Day 85: Tofu Scramble

     This morning I had almost absolutely nothing in the fridge or cabinets that I could use for breakfast. There was no cereal, milk, flour, oatmeal, fruit, or nuts but I did have a big block of tofu and two pieces of bread. So I decided to try tofu scramble for the first time, with only a few veggies I found at the back of my refrigerator.

     I really wasn't expected much from this dish, but since I have seen it in numerous recipe books I assumed it had to be at least remotely appealing. I was pleasantly suprised how simply wonderful it tasted. On one of the days where I was expecting to have my worst breakfast of the week (since there was literally nothing to eat in my apartment) I had one of the best. I felt wonderful after eating this simple dish, and had a ton of energy to start my day. If you haven't tried a tofu scramble dish, you should for it is absolutely delightful.

Tofu Scramble
1 (14 ounce) package of firm tofu
1 teaspoon of turmeric
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
pepper and salt to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons of nutritional yeast
Olive Oil
2 cloves of minced garlic
Green onions
One red bell pepper

Different optional veggies and other ingredients you can mix and match:
Tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, potatoes, spinach, various bell peppers, and vegan sausage substitute

    Step 1: Pour a little bit of olive oil into a large frying pan and saute the various veggies or other nontofu ingredients until soft (except for green onions, put them in a few minutes before the dish is ready to serve)

    Step 3: Break up the tofu with a fork and add it to your cooked veggies. Pour in the spice mixture, and thoroughly mix while cooking the tofu.

Serves 2 to 3

Day 84: Mushroom Pasta

      The other night I decided to try and veganize a great mushroom pasta recipe I found in an old addition of Yoga Journal. I tore out the recipe from the magazine to save for later and unfortunately ended up losing it. I was still determined to have a mushroom pasta dish so I made it up as I went along.

      I used very few ingredients, and it came out great. Along with my mushroom pasta for dinner I also had a simple side of a thinly sliced cucumber salad.

Mushroom Pasta
Whole wheat pasta
Olive Oil
Thinly sliced mushrooms
2 cloves of minced garlic
Pinch of salt
Vegan parmesan cheese (optional)

     Step 1: Bring water to boil in a large pot with a little bit of salt. Cook the pasta for about 10 to 15 minutes or until al dente.

    Step 2: With a generous amount of olive oil saute the garlic and mushrooms with a pinch of salt in a small sauce pan.

    Step 3: Drain the pasta and place back in the pot, mixing in the sauce you just made.Serve immediately, adding a tiny bit of shredded parmesan cheese on top.

    Note: I think next time instead of sauteing the garlic and mushrooms with olive oil I will do it with vegan margarine, and then add a tiny bit of olive oil later to get a better consistency and flavor.

Day 83: Seasonal Eating

     We are constantly hearing that we should be eating local organic food, but often people leave out that food that is in season, which isn't shipped half way across the world, just simply tastes better. If you haven't already noticed the growing trend of going to farmers markets it is time to get on the bandwagon and start shopping at local farmers markets, or just being aware of in what season you should be buying your produce. Here are some examples of produce you see every day sorted by season.

Spring: This season focuses on tender leafy greens vegetables.
* Artichokes            * Lettuce
* Asparagus             * Basil
* Cherries                * Parsley
* Spinach

Summer: The season is abundant with fresh ripe fruit, and cooling foods
* Various berries        * Tomatoes        
* Eggplant                  * Peaches        
* Avocado                 * Apricots
* Figs                         * Plums
* Corn                       * Strawberries
* Green beans            * Peppers

Fall: Autumn harvest foods
* Garlic                          * Pumpkin          
* Kale                            * Carrots          
* Apples                        * Ginger
* Brussels Sprouts          * Broccoli
* Pears                           * Cauliflower


Winter: A lot of roots, nuts are plentiful during this season.
* Potato              * Nuts
* Oranges           * Garlic
* Pomegranate    * Onions

    While researching this topic I also stumbled across the Healthy Times Blog which listed a few great tools to keep track of the food that is in season before you head off the the grocery store. There is a great iphone app called seasons which gives you seasonal information about fruits, vegetables and more; which is very helpful for those weird fruits you have no idea were they came from. (available for purchase at $1.99)

      There is an abundance of great resources out their on this topic such as the UK based campaign through the site Eat Seasonably (if you click on this link it will take you to their awesome, easy to read, monthly calendar so you may see what currently is in season). So with all these available resources there is no reason not to try and eat by season. If your only excuse is that there are no farmers markets around you and you have no access to locally grow seasonal food, think again. The site Smarter Living provides an interactive map of all the farmers markets in your specific area.

Day 82: Pasta Pizza

     This morning I woke up early to have breakfast with my parents before they headed back to northern California. I decided to make them one of my favorite vegan dishes, as of yet, blueberry pancakes. I have probably used that recipe 5 or 6 times already since I made them initially on day 30. So if you haven't tried this recipe out already it is definitely worth checking out.

     This evening, to top off the end of my weekend, my boyfriend and I took the ingredients left over from the vegan pizza we made my parents the other night and decided to make our own creation, pasta pizza with a side of steamed broccoli. It was super easy and a great way to get rid of left over ingredients.

Pasta Pizza
whole wheat pasta
sliced mushrooms
sliced black olives
Minced garlic
Olive Oil
Tomato Puree
Diced Tomatoes
Salt
Oregano
Parsley
Follow Your Heart soy based mozzarella (optional)

    Step 1: Bring water to boil in a large pot and cook pasta for about ten to 15 minutes until al dente.

    Step 2: In a medium frying pan heat up the olive oil and saute the garlic for a few minutes before adding the mushrooms and olives. Once the mushrooms have softened, on low heat add both the tomato puree and diced tomatoes. Stir in the oregano, a little bit of salt, and parsley.

    Step 3: Drain the pasta and place back in the pot mixing in the sauce you just made. Serve immediately adding a tiny bit of shredded follow your heart mozzarella soy based cheese.

Day 81: The Fig Tree Cafe and Grill

     Today I took my parents to Venice beach to see the canals and walk the boardwalk. Before we left I looked up a couple places near by to go for lunch on www.happycow.net. I didn't want to get stuck near lunch time with out a plan of where we were going to eat, since my dad always needs to eat right away or he gets a little cranky. We ended up eating at the Fig Tree Cafe and Grill right on the boardwalk.

     The Fig Tree Cafe and Grill has been around since 1978 and was voted the best restaurant on Venice beach boardwalk.The great thing about this restaurant is they not only have cool indoor seating for those who want to get out of the sun, but also have an abundance of outdoor seating where you can clearly see the boardwalk. My mother absolutely loved this for she enjoys to people watch, and those of you that have been to Venice beach know that this is one of the best places to people watch with all the street performers and various characters.

     While this restaurant isn't vegan or vegetarian for the most part, the staff is very open and willing to meet your accommodations by informing you of the ingredients of their various dishes as well as offering to specialize their dishes to meet your dietary needs. Both my parents and my boyfriend all chose the LA Burrito with black bean chili, grilled veggies, brown rice, cotija cheese, guacamole, red chili sauce, sour creme, and side of salsa served with organic greens. My boyfriend opted to have the burrito without cheese or sour creme, so I got a chance to try it and I must say it was scrumptious.

    I decided to be a little bit different then the rest of the gang and ordered the Middle East Salad with Pita, that consisted of hummus, tabbouleh, kalamata olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, and feta. I specifically asked for no feta and made sure the cucumbers weren't in the traditional middle eastern yogurt sauce. All and all I really enjoyed eating there, but if I had to go back I would probably have to get that LA Burrito. Yoiu know what they always say, great minds think alike.

Day 80: Dinner with the Parents

     Tonight was an exciting night for my parents came to visit me for the weekend, and this evening they met my boyfriend's parents for the first time. My boyfriend decided that it would be easier to have dinner at his parents place rather than eating out, because of my new dietary restrictions, and put together a wonderful vegan friendly meal.

    He attempted to make homemade falafel pita sandwiches with pita bread, tabule, and falafel balls all from scratch! Pretty challenging endeavor, but I must say I was impressed. To top off the meal I contributed the Greek salad I made on day 10, and cherry chip soy ice cream from Trader Joe's for dessert. All and all the night was a success. Both our parents loved the food until we pointed out at dessert that the ice cream had no dairy products in it, and that it was in fact soy based. Note to self, never tell a meat eater that they are actually eating an entirely vegan meal or they will no longer feel comfortable eating it.

Day 79: McDonalds

     These past couples years McDonalds has gotten a bad rap from contributing to obesity in children and adults alike. Today I was browsing fast food sites to see if any of them unintentionally carried vegan friendly food, and was surprised to find that McDonalds not only offered an easily accessible list of the ingredients and nutritional information for all their food on their site, but they also had a couple vegan friendly dishes as well.

Vegan Friendly Foods at McDonalds


Sides: 
     * Side Salad - mixed greens tossed with grape tomatoes and shaved carrots
                 Salad add-ins: Chili Lime Tortilla strips, Diced Apples, Grape Tomatoes, Leaf Lettuce, Lime
                                         Wedge, Salas Mix
                 Dressings: Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette, Cilantro Lime Glaze
      * Low fat granola (has honey)

Breakfast:
      * Potato Vegetable Blend
      * Bagel
      * Oatmeal (request without cream)
      * Oatmeal with brown sugar (request without cream)

Condiments: Sweet 'N Sour Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, Chipolte Barbecue Sauce (has honey), Honey, Ketchup, Mustard, Grape Jam, Liquid Margarine, McRib Sauce, and Strawberry Preservatives.

Dessert:
     * Baked Apple Pie - spiced with cinnamon, and baked with flaky pastry
     * McDonalds Cookies - Children's cookies with the faced of various McDonald characters on them


Drinks:
         Sodas: Coca-Cola, Sprite, and Diet Coke
         Juice: Orange Juice, and Minute Maid Apple Juice Box
         Coffee: Premium Roast Coffee, and Espresso
         Other: Ice Tea, Sweet Tea, Powerade Mountain Blast, Hi-C Orange Lavaburst, and Dasini Water


    McDonalds employees are trained to accommodate customer requests to custom-ordered items without meat. So you can always ask for a salad without meat or cheese, and ask for it to be topped with Newman's Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette. For made to order here is a list of other vegan items on the menu that you can mix and match to your pleasing.

Made to Order:


       * Big Mac Bun
       * Crinkle Cut Pickle Slices
       * English Muffin
       * Four Tortilla
       * Honey Wheat Roll (has honey)
       * Lettuce
       * McRib Bun
       * Onions
       * Premium Bun
       * Red Onions
       * Regular Bun
       * Salsa Roja
       * Sauteed Mushrooms
       * Sesame Seed Bun
       * Shredded Lettuce
       * Slivered Onions
       * Southwest Vegetable Blend
       * Tomato Slices

     It would be interesting to see what would happen if I went in to McDonalds and demanded a hamburger without the meat or cheese, and just asked them to add a bunch of other things in it like sauteed mushrooms, sliced onion, lettuce, and tomato.One of these days I will have to find out.

    While McDonalds does not have veggie burgers on its national menu, I was informed after emailing them that a few locations are trying this option out on their menu.