Where Digestion Begins

Greens, Grains & Beans

2/11/2020

I was listening to a podcast called No Meat Athlete and they were sharing that they try to focus having a green, a grain and a bean at every meal (or maybe most meals). I thought this was brilliant! It's catchy and easy to remember and makes things simple. I thought I would brainstorm a few ideas and then create some new posts around this tagged as Greens, Grains & Beans so they could be found easily. Feel free to comment if you have some favorite combinations!

1. Sautéed broccoli rabe, creamy polenta, baked tofu
2. Farro White Bean Stew
3. Kitchari
4. Steamed spinach, basmati rice, split mung dal and avocado (I will have to share this simple protein rich recipe).
5. Buddha Bowl with Tofu and Arugula
6. Sautéed kale with quinoa and white lima beans
7. Stir fried bok choy over basmati rice, topped with edamame
8. Even Taco Dip which could be topped with or served over chopped romaine lettuce.

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My Top 10 Favorite Vegan Convenience Foods

12/12/2019

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Lately I have been loving the Miyokos butter and it inspired me to share some of my other favorite vegan convenience foods. Here are my top 10 in no particular order:

Miyokos butter - of course! This is an amazing product and is free of palm oil. It tastes buttery and is perfect on toast, baked potato and used for cooking where you want to add a boost of buttery flavor.
Miyokos Vegan Mozz - if you like making pizzas, try this cheese. It tastes pretty spot on and it melts similar to a mozzarella cheese. It adds richness and a creamy texture to pizza (or anything).
Beyond Sausage Brats - of the Beyond sausages, this is my favorite. It works really well on the grill and comes off with a nice texture. Perfect to put on a bun with mustard and hot peppers. Yum.
Tofurky Deli Slices - I tried these for the first time over the summer and I'm so happy I did. Now that I have been vegan for 4 years, I'm branching out into more of the mock meats and cheeses because... variety! I felt nostalgic for a hearty sub sandwich and these added just the flavor I was looking for. I have tried all of the flavors and I like them all.
Oatly Oat Milk - I vacillate between having Oatly and soy milk in my fridge. Oatly stands above any of the other oat milks for it's texture and taste. I appreciate that it doesn't have added sugar, but is fortified with Vitamins D and B12. Also a source of calcium. No question, if you want Oat Milk, choose Oatly.
Oatly Vanilla Ice Cream - there are lots of good non-dairy ice creams out there so honestly it's hard to choose one. I love the texture of the Oatly version and it's a spot on replacement for dairy vanilla ice cream. A nice big scoop on top of peach cobbler? Yes, please!
Marys Gone Crackers - Crunchy, flavorful and perfect for dipping. My favorite flavors are Everything and Jalepeño (which are legitimately spicy).
Chao Cheese, Creamy Original - As a vegetarian, I constantly had cheese in my fridge and couldn't imagine giving it up! Ultimately when I did go vegan, my taste for cheese dissipated significantly. But occasionally, I want that grilled cheese or cheese on my deli sandwich. This flavor of Chao is the best, especially if you enjoy the taste of provolone. Rich and creamy, it even melts nicely.
Gardein Seven Grain Chicken Tenders - I keep these in my freezer so when I need a quick meal, I can pop these into the oven with some oven fries and flash greens and I have a tasty meal in less than 30 minutes withe very little effort. They get crispy in the oven, provide a boost of protein and taste great with BBQ sauce or Franks Red Hot sauce and dipped in vegan ranch.
Field Roast Italian Sausages - Nice flavor, they brown up well in a cast iron skillet and have a decent texture. I usually slice them on a bias, brown them and then add to my veggies and grain. Or have them on the side and dip into mustard (I love mustard! hehe). Also great sautéd with bell pepper and onions.

I'm sure I'm missing some, but all of these are items I purchase again and again. And while I prefer cooking with whole foods, it's nice to have the convenience and the variety that these products offer.

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Budget Friendly Meal Planning Tips

2/16/2019

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Over the last two weeks I have had the honor to work on the meal plan for our Kundalini Yoga Teacher Training which begins tomorrow. Two years ago, when we had our last training, the meal planning felt like a daunting task - managing the budget, variety, dietary restrictions while offering hearty, nutrient dense meals. An angel in our community made the brilliant suggestion to focus each day on a different type of cuisine. She made a list of different flavor profiles, ingredients and recipes and we were off with a solid, exciting meal plan with a good bit of variety. Making notes on what worked and didn't during each week of training helped me prepare for this year's course. While we are cooking on a larger scale, these are tips you can apply to meal planning whether it's for yourself or your family. Meal planning helps to save money because we can focus on sale and in season items and when we know what we are cooking for the week, there is less temptation to eat out or grab something on the run.

Here are a few more of my meal planning tips:

Trying different cuisines throughout the week brings in variety and encourages us to try new foods. During training we pull from Mediterranean, Latin, East Asian, Indian & American influences.
Plan for simpler meals on the busier days and make something more ambitious when you have the time. I love making enchiladas, but it takes a couple of hours so I save this for a Sunday afternoon.
If you do a weekly grocery run, consider using leafy greens or items that may wilt faster toward the beginning of the week and heartier items toward the end of the week
Look for common ingredients across recipes. We have all purchased celery for a recipe only to use 2 stalks and have the rest wilting in the fridge. I like to make a soup toward the end of the week to use up left over veggies and herbs. Something simple like a lentil soup is a great base for the extra carrots, onions, celery, cilantro and other veggies that may still be in the crisper at the end of the week. Soup is quick, easy and forgiving - a nice thing to have cooking away on the stove while you spend time with your family or finishing up work.

I would love to hear from you too, what are your meal planning tips?

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Greens, Grains & Beans

My Top 10 Favorite Vegan Convenience Foods

Budget Friendly Meal Planning Tips

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