One Final Push...

Grammy Sam wants me to work for it, so I'm going to put in my final effort for those last bonus points. Currently in the car coming home from SD, but I can't risk falling asleep and then being too disoriented when we get home... Probably the most surprising thing about this competition was realizing how creative you can get with veggies to make them taste delicious and fulfilling. I actually enjoyed the challenge of trying new foods and recipes in order to stick to a meatless diet. When it comes to the long-lasting effects, I came to a realization today while consuming meat at lunch... The meat wasn't exactly as satisfying as I remember. My favorites today were the lo-mein (at least no visible meat), the mixed veggies, the mushrooms from the chicken mushroom dish, and the veggie spring rolls. Don't get me wrong, my favorite dishes from my favorite restaurants all contain some form of meat, and I definitely can't give up those, but I can happily cut down on meat consumption. (I even discovered my fave new Subway sandwich - the veggie patty w/chipotle!) The second week was by far the toughest for me. By now I have told everyone about my steak dream, which helped me get through the rest of the competition! Ultimately I enjoyed all of the food, but the really challenging part was being limited on choices when going to restaurants. Thanks for putting this together. It was a very challenging, yet enlightening, experience.

Minestrone Soup Recipe

I made this the other night and it wasn't bad!!!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1/3 lb. green beans, trimmed & cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 28-oz can no-salt-added diced tomatoes
1 14-oz can crushed tomatoes
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-oz can low-sodium kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup elbow pasta
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.  Add the celery and carrot and cook until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the green beans, dried oregano and basil, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste; cook 3 more minutes.

Add the diced and crushed tomatoes and the chicken broth to the pot and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer 10 minutes.  Stir in the kidney beans and pasta and cook until the pasta and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes.  Season with salt.  Ladle into bowls and top with the parmesan and chopped basil.

Final Bonus Points!

Okay, the most surprising thing I learned is that even plant food can taste good sometimes!!!  Thanks to Lisa for mentioning The Loving Hut, we had some tasty food there last week!  We even went back there again tonight for dinner!  As for Veggie Grill, I like it better now since I found something I like!  The barley soup, for instance, is mighty tasty!!!

I do believe that this whole Remarkable Rabbit Race experience will definitely change our long term eating and outlook on health.  I'll be honest though, I will still eat meat for the time being, just not quite as much or as often as before.

Ohhhhh, this was definitely harder than I thought!!!  I knew it was going to be hard from the get-go, but it was sooooooo much harder!!!!  It's pretty obvious though, I cheated 4 times!!!

Thanks Matt and Lisa for putting this Rabbit adventure together!  I think we all learned a great deal from this unique and unforgettable experience!!!

The China Study

(Was this mentioned in Forks Over Knives? It sounds familiar...)

So...The China Study determines that those who consume a high amount of animal-based foods (versus those on a plant-based diet) are more likely to have to deal with chronic disease (including cancer). It also mentions that eating vegan can "minimize or reverse the development of chronic diseases". Wow! I think that means Matt will outlive us all. ;)

More Yummy Food

So of course, me & Andy ate the same things, but here're different pictures. Andy made portabello paninis with sun-dried tomatoes and feta cheese. Our bonus points? Quinoa sprinkled over a salad of red chard (something new), leafy greens and bell peppers. On the side was an assortment of crispy kale (paprika, chili powder, salt & pepper). It's quite odd how kale can taste just like potato chips! Yum!

And we had Indian food earlier in the week, which had some spicy lentil dish...can't quite remember the name. But it was delicious =)

Bonus Points

So here is how I satisfied the four requirements for this week:

1.  Pictured below (on the right) is a lentil dish from the Indian restaurant/market called Namastey in Buena Park.  The food was very aromatic and tasty!

 2. & 3.  Pictured below is a salad featuring green leaf lettuce, red chard (new healthy item), red and green bell peppers, and quinoa.  The quinoa adds a different texture to the salad, but was didn't pack a whole lot of flavor.  The dressing helped compensate though!

4.  Lastly, for kale, I had some kale chips.  These turned out really good, and I was so surprised to see the transition from the hearty, leafy kale to a delicious salty, potato chip-like state!  Kimberly should have a picture of them.



Thank you Seabirds!! =)

We went to the Great Park Farmers Market as a last minute romp with friends and happened on the Seabirds truck! =)  If you've never eaten here and you see the food truck around, it's sooooo worth a try.  And I got the rest of my bonus points without even trying!

Here are my greens in the form of "Dirty Rice with Spicy Kale".

My new healthy food is the romanesco.  It was super delicious mixed in with the cauliflower in this "Truffled Cauliflower" dish.

(Check out what it looks like when you buy it whole!!)

We also ordered the "Beer Battered Avocado Tacos" which are always fantastic and a strawberry vegan cupcake, also quite tasty =)...although Matt says the cupcake was freakin' awesome!!

Healthy Foods = 20 points!

Yep. Thanks to a certain Valentine's dinner, we were able to knock out dark leafy greens (arugula) and a healthy food we've never eaten before. As for the latter, we had coconut flesh, as well as a crust out of flax and buckwheat...and if those don't count, I'm sure there was something new in this:

Last night, I made (with Kace-O's help) Warm Quinoa Salad with Toasted Almonds and Red Lentil and Vegetable Soup. Next time I'd cut down on the ginger in the salad... And the lentils, despite having a weird texture once cooked, weren't too bad taste-wise.

Quinoa and Lentils =)

So...it's hard to get all 4 different things in during a week!  I'm giving up with just 2 healthy foods under my belt.

We ate quinoa a handful of days this week with the tofu stack...I think I cooked it too long, it looks like mashed potatoes in the photo!

I made moussaka and lentil soup on Wednesday which we've been eating a bunch as well.  The recipe had very few ingredients and was surprisingly pretty tasty!

Pasta, ice cream, and points, oh my!

Sorry, still have Wicked stuck in my head from a few weeks ago...

Anyways, for the bonus points, the first picture is a simple pasta dish: rotini noodles mixed with a vegetable marinara and topped with some shredded Parmesan cheese.



The second picture is a vegetarian delight: vanilla ice cream (from dinner at Flemings earlier tonight).  The vanilla ice cream was so good that even Kimberly, a self-proclaimed chocoholic, thought the vanilla was better than her chocolate ice cream.



Kimi's Bonus Points

I finally had my Veggie Grill fix! Presenting the All-American Stack =)
Yesterday, we had curry with tofu, peppers, onion, potatoes and eggs. Yes, it looks vomit, but it was actually pretty tasty!

Tofu Stack =)

Mmmmm...here's my blog post part 2 for my bonus points...just under the wire!!  We made a tofu stack today with lemon marinated tofu, quinoa, shredded tequila lime yams, spinach and a mango dressing. =)

2 Veggie Meals

 This one is called a Zucchini Marinara Sub and has zucchini, of course, and mushrooms, garlic, marina sauce and provolone cheese.

Super Bean Burrito is the name of this one.  It has rice, onion, garlic, green chilies and corn.  I know, it looks like dog food but bigdaddio really liked it!

I Want Bonus Points! ;)

Hopefully it's okay that I'm uploading my photos on one post...otherwise, that sucks. ;) So...earlier in the week I had to have my Albertacos fix. Though I REALLY wanted a California Burrito, I decided on the messy awesomeness of their bean tostada & cheese enchilada plate:

One night for dinner I made Veggie Tofu Fajitas (but I stuffed mine too much so they were more like tacos than fajitas:

And I know we only get credit for two photos, but I just had to share because it was absolutely delicious and MEATLESS...the scrumptious cappuccino mousse from Porto's Bakery:

3 Points for Lisa! =)

Lunch today was a simple sandwich...tofurkey, veganaise, cucumber, red pepper, lettuce, sun dried tomato, and pepperocinis.  =)

Food, Inc.

This was very interesting, it covered everything from animal to plants from beginning to end!  I must admit that the animal portion was hard to take.  The way they grow the chickens without them even seeing the sun, always cooped up in the chicken house until slaughter.  They actually show them slaughtering the chickens.  Gross!!! The cattle were all bunched together and knee-deep in manure (sp?) and they show them in the slaughterhouses. Yikes!!!  It really makes you wonder why you eat animals!!! 

Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead

Interesting film, could be worthwhile trying!  Although right now, at this place and time, I want to be able to EAT my food rather than DRINK it!!!  Also, maybe food coloring would help, the green looks disgusting!!!

Waving the Flag

Yesterday, viewed "Forks over knives".  Interesting movie.  So, eat meat, drink milk, pass on plant based food, and die!!  But I'll do so happy.  Eat plant based food and wave the flag longer, hum!  Bring on the plant based food.  Also, Matt, bring on the 10 bonus points please.

Raise the Roof Lasagna

Here's what we had for dinner tonight =)

Turns out the firefighters from the Forks Over Knives documentary knew what they were talking about when it comes to good cookin', this recipe is from them =).  No added oils, vegan, and still incredibly yummy!

A Beautiful Truth

Second documentary! =)  Hehe...this is what I do when Cora takes her longer afternoon nap.  A Beautiful Truth focused mainly on the Gerson method and the claim that it can cure cancers.  The method includes the norm that we tend to hear about improving diet (remove animal fats, juicing, eat organic and natural foods) but it also includes a daily coffee enema!!  That's not exactly how I enjoy taking my coffee ;).  I think Forks Over Knives has been the best documentary about health I've seen so far.  Good luck to those of you trying for bonus points...enjoy!! =D

Fat Head

If you watched Super Size Me, this was the anti-Super Size Me documentary.  He argues against a lot of health claims and fad diets, discusses how fats aren't evil, and carbohydrates are not great things to consume.  Overall my take away is to consume things in moderation...not too much of any one thing and you'll be ok. =)

Bonus Points

So we are having some technical difficulties...no, that's not the excuse for not exercising both days...We walked for an hour 3:15 to 4:15 around the neighborhood...to the park...then checked out the unlocked tennis courts at JFK High School...and back home! There are no pictures of me, cause Andy took them on his phone, and we are currently unable to get his phone to connect in any way to the computer. But my proof is that he obviously didn't take the photos of himself!

Exercise for Bonus Points

For bonus points, Lisa, Cora & I did some shopping and lots of walking! A few pics from our outing:











And, yes - Cora did get quite a few looks as we walked her around; she was pretty popular on our walk.

Hooray for the Adventure...

Wow! There's two of me now. lol Thanks Lisa.

So far it's been pretty challenging but fun to go meatless. To break up the monotony of peanut butter sandwiches, we enjoyed grilled cheese (w/grilled onions) at In & Out for lunch...yum!

For dinner, I made Bean & Pineapple Soft Tacos...

...on whole wheat tortillas! I also made two salsas to go with them:

Chunky Cucumber Mango Salsa

 Asparagus Salsa



And I've prepped some peanut butter spread (pb, banana, honey, golden raisins, and sunflower seeds) so I can make a quick sandwich tomorrow. :]

Who says sandwiches are boring!

Super easy and yummy!  Toasted bread, teriyaki tofu, a slice of lettuce and a veggie stir fry. =)  

What yumminess are you making??

The Remarkable Rabbit Race!

In honor of our new race of wonders, I did a little 2012 updating of our family site.  =)  My 3 previous posts include some recipes to inspire...feel free to post others you find inspiring along the way!  It would also be awesome to hear about things that are easier or harder about this challenge than you may have thought.  If you break down and have a giant slice of steak, share with us!  Or if you are super strong and go to Veggie Grill even when you think you totally won't like it, let us know!  (We'll be very proud of you mom!)  Post photos and share your journey here...let's bring this blog back to life!! =D

Good luck!!

Curried Tofu Pitas

**If you enjoy curry, this is a REALLY easy dish to prepare!  You just have to stop at Trader Joe's for a couple ingredients.**

Curried Tofu Pitas - from The Trader Joe's Cookbook

4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pkg. firm tofu, cubed
1/2 cup Thai Yellow Curry Sauce
1/4 cup Mango Ginger Chutney
1 cup grapes, halved
1/2 cup whole cashews
1 scallion, chopped
8 lettuce leaves
4 white or whole wheat pitas

Mix curry and chutney until well blended.  Add tofu and toss to coat.  Stir in grapes, cashews, and scallion.

Cut pitas in half.  Stuff each half with tofu salad mixture and lettuce.

*Variation: Try substituting chopped apples for the grapes and pecans for the cashews.

Hungarian Goulash

**If you're looking for something a little easier to prepare than the moussaka, but still yummy.**

Hungarian Goulash - From The Native Foods Cookbook

6 servings

Ingredients:
1/3 cup olive oil
2 medium onions, finely chopped
4-5 garlic cloves, sliced
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 lb seitan, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup paprika
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cups water
2 cups canned crushed peeled tomatoes
2 cups canned or bottled sauerkraut, drained
1 lb pasta (fettuccine or rigatoni works well)

Garnish
soy sour cream
chopped fresh dill

Heat olive oil in a skillet and sauté onion, garlic, and red and green bell peppers about 3-4 minutes, until lightly browned.  Add seitan and paprika, and sauté another 1-2 minutes.  Stir in salt and pepper, water, crushed tomatoes, and sauerkraut.  Let simmer, partially covered, 25-30 minutes.

Boil the pasta according to package directions.  Portion cooked pasta on plates and top with goulash.  Garnish each plate with a dollop of soy sour cream and chopped dill.

Moussaka =)

Oopa Moussaka - From The Native Foods Cookbook

8 servings

Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
2 medium zucchini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
28-oz can crushed peeled tomatoes
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 large baking potato
1 Tbsp olive oil of drizzling on top
chopped fresh parsley for garnish
*optional: 1 1/2 cups soy ground "meat"

Vegan Bechamel Sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup unbleached flour
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups soy milk
1 Tbsp cornstarch diluted in 1/2 cup water (or substitute 1 Tbsp kuzu for the cornstarch)
1 1/2 tsp sea salt


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Cut eggplant lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.  Salt the slices and let them "sweat" for 10 minutes.

Cut zucchini lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices, and set aside.

Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a saucepan, and sauté onion and garlic until onion is transparent and lightly browned.  Add crushed tomatoes, oregano, salt, and pepper.  Simmer 5-10 minutes.

Lightly oil the bottom of a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking dish.  Peel potato and cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices.  Layer potato slices in bottom of baking dish, and spoon one-third of the tomato sauce over.  Then layer eggplant, one-third of tomato sauce, (soy ground if using), zucchini slices, and finally the rest of the tomato sauce.  Drizzle top with olive oil.

Cover with baking dish lid or foil and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

While dish is baking, prepare Vegan Bechamel Sauce:  Heat olive oil in saucepan, and sprinkle in flour and nutmeg, stirring constantly until mixture is lightly browned and a nutty aroma arises.  Whisk in soymilk, cornstarch mixture, and salt, stirring until mixture begins to boil; then reduce heat and whisk until thickened.

Remove moussaka from oven and remove cover.  Ladle Vegan Bechamel Sauce over top of casserole and put back in oven to bake for another 20-30 minutes, until top is nicely browned.  Let sit a half hour before cutting and serving.  Garnish each serving with lots of chopped fresh parsley.

You make this dish a day ahead of time and rewarm before garnishing and serving.


**If I start this dish about 3 hours prior to serving, it's usually done on time.  Enjoy!! =D**