Stuffed Peppers

Stuffed Peppers

Quinoa, cooked

Corn

Black Beans

Tomato

Onions

Diaya Cheese

 

Preheat oven 375 degrees, over peppers withe oil and stuff with your peppers, if you have extra filling, its fine, its good by itself.

Bake 25 minutes (in casserole dish covered with foil) add cheese, I then broiled for 5 minutes without foil (watch the peppers carefully while on broil)

 

 



Open Face Hot Veggie Sandwich

Open Face Hot Veggie Sandwich

 

I use my griddle to make this;

 

In one corner of the griddle saute your veggies, I used roasted red bell peppers and onion

 

In the other corner of your griddle toast your bread( face up side first), flip so the bottom of the toast is now and the griddle.

 

Optional Spread: I combine Veganaise and basil. spread over toast prior to adding cheese to melt.

 

Place your cheese on the face of your toast to melt while you veggies finish sauteing.

 

Once your cheese has melted, and veggies are to your liking, add the veggies on top your cheese toast.

 



Blog-Less

I have not been doing a very good job of blogging, and yesterday I did not do a very good job of being a Vegan! I had a huge cheat day, that I later regretted because my body rejected (orally) the non-vegan foods I had consumed.
I am back on track today so far.......

Breakfast: Mango Banana Smoothie ( Have this every morning)
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 cup Silken Tofu
1 scoop Raw Protein Vanilla
1 small banana
1/2 cup mango

Snack:
Popcorners Pop Corn Chips, Sea Salt, Gluten Free w/
Homemade salsa:
1 large tomato
1/4 cup onion
salt, pepper and cilantro

Lunch:
Butternut squash soup

Thoughts towards dinner......... Not sure yet!

I have enjoyed the Challenge so far, and glad I got back on track today!

Vegan Chili (served on baked potato)

This week's go to dish, was Vegan Chili. If you are like me and live with a non-vegan, they can add their meat to their serving. And Vegans can add ground tofu to their serving.

 

This recipe would also make a great hearty dip as well. (probably without the carrots)

Play around with it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

 

1 medium onion chopped

1 medium green pepper chopped

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 teaspoon of olive oil

16 ounces firm tofu (if you have non-vegans hold-off)

1 teaspoon cumin

1 can red kidney beans, drained

1 can pinto beans, drained

1 large tomato diced

1 (14 ounces) tomato sauce

1 large carrot, sliced

AT LEAST 2 tablespoons chili powder

 

Directions:

1. saute first 4 on medium heat.

2. Add tofu (optional, don't add if you have non vegans, add at the end) cumin, beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce carrots, and chili powder.

3. put in large pot, and let simmer for 1 hour.

 

 

My Vegan Chili;

 

I actually doubled the recipe above to have enough for the week, and freeze.

I heated my tofu spicy tofu crumbles separately, and added to my dish. So other household members could add their meat, if they would like.

 

I served my on a white baked potato with Diaya (non-diary) cheddar cheese shreds.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Been Vegan 16 Days!

I have been on my Vegan challenge for 16 days now, can't believe it! AND I have not committed murder, myself or someone else!

At this point I have enjoyed the adventure of experimenting with new foods and recipes. It is very important to plan ahead. The world does not serve Vegan friendly meal options on the fly. In case of Emergency I always carry a jar of plain almonds with me, so I really plan ahead so I don't have an emergency!

I still miss coffee, but do not have the insane urges for it like I use to.

So far I have really enjoyed the journey. 

Livestrong - Vegan

I was excited once I read this article, I am on the right track !

 

The Health Benefits of a Vegan Diet - How going meat-free—even for a few days a week—could improve your life

 

The article also includes some great meal ideas and vegan ingredients you should use.



Out of all the diets championed by health experts these days, veganism can seem like the most intimidating. The name almost sounds like a religion. And perhaps that’s fitting: Many vegans cite ethical reasons for why they only eat plant-based foods.

Values aside, the lifestyle can be a pretty big commitment: Vegans skip any animal-derived product, including meat, dairy and eggs. This extends to foods processed with animal products, like refined sugar. Add up all of the dietary restrictions, and you have a nutritional plan that only the most committed people can sustain. It’s precisely these reasons that scare some people off of veganism altogether.

The good news? You don’t have to become a full-fledged vegan to reap many of the benefits of the diet. In fact, a growing number of health experts believe that simply eliminating meat and dairy for a few days a week can make you healthier.

One reason: Cutting out animal-products makes more room in your diet for fruits and vegetables—a goal that most people fail to meet. According to the CDC, nearly three out of four people eat fruits and vegetables less than five times per day –which is a shame, since a study in the European Heart Journal found that with each serving of produce a person consumes, their risk for ischemic heart disease declines by 4%. Those who had eight daily servings of fruits and vegetables lowered their risk for the disease by a whopping 22%.

Skipping animal products can also help you reduce your saturated fat and cholesterol intake, says Nicole Geurin, MPH, RD. This in turn can help boost your HDL (good) cholesterol and lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides—all of which may reduce your risk of heart disease.

So if you’re considering dabbling in Veganism, here are a few easy meal ideas for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Include them in your diet a few times per week and reap the nutritional benefits.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/558068-the-health-benefits-of-a-vegan-diet/#ixzz29ZXHpR5Y

Yoga

Yoga, and breathing activities seem to be a core base for the Vegan community. I have been doing daily morning yoga/ pilates stretches. It is a 10 minute segment of a DVD. And I have been trying to incorporate evening pilates classes at the gym, or home yoga/ pilates DVD.

As I wrap up week two I want to continue to focus on body strengthen through yoga and pilates. This was also my goal at the end of week 1. I have not been struggling with accepting the Vegan diet, but would like to advance in my strength/ cardio health.

 

Certainly not doing this yet, nor do I anticipate being  able to do this anytime soon. But a great inspirational photo.