tangy balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, and a punch of spice from the black pepper! Yum yum yum. I think I know what I’m having for lunch today.

What I Ate Wednesday #137

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Vegan MoFo 2013 – Post #2

It’s time for What I Ate Wednesday #137! Enjoy!

Quinoa, zucchini, avocado, and Cajun seasoning.

Quinoa, green lentils, carrots, zucchini, and taco seasoning.

A Spicy Vegan Chili Burger on a whole wheat bun with Daiya Jack Wedge, hummus, Sriracha, and green leaf lettuce. With my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw.

Green leaf lettuce, cucumber, red pepper, fresh ground pepper, balsamic vinaigrette, and a crumbled veggie burger.

Toasted Silver Hills Squirelly Bread with avocado tossed in lemon juice, hummus, Sriracha, green leaf lettuce, and a crumbled mini Spicy Vegan Chili Burger. With a side of cucumber with fresh ground black pepper.

Cooked short grain brown rice, defrosted frozen blueberries, coconut sugar, cinnamon, unsweetened almond milk. Warmed up.

You May Also Enjoy:
What I Ate Wednesday #136 – Vegan In Victoria
What I Ate Wednesday #130
What I Ate Wednesday #121

What I Ate Wednesday #121

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

Once again, its time for What I Ate Wednesday and I’ve got some more random meals for. Enjoy! I sure did!

Two mushroom patties (based on these ones) over brown rice, with Sriracha and roasted garlic hummus.
Pizza – A whole wheat pita with roasted garlic hummus, mushrooms, red pepper, pickled jalapeño, black olives, sprouted red lentils, and Daiya Cheddar Wedge.

Soba Noodle Bowl – Soba noodles, garlic, red peppers, yellow peppers, carrots, baby bok choy, bean sprouts, red lentil sprouts, Bitchin’ Sauce, and Sriracha.
Wrap – A whole wheat wrap with mashed avocado, Gardein Chipotle Lime Crispy Tenders, cucumber, romaine lettuce, and lime juice.

Salad – Romaine lettuce, red pepper, avocado, pineapple, a crumbled Curried Chickpea Quinoa Burger, lime juice, and Vega Antioxidant Oil.
Wrap – A Baked Mediterranean Chickpea Burger with melted Daiya Jalapeno Garlic Wedge on a whole wheat wrap with red pepper hummus, green leaf lettuce, and cucumber.

First BBQ of 2013 – Grilled Portobello on a multigrain bun with Sriracha lime mashed avocado (exactly what it sounds like) & romaine. Oven wedge fries. My Basic No-mayo Coleslaw.
Taco Wrap – Lentil taco filling and my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw on a whole wheat wrap.

Green Tahini Rice Bowl – Brown rice, broccoli, asparagus, and Soyganic Smoked Tofu, smothered with tahini sauce (from the reFresh cookbook) and some sesame seeds for good measure.
Extending the last of my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw with some cucumbers and hemp hearts.

Hope everyone

Back to Basics: No-Mayo Coleslaw

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Sasha Itterman, R.H.N.

This may look like a boring bowl of shredded cabbage, but please trust me, it is anything but boring. This is my Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw and it boasts a fantastically bright tangy flavour, with just the right hint of sweetness.

I’ve never really been interested in coleslaw before and until a few months ago had never tried making it. All those creamy mayo-based ones have always kind of grossed me out. When I realized a great way to use up that big hunk of cabbage sitting in the fridge (and get a salad out of the deal while I was seriously low on other salad ingredients) would be to try making coleslaw the last thing I was interested in was a creamy vegan-mayo based recipe. After a bit of searching around through recipes I decided on my dressing ingredients. I know that if I cover any salad with a tangy acidic dressing I will have no problem devouring it, so I followed the same rule with this coleslaw.

I’ve made this coleslaw three more times since that last time and I find it seriously addictive. It makes a great side-dish, or an addition to a wrap or taco. I’ve also enjoyed it as is, topped with some spicy saucy lentils. Also, cabbage is usually super cheap, it lasts almost forever, and you probably all the dressing ingredients in your kitchen. So go make coleslaw!

Basic No-Mayo Coleslaw
4 cups shredded cabbage (red or green or both)
2 tbsp lemon or lime juice
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil (or try Vega Antioxidant Omega Oil Blend)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1/8 tsp sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Place all dressing ingredients in a large bowl (large enough for the entire recipe) and whisk until combined. Add cabbage to bowl and toss until dressing covers all of the cabbage. You can enjoy this coleslaw immediately but it will be even better if it sits for a few hours. This will keep in the fridge for a few days. Just stir before eating. Enjoy!

One of the best things about basic recipes like this one is that they are a great starting point for creating more complicated recipes. You can choose either lemon or lime juice, choose your oil, and even substitute agave for the maple syrup. Also, feel free to substitute part of the cabbage for shredded carrot or broccoli stem (or maybe a pre-packaged coleslaw mix if you’re really short on time and energy). Adding some cayenne pepper or crushed red pepper flakes would make for a spicy coleslaw, or adding one of your favourite spices or herbs could make for a tasty variation. Whatever you choose, you should end up with a delicious coleslaw!