Where Digestion Begins - Jodh Kaur

It's Friday - What I Ate Today

3/29/2019

It's Friday also known as my long run day, but today is a drop back week (yay!) so only a 10k - which felt really good. It was my first run this year without needing to wear a jacket, the sun was out, it wasn't windy - it was beautiful! While I have been having smoothies most mornings, today I opted for my brown rice tortilla-nut butter-dates and hemp seed combo.

For lunch, I was craving tostadas. Before my run, I pulled a jar of pinto beans out of the freezer and filled it with hot water to help the beans defrost while I was away. When I returned I emptied the jar of most of the water and poured the beans into a sauce pan and seasoned them with turmeric, garlic and onion powder, cumin, chili powder, cayenne and chipotle powder as well as salt and pepper. Once the beans were hot, I stirred vigorously making them into refried beans consistency. Meanwhile, I sliced red and green bell pepper (spring veggies! see my previous post for more details) and a small jalapeño and sautéed with a little grapeseed oil.

I seasoned the peppers similarly - chipotle and chili powder, cayenne, garlic and onion powder and cooked until they were softened, but still had a little bite to them. As you can see, they retained their bright color. To make the tostadas, I heated corn tortillas right on the rack in a 350˚oven until they became just crispy. I topped the tortillas with beans, veggies, avocado, salsa and nutritional yeast for a lunch rich in fiber, protein, healthy fat, antioxidants and vitamin C.

Sometimes buffalo sauce calls me, today it was in the form of Buffalo Cauliflower and this recipe is the best. They are easy to make and come out of the oven crispy and coated in spicy, yummy sauce. I make my own ranch - heavy on the dill - which cools the mouth and adds a nice balance to the spicy cauliflower. For dinner, I enjoyed these with oven fries which I pop in the oven after the cauliflower is sauced so they finish cooking at the same time. This was a perfect accompaniment to my Friday night with Netflix.

Eating with the Seasons - Spring is Here!

3/27/2019

At the start of winter, I watched a video by Dr. Douillard about the importance of eating seasonal foods to maximize our digestion and nutrient absorption. It made sense. While we have access to all sorts of fruits and vegetables throughout the year, it doesn't mean we should eat all that we have access to. Over the last few months, I focused on eating more winter foods - root veggies, cooked foods, more oil, soups and stews and what I found was that these foods were easier to digest and most notably - I did not have the eczema break out that I typically have toward the end of winter which was not only a relief, but an indication that what I was eating was being optimally digested and absorbed.

I have noticed at the grocery store that asparagus is affordable again which means it's in season - an indicator that spring has sprung! From an Ayurvedic perspective, in the months between March and June, we want to focus on foods that are Pungent/Spicy, Bitter, Astringent/Light, Dry and Warm. This includes some of my favorites like asparagus, beets, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers and spinach. While not in season here in the midwest, using chilies and hot peppers are a nice way to incorporate some of the pungent taste into dishes in the spring. We don't have an abundance of seasonal fruit this time of year in the midwest, but frozen berries and dried fruit are good options for spring. I've been enjoying nuts and dates as an afternoon snack lately, very rich and satisfying to my sweet tooth.

In terms of legumes and grains, try to incorporate kidney or garbanzo beans, lentils and mung beans, quinoa, oats, corn and millet into your spring recipes. Dr. Douillard also provides a list of recommended spices and more suggestions for spring foods here. Just reading through this list and seeing what is currently available locally is making me excited to create and share some spring recipes using the pungent, bitter and astringent recipes.

What are your favorite spring veggies?

Kitchen Organization - Spices

3/23/2019

Well seasoned food is important for any cook, but especially the plant-based cook and especially if you are cooking for people who still eat meat. I find if I season food well, my husband not only enjoys it but let's me know he doesn't "even need meat with this meal." This is music to my ears.

I love my spice collection. I enjoy having a variety of spices on hand so I can create any flavor combination and try new pairings. But as you can see below, I have a lot of spices and organizing them has been a challenge. We moved into our place about 3 years ago and at the time, I wasn't sure what to do with my spices. I knew I wanted to have them near the stove and I wanted to be able to see them. We have these little shelves next to the stove and I though - perfect! I'll put them there and they will be accessible when I cook. But they didn't all fit, so I also used a small drawer and put less used spices in the drawer and the spices I regularly use on the shelf. As you may imagine, that didn't last long as drawer spices ended up stacked on the shelf and while everything was accessible, it was such a pain because I could only see what was in front. I had spices stacked on top of each other both on the shelf and in the drawer. It was messy and inefficient.

In January, I watched Marie Kondo and was totally inspired to overhaul - well - everything 😂 especially my kitchen. I pulled everything out as she suggested, and yes, it was OVERWHELMING. I went through my spices and tossed those that were old, empty and rarely used. Because I pulled everything out of my cabinets and drawers (which was totally worth it) I was able to assess the best place for each item and I realized I have these big drawers that would be perfect for spices. I selected a large wide top drawer that had the perfect depth for spice jars and lined them up, they all fit nicely. I categorized the jars placing spices with each other, then herbs, then blends and seeds and extras in the back. While I alphabetized everything as I put them away, that didn't last long (let's not get too crazy), but this system has worked VERY well for the last 2 months. I know what I have and where to find it. It is functional and I feel happy and inspired took cook every time I open my spice drawer.

I would love to know, what type of organization do you use for your spices?

What I Ate Today - Happy Spring!

3/20/2019

In the spirit of spring, I tried something new this morning with my pre-run breakfast - I had a smoothie. I know, real ground breaking stuff! However, I am a creature of habit and I do believe it's important to be consistent with pre-run meals especially as my mileage increases. Still, I had an idea to try a Super Food Smoothie and it was super yummy, filled with good stuff and was perfect before a run. Hey - it's nice to have options!

Lunch was this Chickpea Curry. I love the combination of veggies which can easily be swapped out for what you have on hand. The coconut milk adds a richness and the spices warmed me from inside out. I had this over rice, but I'm sure it would be good over couscous or quinoa.

The recipe I linked to uses sweet potato and here I used a purple potato which changed the color of the dish making it look deep and rich. So don't be surprised when you make this and it looks a little different.

Dinner was this Quinoa Hummus bowl at a local restaurant. It is vegan when ordered without feta cheese and I don't miss cheese in this at all. The bowl is fresh, flavorful and satisfying, even though (as you can see in this photo) the quinoa was not cooked very well. Still, I appreciate a restaurant with a vegan friendly option.

Kitchen Essentials

3/15/2019

If you are just getting into cooking - welcome! I have exciting news: it doesn’t take a lot of “stuff” to get started. In fact, start with just what you need now (pan, knife, cutting board) and add to it from there. As you stock your kitchen, I recommend buying the best quality you can afford every step of the way so you aren’t wasting money upgrading or replacing broken or damaged items in the future.

Below is my list of kitchen essentials. As you refer to this list, consider what you want to start cooking and prioritize what you feel you really need to get started and grow from there. I created categories and ranked items within each category in what I consider to be most beneficial to have on hand in your kitchen.

Pots & Pans:

Cast Iron Skillet - mine is 10.25 inches which is perfect because my stock pot lid fits right on top of it, but if you are cooking for a family, you may prefer a larger skillet. These are inexpensive and can be purchased anywhere from the hardware store to Target or Amazon. Using Cast Iron actually helps us get more iron into our diet, which is important when eating plant based. As you use the skillet over time, it will become more seasoned and non-stick. Use it to make curries, stir-fries, tofu scramble, sauteed veggies, stewed fruit, even cornbread.
Stock Pot with lid - as I said, my lid works perfectly for my cast iron skillet too (I love a multi-purpose tool!). Use this large pot to boil spaghetti or potatoes, to make soups, stews, stocks, chili, pasta sauce and beans.
Sauce Pan with lid - a good sauce pan is useful for making a smaller portion of soup as well as beans, rice, quinoa, hot chocolate and oatmeal.

Utensils:

Wooden spoon - start with a wooden spoon which can be used for cooking, mixing and serving
Stainless Steel Pancake Turner/Griddle Spatula - essential for flipping pancakes, veggie burgers, hash browns, oven fries and roasted veggies
Stainless Steel Potato Masher - if you are a potato fanatic like me, this is essential
Stainless Steel Ladle
Stainless Steel Whisk - helpful to have on hand for combining ingredients when making dressings or to make sure creamy dishes like polenta are lump-free
Stainless Steel Tongs - helpful tool to stir long noodles when cooking, to incorporate sauce and noodles together as well as for serving
Silicone spatula - to scrape every last drop of goodness out of your mixing bowl or blender
Thermometer - an important tool if you are making bread to make sure the water is the correct temperature to activate yeast, can also be used to check for doneness in loaf of bread

Food Prep:

Chef Knife - the only knife you really need, this is the knife I use daily. I recommend splurging here and buying the best you can afford. Keep it sharp and take care of it and it will last for a very long time.
Cutting board - I recommend bamboo for chopping veggies and slicing fruit. You can also turn your fresh loaf of bread cut side down on your board to preserve freshness and maintain that wonderful crust.
Stainless steel measuring spoons, dry and liquid measuring cups - having dry and liquid measuring cups ensures precision in measuring your ingredients. The dry measuring cups come in the individual measurements: 1 cup, 1/2 cup etc while the liquid measuring cup is graduated glass or plastic pitcher. I like my 4 cup pyrex for liquid ingredients, I also use it to soak lentils
Mesh Colander - to rinse rice, lentils, beans, fruits and veggies and to drain cooked pasta and potatoes
Large Glass Mixing bowl - for combining ingredients, mixing dough, and soaking beans
Paring Knife - use for the smaller tasks like slicing and peeling fruits and veggies, and opening the occasional box 😳
Peeler - if you are doing a lot of peeling, this comes in quite handy because it will take just the peel, not the flesh. Also nice to use on cucumber and carrots to make pretty ribbons for salads.

For the Oven:

Baking sheet - I always line mine with parchment paper for a non-stick, easy clean surface. Use to roast veggies, make oven fries and bake tofu. Using the oven makes cooking a breeze, just pop the baking sheet into the oven and set your timer. Roasting or baking leaves your stove top clear (or usable for something else), infuses a roasted flavor into the food and makes clean up quick and easy.
Baking Dish - I have a 9x9 and 9x11 pyrex that came as a set with lids which helps in transporting a dish. These are great for baking apple crisp, peach cobbler, brownies and for making lentil loaf, mac and cheese and enchiladas. You can roast veggies in these as well.

Appliances:

High Speed Blender - in my opinion, this is a must have in the plant based kitchen to make super smooth desserts, dressings and sauces (like cheeze sauce), sour cream and cream cheese as well as for making smoothies and salsas. I have had my Vitamix for 4 years and use it almost daily, in my opinion it’s worth the splurge. There are sales on them from time to time or you can check out their website for refurbished models (that’s what I have) to save on this very useful machine.
Kettle - if you are doing your hot water sip daily, you should have a kettle. I recommend an electric one where you can determine the temperature of the water. It’s also nice to keep the stove top clear for cooking.
Toaster Oven - perfect for making toast of course, but also nice to when you just want a baked potato or are reheating the rest of last night’s vegan pizza.

I hope you find this list to be a useful reference. Let me know in the comments what kitchen tool you can't be without.

Cooking Lessons

3/13/2019

Cooking offers us many lessons and the beauty of plant based cooking is when a recipe doesn't turn out like we envisioned, we can almost always save or repurpose it.

Saturday, I was teaching my Plant Based Cooking class at Urban Yoga Chicago and I was so excited to share my breakfast recipes with the group. The day before I finally perfected my Banana Walnut Pancake recipe and was looking forward to preparing it with the class. Things seemed to be running smoothly until we got to the pancakes.... When I made the batter in the Vitamix, it was quite thin but I thought it would thicken up as it usually does when it sits, it didn't. I wasn't sure what the problem was because it had been quite consistent when I made it at home. Perhaps doubling the recipe threw it out of balance?

We forged ahead and fired up the cast iron skillet (same type of pan I use at home) and drizzled it with coconut oil, but when I poured the batter into the pan it seemed to take an extra long time to begin to cook - I wasn't seeing the bubbles popping. Hm.... As this was happening, I realized we don't have a spatula aka pancake turner at UYC 😳. I was hopeful I could make it work, but I quickly saw that all I was creating was a pancake mess. I tasted the deformed blob in the pan and it tasted so good! It was banana-ey and sweet, I wasn't ready to give up. Thinking quickly, I turned on the oven to 350˚ and pulled out a baking sheet, lined it with parchment paper and poured the batter into the center creating a large pancake. We topped it with chopped walnuts and into the oven it went. I crossed my fingers for something edible come out of this.

What emerged twenty minutes later was such a treat! A big pancake that we cut into wedges and topped with coconut oil and maple syrup. The taste and texture were right on. It was simple to make - no standing over the stove, no smoking oil (coconut oil always smokes for me when I'm making pancakes, does this happen to you?), no trying to keep the already made pancakes hot and if you prefer less oil - these had far less oil since they baked on a dry baking sheet which also made clean up a breeze.

Through remaining calm and considering the options, we were able to transform a disaster into a delight. On a personal level, this was an opportunity for me to connect into my breath, remain calm and set my ego aside knowing even as a teacher, I don't have to be perfect with all that I do and there are valuable lessons to be learned even when things don't go the way we planned.

Weekend Meals, What I Ate on a Saturday

3/9/2019

Ah the weekend is here and there is nothing like a lazy Saturday with nothing on the schedule. It rarely happens for me, so when it does I soak it up. Most Saturday mornings, my husband and I like to go for a coffee or breakfast date. We use this time to catch up with each other on our week and to talk about our relationship and our passions. The conversation really flows when we have this relaxed time together over a meal. This Saturday morning, we opted to make breakfast at home. I made my Tofu Scramble substituting fresh spinach for the kale and kept the hash browns on the side. I discovered these maple flavored breakfast sausages from Field Roast which taste even better when you fry them in a bit of oil, browning them on each side.

We ate a late breakfast so my next meal was an early dinner. I was craving pizza and instead of delivery, I decided to make it myself. I haven't made pizza in a long time at home because I hadn't found crust or a vegan cheese I love for pizza (not that it needs it, but I do love cheesy pizza). Today I used this pre-made pizza crust which was simple and ready to be topped right out of the package. I also tried 2 different mozzarella cheeses, each on one half of the pizza - the So Delicious Mozzarella Shreds and the Miyokos Vegan Mozzarella. I preferred the Miyokos by far, it didn't have that vegan cheese taste (you know the one) and it melted similarly to fresh dairy mozzarella.

I found I needed to keep the pizza in for a few minutes longer than the recommended time on the package so the cheese would melt. I topped my pie with fresh jalapeños and mushrooms, sliced marinated artichokes and olives. I served it with a simple spinach salad drizzled with balsamic and olive oil. I intended to put the spinach on the pizza but forgot about it so I topped my pizza slices with the salad and it added a nice fresh bite along with the doughy, cheesy, salty pizza. While I love delivery from my favorite local pizza spot, it's nice to have this alternative that was ready in just about 20 minutes - faster than my local joint and even faster than Dominos 😜.

Eating out as a Vegan in a non-Vegan world...

3/6/2019

...It's not only possible, it can be quite a delicious adventure.

Of course I love eating at a vegan restaurant where I can have anything on the menu, but let's face it - more often than not, meals out are often enjoyed at non-vegan restaurants with friends and family who may not be vegetarian or plant-based.

Here is my approach to eating out:

When planning a meal out, I start with Yelp and look for places that have vegan options or have reviews about vegan options*. I read reviews and look at the menu to see what is available for me as well as my dining companions. I then suggest a couple of these restaurants and we go from there. I find this takes the pressure off my friends to find a place "Jodh can eat at." *note to self: start writing some reviews and contribute to this!
When I have been invited to a particular restaurant or when there is an event happening, I will look at the menu and Yelp and if I don't see vegan options, I call and ask what may be available so I can plan accordingly. If there are limited options, planning accordingly may mean eating before I go or bringing some snacks with me. I like to keep nuts on hand, they fit in any little purse, can be eaten discreetly and provide a satiating snack.

Sometimes, there isn't time to plan and we end up in a restaurant without having researched it first. In these situations, I quietly ask the server what meat/egg/dairy free options are available. Even if the server doesn't know, they are almost always happy to find out. I have never had a negative experience asking about the menu, in fact I have had several experiences where the chef made something for me that was 100% plant based and it's always been delicious.

Here is an example of this.

Just yesterday, Savitree and I went for lunch at Roka Akor, in Skokie. I love eating here when I'm in the area because while they do have a couple of vegan items on their menu (like this amazing Spicy Edamame), the chef will prepare a special grilled veggie roll (made with seasonal veggies) upon request.

The grilled veggies have such a yummy flavor and it's a huge roll that is super satisfying, in part because it's cooked and also contains a beautifully ripened avocado. The rolls we received also contained fresh cucumber, grilled asparagus and sweet potato. It was such a tasty lunch, and the perfect example of how dining out can be a delicious adventure and an opportunity to experience new dishes and flavor combinations.

Special thanks to Savitree for the photos.

Food for Thought

3/2/2019

Chew well, the stomach has no teeth. - Yogi Bhajan

ChickPeas 2 Ways

3/1/2019

I'm on a bit of a pasta kick lately... Last night, I came home hungry after a long conference day. I didn't have much time to make dinner before my evening class and to be honest - not a lot to work with (I still haven't gone grocery shopping this week 😳). I had a run scheduled for the following morning so I wanted to make sure to have both carbs and protein for dinner. I prepared this flavorful pasta with brown rice pasta, garlic, olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes and chickpeas and seasoned it with dried basil, garlic powder, crushed red pepper, salt, pepper and nutritional yeast.

I had a heaping portion and I know it was good because when I returned from class, it was mostly gone except a bunch of chickpeas left in the bottom of the pot. Does this ever happen to you - Too much sauce, not enough pasta? 🤔
I find it helpful to keep pantry staples on hand so that I can make something quick and easy when I'm short on time. Having a selection of dried herbs and spices, oils, beans, pasta (rice and wheat), rice, tortillas, salsa, garlic, onions, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, artichoke hearts, jarred tomatoes makes a quick, flavorful and healthy dish accessible and easy to prepare.

For my post run lunch, I took the remaining chickpeas - which were well flavored and I mashed them up with some tahini and water for a chickpea salad. I slathered this on some yummy bread and topped with Aji and giardiniera - my two favorite sandwich toppings. I love chickpea salad and this was a great way to use the remaining chickpeas from the pasta dish, plus there were a few sun-dried tomatoes in the mix which provided an extra pop of flavor.