A Little Behind On FOOD

It's been a CRAZY week or so but I wanted to try and catch up on some things TODAY! 

This post will be highlighting some of my food creations over the past week-ish.

Kicking things off with this sandwich spread.

It's a version of Vegan Egg Salad, I suppose.  Here's what I did...
2 C Chickpeas (sprouted, mashed/in Ninja)
1 T Tahini
2 T Vegan Mayo
2 T Dijon Mutard
3 T Onion "Greens" (Onion Sprouts/Shoots)
1 T Lemon Juice
1/2 tea Garlic Powder
1/2 tea Kala Namak (Sea Salt)
1/4 tea Turmeric

I was able to eat that over a few days.  I had it on a simple sandwich, with tossed salad, and on a 'hot dog bun' with tempeh.  Next up...Portabello Mushrooms on the Grill.  Hubby made these for me.  When I do them I usually use Balsamic for the marinade but he used vegan Worcestershire sauce for these.  He topped them with some Daiya Cheese.  Hubby will use the vegan version of the Worcestershire Sauce on his stuff, too, and he's far from veg.

Speaking of Daiya Cheese...I was sort of craving some nachos with con caso so I made this vegan version using a mixture of both Cheddar and Mozzarella Daiya...here's the recipe...

1/4 C Moz. Daiya
2 Slices of Cheddar Daiya
1/4 C Coconut Milk
2 T Earth Balance
1/2 C Salsa

I did this over the weekend, too!  I was thinking picnic type foods and haven't really had much pasta lately so I did this!  Vegan Macaroni Salad!  Recipe for this as follows...
2 C Cooked Pasta
1/2 C Vegan Mayo
1 tea Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T Dijon Mustard
1 Small Onion
1 tea Organic sugar (Wholesome Sweeteners)
1/4-1/2 tea Wildtree California Garlic Pepper
2 Pickle Spears, Diced

Normally I would add celery - but I was plumb-out!  So sorry for the short post today - I do have lots more to share and I hope to be back tomorrow!  What have you been up to!?

Power Potatoes, Avocado "Egg" Salad, A Word About Kala Namak, and Arugula Sprouting Update

I shall call them "Power Potatoes"...it all started with my craving for Mashed Potatoes.  I'm semi-embarrassed to say that back in the day I would have TONS of 'regular' mashed potatoes.  Ever since going dairy-free I haven't had many at all.  Last night...that finally changed!  But these aren't just 'any' mashed potatoes...these are POWER POTATOES...I swear they even have special powers!  Okay...that's a little inflated but the are jam-packed with protein, potassium, calcium, B Vitamins, Fiber, and more!  

Here's what's in it:

1 Pound Yellow Potatoes (mostly peeled)
2 Cloves Garlic
1/4 C Tahini
1/2 C Almond Milk
Splash of Lemon Juice
2 tea Hemp Hearts/Seeds
Small handful dried Parsley
Small handful of Nutritional Yeast

Then...what do we have here?  It's Vegan Avocado "Egg" Salad!  I believe I was inspired by a recipe I originally saw on my Whole Foods Recipes App but you know me...I have a hard time following instructions.  I'm kind of rebellious that way, I guess!  So here's what I did for this:

2 Avocados

1/4 C Almond Milk

2 Pickle Spears

3 Stalks Celery

1/4 of a Red Onion

4 teaspoons of dried Parsley

2 teaspoons of Garlic Powder

1 teaspoon Turmeric

1 T Agave Nectar

1 T Balsamic

My special ingredient?  Kala Namak...to taste!  I totally forgot I had this and came across an unopened container of it I bought at a spice store that was quite Veggie Friendly.  This Kala Namak - if you don't already know - is a Sea Salt.  It's Pinkish and Purplish in color.  I've read this is a 'Vegan's Best Friend' when it comes to replacing egg in flavor and aroma.  That's because of it's natural sulfur.  Some say it originates from near Volcanic Activity.  In the future I will be making a Tofu Scramble with this as well.  Other benefits of this 'salt' is that it's considered a 'cooling spice' in the natural medicine world and is also used as a laxative and digestive aid.  Some have also said it helps with Heart Burn and to help cure goiters.

In other news...I told you I would keep you posted on my progress with sprouting Arugula.  Yesterday was Day Three!  Here is a photo of that.  I'm pretty happy with the outcome so far.  I will continue to monitor the growth.  In addition to growing these Arugula Sprouts I still have a windowsill plant of Sweet Basil and a Crazy lil Chive Plant.  I was going to do a garden this year but decided against it because we have had SO MUCH rain - it's been NUTS!  Perhaps next year!  I'm not upset about it, really, because I am supporting our local Farmers Market Vendors in the meantime.