Vegan Week: Day 1

Fattoush.

Well, it took me three months, but I'm back ... for a little while, at least.

My favorite picky eater, Craig, left today to go visit his kids in California. They'll indulge in pizza, pizza, Mexican food, and more pizza. Craig may make some of Jennifer's and Justin's favorites: chicken and rice pilaf or indulgently overstuffed chicken tacos.

I miss him while he's gone - I do! But when Craig goes away, all his little dietary quirks go away, too. Remember, he's a man who won't eat peas. Or sweet potatoes. Or biscuits. The list goes on ....

So when Craig is off having fun with his kids on the West Coast or visiting flea markets on the East Coast, I always relish the opportunity to have foods that I can't eat otherwise. I love to cook, but it's just a bother to cook two separate meals for two separate people. And the dishes ... oy.

This time, I decided to do something different. This time, I decided to challenge myself.

So, folks, welcome to my experiment: Vegan Week!!! From this morning's breakfast through Friday's dinner, I am eating a plant-based diet.

No meat. No eggs. No fish. No cheese. Lots of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes. And treats ... treats, absolutely!

This required a fair amount of advance planning, without regular meals like burgers or fried eggs to fall back on in a pinch, so my pantry and refrigerator needed a boost. A schlep through the grocery store yielded a cart filled with fennel, spinach, scallions, mushrooms, zucchini, squash, lime, whole grain flatbreads, soy ice cream, almond milk, salsa, and Fritos (yes, they're vegan. The double-stuffed mint-flavored generic store brand Oreos are vegan, too.).

So, I got started this morning.

Full of anticipation and curiosity, I made my coffee. I added the almond milk-based coffee creamer ... and I nearly gave up my week's mission right there. Bleah.

The "creamer" was thin, and it bore no resemblance to the caramel flavoring the carton had promised. I drank it, because giving up animal products was one thing; giving up coffee ... nope. And black coffee? I'm not ready for that much challenge yet.

But things got better with breakfast: Elvis-Style Oatmeal, thankyouverymuch!

Elvis-Style Oatmeal, with peanut butter and banana.

Made with a splash of almond milk, a dollop of crunchy peanut butter, and a sliced banana, it had creaminess, crunchiness, and comfort all in one bowl. I ate an entire generous serving that likely could have fed two, if Craig had shown any interest in it (and if there had been any left!) when he woke up this morning.

For lunch, I brought my favorite salad to work: fattoush, a Middle Eastern salad flavored with sumac for a pinch of tart spice. I had purchased just a few assorted olives at the grocery store (another verboten item, as Craig only eats the tinny black California variety), and tucked them into my lunchbox, too, along with the vividly green mint faux-reos.

Dinner was a more glamorous take on the standard beans and rice, which was actually pinto beans served over a mix of rices and quinoa. I sautéed the beans with garlic, red and green onions, red pepper flakes, a bit of chopped orange pepper, some chopped tomatoes, and a dash of chipotle-infused salsa. And then, for a little extra crunch and flavor, I topped it with ... no, not cheese. Fritos. Crushed Fritos. It was the perfect touch.

Pinto beans with onions, garlic, orange pepper, corn, tomatoes, and Fritos.

So, join me on the adventure, whether by enjoying some of the meals (recipes will be posted each day, I hope!) or, at least, living vicariously through the pictures.

It's good to be back ... :)


Elvis-Style Oatmeal

1/2 cup vanilla-flavored almond milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup quick-cook oats
2 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
1 banana, sliced

Place almond milk, water, and oats into a small saucepan; bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Stir until oatmeal is thickened, then stir in peanut butter. Place oatmeal into a bowl and top with the banana.

Yield: 1 generous or 2 smaller servings.
Source: Mary Bilyeu


Fattoush

Lettuce, torn into small pieces
Thinly sliced cucumber
Thinly sliced radish
Bits of red onion
Crushed pita chips
Lemon juice
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Generous pinch of ground sumac (available at Middle Eastern markets)

Proportions and quantities are variable, depending upon personal taste and the number of people eating the salad.

Place the vegetables and the pita chips into a mixing bowl. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt, pepper, and sumac; make it more/less sour, more/less salty, etc., as you like it. Pour the dressing over the salad; toss and serve.

Note: Feel free to add sliced carrots, chopped peppers, tomatoes, parsley, or other items that you'd like.

Source: Mary Bilyeu


Pinto Beans with Rice and Quinoa

1 bag Minute Multigrain Medley (rice and quinoa)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped red onion
Generous pinch of red pepper flakes
Ancho chili powder, to taste
Chili powder, to taste
1/3 cup corn kernels
2 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped orange pepper
1 small tomato, cored, chopped
1 15.5-ounce can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup fresh chipotle salsa
A few Fritos, crushed

In a small saucepan, combine rice/quinoa with water. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 10 minutes until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic, red onion, and red pepper flakes; saute until onion is translucent. Add chili powders and corn; cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add scallions, orange pepper, and tomato; cook 2 to 3 minutes, until pepper softens. Add beans and salsa; bring just to a boil, then simmer.

To serve, place the rice/quinoa mix onto a plate and top with bean mixture. Sprinkle the crushed Fritos over the top.

Yield: 2 generous servings.
Source: Mary Bilyeu

Elvis Doughnut Sandwiches

I have often been told that I'm a tad perplexing, as I tend to engage in behaviors that are antithetical to each other.

I love to learn languages and to study other cultures; I long to eat my way through Europe and want to shop in the souks of Morocco before I die ... and yet, I'm completely and utterly terrified of flying and am rather a homebody.

I was once accused of being an "intellectual snob" with a low boredom quotient (not ADHD), someone who can usually do The New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle in a couple of hours ... and yet, I adore such admitted drivel as the Disney Princess movies.

I have a bit of an OCD for order, wanting everything in its proper place and straightening deposit slips at banks or packets of gum in the checkout aisle at the grocery store ... and yet, my car is such a mess that it still looks as though I'm toting 8-year-old Cub Scouts around despite Jeremy now being 20.

Suffice it to say that I can be unpredictable and contradictory ... :)

And what prompted this little episode of reflection and confession???

I was told last week that my behavior is striking with regard to money. "You will give anything you have to anyone. And yet, you shop like you're stingy at thrift stores and by buying Manager's Specials that are on sale because they're approaching their expiration date." Just call me the Frugal Floozie!

I give blood, and I'll one day donate my organs and tissues. I'll give you food; and if I've got it, I'll give you money if you need it. But how can I have anything to give to my loved ones in need or to my favorite causes if I'm not careful with my resources???

This then reminded me of a recipe I created when I was first separated before my divorce. I had bought a box of doughnut holes for a whopping 50-cents just before their "sell by" date, preparing myself for impending frugality and a presumed lack of money. They were kinda stale ... not ideal, even for soothing a wounded soul just looking for a fix.

What to do, what to do???

I dunked them in chocolate. I rolled them in toasted coconut. Everyone loved them!

Then I saw that Better Homes and Gardens magazine's monthly contest was seeking hand-held desserts. Well, it seemed utterly ridiculous to enter such a silly thing, but why not??? It cost nothing to do so.

And it turned out to be a $250 Honorable Mention called "Doughnut Delights"!!!

So, the lessons here???

Never pass up a good sale.

Never waste food.

And, as the Psychedelic Furs sing in "Love My Way": "You can never win or lose, if you don't run the race" -- my personal motto for life which I hold deeply in my heart.



But, I digress. In fact, I've taken you on such a long and meandering path here that I should have told you to wear comfortable shoes and bring a canteen of water!

Back to more soul soothing and another box of Manager's Special doughnuts ... and a price hike up to 69 cents -- sheesh, inflation in 4 years!!!

Anyway .... I had these plain doughnuts, and ate half of the dozen just as they were. But later on, it was time to glamourize them a bit.

Again, what to do, what to do???

Peanut butter and banana.

I sliced the doughnuts open. A schmear of peanut butter, a bit of mashed banana ... a new version of the famous Elvis sandwich!

Addictive little things, these are. I might have added a drizzle of honey if I'd had any, but they were really quite satisfying without it -- sweet, gooey, with just a hint of protein to counter the sugar. I can also see that these would be fabulous with chocolate-coated doughnuts ... oh, man!

Gonna have to try that version, 'cause I've got some more soul soothing to do after making a very necessary decision ....




Elvis Doughnut Sandwiches

4 small, plain doughnuts
1/3 cup peanut butter
1 medium banana, mashed

Carefully slice the doughnuts in half, and lay them out on the countertop.


Shmear some peanut butter on each doughnut half.


Divide the mashed banana among half of the doughnut halves.


Press one peanut buttered-half and one banana-slathered half together to make a sandwich, repeating with the remaining doughnuts.


Makes 4 sandwiches.



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Elvis Muffins

We all know of Elvis Presley's affinity for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I make a pretty mean version of that -- spread some honey on the bread first, then some peanut butter, then a mashed banana; put it all together, spread butter on the outside of the bread, and fry it up like a grilled cheese sandwich.

Warm, gooey, sweet, with just a little bit of protein to delude a girl into thinking that it will balance out the carbs and sugars -- ha!!! Jeremy loves them ... LOVES them. I haven't made these for a long, long time; I might have to indulge him, to make up for the extra hours at work these days. Yes, I can buy his affection with food.

One of the ways that I cope with stress is to cook and to bake. Other people rely upon drive-thrus and take-out when life gets busy; I decompress in the kitchen. And the other day, I had some bananas to use up. But instead of making plain ol' banana bread, I made Elvis Muffins.

I'm sure you can already guess the primary ingredients in these beauties: peanut butter and banana. But there's whole wheat flour to make them more nutritious, and a sprinkling of honey-roasted peanuts on top "just 'cause."

They're easy to make, they were apparently quite the hit with Tom's co-workers when he brought some in to share, and the house smells amazing as they bake. These muffins are just "A Big Hunk o' Love."




Elvis Muffins

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed
1 cup unbleached white flour
3/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup honey-roasted peanuts, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Fill a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Stir in the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the bananas. Add the white flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix well. Divide batter among the lined cups. Sprinkle tops of muffins with the chopped peanuts.

Bake for 25 minutes or so, until a tester comes out clean.