Tamari flavored Tempeh with Broccoli on a bed of lettuce

I wasn't planning on making something so delicious tonight but it just kind of happened. So, I want to share it with you.
Add to skillet on medium heat:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 chopped white onion
• 6 garlic cloves - minced as best you can, they can still be choppy

Cook until onions start to carmelize and brown slightly

• Add 1 package tempeh cut into little cubes about 1/2 inch cubed (it's what they make veggie burgers out of sometimes) It's packed with protein!
• Add 2 tbsp soy sauce (tamari) at same time as you add the tempeh
• Add brocolli flowerettes ((cut them off the head of brocolli with kitchen scissors)
• I added some season salt too for good measure.

Stir all ingredients in the skillet so everything gets covered with soy sauce

Cover and cook for 5 minutes adding water little bit by little bit so nothing burns and so the broccoli can steam. But you don't want any water left over when it's done.

You're done. Put some shredded romaine lettuce (just tear it up with your hands) into a medium size bowl and place the contents of the skillet on top.

Mix all together to get the flavor on the lettuce.

Enjoy!! Vegan deliciousness!

Dr. Oz's grocery list

Last week I was watching Dr. Oz, whom I admire greatly for his passion for helping people get on a healthy track, and he announced his grocery list. He created this grocery list to help people who want to be healthy know about all the wonderful foods they can have and that they should stock their kitchen with. I too have been developing a grocery list as I discover all the wonderful delicious and nutritious foods right at your local grocery store.
His list is very similar to mine, except he allows seafood, meats, cheese, and dairy. What I don't understand is since Dr. Oz was an early fan of Dr. Campbell's China Study, why does he tell his viewers to eat dairy? I'm thinking that the reason is because the masses are just not ready for such a change to their diet and most people just want to lose weight. They're not thinking about long-term consequences to eating dairy and how it's linked to so many cancers and diseases of the heart. So I guess if you are just concerned with losing weight, then go for the lean meats and low fat dairy for now. But I hope that once you reach your ideal weight (a healthy BMI), that you would wean yourself off the dairy and meat, maybe not 100% but try to not eat it as much as possible.
My next mission is to really find out why Dr. Oz is not promoting a vegan diet. Stay tuned...

Green Smoothie with Coconut Water

Sometimes I just feel hungry when I know I shouldn't be, like an hour after I eat lunch. I'm really probably just dehydrated or maybe I just didn't get enough nutrients last time I ate. It's times like these that I make myself a delicious green smoothie. Here is what I've concocted today and it's fantastic:

I use a Vitamix. Put all the ingredients in Vitamix (or other blender) in this order:

• 1 1/2 cups of coconut water (I use Zico in the big container from Trader Joes) This has 1500% daily allowance of vitamin C and so sure to perk you right up. Also it contains dairy-free probiotics which should stop the rumble in your tummy
• 1 scoop Trader Joe's Super Green Drink Powder berry flavor dietary supplement
• 1/2 frozen ripe banana
• 1 scoop frozen blueberries (I keep a gallon size ziploc in the freezer with a little scoop in it - very convenient)
• squeeze a little (about 1 tbsp) high lignans flax seed oil (I like Vitamin Shoppe brand) It's an excellent plant source of Omega-3. Don't add this in the beginning or you'll have an oily Vitamix which is harder to clean
• 1/2 cup of ice (always add last)
• Start on low speed for a few seconds and then quickly switch to high speed
• If needed to smooth out the ingredients so it blends better, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup water until the blades catch all the green smoothie stuff and can move everything around smoothly

Now pour your delicious green smoothy into a tall glass and use a straw (it's more fun!)
This combination of nutrients should keep you satisfied until next mealtime. Also, this is a good post-workout rehydrator. And it makes you feel so good about yourself in a way an ice-cream milkshake never can.

Giving Chipotle a Second Chance

I would not have gone to Chipotle for lunch today if my co-worker hadn't taken me there. When I was not eating a vegan diet, I ate at Chipotle and had a ginormous chicken burrito (they really are big!). It left me feeling sluggish and gross the rest of the day.
Well today, I did it vegan style. I started with the lettuce, then added black beans and rice. Then I added the onions/green pepper mixture, plus guacomole and red tomato salsa. What can I say? It was fantastic. It really hit the spot and no gross feeling. I think it must have been the animal protein or grease they cook it in that ruined it for me last time.
I notice in general that by eating vegan, I tend to feel more energized and nutritionally fullfilled, which is hard to describe unless you experience it. I feel more hydrated even and notice I drink a little less water too since I'm getting water in the fruit that I eat.
So, Chipotle, you're ok in my vegan book, especially if I'm REALLY hungry.

Shout out to Dr. McDougall's Right Foods

I just wanted to commend Dr. McDougall for creating his line of Right Foods www.rightfoods.com. So far, I have had the Black Bean & Lime Soup (I added some tortilla chips to make it just right) and I've had the Miso Soup with Organic Noodles. I have to say these are perfect for making lunch at work in the microwave and because it's Dr. McDougall's own line of foods, I know the soup cups are super-nutritious and low in calories and fat.

I just purchased some more of his soup cups from Sprouts (they have them at Herny's too), so I will soon be trying the Tamale Soup with Baked Chips and the Tortilla Soup with Baked Chips. I don't know yet if all of his foods are vegan but so far the soups that I've picked say vegan right on the front so it's very easy for me.

If you've ever tried Nutri-System because you're trying to lose weight than I think you will like this a lot better and it's a lot better for you. You could do it the same way as Nutri-System and I think it would even be cheaper. Have a McDougall pre-packaged microwavable food item for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I think you would definitly lose weight. Hey, maybe I should try that... hmmm. He even describes this as a weight loss plan on his website.

Anyway, thanks to Dr. McDougall, I don't have to succumb to Taco Bell's 7-layer burrito for lunch anymore. Whew!! .... ok let's be realistice, I will succumb only sometimes.

Blueberry Pecan Oat Pancakes with Pure Maple Syrup

I had a craving for pancakes this morning and this is what I ended up making and it was fantastic!

Ingredients (serves 1)

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
• dash Ground Allspice (I also put a dash of this in my coffee which was delicious!)
• dash of salt
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
• 1/4 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tsp Chia seeds (amazing source of Omega 3, Fiber and Proteins; they get soft and plump up when they get wet) I add these to my smoothies as well when I remember. Keep them in the fridge.
• sprinkle some chopped pecans into the mixture (always have pecans on hand!)
• put a dallop of Earth Balance buttery spread in pan before adding pancake mixture

I figured out I need to cook these on a lower heat for a longer time. They were still mushy in the middle. The good thing is that they have no eggs in them so it won't harm me if I get some raw pancake in me.
Top pancakes with a drizzle of pure maple syrup (stay away from that high fructose corn syrup based syrups which are just processed chemicals). Target even has cinnamon-infused pure mape syrup from their store brand Archer Farms which is great.

Mashed Cauliflower

My favorite vegan comfort food is mashed cauliflower. I make this by steaming a half or a whole head of cauliflower until I can stick a fork smoothly in it. I add salt and pepper and or some Mrs. Dash while it's steaming.

I let it cool for a few minutes, then I put in my food processor. I add a little olive oil and some Earth Balance "butter". Oh I just remembered I forgot to add the nutritional yeast (a source of protein and vitamins, especially the B-complex vitamins). Nutritional yeast is a "must-have" if you are vegan but you still love that cheesy taste. (note to self: I need to make vegan mac n cheese) Process until it's at the consistency of mashed potatoes but don't over process. Put in a bowl and add season salt, scallions, or whatever you have in your produce drawers. I added some fresh argula to mine.

I love to mix cooked and fresh vegetables in the same dish whenever I can. I love the combination of flavors and textures.

I'll have to make this for my family's holiday dinners and see if they think it's actually mashed potatoes. Well I guess I let that out already... oh well.

By the way, the reason you want to eat cauliflower instead of potatoes is because cauliflower is a cruciferous vegetable. Cruciferous vegetables such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts, kale, radishes and bok choy have excellent cancer fighting properties.