Meat Free Monday: Bok Choy

Ever since I bought Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet, I've been on the lookout for Bok Choy. She features it in quite a few recipes, and although I always looked for it, I could never find it in my local food shops.

I was quite happy when I found a small Japanese supermarket around. It actually features more of the processes junk food you can find in Japan, but in a small fridge I found it among some produce.

It has a lovely taste, a bit on the bitter side, but nothing as bitter as radicchio. My favorite version of it was in a salad with lots of tomatoes, carrots and a tahine based sauce. I recommend it!

Meat Free Monday: Navratan Korma

This past week was my mum's birthday, and to celebrate we went to a fancy Indian restaurant, so my mum could introduce her ten-month old grandson to Nan bread. Plus, I think she was just excited in having her kids partake on Indian customs, since she is all about India, as she has been going there every year for the past six years.

Mum, in a trip to India

I was all excited because I love curry and I know a lot of Indians are vegetarians, which means I'd get my pick at something decent to eat. I automatically chose the vegetarian curry, but my mum talked me into ordering a Navratan Korma. Say what?

Navratan Korma (source)

First of all, let me say there is obviously a reason mothers know best. This dish was one of THE.MOST.DELICIOUS.THINGS.I.HAVE.EVER.EATEN. Hands down. 'Navratan' means nine, so there are nine main ingredients, including paneer cheese, which is kind of tofu-like. The sauce was creamy and not spicy at all, and just plain delicious!


Next time you go to an Indian place, I urge you to step outside the curry-box and order you some of this!

Meat Free Mondays: Oatmeal

I have a long history of love over breakfast foods. If my nutricionist allowed me, I could live on breakfast foods alone. My love is so deep, that I had a brunch at my wedding, and it was delicious! None of that 'brides don't eat during their own wedding' nonsense!

Lately I've been trying to be really good about what I eat. I have no choice. So, for breakfast, I've been crushing on this lovely option a couple of times a week:


Superb, isn't it? And the best part is that if you change your fruits, you get an (almost) whole new dish! Plus, it's easy-peasy to make, which is ideal for my just-out-of-bed-self.

Julie's Oatmeal

Ingredients:

-oats

-cinnamon

-raisins

-any sort of chopped fruit you have available

-water

Directions:

1. Put a little bit of water on a skillet (just enough to coat it)

2. Bring water to boil.

3. Add a mix of oats, cinnamon and raisins- you choose the ratio.

4. Mix well. When it's nearly done, add in some chopped fruit (the picture features chopped bananas and guava, yum!)

I promise it is as yummy and healthy as it looks. And if you *must*, add some brown sugar on it, but I suggest you slowly add less and less until you need none!

Meat Free Mondays: Homemade Larabars

I live in Brazil, and I had never heard of Larabars. All of a sudden, it seems they are everywhere: on Pinterest, featured on blogs and on cooking websites. I am not one to join the bandwagon just because, but I figured I should try it just to check if it really is as good, cheap and easy as I keep reading.

Homemade Larabars as seen on 100 days of real food

Ingredients:

1 cup of chopped raw cashews

1 cup pitted dates

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 tablespoon of water

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor.

2. Squash them together and then flatten them out on a cookie sheet.

3. Cut into individual pieces and keep them in the fridge or at room temperature.

My verdict? The are cheap, easy to make (although you get PB all over your hands!) and quite yummy for a nut fan such as myself. I am just not convinced they are all that healthy!

Meat Free Mondays: Breakfast Pancakes

In my house, we are all IHOP lovers. Seriously. I will take an IHOP meal over the fanciest spread any day. Unfortunately, the American goodness is not available in Brazil, so we have to make do with what we have. Which means searching for good pancake recipes.

Told ya we LOVE us some Ihop. No one pours Maple Syrup on to their Iced Tea like my baby!

So today I'd like to share our Pancake recipe. It's from the Country Living Cook Book and it's the easiest one I found. When I am hungry on a Sunday morning, I'll take quick pancake over fancy ones!

Pancakes

Ingredients:

3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder

Directions:

1- Pour the flour, sugar, salt and baking powder onto a bowl and mix. Make a well in the middle.

2- In a separate bowl, mix the egg, vanilla, butter and milk.

3- Add the wet mixture to the well in the dry one.

4- Mix it up, but not too well. The lumpy batter is what guarantees a soft pancake!

5- Let it rest for five minutes.
6- Pour it on a frying pan or griddle and turn it over half way through- when it gets that brown goodie look!

Make sure you have yummy toppings to serve! My favorite (besides gallons of maple syrup) is peanut butter and mom's organic blackberry jam!

Weekend links

This weekend I am all excited. I have a good friend's birthday party, and hopefully will get to have lunch with a couple of friends the hubby and I love. I can certainly count on lots of laughter scheduled for Saturday! Do you have any fun plans? Here is what I intend to finish by Sunday:

Here are some links I find worth it during your down time this weekend. Enjoy!

Everything Etsy had these great ideas and pictures of crafting and scrap booking inspiration. Made me want to stay home and make something pretty!

The Cottage Market shared 25 meat-free dog treats from around the web. I MUST make my babies some of these! Anything to avoid giving them bleached leather munchies from the pet store!

Simple Homeschool shared a post about how kids don't need worksheets and fancy posters to learn. Although I don't agree 100% on what was said about letting kids run around and quote: "And, somehow, after a couple of years, he’ll just know all of the letters, numbers, shapes and colors", I did find the realistic approach interesting, from a teacher's point of view.

Lastly, Socialmouths posted on finding your sweet spot in blogging. Can I get an Amen?

Meat Free Monday: Pinterest Inspiration

I am in no way a goddess in the kitchen, so I often turn to inspiration everywhere when it comes to cooking. Today, instead of a single recipe, I would like to share some of the pins I have on my 'Veggie Love' board on Pinterest. To follow me on Pinterest, click here.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread from Betty Crocker

Oven baked zucchini sticks from Fun and Food Cafe

Lentil Rice from Como Come Cami

Blackberries, fennel and goat cheese pizza from Scaling Back

And for the animal lovers out there, Peanut Butter Dog treats from Pink Pistachio

Meat Free Mondays: Broccoli, Tahine and Soy Sauce Pasta

After making a Barley Casserole with Tahine I fell in love with the mixture of tahine and dark green veggies on a dish. Thinking of that, I made up this Broccoli, Tahine and Soy Sauce Pasta, and it turned out to be delicious!

The tons of parmesan cheese on top prove I am not a vegan yet, but any non-dairy eating folks can just sip that part!

Julie's Broccoli, Tahine and Soy Sauce Pasta

Ingredients:

-cooked pasta ( I prefer whole weat)

-tahine dressing

-soy sauce

-garlic

-chopped broccoli (the more, the better!)

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta normaly, and drain. Set aside.

2. On a large skillet or wok, add some garlic and broccoli.

3. When broccoli is soft, add some tahine (go easy on it if you never had it, it has quite a strong taste!)

4. Add the pasta and some soy sauce. Be careful not to over do it, or the tahine+ soy sauce will became a quite salty duo.

That's it! I was so proud of myself for making up a dish!

How about you, do you have any made up recipes?

Ginger tea

I've had quite a few sore throats lately, and had my share of home made medicines to try to get better. From cinnamon milk to honey lemon drops, I went through a batch of  'must haves' that did me no good.

A couple of days ago I went to the doctor due to a severe sore throat, and he prescribed me antibiotics, anti inflammatory and pain killers, and told me I could have nothing else. Oh, the joy of western medicine.

The pharmacist agreed that I shouldn't add anything to the potent drugs I was getting, so she recommended me some ginger tea. I had heard about it before, but figured it would taste horrible. To my surprise, it is the best tea I ever had.

Source

Oh So Lovely Ginger Tea

Ingredients:

-chopped ginger- a handful will do for several cups
-sugar
-water
-a strainer

Put water, sugar and the ginger in a pot. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for about ten minutes. Pass through a strainer to serve.

Meat Free Mondays: Vegan Cappuccino Brownie

Last week I had a huge craving for chocolate. Flipping through The Kind Diet, I found this vegan brownie recipe and decided to give it a try. I actually made it less healthy than Alicia's, but that's what you do when you need chocolate and don't have the right ingredients in your pantry.

Vegan Cappucino Brownie

Ingredients:

3/4 cup flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups brown sugar (the original recipe asks for Maple Sugar, not sure we have that in Brazil!)
3/4 cup non-dairy milk  (I used soy)
3/4 cup brewed decaf coppuccino
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional, I skipped them)

For the topping, I chose to sprinkle sugar and powdered cinnamon on top!

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Coat a baking pan with oil
2. In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the milk, coffee and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and stir to mix well.
4. If you want walnuts, add them now.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake for  30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.
7. Let it cool for about an hour
8. Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon on top
    

I must be honest with you: if you are used to refined sugar in everything, such as juice and stuff, you won't find this a great tasting brownie, but if you are a healthy nut, this will taste just fine!

Gelatin and the trick question

Jello is a healthy, light, vegetarian food, right?

Source

Wrong! According to Wikipedia, Gelatin (or gelatine) is a translucent, colorless, brittle (when dry), flavorless solid substance, derived from the collagen inside animals' skin and bones.

I did not make that up, and let's just get it out of the way: Eughhh! Bill Cosby forgive me, but there is no way I am putting animal bones in my mind (again).

There are some alternatives, such as agar, which is made from seaweed (mush less yucky!). It is important to check for gelatin in regular cooking processes, as people tend to forget its an animal product.

Vegetarians and vegans should also be careful when using pills with gell capsules, so make sure your doctor specifies a vegetarian capsule.



Meat-Free Mondays

Source

You’ve heard me talk about being a vegetarian, and today I’d like to share with you a really cool idea started by none other than PaulMcCartney.

Meet Meat-Free Mondays. It can change your life.

It’s a very simple concept: one day a week, you give up your treasured meat. I know so many people who give up sugar, chocolate, sodas, fried food and such several days a week, but get quite defensive about giving up meat one day a week. Just hear me out:

You will not get sick or weak. There are plenty of protein replacements such as beans, nuts and vegetables. Yes, it’s bad to cut meat and live off of grilled cheese only. But if you eat properly, other ingredients in your diet will balance out the meat you cut off. And since this is for one day a week, you’ll be able to go back to your Chicken Alfredo Pasta tomorrow. If the concept of all things meat-y is too big for you to cut right now, remember that eggs can make a delicious hearty meal.

You will save money. Although organic produce tends to be a bit pricey, meat products are still more expensive. Cutting meat one day a week means cutting down 1/7 of your meat intake. Spoil yourself by using that money for something you really want.

You will help the planet. We are all about not wasting energy and recycling, but mankind’s meat eating habit is not exactly eco-friendly. Cows need green pasture, lots of water and produce tons of CO2, aka what is killing the ozone layer. So if everyone were to avoid meat once a day, that would be a big help.

You will discover new yummy things. Who knew I loved pearl barley or curry tofu? Not me, because I was too busy stuffing my face with hot-dogs and ramen noodles. Cutting meat for one day a week will guarantee you a chance to become more creative in your cooking or restaurant searching.

One year later

Last year I bought ‘The Kind Diet’ while it was still on pre-sale and waited eagerly for it to be shipped to Brazil. I arrived on Friday before Easter, and I literally read it in one seating.

I had already decided to cut red meat due to anxiety, poor sleeping patterns and ever increasing reading material relating red meat to cancer. I had heard Alicia Silverstone tell Oprah that her plant based diet allowed her to have regular bowl movements, and as that was –ahem- something I never experienced, I figured I should give it a try.

I actually found myself in tears in the middle of the book. Reading about the food industry, I thought of how the planet would be a happier and safer place if human beings weren’t around. I vowed to become a vegetarian right off the bat, and I did.

I won’t say I will never eat meat again. I can, however, say that I don’t crave it a single bit. And let me tell, you, I was a big meat-eater. Anyone who has been to a Brazilian churrasco joint knows we like our meat. I was a worshipper of chicken, and could eat it any way served. McDonald’s was for me the ultimate self-indulging treat.

Here are five things I learned during this year as a veggie, but which I believe are staples of human beings in general:

1-      The first two weeks are the hardest. Like anything in life: diet, a new workout routine, or waking up early when school starts, getting into the new routine is the hardest. After a while, we get used to it.

2-     We are eager for the approval of others. Whether it is about cutting meat and dairy,  investing in being a stay at home mum or choosing not to watch crap TV (in Brazil, soap operas and Big Brother are the highest rating shows – enough said), we tend to want to fit in.

3-     We believe the lies we are told because we need to feel safe. Driving through a flood is ok. Microwaves and transgenic food are safe. Meat and dairy are good for you. We know these are not the case, but in the end of the day, we are going to do what we want to do, so having an excuse to start with empowers us.

4-     We judge what we don’t understand. That couple barely talks to each other, so they must not love each other. She wants to be a stay at home mom because it’s easier than working 9 to 5. Vegetarians are dirty tree-hugging hippies. Until you’ve tried it, you cannot possibly have a sensible judgment.

5-     Nothing is forever. Whether you think you’ll never get married, will always be young and hip or never give up meat.  Maybe there is no way you can imagine yourself in a situation at this point in your life. You may be a completely different person ten years from now.

Although I am not trying to convince anyone, I just have to share. According to Choose Veg in one year on a plant-based diet I spared 50 animals' lives. That just feels good.

An Easter lunch for those who don’t like fish

In Brazil, we have a tradition of eating cod fish for Easter. It’s an elaborate meal that takes a couple of days of preparation, and in my opinion there is only one word to describe it: fishy.

When I was a kid, on a specific Easter Sunday we were at my dad’s cousin’s house and the kids were polled as to who would like hot-dogs. As I was the oldest, and saw myself as the wisest, I proceeded to claim I had no problem with cod fish.

I braved through lunch taking small bites, and proceeding to spit them into paper napkins that littered around my plate, all the way thinking none of the grown-ups could see through me (sorry, gross, I know, but I was  a child!).

I am so happy I am a vegetarian now, and don’t have to brave or offend anyone over eating fish. I actually know some people who dislike cod, but eat it on Easter Sunday because they feel they have to. Why?

In case you attend an Easter lunch that serves fish and you are not too keen on the idea, I suggest you take a hearty side dish to make it through, like a quiche, risotto or substantial salad.

New look for April

April is a lovely month in my book. There is Easter, it’s Fall in Brazil, which is my favorite season, there is my brother’s birthday and there is Earth day. I used to think Earth day was a lame excuse for teaching kids at school how to turn the tap off while brushing their teeth and such. But as I grow older and –ahem-wiser, as I start thinking about having kids, and what kind of legacy I am leaving them, I can’t help but think about all these eco-friendly issues that we tend to overlook.

So here at Oh My Gosh! We’ll have an Earth MONTH! I’ll keep up with our regular posts, but we’ll have some special what-can-we-do-to-save-the-rainforest type of posts. I’ll make them fun, I promise!

In the meantime, I leave you with some links for more info on eco-friendly awesomeness:

http://www.earthday.org/

http://www.carbonfootprint.com/

http://www.peta.org/

When good recipes don’t come out as we expect it

Checking out my Kind Diet cook book, I got a hunger for this recipe:

Source

I don’t think words are necessary to explain why I thought this would be yummy. However, I did not have the ingredients I  needed. Instead of azuki beans, I used normal Brazilian beans (‘carioca’) and used my pressure cooker because we know how to cook beans down here.

My recipe did not come out as expected. It softened the beans too much and it came out as a soup (sorry, I don’t have a picture of it). Needless to say, I was quite upset about getting it wrong. I always do this- my recipes never come out as they should. Bummed.

And then, my hubby tried it (I was quite unwilling, it didn’t look nearly as appetizing!) and was blown away. He said it was the best bean soup he ever had- HA!

So I have learned three recipes so far, but I finally learned that there are times we need to let it go, and adapt to what we can have for dinner. As long as its yummy, who cares whether it looks like the book?