I love this guy!

I just read this great article from the LA Times. I couldn't agree more on the point that vegan food can and should be delicious! Half the fun in cooking, for me, is figuring out the right vegan substitute to make a good and delicious approximation to a traditional omnivore dish. And anytime I am in the area, I will definitely try to visit a Wynn hotel restaurant and check out the vegan menu options!

Follow-up to Chia Pudding

Check out this blog, for a lovely picture of one way to serve the chia pudding, as well as a more formal recipe. Looks delicious! http://thehealthseekerskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/raw-chia-seed-pudding-parfait.html

Back to running - food as fuel

I have decided to reinvent myself as a distance runner. "Runner" might be a bit of a stretch, since my pace wavers between walking and jogging, but joggers don't do races, right? Regardless, thanks to Team Philly, I made it to and through the 10 mile Broad Street Run on May 1st this year. My goal was just to finish, which is good because my time was nothing to write home about. But I felt really good during the race, like I could keep it up all day. And it's a really great course, so it was tons of fun. I was beat at the end because I decided to push the speed a little in the last mile (which might mean I approached a 10 min/mile pace at times), and that finished me off pretty well. But I felt really good that I had "juice" left to do that. Prior to the race the longest we ran was 8.4 miles, so my distance PR is now 10.

But I think I've caught "the bug". I really like longer distance runs. It almost seems like a run just isn't worth it if it isn't at least 5 miles now. Not that shorter ones can't still be tough, and I definitely have bad days (lots of them), and it's work. Somewhere along the way, though, it became very true that "it's all relative". So, I decided this is the year. I'm registered for the Philadelphia Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon (in September), and as soon as I finish scraping together the dough I'm registering for the Philadelphia Marathon - the full one - in November. Am I crazy, you might ask? Why would I want to run a marathon? Great question. I am sure I should do some soul-searching and come up with some excellent, motivational answers to keep me going through the tough times. But at the moment, it just seems like the time is right and it is something awesome to do. To prove to myself I can do it? It might take me 5:30 to finish, but hey, I'd consider it an accomplishment to cross the finish line. After all, not everyone can say they've run 26.2 miles at one time. And I'm confident I can run 13.1 now (or at least, by the time I finish training, since I've slacked off since Broad Street), but I'm only pretty sure I can do the full 26.2. Plus, I really need a big goal to keep me on track. Lacking that, I've realized I don't really exercise. The pull of the couch/tv/book/crafty things/home things/whatever just gets too strong and I don't make time for it. It's too easy to fake it for a 5K, so it needs to be a substantial distance for me to keep on track. I think 26.2 miles ought to do it....

What, one might ask, does any of this have to do with food? I thought I was reading a food blog? Well, everything! Because to do (what some might consider) crazy things like run 13+ miles, one must fuel one's body! So I have been thinking a lot about foods to fuel running. Not that I didn't already think a lot about the quality of food I ate (though I still love my desserts, mind you), but this is a bit of a new spin. I picked up a copy of Brendan Brazier's Thrive Fitness, which has some recipes to try. In case you're not aware, Brazier is an awesome athlete, who happens to be vegan. He has put tons of thought and effort into excellent plant-based fuel for athletic endeavors, so his books are a great resource. Incidentally, he also has his own line of products, but the many of the recipes in the book are "from scratch" and don't require anything from his line - just good, whole foods. I have also been reading the No Meat Athlete blog which has some more great recipes and tips.

In this vein, I will finally share a (rough) recipe. It's not original, many people have version posted online, feel free to search and get more variations. But it is easy, super healthy, requires no cooking, and is delicious!

Chia pudding

1/4 cup chia seeds (Salvia seeds, also Salba)
2 cups non-dairy milk (whatever is your favorite!)

That's all you really need. You stir the seeds and the milk together, and let it sit for at least a 1/2 hour in the fridge. It will magically thicken, turning into a puddingy/gel texture, and the seeds get soft. It is sort of reminiscent of tapioca. Now, to make it more exciting, you can add any chopped dried fruits or nuts you desire, or fresh fruit, cocoa (I've been sprinkling on some Ghiradelli drinking chocolate mix which is basically cocoa with a little sugar), whatever you desire. I've blended up some pitted dates with a little of the milk and stirred that in to make it sweeter. Dates are an excellent way to sweeten things healthfully and offer great instant energy for exercising! Chia seeds are wonderful - an excellent source of omega-3's, easily digested but high in fiber, and a good protein source. So basically, perfect running fuel. I've had this "pudding" for both breakfast and dessert, often with a sliced banana.

Give it a try, and I hope to be reporting on lots more delicious vegan recipes that fuel my running - or an everyday active life!

It's been awhile, but check out another blog's giveaway!

I know I have not posted in quite some time (again). Lots of stuff has been going on, but as it relates to this blog, the most important is switching to a vegan diet back in January! Share my adventures in learning how to make delicious vegan eats. Stay posted!
Meanwhile, check out this awesome giveaway over at Vegan Heartland. Lots of yummy treats!

Thanks goodness for spring!

I'm afraid I tend to get the winter doldrums, and this was a particularly bad winter. Winter is really not a season of inspired cooking for me. As much as enjoy the hearty foods, I get a little tired of kale and beets. So, welcome spring! I am looking forward to some fresh produce and more diversity! Nothing that I have cooked recently comes to mind as anything exciting to post, but I did try a delicious dish that I want to share. Standard Tap (in the Northern Liberties area) has a delicious fiddlehead ferns and fava beans dish right now. Fiddlehead ferns are a short-lived spring item, so get them while you can! I had been wanting to try them for some time, and this was the year! Unique and wonderful. Try them out before they're gone! And I promise I will post some more recipes soon. :0)

Healthy Veg Comfort food!

On this very, very snowy day, I thought some comfort food was called for! And so:

Herbed "Chicken" and Dumplings

Fluffy herb-flecked dumplings, tender vegetables, and Butler Soy curls subbed for chicken combine in this soul-satisfying classic. If you cannot find Soy Curls, try any other chicken substitute, like Morningstar Farms Mealstarters Chik'n Strips (in the freezer section).  I've also used the "chicken" strips that are by the tofu in the local Asian market.  I like to have leftovers for lunches, so I doubled this recipe. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Serves: 2

1/2 cup Soy Curls
3/4 cup Celery, diced (~1/4")
1/2 cup Carrots, sliced (1/4")
1/2 cup Chopped Onion
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
3 parsley sprigs
1 bay leaf
3 cups vegetable broth, or broth from chicken-flavored bouillon

2.25 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup 1% low-fat milk or milk alternative

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add celery and next 5 ingredients (through bay leaf) to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Follow directions to rehydrate Soy Curls using vegetable or chicken-flavored bouillon mix. Add to pan with broth; bring mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes.

2. Weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, chopped parsley, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add milk, stirring just until moist. Spoon by heaping teaspoonfuls into broth mixture; cover and simmer 10 minutes or until dumplings are done. (The best way to do this is to dip your spoon into the broth, scoop up some dumpling dough, and drop it into the broth; repeat. Make sure to leave some space between the dumplings and keep your broth at a nice simmer, not boiling, but don't let it get too low.) Discard parsley sprigs and bay leaf.

You can get the nutritional information here, if you're interested: http://www.livestrong.com/recipes/herbed-chicken-dumplings/

Happy New Year!

I've been slacking on posting, but that doesn't mean I have not been cooking. So to make up for my lack of posts, and in honor of the New Year, I'm going to give you two recipes! 
One I cannot take any credit for, but a friend requested the recipe, so I will pass it on with my minor tweak. The other is a child of neccessity; we undertook an elimination diet which cuts out 80% of the food we would normally eat. Okay, 80% is probably a bit of an overstatement. Regardless, no eggs/dairy, no wheat, barley, or other gluten-containing grains, no sugar and a few other restrictions. So when it came time to make something to share for a NYE party (i.e. that would still be palatable to other folks and that we could eat) I had to be a little creative. After some online recipe searching for inspiration, I cobbled together a Poached Pear Pie.

Grandmother's Buttermilk Cornbread

From allrecipes.com, submitted by Bethany Weathersby

1/4 lb butter

2/3 cup white sugar

2 eggs*

1 c. buttermilk*

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 c. cornmeal

1 c. all-purpose flour (or white whole wheat)

1/2 tsp salt

My addition: 1 c. frozen corn, defrosted OR 1 can creamed corn *(see note)

Preheat oven to 375 degress F. Grease an 8" square pan.

Melt butter and allow to cool slightly. Whisk together sugar, baking soda, cornmeal, flour and salt (all dry ingredients). Add liquids, including melted butter.* Stir until everything is incorporated. Fold in corn, if using; do not overmix.

Pour into prepared pan, and bake 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* A few notes: if you use creamed corn, I recommend decreasing the buttermilk to 1/2-3/4 cup. Otherwise you will end up with something more like pudding in the center. Also, if you do not have commercial buttermilk, you can substitute as follows.


To each cup of warm milk - add either
1-1/2 Tablespoons of fresh-squeezed lemon juice
OR
1-1/3 tablespoons of cider vinegar
OR
2/3 cup plain yogurt plus 1/3 cup milk
OR
1-3/4 tablespoons cream of tartar


Stir Well - Allow this mixture to set while putting the rest of the ingredients for the recipe together. Allowing the milk to set will give it time to thicken. The soured milk should have the consistency of buttermilk or yogurt.


Lastly, if you happen to find yourself without eggs, or simply wish not to use them for whatever reason, you can substitute 1 T. ground flax seed + 3 T. water for each egg. Mix them together and let it sit for a minute before use, you'll find it thickens to something similar in consistency to an egg. And flax seeds have lots of great nutritional benefits!


Poached Pear Pie


Nut  Crust:


2.5 cups ground pecans (or mix of pecans, hazelnuts, walnuts or whatever you like)
5 dates, pitted
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted (I find mine tends to be solid at room temperature)


Mix nuts, cinnamon and dates together in a food processor until the dates are completely chopped up and mixed with the nuts. Drizzle in the coconut oil and pulse until mixed in. Pat evenly into a 9" pie pan. 
Chill in the fridge for 30-45 minutes, or freezer for 15-20 minutes.


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake chilled crust for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Watch carefully, nuts will burn quickly and do not have to be black to taste burnt


Cool completely before filling.


Poached Pear filling:


2 c. red wine
2 cinnamon sticks
4 ripe pears, peeled and sliced
1 T. coconut oil

1/4 c. agave nectar
1-2 T. arrowroot starch (or cornstarch, or potato starch)



Simmer red wine and cinnamon sticks until reduced to ~ 1/2 cup.


Meanwhile, heat coconut oil in a saute pan. Add agave nectar and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Let it simmer and approach a golden brown. Add the red wine and pears in a single layer. Cook the pears, covered, for 10-15 minutes, or until they reach the desired tenderness. Stir occasionally and turn them about halfway through. Mix the arrowroot starch with a small amount of water (just enough to dissolve), and stir into the red wine/pears. It will thicken quickly, make sure it is mixed well to avoid lumps. As soon as it is thickened and no longer tastes raw spoon the pear mixture into the cooled nut crust.
Cover and chill until ready to serve.


I'm sure this would be delicious with some whipped cream on top, if you eat dairy.