Sunday Night Supper

Last night, Tyson’s sister Tanya and her husband Steve came over for dinner. Well, they brought the dinner with them! Tanya is the best cook I know, and is always trying new exciting recipes. She is also always very thoughtful when it comes to me and my vegan lifestyle. Whether it’s making me big batches of vegetarian entrees to freeze, or making sure there’s no milk in the dessert, she always finds a way for me to be included. Thank you Tanya :)

Last night, she made some very delicious sweet potato burritos. The filling was kidney beans, onions, garlic and spices all mixed into mashed sweet potatoes. After putting some of this mixture into soft tortillas, they were rolled up and put on a baking pan. Cheese was then sprinkled on top (vegan cheese for me), and they were baked until the cheese melted. You can top them with salsa and sour cream once they are out of the oven.
Here is the recipe for the burritos:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Addictive-Sweet-Potato-Burritos/Detail.aspx

She also made a delicious Mexican salad with beans, peppers, red onions, tomatoes and avocado. All this with a side of Spanish rice. This meal was so tasty...and filling! But, of course I had to have some room for dessert :)

Tanya also made an apple maple crumble pie just for me. Well, I might have shared a little bit! It was ooey gooey goodness! Supper was a great success, and for a bonus Tyson and I got all the left overs! So, I froze some burritos for a later date…as for the apple crumble pie, that miggght be all gone…haha.

Thank you Tanya and Steve!

Cruise

Tyson and I just got back from a week long Eastern Caribbean cruise! We had such a great time relaxing, snorkeling, rock-climbing, skating and even surfing on the boat. But, one of the main parts of a cruise is obviously the FOOD! I knew Tyson would be able to eat to his heart’s content…but I was a little worried that I might have to eat lettuce all week. Boy, was I wrong. The dining staff and the main chef catered to all my needs. They made sure I had everything I needed each night at dinner. They would give me the menu for the next day and all I had to do was pick what I wanted and they would alter it for me. Or, I could just ask them for something and they were happy to make it for me.
In the mornings, I usually got some soy milk for my cereal and filled up on fruit and had the occasional hash brown. Lunch was more of a quick thing for us, and we’d usually just hit up the buffet. So, my options were a bit more limited at the buffet, because you never know what has milk in it.

I have some pictures below: Crispy tofu stir fry with rice noodles, vegetable pasta, almond raspberry tart and a walnut sugary tart.
I forgot to take pictures of some things because I was so excited to eat! Some of my other meals included a very yummy curry with cashews, chickpeas, and veggies on top of steamed rice; spiced cauliflower cakes with asparagus; eggplant tomato bake with steamed vegetables and onions; and tofu bake with Chinese noodles and vegetables.

Some appetizers included spinach salad with vinaigrette; chilled cinnamon apple soup; minestrone soup; and banana tropical soup with lychee.

Overall, I was very satisfied with the food and the sincerity and friendliness of the staff. It made my trip so much more enjoyable not to have to worry about my meals. Royal Caribbean made sure our trip was extra special and memorable.

Potato and Leek Soup

Autumn will soon be here, and the time for cozy soups and chili will be upon us. I’m not a big soup fan, but I am enjoying soups more and more. I love chunky vegetable soups and soups with beans. This was the first creamy soup I have tried (I'm going to say soup one more time...SOUP). The taste was great! But, I’m still adjusting to the texture. I know it’s full of vegetables and yummy ingredients….but it had the consistency of gravy. So, it took some getting used to. I had this with some crackers and hummus, but it would also go great with a sandwich.
Potato and Leek Soup
2 tbl canola oil
1 pound leeks (about 2 large), trimmed, cleaned and coarsely chopped
1 cup sliced cultivated mushrooms
¹ (14 ounce) cans (3 ½ cups) low-sodium vegetable broth
½ cup water
1 pound russet potatoes (about 2 large), peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ tsp salt, or to taste
Black pepper to taste

In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the leeks and mushrooms and cook, stirring, until leeks are softened and mushrooms begin to release their liquids, about 5 minutes.
Add the broth, water, potatoes, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer briskly, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Working in batches, if necessary, transfer to a food processor fitted with the knife blade or to a blender. Process until smooth and pureed. Return to the pot and reheat over low heat as necessary.

13 grams of protein per serving/ 206 calories

Recipe from Supermarket Vegan by Donna Klein

Curried Vegetable Pie With Chickpea Crust

I just love pie...especially when you can eat it for dinner! I’ve only tried curry maybe twice, so I’m not that used to it. But, I like it more and more each time. This is a hearty meal with a protein packed crust (Plus this pie has one of my favorite ingredients…peanut butter!). It’s a lot of chopping and preparing for the filling, but I found I could make the crust while the veggies were cooking at the last stages. This pie also freezes well. I have a few slices in my deep freezer and take one to work for lunch when I need something healthy. Curried Vegetable Pie with Chickpea Crust

Crust:
½ cup cooked or canned chickpeas
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp salt
½ tsp cumin
1/3 cup vegetable shortening or margarine
3 tbsp water

Filling:
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large bell pepper, chopped (your choice)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
½ cup cooked or canned chickpeas
2 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 tsp curry powder
2 small tomatoes, chopped
½ cup vegetable stock
1 ½ tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
2 tbsp peanut butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cumin. Add the chickpeas, shortening, and water. Mix together until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes. Cut dough into two pieces. Roll out both pieces to fit an 8-inch pie plate. Place one on the bottom and reserve the other for the top.

In a large saucepan on medium heat, sauté the carrots, onion, celery and pepper in oil until onions are translucent.
Add the cauliflower, peas, chickpeas, garlic and curry. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Pour mixture into crust and lay the reserved crust dough on top.

Bake 30-45 minutes or until golden brown.

Recipe from "The Garden of Vegan" by Tanya Barnard & Sarah Kramer

Enjoy!
Jenna :)