Where have I been?

In pregnant-lady, non-vegan-land, that's where!

It is late December, and I have definitely NOT been eating vegan the past 7 months. Or even vegetarian. Or, hell, even very mindfully at all. Some women are really great about sticking to their diet-of-choice whilst preggo. Not me. Fried chicken? Check. Mashed potatoes with gravy and butter? Check. Glazed chocolate donuts? Double check.

I'll admit I'm slightly ashamed. But I am vowing to do better in a few weeks once the little kiddo arrives. Heck, I might even pull it together for the last 5 weeks of this pregnancy. Until then, please don't judge me.

Philadelphia Freedom

I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last post. Since then, I've been less "year-of-living-veganly" and more "year-of-living-mainly-meatless." I am not too proud of that fact. You see, being a vegan can be kind of hard work. It takes time to plan and prepare vegan meals. Most restaurants don't have too many vegan options, if any. So, for someone like me - someone who has eaten meat her entire life - falling off the wagon is easy. It's the hanging on that's hard work. But last week, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Among other awesome things, it means that my body is insulin-resistant, making it harder for me to lose weight. As part of my treatment/management, it is suggested that I follow a whole-foods diet. Well, my brand of veganism certainly seems to apply! So, here I am - back on the wagon! I spent most of this week in Philadelphia for a conference. I was bound and determined to be good on my diet and in working out. I am happy to report that I was both of those things! In the four days I was there, I ate entirely vegan AND stayed within my WW points. I also exercised every day I was there, walking a total of 19 miles and earning 28 Activity Points! I also discovered that the City of Brotherly Love is surprisingly vegan-friendly. Check out this amazing-looking Philly Cheesesteak I devoured from Basic 4 Vegetarian Snack Bar in the Reading Terminal Market: Also on my plate this week:

• Rockin' fungi-and-truffle-oil pizza from Blackbird Pizzeria


• African roasted sweet potato pattie from Mi-Lah Vegetarian (completely cravable!)


• Grilled seitan in tamarind sauce from Mi-Lah (less cravable, but still pretty good)


• Miso soup and vegetable sushi from Raw Sushi Lounge (pretty standard fare, but a good little place with reasonable prices)

I'm definitely going to try to re-create the cheesesteak, pizza, and sweet potato pattie. Also, putting Appetite for Reduction by Isa Chandra Moskowitz on my "must-have" cookbooks list to buy before Congress shuts me out of my job next week.

Deconstructed Brown Rice and Avocado Sushi

Today, I really wanted Whole Foods' brown rice and avocado sushi for lunch, but I didn't really want to spend $6 on it. I had some left-over, cold brown rice, an avocado, and a cucumber. Figured I'd make my own, deconstructed sushi. It looks kind of funky, but it tastes just like the sushi I was craving.


Serves 2
9 WW points/serving

1 c. cold brown rice
1 medium avocado, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into matchsticks
1/4 c. soy sauce
1/4 tsp wasabi paste (or more or less, to taste)

Combine soy sauce and wasabi paste in a small bowl. Toss rice, avocado, and cucumber in a large bowl. Top with soy sauce. Divide into two servings. Enjoy!

Efforts must be redoubled.

Day 40. It's been a while since I've blogged, but things have been going relatively well. About a week ago, I was on a pizza kick. For some reason, I decided that real cheese was acceptable. Urgh. It is not. I think I was just feeling lazy and overwhelmed both with work and cooking. I find that if I don't take the time to get ready for the week over the weekend, I tend to get off-course diet-wise pretty quickly. No excuse, I know. But it's all about progress, right?

On a positive note, I managed to stay vegan at a work happy hour, going away party for one of my best friends where the adult beverages were flowing a little too freely. The bar had some pretty yummy hummus, which I gorged myself on.

I'm planning our Valentine's Day menu. Chris and I are going to do small plates instead of a big meal. I'm thinking of making:

• Vegetable potstickers
• Basil and balsamic vinegar bruschetta
• Stuffed mushrooms
• Phoney-pepperoni rolls
• Chocolate Bundt cake

I've also got to do some menu planning for this week so I don't have a repeat of last week's laziness.

January - check!

Day 30. Made it to February with a renewed sense of commitment to veganism. I am really excited about doing this for another month, at minimum.

Last night, I was flipping through channels post-workout and came across Rachael Ray's "30-Minute Meals." I don't know what she was cooking; I don't really care. All I know is that I heard her say something about someone making candles out of bacon fat, and that she said the smell was "intoxicating." That is really disgusting. If I went on national television and said that I wanted a candle made out of bunny or kitty fat, they would throw my ass in jail or skewer me publicly. She should be ashamed.

It makes me really disappointed with mainstream America that it is not only acceptable to inhumanely slaughter non-human animals, but also that it is expected. We are raised to believe that, if you don't eat animal products, you are somehow weak, crazy, and strange. We are not raising our children to be compassionate; we are raising them to be carnivores. No one thinks about where their food comes from, or even what it is. The more I read and learn, the more the thought of meat makes my stomach turn.

Mexican Casserole

I made this the other night. It is my take on the delicious-looking version that Renae posted on I Eat Food (you can see her version here), made with what I had in my pantry. It was *awesome*, thanks to Renae's yummy nacho sauce. Chris devoured it (hence why there are no pictures of it), and requested that it be included in "the rotation," which is our standard dossier of go-to recipes that are sure to please. Thanks again, Renae!

Makes 8 servings
6 WW pts/serving

Nacho Sauce:
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. nutritional yeast
1 tsp salt
2 garlic cloves, grated
2 c. water
1 Tbsp Earth Balance buttery spread
1 tsp prepared mustard (I used French's yellow)
2 c. your favorite salsa

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour, yeast, salt, garlic, and water until smooth. Cook over medium-low heat until it thickened and coating the back of a spoon. Stir in buttery spread, mustard, and salsa. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until heated through.

For the "Beef" Filling:
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
1/2 medium red bell pepper, seeded, ribs removed, and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14-oz) pkg vegan ground beef (such as Gimme Lean)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chili powder

---------------

4 c. spinach, cooked (I just sauteed mine in cooking spray over medium heat until it wilted)
8 corn tortillas
1 c. fat free, vegetarian refried beans
1 c. frozen sweet corn

To Assemble:
(1) Coat a 3-quart baking dish with cooking spray.
(2) Place 2 tortillas on the bottom of the dish. Top with about 1/3 of the "beef" filling, then 1/4 of the nacho sauce, then 1/3 c. of corn.
(3) Spread 1/4 c. of refried beans on each of 2 tortillas, then put them in the dish. Top with 1/4 of "beef" filling, 1/4 of nacho sauce, and 1/3 of corn.
(4) Repeat Step 3 again.
(5) Top with spinach, last 2 tortillas, then last 1/4 of nacho sauce.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes, or until bubbly.

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

Makes 8 servings

7 WW pts/ serving

1/2 lb lasagna noodles (about 12 noodles), cooked according to package directions and drained on paper towels until ready to use.

For the Vegetable Filling:

1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1 large summer squash, sliced into 1/4" rounds

1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces

1 medium yellow onion, sliced into quarters

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp dried rosemary

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp black pepper

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large baking dish, tossing to combine. Coat with cooking spray and stir again. Bake veggies for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring at least once, or until very tender. Set aside.

Note: This can be done ahead of time.

For the Tofu Cream Filling:

1 (12.3-oz) pkg firm tofu

2 Tbsp fresh parsley

1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 bulb roasted garlic (see recipe below), cloves removed from paper skins

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp fennel seed

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/8 tsp black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Set aside.

For Roasted Garlic:

1 bulb garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1/8 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top off garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic on a piece of aluminum foil, then place in a small ramekin (to avoid dripping). Pour olive oil over garlic, then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until garlic very soft and fragrant.

(I do this when I roast the veggies. Takes the same amount of time).

For the Sauce:

1 (1 lb. 10-oz) jar spaghetti sauce (I like Ragu's No Sugar Added Light Tomato Basil)

1 (14-oz) can no-salt added diced tomatoes

1 tsp fennel seed

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried basil

To Assemble:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place a small amount of sauce on the bottom of the pan, using the back of a spoon to get an even layer. Top with 3 noodles, then top with about 1/3 of the tofu cream, 1/2 the veggies, and 1/3 of the sauce. Repeat once. Top with remaining noodles, remaining tofu cream, and remaining sauce.

Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until bubbly and heated through.

Note: Can be made ahead and frozen. Just cover with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Just to be safe, I like to write on the foil what the hell is in the dish and what date I made it on. This avoids mystery. If you like mysteries, by all means, throw caution to the wind.