Some Good Eatin'

I've been enjoying some good eats the past few days. One of the things I've discovered about home cookin' is that you can make a big batch of something one day and it lasts you for quite a few after. The Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew I made last Friday has been feeding us for 6 days! When I made meals before (going vegan) it didn't seem to last as long ... I don't know why ... maybe I am making that up in my head??? It seems like the healthier food I've been making is much more satisfying, keeps me full longer and so I don't need to eat as much and it is lasting longer ... ? Well, whatever the reason ... I am loving it!

Monday's eats:

Brunch: Oatmeal w/ strawberries, almond slivers, rice milk & flax oil
Snack: Pomelo
Dinner: Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew over couscous & chard
Dessert: Peanut Butter Pie


Oatmeal with strawberries, almond slivers, rice milk, flax oil.

Tuesday's eats:

Breakfast: Scrambled Tofu, quinoa & chard
Snack: Asian pear & blackberries w/ a little lemon juice
Lunch: Scrambled Tofu & a pomelo
Dinner: Black Bean Wrap w/ avocado, onion sprouts, tomatoes & olives
Dessert: Peanut Butter Pie


Scrambled Tofu, Quinoa & Chard.


Asian Pear and Blackberries.

Today's eats:

Breakfast: Whole grain cereal w/ sliced bananas & rice milk
Lunch: Caramlized Onion & Grapefruit Salad, guacamole & chips
Movie Snack: Trail mix (raisins, dried blueberries, cashews, peanuts, almonds)
Dinner: Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew over quinoa topped with pumpkin seeds
Dessert: Peanut Butter Pie


Caramalized Onion & Grapefruit Salad.

I've obviously been enjoying the Peanut Butter Pie I made ... keeping it vegan & keeping it in moderation (1 slice will do ya!) is key.

Just a couple notes ~

I am currently obsessed with this cereal. I could eat it morning, noon & night.

The recipe for the Caramelized Onion & Grapefruit Salad is from Giada at Home (not a vegan cooking show). So the dressing contains honey. I know a true blue vegan does not consume honey ... I'm not there yet. I don't have an affinity for bees (not that it's a good excuse) so I have not looked into how bees are treated in the honey making process. We are using up the last of our store bought honey and will be switching to honey from the local Farmer's Market ... at least we know that the small beekeepers probably treat their bees better ... and this small step makes me feel better about it. Also, I've read that honey spikes your blood sugar like regular processed sugar so if you do eat honey, keep it in moderation and try to find alternatives.

The trail mix snack I had today I just threw together myself. My husband and I went on a little Wednesday afternoon date to see Date Night ... although I was tempted to treat myself to some candy ... I decided it was not worth it. 1) the candy & ice tea my husband bought cost as much as one movie ticket(!) and 2) the snacking part of watching a movie is just a habit for me ... so I tried to be smarter about it and just pack my own healthy treat. It was pretty good ... even though I lost half the bag when I dropped it on the floor. Oops. Five second rule.

Vegan Treats & Lentil Stew

Last night my husband and I went downtown to attend Art Walk with some friends. It was our first time and I had such a blast! There was a bit of art involved but it was definitely the food that made the event!! The streets were lined with super trendy truck vendors and we all enjoyed some good eats. For those of you questioning if you can splurge on fun foods while vegan ... feast your eyes on this!


Veg Chili Fries (sweet potato) w/ Daiya Cheese.

The consensus on my vegan chili fries was that they were tastier than the regular chili fries. How 'bout them apples? If you are heading to Art Walk in future months, you can get these fries at the Frysmith truck.

Later in the evening we stopped at Babycakes to pick up some vegan treats. I forgot to take pictures of the actual cupcakes, I was too eager to dig in. But trust me, they are to. die. for. My mouth is watering just thinking about them. We picked up a vanilla cupcake (for me), a carrot cake cupcake (for my husband) and a Caramel Coconut Doughnut to share. All vegan. No dairy, eggs or sugar in the entire bakery. Amazing!


Babycakes storefront.


Doesn't get better than this!

Today's eats included:

Brunch: Banana Oat Pancakes & Smart Bacon
Lunch: Quinoa Loaf w/ tofu cream & a pomelo
Dinner: Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew & a big salad
Dessert: Caramel Coconut Doughnut from Babycakes


Banana Oat Pancakes & Smart Bacon


Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew

Sweet Potato-Lentil Stew (from The Kind Diet)

1/4 cup safflower oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 small tomatoes, diced
1 tspn minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 tspns turmeric
1 tspn cumin
1 tspn ground coriander
1/2 tspn ground cinnamon
1/8 tspn cayenne
fine sea salt
2-3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled & cut into 3/4" cubes
7 cups vegetable broth
1 cup brown lentils

Heat the oil over medium heat in a large, deep pot. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes or until the onion starts to soften. Stir in the tomatoes & ginger, cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the turmeric, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and a small pinch of salt. Cook & stir for 2 minutes, then taste for seasonings, try to use only enough salt to heighten the flavors.

Add the sweet potatoes, broth & lentils. Stir well, and bring to a boil over high heat. When the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 40 mins or until the lentils & sweet potatoes are soft.

Enjoy!