Dinner with mom and dad

I am a bit behind in blogging. Not enough hours in the day lately! We recently went to dinner with Jackson's parents.We never get to see them enough with all of our schedules and travels. They picked Frida Bistro. It is downtown-ish. A diamond in the rough. It is definitely a new fave. Think more upscale and gourmet cuisine meets Mexican infusion. They had delicious margaritas made with fresh and exotic ingredients. We had a blast and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. They had vegetarian options, gluten free options, etc. Each dish was a culinary delight! The company was fantastic as was the food! The service was also awesome. We highly recommend it. 

Prickly Pear Margaritas and Habanero
 Margaritas

Blue Corn Encrusted Calamari with
Lemon Aioli

John had the stuffed chicken

Jackson had the vegetable stuffed
roasted red pepper 

Barb had the scallops with stuffed
portabello

I had the Spicy Shrimp with
Tres Verdes Rice and Cactus Salad

Sunchokes....not so sure

Sunchoke/Jerusalem Artichoke

Saturday's Bountiful Basket came with what looked like at first glance a bunch of ginger. Jackson wasn't sure what we were going to do with a bunch of ginger since we still have ginger from the beginning of January. But after he looked online he discovered they were Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes. I have never tried one before. After doing some research of my own I discovered it is not even close to an artichoke. It is a species of sunflower!!! Crazy. So I looked up how people were preparing these odd looking little guys. That may have been my first problem. I read what people wrote about them. So I think their comments alone started to freak me out a little. It appears that these odd looking little guys may be difficult for people to digest and in turn cause a lot of.......gas. OK. I said it. I never thought I would blog about gas. But there it is. But a lot of people said they didn't get gas. And they also said if you eat small amounts you will be OK. So I decided to make a roasted vegetable salad and roast a couple Sunchokes and throw them in the salad. So I roasted some Sunchokes, yellow squash and asparagus. We made a salad of chopped romaine, garbanzo beans, green onions, chopped basil, the roasted veggies and a homemade ginger dressing. (The ginger dressing was my first attempt and I need to fine tune it before posting the recipe.)

Cut into slices, they start to discolor once cut

Roast 400 degrees for about 25 minutes

It was a yummy salad. Not gonna lie. The Sunchokes have a texture like a potato, especially after roasting. Their flavor is quite different. I thought they might be something that would grow on me. Find a few different ways to prepare them and maybe I would turn out to be a Sunchoke fan after all. Well a little later on in the day I realized that even in small doses these little odd looking guys can cause a large amount of gas. I had leftover salad that I took to work yesterday and I picked out and threw out all of the Sunchokes due to the fear that they would cause extreme gas again and I would be at work with gas and trying to hide it from my coworkers. OK. So was it all in my head? Did I sike myself out from the beginning? No, I think it was the Sunchokes. They were definitely the culprit. Now I am trying to decide what to do with the rest of them since there are a lot of them. Do we try them again and hope for the best? Or do we part ways with the Sunchoke forever? I guess time will tell. 

Roasted Vegetable Salad

Don't judge a soup by its color!

On Sunday after a fun girls lunch and chick flick I came home to a bunch of celery on my counter and Jackson standing by the juicer. He was a man ready to juice! So we juiced. And juiced. And juiced. It was messy but quite fun. We juiced a bunch of celery, broccoli stalk, some cabbage, onion and a couple large tomatoes. The end result was a liquid that was delicious but resemembled something Shrek would make! We then put the pot on the stove and added brussel sprouts, onions, carrots, pepppers, garlic, butter beans and northern beans. I tossed in a few dried habanero flakes and a little garlic salt. It was delicious and completely full of vegetables. So healthy, so green! But mighty tasty! And now we are officially "juice heads" but not because we use steroids, ha ha! We are testing all new waters and every day is an adventure! So if you have a juicer and you don't care if your soup is green then juice away, add a bunch of chopped veggies and some beans to the veggie broth and have yourself a yummy soup!


I

A fun filled Saturday....Vegan style

Our Saturday began at 6:30 in the morning. I had forgotten to order my Bountiful Basket first thing Monday morning so by the time I did we were limited on pick up locations. Hence the having to get up at 6:30am after a night out and going to bed at 2:30am. But we stumbled bleary eyed out of the house excited for our basket and our 20 pound box of citrus. We stopped at the park across from our house on the way home so I could snap a picture of the sunrise. It is a rarity for us to be awake and outside when the sun is rising. I walked the rest of the way home. The cold air woke me up slightly. Happy with our produce selection I climbed into bed deciding that it was time for some sleep. After a bit I decided (with a lot of prodding from Jackson) that we shouldn't waste the day. We had a coupon for breakfast at Chabaar's that is expiring soon. I had issues logging on to my computer to print the coupon so we figured I could just use the one on my phone. Well you can't do that. But it doesn't matter because the breakfast was delicious and we are going back next week to do it again with the coupon! There are many different breakfast options. Traditional breakfasts, Thai infused breakfasts and a vegan menu!!! So we each had a vegan breakfast. This was our first experience with vegan cheese. I had been extremely resistant. Looking back it is because the only vegan cheese I remember seeing is the fake American cheese slices. And I hate American cheese. So I think that is why I haven't bought any to try yet. They make a lot more than fake American Cheese!  

The Vegan - from Chabaar's

After our delicious breakfast we went to the Sunflower Market looking for nutritional yeast and cashews. Natalie made us this glorious raw vegetable lasagna awhile back and she made this "cashew cheese" that is like a decadent creamy cheesy mixture (that doesn't include any dairy). We ended up with the nutritional yeast and cashews as well as vegan ice cream, vegan shredded mozzarella, soy creamer, more avacadoes and some more nuts. We decided since we had found vegan shredded mozzarella that looked tasty as well as edible we would make a roasted vegetable pizza for dinner.

Jackson is melting away. He has lost over 30 pounds since we started to Eat to Live! We took him to his usual Big and Tall clothing store. He has been going there for about 18 years. The manager has known him since he started shopping there when he was about 15. We found some shorts for our upcoming trip and several shirts. I was looking for a 4X and the manager said that we should be trying 3X shirts instead. So Jackson went into the changing room and came out wearing a 3X for the first time since he was 15 years old. I was a blubbering mess. So proud. He is a good looking man no matter his size. But as he gets smaller he gets healthier and I can see our future together stretching further into our 70's, 80's and 90's where if we had not made drastic changes we may not have made it to our mid 40's together. 

For dinner we made the roasted vegetable pizza. Jackson normally buys the whole grain Freschetta crusts but he did the Bobolli this time. And to our dismay it had a little mozzarella cheese baked on top of it. Jackson diligently scraped it all off. We are doing our best to hold true to absolutely no dairy for 6 weeks and then very little thereafter. If they are going to put cheese on the crust it should say so on the label!!! 

So we chopped and roasted veggies, I made the "cashew cheese" to use as the sauce on the pizza and then I made a citrus salad while J chopped the roasted veggies and assembled the pizza. It was heavenly. Guilt free and extremely delicious. Packed full of healthy foods yet you felt like you were "cheating"!

We finished the day by going to Walmart at 11:30pm to buy a juicer. We have 5 giant stocks of celery to use plus 20 lbs of citrus so I figured a juicer was a smart way to use up large quantities of produce. I can make soups with the celery juice and J loves fresh squeezed OJ. All in all it was a glorious Saturday with my hubby, vegan style. 

"Cashew Cheese" Ingredients

I used about 1 cup plus 1/4 cup of cashews (original recipe calls for 2 cups cashews)

2 TBSP nutritional yeast

1 tsp salt

4 cloves garlic (original calls for 1 but since this was going to be the base for my pizza I wanted it more garlicky)

1/2 cup of water

some dried Italian herbs (I added these to make it more Italian for the pizza base)

Normally you should soak the cashews for about 4 hours but I didn't have time so I soaked for only about 30 minutes. Drain the cashews and then add everything to the food processor blend till creamy.

Pizza Ingredients

1 already made whole grain pizza crust

"Cashew Cheese"

Asparagus

Garlic 4 cloves

1/2 of a tomato sliced

broccoli

baby bell peppers

1/2 onion sliced in small slices

mushrooms sliced

garbanzo beans about a 1/2 a cup rinsed and drained

fresh baby spinach

artichoke hearts

vegan shredded mozzarella cheese or real mozzarella cheese

We roasted the asparagus, garlic (leave in the skins because it roasts better that way) broccoli, peppers, onions and mushrooms on a baking sheet in a 400 degree oven until they were roasted and the peppers started to get darker spots. Make sure to spray PAM on the baking sheet and on the vegetables once they are on the sheet. I sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. Once the veggies are done take them out and chop them up. For the garlic just pop it out of the skins and dice it up. 

I spread the "cashew cheese" thinly on the crust and then J loaded the pizza with all the toppings sprinkling a little vegan mozzarella cheese on the top and then baked according to the crust's instructions. We sprinkled a little crushed red pepper on top once it was out of the oven. Yummmmmmmm!

Citrus Salad Ingredients

Clementines

various Oranges

Fresh Mint Leaves

Lemon juice

Lime juice

Agave nectar (just a drizzle)

I peeled and separated the clementines and oranges. I chopped the mint and added it to the oranges in a bowl. I sprinkled a little lemon and lime juice along with a drizzle of Agave nectar and stirred it all up. It was a great salad to go along with the pizza. 

Mexican Potatoes

Jackson found a recipe in an Everyday Food magazine and asked me to make it. I made it yesterday before work so he had dinner when he got home and I had something to take with me. If you work crazy hours sometimes you have to get creative and cook before you go to work. It prevents you from eating out which is often expensive and not so healthy.  I changed the recipe a bit. This was our main course but you could do it as a side dish too. 


Ingredients
Potatoes cut up into bite size pieces ( I  used a bag of the little baby reds. The recipe called for Yukon Gold.)
1 onion - cut into small slices
1 red bell pepper - chopped 
5 cloves of garlic - chopped
Red Pepper Flakes
Cumin
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Lime Juice
Cilantro - chopped
Olive Oil Mist

I boiled the potatoes for a few minutes to soften them a bit. I lightly misted a skillet and turned it on high heat. I added the onions and garlic and a little water to saute for a few minutes.I drained the potatoes and added them to the skillet with the spices and pepper flakes and a little more water. I turned the heat down a bit and stirred frequently. Then towards the end I added the chopped red bell pepper and the lime juice. Once everything was done I turned off the heat and added the cilantro at the end and stirred everything one last time. This turned out delicious!!! 

Spaghetti and no meat meat sauce, WHAT????

So Monday I went to Walmart before going to my sister's house. I decided to get us a healthy snack and the Fruit bowls had pineapple ( she is deathly allergic) so I got us little apple packs. Apple slices and carmel for her and apple slices with peanut butter for me. Next to the fruit was the vegan foods. I glanced at the soy crumbles and had visions of spaghetti with no meat meat sauce. So I figured what the hell and bought a package.


 After a fun afternoon at my sister's house including walking on her brand new treadmill (it is AWESOME) and playing LIFE on the Wii, I headed home to play with my no meat meat. I made my usual spaghetti sauce, boiled some whole wheat spaghetti and roasted some asparagus to serve on the side. The finished product looked just like a meat sauce. And it tasted like it too. I hid the package from J to see if he could tell what was in the sauce. He couldn't tell it was fake meat! Fantastic. It gave the dish more protein without a ton of calories or fat. And I could have sworn it was meat! The asparagus was wonderful as well!  Never would have thought I would buy let alone try let alone like soy crumbles! That is why you shouldn't knock things before you try them I guess. 


 We have some great friends and family that are very supportive and proud of us. As of today I have lost 19 pounds and J has lost 28 pounds in a month! It is pretty awesome. There are some skeptics out there and that is totally cool. We have found what works for us. And the cool thing about the recipes I post, is that anyone can change them to fit their needs. I won't preach to anyone because I know how it is to struggle and try something that works for someone but not for me. I love food. Always have. Always will. I just look it differently now. Now I better post the recipe so I can get to work in time to walk on the treadmill before my work day gets crazy!


Spaghetti Ingredients


1-2 cans of tomato sauce (depending on how much sauce you want to make)
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of diced tomatoes
4-5 cloves of garlic
Fresh or dried Italian herbs
1 small onion diced
8-10 small mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella)
Whole wheat spaghetti
Soy crumbles (the package said it equals 1 pound of cooked ground beef)
Little garlic salt

Start your pasta water boiling, add a little salt if you like to salt your pasta. While it is boiling make your sauce. I cooked some of the garlic and onion and herbs in the sauce pot and left the rest to cook in a skillet with the mushrooms and at the end added the soy crumbles. I used Pam cooking spray and the water saute method. Use a little water instead of oil or butter and your onions, garlic etc. saute perfectly. After sauteing the onions, garlic and herbs for a minute or two add the cans of sauce, paste and tomatoes to your sauce pot. Simmer on low, stirring frequently. Add your garlic salt or any seasoning you want. Saute the rest of the onions, garlic, herbs and mushrooms in a skillet. Once they look about done add the soy crumbles. Stir till combined. Once your pasta is done drain it and put it back in the pot (off of the heat) and add the sauce and soy crumble mixture. Yummy!

Looks just like Spaghetti with meat sauce

Roasted Asparagus Ingredients


1 1/2 bunches of asparagus (ends trimmed)
Lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil Mist


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly mist a baking sheet with olive oil (J got me a mister for Christmas. I LOVE it) and put the asparagus spears on the baking sheet. Lightly mist the asparagus spears with the olive oil and sprinkle with a little lemon juice. Salt and pepper the spears and then roast for 20-25 minutes flipping once while your pasta and everything is cooking. Serve on the side of your pasta. Healthy and delicious!!!

Super Bowl...Oh S***!

Every year Jackson and I go to a Super Bowl Party and I bring all kinds of yummy things to eat. Homemade buffalo wings, jambalaya with sausage & chicken & shrimp, a glorious cheese platter, little smokies, meatballs, various dips, etc. This year as I thought about the fun Super Bowl Party we were going to attend, I thought "Oh Shit!" What can I make that is healthy. Most game day snacks are full of cheese, meat and other forms of dairy. Since Jackson and I are not eating any dairy right now and just a little meat I was trying to think outside of the box yet plan ahead so that we had some healthy options. We can eat a little meat but we had some the night before at Tepannyaki so I needed to go a vegan route for the big game day. I made my hummus but went spicy due to a suggestion by Nikki. Glad I did. Spicy hummus is great! And I also made Mexican Lettuce Cups. Sorry about the limited pictures. Once we got to the party I didn't take any. I was too busy socializing. Doesn't sound like me at all does it? ;)


So I will include the recipes for the hummus and the Mexican Lettuce Cups. The cool thing about the lettuce cups is you can just eat it as a bean salad, or put it on lettuce or in a tortilla, etc. Whatever floats your boat.


Remember, I rarely measure. It is all about adding things according to your taste buds. Experiment and play around with it. 


Spicy Hummus 


Garbanzo beans (for this batch I used 3 cans, you can use less for just one or two people)
Lemon juice
Tahini
Sundried tomatoes
Olive oil (about a tbsp)
4-5 garlic cloves (less if you are using less beans and making a smaller batch)
Ground Cumin
Crushed Red Pepper
Coarse salt
a little water


Start with the sun dried tomatoes and olive oil in a food processor and process till they are broken up into tiny pieces. Then add the rest slowly adding the beans. As you add the beans you may need a little water to thin it out. Process till everything is processed good and the mixture is not lumpy at all. Serve with your favorite veggies!


Mexican Lettuce Cups


4 cans of black beans rinsed and drained
1 red pepper, diced
1 green pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced (leave seeds in for more heat)
1 onion, diced
1 can of corn rinsed and drained
juice of two limes (more if you prefer it)
chopped cilantro
garlic salt
chipotle seasoning
Avocadoes, diced

Add everything but the avocadoes and mix well gently to avoid breaking the beans. Let sit in the fridge for a couple hours or overnight. Before serving dice up a couple avocadoes and add to the bean mixture. Serve with pieces of romaine lettuce, cabbage, butter lettuce etc. 

Breakfast? No problem!

They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you skip breakfast and feel like crap later then you realize maybe they are right. Since we are not eating any dairy right now breakfast is pretty much fruit most days. But an apple and a banana can get boring.

5-10 minutes in the morning and you can have a delicious and healthy fruit bowl.

Don't just stick to the basic apples, bananas and oranges. Strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, kiwis, pineapple, mangoes, apricots, peaches, grapes, pomegranites, pears etc. Just cut up a couple different fruits and mix them up in a bowl. It's sweet, healthy and filling. Natural carbs that also give you energy. Add a little flax seed for some omega-3 or some shredded coconut. Yum Yum!

 If you are craving fruits not in season check out your frozen fruit section. Just look at the label first to make sure sugar wasn't added.

Dinner out with the girls!

Last night I went to dinner with some great girlfriends who I have not seen in a long time. I knew we were going to The Outback so I decided to do some research before dinner so I was prepared with healthy options. Needless to say The Outback is a steakhouse. But they have a lot of seafood entrees. I found the section of meals under 500 calories. But you can't be sure of how the meal is prepared. When you are going out to eat and you don't want to be overloaded with fat and calories ask questions. When the waiter asked if we had any questions my first one was if the steamed veggies are cooked in butter. Answer: Yes. Second question was if the side salad has cheese on it. Answer: Yes. And then I was ready to order. I had the grilled Mahi Mahi that was topped with artichoke hearts and sun dried tomato and I asked for it to be without the sauce (full of butter) with the steamed veggies on the side no butter. A side salad with no cheese and lemon wedges instead of dressing. There light salad dressing option was a french dressing that was fat free but full of sugar. I had a wonderful time with the girls and I didn't have to worry about eating something that was unhealthy or unwanted. It was a delicious meal out with friends, guilt and worry free! So it is possible to dine out and dine healthy. Plan a head a bit. Google the restaurant's menu and then don't be afraid to ask questions. Our waiter was awesome and very understanding of my requests! 


Can't wait for the next girls night out for dinner!!!