Tasty food

Tasty food - even if it doesn't look it...  

I wanted to share a few favorites that I have taken pictures of recently.  There are many other great things I have eaten and fixed but failed to take pictures. 

A Few Favorites

OH WAIT!  This isn't healthy!  These are the striped cookies that are a favorite of mine and get fixed for me every time I visit the inlaws.  One of the many reasons I'm proud to be an Arceneaux...

Oatmeal with apples and craisins.  The secret is to add the chopped apple and craisins to the oats and water before you cook it.  Then the apples cook down and the craisins get fat and juicy and it's like a delicious apple cobbler!  I start with old fashioned oats (or steel cut) and follow the directions on the package.  Add 1/2 chopped apple and craisins.  Microwave as directed.  I usually go a little longer so it's not runny.  Add chopped pecans or almonds and 1 TB chia seeds for added crunch.  Drizzle a little honey and a splash of vanilla soy creamer and OH MY DEAR...

This was a happy holiday find.  We got these in a gift basket.  The ingredients didn't sound so bad and since they were thin there weren't many calories.  We cut a banana and drizzled a little honey and OH MY DEAR again...

This was Christmas dinner.  Lima beans, corn, green beans, carrots, sweet potatoes and the not so healthy fried okra and sis schuberts yeast roll.  It was Christmas..   I find that my "go to" method for balanced meal consists of veggies, beans, potato or brown rice and fruit for dessert.  Then I know I have enough protein and the good nutrients.

This WAS a caesar salad from Christmas Eve.  What I liked about this was the dressing.  Delicious and EASY to make.  I got the recipe from the first Rich Roll cookbook (Jai seed cookbook).  It's available as an ebook from www.richroll.com.   Toss together:
3 tbsp Vegenaise
1/4 tsp Celtic sea salt
Juice of half a medium lemon
1/8 cup olive oil
black pepper
dash of cayenne pepper - optional

This was leftover night.  And it turned out to be yummy!  Leftover roasted veggies on the side and a bowl of quinoa, black eyed peas and green beans.  Got my protein grain (quinoa), beans and veggies!

This was my home made black bean hummus with a sprinkle of paprika.  Use it with pita triangles or veggies.  Recipe below.  I skipped the olives...uck!

Ingredients:

1 clove garlic 1 (15 ounce) can black beans; drain and reserve liquid 2 tablespoons lemon juice 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini

3/4 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 teaspoon paprika 10 Greek olives

Directions:

1.

Mince garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Add black beans, 2 tablespoons reserved liquid, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper; process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Add additional seasoning and liquid to taste. Garnish with paprika and Greek olives.

This turned out to be incredible!  I know it doesn't look it to most people BUT it was super tasty.  Cliff made it so I have to find out where he got the recipe if you want it.  It had sweet potatoes, sauteed kale, onions and garlic sauteed in veggie broth some some seasonings.

The great thing about not eating meat is that you don't have to PREPARE it!  You don't have to thaw it out in the microwave (because you forgot to put it out the night before in the fridge), you don't have to have a separate cutting board and be careful not to touch anything before washing your hands.  You don't have to wait for it to cook.  It's just so much easier.   You can sautee up anything in some veggie broth or chop and roast in the oven, add some quinoa or brown rice and you're done.  We cook up a bunch of quinoa or brown rice for the week to keep it simple.  I like to sautee up some broccoli and carrots, add some brown rice and a little teriyaki and toss in some nuts and I have chinese food packed with protein.  Now that I have been on the way a little longer I see that it's really not that hard or expensive and it doesn't take up that much time.  It's just a change in the lifestyle.  And change takes time.  It takes practice. 

We have been on this journey for longer than this blog.  We started several years ago and although some people convert and are all in, that wasn't us.  I feel like we are still learning.  We went through a phase just recently (and are still pulling out of it) where we were eating more "vegan" than "whole food plant based".  There are similarities and there is a difference.  Being vegan is more about what you don't eat.  Being WFPB is about what you DO it.  You can eat vegan and gain weight.  Vegan doesn't guarantee you are healthy.  Eating a WFPB diet does.  I'll probably talk more on that later but this blog is getting really long.  I hope you enjoy the options.  I will try to do better at keeping em coming!