Sample Menu

Here's the menu I created for the 21 days-- I am taping it to my fridge.

Recipe: Pumpkin Spice Latte

Clean Eating Pumpkin Spice Latte
(Makes 2 lattes)

Ingredients
4 tbsp. ground coffee
1 tbsp. pumpkin spice (no sugar added, just the spice mix)
2-1/2 cups water
2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk OR…
plain almond milk + 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup

Directions
NOTE: I made this using a French press. So it was easy to get these specific measurements. If you use a coffee maker, you’ll need to adjust the amounts of all the ingredients based on the amount of coffee you use. You can double or triple or….
Step 1 – Combine the coffee and the pumpkin spice and brew as usual with the specified amount of water.
Step 2 – Pour the maple syrup in the bottom of your cup and pour half of the hot coffee over that.
Step 3 – Add 1 cup of milk and stir.
Step 4 – Repeat steps 2-3 for the second serving.
Sip and Enjoy!

Emily's take:  I blended it and added ice to get froth at the top.

Nutritional Content
1 serving = 1/2 the recipe

From www.thegraciouspantry.com

Recipe: Tomato-Avocado Pasta

My husband's #1 fav meal-- I "created" it in college and improved a bit on it, but now, I shall make it vegan:

16 oz whole grain Penne
1 avocado
1 tomato on the vine
2 cloves garlic
salt & pepper
olive oil

1. Boil pasta to taste.
2. Chop avocado and tomato.
3.  Plate it!  Pasta, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper, top with 1/2 avocado, 1/2 tomato, 1 garlic clove pressed.

Recipe: Big Salad & Loaded Baked Potato

My husband loves Big Salad night.  Here's what goes in ours:

Salad:
Arugala
Spinach (I buy the Organic Girl box and dump it right in the big bowl)
Purple cabbage
Mushrooms
Black & Green olives
Avocado
Flax seeds
Sesame seeds
Chickpeas
Hearts of Palm
Green pepper
Carrots
Cucumber
Kosher salt & fresh pepper

Dressing:
3 Tbsp balsamic
1/2 cup olive oil (you can use let to let it be less thick)
1 squeeze brown mustard
1 clove garlic
Salt & pepper
Chop in food processor till thick (30 seconds)

Baked potatoes:
Scrub with brush and put fork holes along the middle of the long side--like a seam
Bake in toaster oven (or regular oven) for 60 min
Squeeze open by squeezing opposite ends from the seam
Butter up with Smart Balance Organic Vegan (yum)
Salt & pepper
Vegan cheese (optional)
Top with chopped and/or steamed broccoli and cauliflower

ENJOY!

Your 21 Dinners

http://21daysvegan.blogspot.com/2011/10/your-21-dinners.html

Click above for a breakdown of how to get thru the meals of these 21 days.

And remember--- you have Halloween as a "Last Supper" and Thanksgiving at the end of this--- so let that get you through!

Recipe: Emily's Charoset

Charoset is one of the symbolic foods that Jews eat during their Passover seder every year. It represents the mortar that the Israelites used to make bricks while they were slaves in Egypt.

Last year, it was SUCH a hit with my then 3 year old (and it's pretty healthy) that I try to remember to make it throughout the year:

(This makes a ton, you can halve the recipe):

Makes 5-6 cups

5 granny smith apples

Zest & juice from 1 lemon

1 cup of almonds

1T sugar

1T cinnamon

¼ cup sweet Manischewitz wine

(1) Cut up the apples (toss the core) into equal small sizes and put in the food processor. Chop up the apples into small minced chunks and transfer to a mixing bowl. Repeat until all the apples are chopped—chop no more than 2 at a time or you’ll make a paste.

(2) Take the juice of lemon and add to the apple mixture. Grate zest and leave in food processor—almonds will chop it later.

 (3) Grind the almonds with the zest, sugar and cinnamon. Add to the mixture. It will stay good for over a week in the fridge. Flavors will intensify after the first few days.

Great on matzah, can also eat on pita, crackers, etc.

Recipe: Vegetable Barley Soup

Again--big hit with my kids.

From College Vegetarian Cooking (adapted)


2 stalks celery
2 carrots
2 potatoes
3 vegan boullion cubes
9 cups water
1 cup pearled barley
1 cup frozen corn
1 cup frozen peas
salt and pepper

Chop the celery & carrot and put at botton of the pot wth a dash of canola oil to  get soft.
Peel potatoes if you want to, chop and add them.  Add boullion and water and bring to boil.
Stir in barley and cook over medium heat coverd for 30 min.  Add peas and corn and cook 10 min.  Season with S&P--serve.

Recipe: Lentil Soup

I double this recipe.  This is a top 3 meal in my house---amazed how excted my 1 & 4 year od get on lentil soup night!

 by Mark Bittman


Makes: 4 servings


Lentils make soup making easy—they cook quickly and are incredibly tasty. And unlike many lentil soups, which are so thick they put people off completely, this one is nicely balanced with some simple vegetables. The lentils break down a bit during the cooking to give the soup a hearty consistency, but you can purée it if you prefer. Recipe from How to Cook Everything.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 carrot, cut into 1/2 -inch dice
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 -inch dice
1 cup lentils, washed and picked over (I use a whole bag from Publix when I double it)
1 bay leaf
6 cups water + 2 Rapunzel vegan boullion cubes
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt

1. Put the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, just a minute or two. Add water.  Add the carrot and celery and keep cooking and stirring until brightly colored and hot, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the lentils, bay leaf, and stock; sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are tender, about 30 minutes. (At this point, you may cool and refrigerate the soup, covered, for up to 2 days; reheat gently.) Add more stock if the soup is too thick. Just before serving, taste, sprinkle with salt and more pepper if needed, and serve.

Freezes well

Recipe: Vegetable Empanadas

(Makes 4 servings)
2 zucchini
2 potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
1 onion
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (I set some aside for the kids before I add this)
2 prepared piecrusts--- make sure there is no "lard" in the ingredients!

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. 2. Trim and discard the ends of the zucchini and cut into ␣ inch pieces. Peel the onion and potatoes and cut into ␣ inch pieces. 3. Place the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini, onion, and potatoes, and cook, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the juice from the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are warm. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Lay the piecrusts on a flat surface and cut each one in half. Spoon one-fourth of the vegetable mixture into the center of one half circle of dough. Wet your finger and dampen the entire edge of the dough, then fold the dough over and press all around the edges with a fork to seal. Cut a slit in the top of the dough and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.
College Vegetarian Cooking by Megan and Jill Carle.

Recipe: Mediterranean Quinoa Salad

Ingredients: 

1 cup dry quinoa

2 cups water

2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes

1 cucumber, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives

1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon, juiced

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

Asparagus, coarsely diced

Directions: 

Combine the water and quinoa in a medium sized pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and let cook for about 15 minutes, or until the quinoa has absorbed all of the water. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine the sliced tomatoes, olives and cucumber. Add quinoa and spices and mix well. Drizzle olive oil and lemon juice on top.

Toss everything together. Serve immediately or store in the fridge until serving.

Time: 

30 minutes

Credit:  Natalie E.

Recipe: Hummus Wrap or Pita (great for lunch)

• 1 (12 inch) tortillas
• 1/2 cup hummus
• 1/8 cup cucumber
• 1/8 cup diced tomato
• 1/8 cup bell pepper
• 1/8 cup shoestring carrots
• 3 slices red onions
• alfalfa sprouts or arugala
• lettuce  

Directions:

1. 1
   microwave tortilla for a few seconds to make it pliable.
2. 2
   spread hummus over tortilla.
3. 3
   add assorted veggies.
4. 4
   add lettuce last.
5. 5
   roll up and slice in half or eat whole. enjoy!

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/hummus-and-veggie-wrap-128313#ixzz1c5LxWCFR

Recipe: Butter Chickpea Curry

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes, cubed
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup
• 1/2 cup soy or almond milk (rice may be to thin)
• 1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• Rice and naan bread- optional

Directions

1. Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil over high heat; simmer until the potatoes are tender. Drain, and set aside.
2. Warm oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in soup, cream, and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes. Simmer 5 minutes. 
3. Serve over rice with naan bread.

Recipe: Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

Ingredients:

    1 teaspoon olive oil
    1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
    1 cup frozen corn
    1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed
    1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
    salt and pepper, to taste
    juice of 1 lime
    8 (7") whole wheat tortillas
    3/4 cup grated vegan cheese
    1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
     1 avocado- garnish
     Vegan sour cream (I like Tofutti "Better Than Cream Cheese")- garnish
     Salsa-garnish
 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat. Add red peppers, corn, and black beans. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

2. Add the lime juice, stir to combine, and remove from heat. To assemble, lay 1 tortilla in a hot skillet sprayed with PAM. Add 1/4 cup filling and then top with 2 tablespoons grated cheese and cilantro.

3. Top with another tortilla and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly browned on the bottom tortilla. Flip and cook on the other side until slightly browned and the cheese has melted.


4.  Mash avocado.  Top each quesadilla with avocado and sour cream and salsa.

Source of recipe: This recipe was inspired from Emeril Green, modified it to make it vegan.

Recipes: Shepherd's Pie + Gravy

Vegan Shepherd’s Pie

From Quantum Wellness

(Skip to potatoes first and get those boiling)

For the Beef Mixture:

½ cup chopped onion (1 small onion)

½ cup chopped carrot (2 small carrots)

¼ cup (or less) olive oil

1 Tbsp pressed garlic

½ lb. vegan beef crumbles (I used 1 cup---Boca are the only vegan ones I have found so far--post below if you found other vegan brands)

1 heaping cup frozen peas

1- 2 cups vegetable broth (I used 2)

1 ½ tsp fresh thyme (I used the dried spice)

½ tsp pepper

1-2 tsp salt, depending on seasoning of crumbles

Saute the onions and carrots in oil for 5-7 mins

Add garlic, cook for 2 minutes

Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 10 minutes, add more broth as needed

For the Potatoes:

1 ½ baking potatoes peeled and roughly diced (I used 6)

1 Tbsp salt

¼ cup vegan butter

3 Tbsp rice/soy milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Boil potatoes with 1 Tbsp salt 20 mins or until tender

Drain well, mash, and fold in butter

Add milk as needed to create creamy yet firm mashed potatoes

Season to taste with salt and pepper

For the pie:

Preheat oven to 375

Place all beef mixture in 6-8 cup casserole dish

Top with potatoes

Optional:  Garnish with butter, herbs, paprika is desired (I did not)

Bake 20-25 mins

Makes approx 5 servings

Emily’s note:  If making for more than 2 adults and 1-2 small kids, I would double this!

Vegan Gravy

Um... this is seriously the best gravy ever.  Make sure what you get is nutritional yeast and no other kind.  They have it at Whole Foods.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
• 4 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 cups vegan broth (I use Rapunzel Vegan with Sea Salt boullion)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until thickened.                                                                                       From allrecipes.com

Your 21 dinners...

I stole this a little bit from my friend Heather who has started early this challenge with her family...

I'm going to set up the 21 days this way--- each meal gets recycled about 3 times, or you can branch out and create something new.  This keeps it simple, and you always have room to try a new recipe for lunch, or swap it out.  21 new recipes might be overwhelming if you aren't used to cooking vegan.

7 nights:

1- Pasta night

2- Mexican (tacos, quesadillas or burritos) night

3-  Soup or Stew night

4- Veggie Burger night

5-  Stir Fry night

6- Big Salad and Loaded baked potato night

7- Leftovers night (alt. Try Something New night)

If you decide to try a new recipe each 7th day, then you can use your leftovers for lunch each day--- keepin' it simple makes it easier to succeed!

I'll have at least 10 vegan recipes posted up here for you by Nov. 1.  You can just look down the posts--I'll start every recipe post with a "Recipe:..."

Recipe: 5 Bean Chili

This is especially good the next day!
(Especially if that day is chilly.)

This is one of my very few recipes I created myself.  Enjoy!  -Emily

(Remember to check backs of cans, etc for things like "lard"in the beans or other spices in the tomatoes, etc.  -- get pure plain beans!  I usually soak mine overnight and then use 1.5-2 cups worth, but cans work fine, too-- that's how I started making this recipe.)

Vegetarian Chili

Serves 8-16

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 small yellow onions, chopped (about 1.5 cups)

2 cloves garlic, pressed

2 Tbsp chili powder

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp coarse black pepper

26 oz box strained tomatoes* (I use “Pomi” brand)

32 oz vegetable broth  (I use water+ Rapunzel Vegan Boullion cubes with Sea Salt)

1 large green pepper, finely chopped in Cuisinart

1 small jalepeno pepper, finely chopped in Cuisinart (optional)

½ cup cornmeal

¼ cup flaxseed meal

5 cans beans: Black, Navy, Kidney, Soy, Chickpea (or 1.5-2 cups dry, soaked)

Directions:

1.  Coat pot with oil, set on medium heat.  Add onions and cook until they begin to soften.

2.  Drain and rinse beans.  Add all beans to a large bowl and mix.  Sprinkle with the chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and garlic.  Mix well.  Add to pot.

3.  Stir in tomatoes.  Add broth, peppers, cornmeal and flaxseed meal.  (Be sure to mix very well as cornmeal tends to clump.)  Bring to a boil. Then simmer, covered, 15-20 minutes.

• Make sure in the “Ingredients” the ONLY ingredient is tomatoes!  I don’t like to use canned, as they aren’t as healthy.

21 Day Vegan Challenge

As Kathy Freston says:
Lose Weight, Get Healthy, Change the World

What we're trying:  21 days with no animal products, alcohol, or sugar (you can also cut caffeine and gluten if you want to go an extra step)

Here is the main reason you might want to join in this 21 day endeavor---from Nov. 1- Nov. 21, 2011:

• This 21 day challenge will give your body time to get over the foods it craves.  At the end of the 21 days, the idea is not to turn you into a vegan, but to have set your body back to "zero" and only add the things back into your diet you truly want to eat--usually the more natural items.

You say: This is going to be hard/impossible:
Hey--- I'm nervous, I'll admit it. Yes, I am a vegetarian, but in my opinion, it's a much bigger jump from vegetarian to vegan than from omnivore to vegetarian. That's why we're just going for 21 days---then go back to eating whatever you want. And---that's why I'm hoping to build a group of people to do it together!

Where did you get this idea?
From Kathy Freston. I read her book Quantum Wellness in 2008--- her new book Veganist inspired me to do this once and for all---just take the measly 21 days and see what it does to my body.

You say: Well, I need protein.
Yes, this is a common misconception... there is protein in EVERY food in varying amount, and protein should typically only make up 3-5% of your daily intake of calories.

Check out Kathy's website for more of the benefits of this challenge AND for the benefits of a vegan diet.

Here is the prize:  This challenge ends 2 days before Thanksgiving--- you'll do the challenge and then have the reward of a Thanksgiving meal!

Action steps:
1.  Try to pick up a copy of Veganist and read it/skim it/leave it in the bathroom.
2.  On Nov. 1 (or Oct 31) weigh yourself on the Publix scale at Bartram Park--thenw e will all have the same scale!  (We'll weigh back on Nov. 21 or 22)
3.  Check back here for recipes---we'll be giving you a 21 day meal plan--all vegan-- since many of you haven't eaten vegan before.  (You don't have to use it-- just going vegan 21 days is the plan, this will just be a resource.)
4.  If you're in--- go write on your calendar on Nov. 1:  I/We start the 21 day Vegan Challenge!