I Wish

I wish I had this whole post-weight loss thing down, but I don't.

The truth is, it's confusing. It's scary. I lost weight, hit a wall and basically had a breakdown, gained some weight and threw wellness out the window, and now I'm trying to do everything the right way.

The truth is, weight loss isn't a magic cure-all. I was no more happy thin than I was obese. In fact, some days I think I'm more unhappy now. In order to be happy, you have to be kind to your mind and your emotions and find happiness within yourself; your body will not make you wholly happy, it's merely one corner of the table.

Now, I'm taking things a day at a time. I'm not going to wake up tomorrow morning and be perfectly happy and fit. It takes time.

It's a journey for a reason, is it not?


I wish I hadn't crushed my toe with a shower door, but I did.

It's throbbing. Send ice.

I wish I could have kept running for miles and miles today, but I couldn't.

I went on my first outdoor run of the year today. I was nervous (what with a crushed toe and all) and partially thought that I'd want to pass out after 5 minutes. Twenty five minutes later, I found myself stretching after a glorious 2 mile run. I wasn't particularly fast or coordinated and my headphone wire may or may not have wrapped around my neck multiple times, but I did it. I ran. I ran and didn't collapse. I almost felt on top of the world.

Then I got a text from my mom. She was watching me from her car as she drove away from my college campus. She said: "You looked good. Like a runner". Folks, that's the push I needed.

I felt on top of the world.

I won't say I'm going to be a runner. I don't know if I'll ever sign up for races or if I'll do it daily. But I'm realizing that, although bringing myself to start running is a pain in the bum, the feeling I have afterward is immeasurable.


I wish the bok choy looked good at the market today, but it looked sad and lifeless.

But I managed to make a quick, inexpensive, and healthy dinner without it.



I'm not usually a stir fry kinda gal, but I had a craving. So I browned a block of tofu and tossed it with carrots, broccoli, snow peas, zucchini, yellow pepper and garlic. I made a sauce with soy, sesame oil, cornstarch and a tiny pinch of sugar.



Wonderful.

I'd post a recipe, but honestly, it's stir fry. Toss whatever you have on hand together in a skillet/wok, make a quick sauce, cook some rice and dinner is served.

For now, I'm tired of wishing; it's time to ice my toe.

Puffed Amaranth Adzuki Cakes

The name almost rolls off the tongue, doesn't it?

I have, what I like to call, "Octopus Syndrome" in the grocery store. This means that, out of nowhere, I suddenly grow six additional arms that like to grab at anything that looks good, is shiny, or contains chocolate. This results in a hefty bill and in me stuck carrying multiple bags across campus. This time around, two of my random purchases were adzuki beans and amaranth. My experience with either was limited, so much so that prior to tonight evening all I had under my belt was a sad, pathetic pot of mushy beans and a grumbling tummy.



That all changed tonight. My mind got crankin' and me and my eight arms went into the kitchen to throw things together and pray that it resulted in, well, something. I now have a profound love for both ingredients; puffed amaranth may even beat out millet as my favorite grain. Then again, I haven't actually cooked amaranth yet, which I've heard is pretty funky. So, for now I'll stick to popping amaranth and cooking my sweet millet.



These are similar to my millet yam cakes, but with Asian inspired flavors and the most wonderful nuttiness from the amaranth. These cakes are full of complete protein, lots of flavor and just the faint touch of the sea from a dash of dulse granules. They're even gluten-free to boot!


I know these don't look very appetizing, but they most certainly are.


Puffed amaranth adzuki cakes
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup amaranth
- 2 cups cooked adzuki beans
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1T toasted sesame oil
- 1T wheat-free tamari
- 1t mellow white miso (optional)
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- Fresh cilantro, to taste
- 2T sesame seeds
- 1/4t dulse granules

Instructions
- Pop amaranth: Heat a large pot on high heat. Place amaranth 1T at a time, cover and shake until most or all of the grains are popped. It should take between 15-20 seconds. Continue until all the amaranth is popped.
- Place amaranth and remaining ingredients into a bowl and, using your hands, mash until ingredients are combined and you can form the mixture into balls. Divide mix into 4 equal portions, form into patty shapes and chill for at least an hour.
- Preheat oven to 375 and bake for 20-25 minutes (flipping halfway through) or until golden brown on both sides.

Serves 2-4

Thai Kabocha Soup

I love Thai food. The smell of yellow curry sends me into a fit of hunger that isn't settled until I leave a restaurant with Thai food baby. I don't get to eat it out often these days, but always feared making it at home because it just seems like a cuisine that is always better made by the professionals. Plus, all the exotic (re: expensive) ingredients deterred me because I didn't want to spend $30 for one dish.

Well, last night I had a horrible craving for Thai food, so I threw caution to the wind and begrudgingly went to Whole Foods. Shocking, I know. After carefully scouring the produce section for what I needed, dropping stalks of lemongrass all over the floor, and forcing myself to put down the chocolate goat cheese, I left ready to take on a new challenge.


Thai kabocha soup
Ingredients
- 1 large kabocha squash, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15oz can full fat coconut milk
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 1 1/2" knob of galangal or ginger
- 5 keffir lime leaves
- 1 hot chili (I used a serrano)
- 2 tbsp soy sauce*
- 1/2 tsp organic cane sugar
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Roasted peanuts, for garnish

Instructions
- First, prepare your ingredients. Cut the lemongrass stalk into thirds and bruise the pieces by bending them back and forth until slightly broken. Peel your galangal (or ginger) and cut it into slices. Remove the seeds from your chili and finely mince it.
- Bring broth to a boil. Add squash, coconut milk, and remaining ingredients and bring the soup to a simmer. Cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the squash is very tender. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
- After about 5-10 minutes, ladle half the soup into your blender and blend until smooth. Run the pureed soup through a strainer in order to remove pulp from the lemongrass and ginger. Continue until all the soup is smoothly pureed.
- Bring soup back to a boil and heat on low until ready to serve. Garnish with chopped cilantro and peanuts (and some chili flakes if you want an extra spicy kick).

* You can use fish sauce to be more authentic, but I think it's pretty vile so I opted to use soy sauce. Just use something to get that umami flavor.




I wish you all could have seen me when I was making this last night. I was so giddy I was practically skipping after I lifted the lid of the pot and was immediately hit by the scents I remember from my favorite Thai restaurant. The smell and the taste of this soup are spot on; the key to Thai cooking is to create a balance between spicy, umami, sweet and sour, and this dish does that well.



If you're tired of mashed or roasted squash, give this soup a try. You can find the ingredients at Asian supermarkets or Whole Foods and I promise that it's worth it to track 'em down.

Oh, and in case you have no idea what to look for, here are the star players:

Lemongrass, keffir lime leaves, galangal, serrano.

Sushi Restaurant Favorite: Seaweed Salad

I fell in love with seaweed salad this summer after trying it for the first time at a Thai restaurant. It was served in a martini glass and included flower shaped cucumbers, delicate carrot curls and neon green seaweed. Since then, I order it whenever I spot it on a restaurant menu. Months later, after justifying the $6 price tag of wakame, I figured it was about time that I recreated it at home.



Seaweed salad
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup wakame
- 2 small cucumbers, or 1 large
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds

- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- Kelp granules (optional), for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish

Instructions
- Whisk together dressing ingredients and set aside.
- Soak wakame in a large bowl with an ample amount of water for 5 minutes. It will more than double in size, so make sure to add enough liquid. Drain and squeeze the excess liquid. Toss in half the dressing and set aside.
- Peel cucumbers if desired (I peeled alternate strips for fun) and thinly slice. Add remaining dressing and toss to coat. Top with wakame and sprinkle with kelp and sesame seeds. Refrigerate until serving.

Serves 1-2




Don't make this expecting the vibrant green found in sushi bars. The reason those are so bright is because they're usually altered to look that way to be more aesthetically pleasing. I prefer the dark forest green of true wakame. It's deep, rich and beautifully natural.

Now, if only I could master sushi making.

Chocolate and Algae and Thai, Oh My.

I was super excited for breakfast today. In fact, it was difficult for me to wait until this morning to break into the goodies to make breakfast because I was just that excited. I can't be the only one that happens to, right? Anyway, I picked up some spirulina and dark chocolate peanut butter and knew exactly what to make with them. I've only had spirulina once, in a fresh juice, so I was looking forward to trying it a new way. The peanut butter needs no explanation - hello, chocolate and nut butter.


Today's SIAB included: 1 frozen banana, 1/2 cup soy milk & 1/2 cup water, a bunch of kale, 1/2 scoop hemp protein, 1 tbsp spirulina, 1 tbsp flax, 1 tbsp cocoa powder and a few 3-4 ice cubes. I topped it with 1/3 cup granola, flax, raspberries and the aforementioned peanut butter.

I didn't utter a word while eating. All I did was stuff my face full of chocolate and algae. The verdict? I love spirulina. It's incredibly healthy, mild tasting and turns thing a beautifully bright color.


Food porn.

Last night I dined at a popular Thai restaurant in Orlando called Sea Thai. I had heard excellent things about it and Thai is one of my favorite cuisines, so I was looking forward to trying to veganize something on the menu. Luckily, there were lots of options and the wait staff was accomodating.

To start, I had a papaya salad. It was crisp, sweet and tangy. There was a lot of dressing, which I usually don't like, but it was so light and vinegary and didn't weigh down the salad at all.



I had drunken noodles for my entree, with tofu. Luckily I asked the waitress if there was any fish or oyster sauce beforehand so that they could make it without (always ask this at Thai restaurants!). It was delicious! Hands down the best restaurant tofu I've had.



The thing I love most about this restaurant are the portions - they're made for one person, not four. I always hate being served a huge portion of food at restaurants, so it was nice to be served a normal amount and not leave feeling stuffed. The prices aren't bad either - the salad + entree came to under $15.

Now I'm off to relax, get some cardio in, and read Eat, Pray, Love which I bought last night!!

Tampa Meet-Up

Yesterday I went to Tampa for a blogger meet-up at Trang Viet, a Vietnamese restaurant with a separate veg*n menu! Seriously folks, there were so many options that we all took 20 minutes just to narrow down what we wanted. But the most important thing was the company, which was great! I'm so glad Sammi put this together because it was awesome to finally meet bloggers face to face. We ended up spending hours at the restaurant just talking and getting to know each other; I met some cool people and had a good time.


Bloggers included Sammi, Trinity and Blake, and Lindsey plus some friends! It was a big group, which made it even more fun.

Unfortunately the food was just OK. I had high hopes for the restaurant because it came so highly recommended, but the best thing I ate was my appetizer: winter spring rolls. They were the only "season" spring roll that didn't have faux meat in them, so I chose them based on freshness. They were delicious and I liked the addition of jicama.



For my entree I debated between papaya salad and ginger "beef". I wish I went with the salad because the "beef" wasn't very good. It was lukewarm and didn't have much flavor. I asked for veggies instead of rice, which is a good tip if you don't want the huge mound of rice Asian restaurants usually serve with meals.



I wanted chocolate rum "cheese"cake for dessert but they were out, so I went with carrot cake instead. The icing was good, but the cake was unremarkable. It tasted kind of undercooked and it wasn't spicy enough.



Even though the food was mediocre, it was great to have my first meet-up, make new friends and enjoy a nice afternoon in Tampa. Plus, the restaurant staff was super sweet and accommodating. Thanks again, Sammi! Now it's time to pump some iron! :)

Soba Noodle Salad, Take Two.

While scouring the aisles of a local Asian market, I came across black buckwheat noodles and I immediately knew what to do with them. I posted a noodle salad recipe months ago, but this one is even better. I wanted to make it with a peanut sauce, but I left the peanut butter in Daytona, so that idea was out. Luckily the pantry was stocked with all the necessary ingredients to improvise a recipe.


Soba noodle salad
Serves 4
Sauce
- 5 tsp sesame oil
- 5 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp thai chili sauce (or Sriracha)
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- White of 1 green onion
- 1 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water

Salad ingredients
- 6 oz soba noodles
- 2 carrots, grated
- 1 red bell pepper, julienned
- 1/2 large cucumber or 2 small cucumbers, julienned
- 2 cups sugar snap peas
- 1 15oz can soy beans/edamame
- 2-3 green onions
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds

Instructions
- Combine sauce ingredients (aside from cornstarch + water) in a sauce pan and heat gently. Once heated, combine cornstarch and water and stir until mixed thoroughly. Add corn starch mixture to sauce and stir vigorously until mixture begins to thicken. Take off heat and set aside.
- Combine all salad ingredients, aside from green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds. Add sauce and toss to coat.
- Top with green onions, cilantro and sesame seeds and toss lightly to combine. Chill for at least 2 hours - the longer it sits, the better it tastes! I like leaving mine in the fridge all afternoon. Enjoy!


The black buckwheat noodles had an interesting texture. They're thin and sticky and clung to the sauce nicely. I liked them!



This is perfect for summer - cold, light, refreshing and full of crisp vegetables. Plus, you can make it ahead of time and enjoy the rest of the beautiful day. I was able to get a great leg work out, go for a quick dip in the hot tub and relax while dinner chilled.



Have a good night everyone. :)

Rawkin' pasta

I promise I'll get sick of the raw puns. One day. Anyway, I have two amazing raw pasta dishes to share with you. I'm constantly surprised by the intense flavor profiles of raw dishes and how wonderfully rich and delicious they are; I have yet to be disappointed by raw cuisine. These pasta dishes are hearty, satisfying and full of flavor. Not to mention they're amazing to make in this heat because, well, they require no actual cooking.



1. Zucchini fettuccine with red pepper marinara

Ingredients
- 1/2 red bell pepper
- 6 sundried tomatoes, reconstituted in hot water
- 4 white or crimini mushrooms
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 shallot
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar (I recommend Eden)
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 tbsp each basil and parsley
- Pinch o' red peppa flake
- S&P

- 1 zucchini, made into fettuccine using a vegetable peeler.

Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Serve over zucchini fettuccine. Mangia!



This sauce was simply divine. I was originally going to make it with tomatoes instead of red pepper but I didn't have any fresh tomatoes. Sometimes things work out for the best because I loved it with the pepper. It tasted like honest to goodness marinara - tangy, rich, robust - and I don't think I would change anything about the recipe.

----


2. "Pad Thai"

Ingredients
- 1 zucchini, made into noodles using a spiralizer or vegetable peeler
- 1/2 red pepper, julienned
- 1 small cucumber, julienned
- 1 carrot (or a handful of baby carrots), julienned
- Chopped peanuts or cashews (for garnish)
- Green onions (for garnish)
- Cilantro, to taste

Sauce
- 2 tbsp nut butter du jour
- 1 tbsp shoyu or braggs
- 1/2 in. knob of ginger
- 1 1/2 tsp agave
- Juice of one lime
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 Thai chili

Instructions
- Put all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Pour over vegetables, toss, top with nuts and green onion if desired and enjoy! I also recommend adding bean sprouts, but I didn't have any on hand.


I ended up slurping the remainder of the sauce after I was finished. Need I say more?


There you have it, two raw noodle dishes that are amazingly simple and delicious and use ingredients commonly found in the every day foodie kitchen. The more I eat raw foods, the more I crave them. I'm really getting into raw eating and I can't wait until I get the chance to buy a dehydrator and really immerse myself in the cuisine. In the meantime, I guess I'll have to continue making dishes like these. I know, it's a shame, right?

Loving Hut!

After hearing about Loving Hut at Vegan Pandamonium, I searched and found that there was one in Orlando. So, I knew I had to go for a visit. Loving Hut is an all vegan chain that focuses on Asian cuisine, but has some "Western" dishes and decadent drinks and desserts. It's totally inexpensive and all around a nice experience. However, people have described it as a "cult" because the televisions in the restaurant(s) preach veganism. Essentially, they're run by an organization that focuses on veganism and environmentally friendly practices. I support it, but I can understand how it'd turn some people off. That being said, the food was so good that nothing else mattered.

The appetizers I decided on were fresh summer rolls and golden nuggets. I was afraid the nuggets would just be heated up frozen soy nuggets, but boy was I wrong. These were plump, crisp, steamy and delicious! They weren't overly greasy but still had a great crunch, flavor and texture. Best I've ever had. Just looking at the picture is making my mouth water.






I knew I had to try the iced rose cappuccino, and I'm glad I did. It was beautifully presented and had a great flavor that wasn't too sweet or floral; it was just right.





For my entree I had the fabulous pho. I haven't had pho since I as an omnivore and I wasn't sure how a vegan pho would match up. Honestly, this was the best pho I've ever had. The "beef" had a great flavor and texture, the broth was delicious and the flavors were really authentic. It was served with a bunch of bean sprouts, basil and lime on the side, which I promptly dumped on the massive bowl of pho. The only negative was that there was some sort of "meat" that was really gelatinous and nearly inedible. I'm sure it was supposed to be that way (I'm not sure what meat it was mocking, so I can't be sure) but I didn't like it. Aside from that, this was spot on.






I rounded the meal with "cheesecake"! This is a dessert I've not had veganized before so I knew I had to have it. The flavor was pretty spot on; it tasted like your standard cheesecake. Good, but nothing extraordinary.



This morning I went to the farmer's market and my nose was immediately hit by the scents of this:





Yeah, I polished off nearly the entire bag. This kettle corn had no chance.

Cold sesame ginger noodles

Cold sesame ginger noodles
Ingredients
For noodles:
- 2oz noodles of choice (ideally udon or soba)
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1/2 medium cucumber, julienned
- 1/4 cup edamame
- 1/2 red pepper, julienned
- 1-2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

For sauce:
- 2 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp dark sesame oil
- 1 tsp agave
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Pinch red pepper flake

Instructions:
- Boil noodles according to package directions, set aside.
- In a medium/large bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Julienne all vegetables and add them to sauce bowl. Add noodles, stir to combine and chill for at least two hours. The longer it sits, the better the flavor gets.
- Before serving, toast sesame seeds and stir them into noodle dish. Enjoy!


I made this at around 11AM and let it sit in the fridge until dinner time. The flavors were perfect and it definitely hit the spot. Cold noodle dishes are lovely on hot days. Last day of classes was today, so now I get to really relax!