Photography and Food

I hope you all had a great day! Today I got to do something that I have wanted to do for quite awhile. I love photography! I love capturing moments for all to see. I don't have a super fancy camera, but the one I have works great and today I got to take Ruby out to take photos of Bean's friend and her family. What an honor. I knew we would be out for awhile so I wanted a breakfast that was filling but quick and easy to make. I decided on Date Blender Bars. This recipe was inspired by one that I saw online butI have changed it quite a bit to work with what we had in the house.

Date Blender Bars

1 cup dates
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 sunflower seeds
1/4 peanut butter
2 tbs chia seeds
1 tsp vanilla

Blend in a high power blender or food processor. Pack down firmly in a baking dish. Chill for 30 minutes or more. We tried skipping the chilling part and my bars turned into a crumbly, tasty mess. The third pic is an un-chilled bar.



Normally, I add a scoop of vegan vanilla protein powder into our bars, but today I was rushing and forgot. Oh well, the bars we delicious, filling, and gave me the fuel I needed to photography Bean's friend and family. The family was so appreciative that they took Bean and I out for lunch. We ended up at our neighborhood Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a lovely lunch. Due to the cheese on the spinach enchiladas, mine was not vegan, but at least we stuck to a vegetarian meal for lunch. This will be my "cheat" for the week.

After a long morning, Bean was ready for a nap and I had some photo editing to work on, so we snuggled in bed until he fell asleep and then I worked next to him. Once he woke up it was time to start thinking about dinner. Dinner was a wonderful chickpea and cauliflower curry served over a bed of tri-colored quinoa mixed with basmati rice. Bean absolutely loved it and even had second! I thought it was really good but could have used a little more heat. I'm attaching screenshots of the recipe since it is a recipe from an app I use.






For how packed this day was, I was proud that I still managed to get a couple of healthy meals on the table. Tomorrow is Sunday so I will be taking a break from blogging, but will add any culinary adventures from tomorrow into the Monday blog.

Until next time, I wish you good eats and good health.

The Power of a Sunflower Seed

Well hello out there! I see that my blog is reaching at least a few people. I would love to see some feedback and find out who is following me :)

Life in our house has been interesting over the last few days because Sir Bean seems to think that he does not need naps. Ha! Let me tell you, he needs naps. My poor little guy was not thrilled about helping with meals today because he didn't sleep well last night and he his nap today was only 45 minutes long. I have to be honest that there was a moment of me wanting to say "forget this, lets go out," but I've been looking forward to tonights dinner and did not want to postpone making it. Plus, I feel a responsibility to my family and followers to make healthy choices even when I am tired and have to work.

When hubby woke me up this morning, we realized that we had slept in and I only had an hour before needing to leave for work. oh the panic! What can I make for breakfast? Lunch? Urg! Luckily, I had a little aquafaba French toast batter left so I was able to throw together French toast and fruit for breakfast. Phew...

Next challenge was lunch. I had some leftovers available but Bean was not really a fan of what we had left so I needed to come up with something else. Bean saw the peanut butter in the fridge and Mama quickly came up with an idea. Healthy peanut butter and jelly. The peanut butter that we use has one ingredient: organic roasted peanuts and the jelly is sweetened with fruit juice instead of sugar. I added added a drizzle of coconut oil and a sprinkle of flax seed to our sandwiches and call it a day. Bean had a side of kiwi and bananas with his lunch.



Once we got off work and I got Sir Bean settled, I started making dinner. On the menu tonight was Sunflower Seed Burgers served with Rutabaga fries and steam carrots. I also made a side salad with a beet puree topping and Italian dressing.

Lets talk about these Sunflower Seed burgers first. Did you know that sunflower seeds are high in protein, Vitamin E, Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Calicum, B Vitamins like thiamine, phosphorus, selenium, and more? I had no clue! I knew they a healthy snack but didn't realize how healthy. We will definitely be incorporating sunflower seed into more recipes. Ok, back to these burgers. I was curious to how they were going to come out and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. My only negative for this recipe is that they are a little dry. We remedied that by adding a little orangic ketchup before eating them.

This recipe has some prep to it, but once everything was in my handy dandy Ninja blender it went fast.

Sunflower Seed Burgers (https://www.buzzfeed.com/melissaboyajian/you-have-to-make-one-of-these-delicious-veggie-burgers-asap?utm_term=.spry4a53Z#.ltWLNZrvy)

1 cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1 cup cooked brown rice
½ teaspoon thyme
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons water
1 cup carrot, chopped
½ cup celery, chopped

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375˚F/190˚C.
In the bowl of a food processor, add sunflower seeds. Process until finely ground. Add onion, brown rice, thyme, salt, and water and process until combined. Add carrot and celery and pulse several times to combine.
Using a ½ cup measuring cup, portion 5 patties from the mixture. Place onto a lightly greased parchment-lined sheet pan.Bake for 30 minutes, or until firm and browned, flipping over halfway through.


Once those we it the oven, it was time to prep the rutabaga fries. I had no clue what rutabaga was until a friend in one of the Facebook groups I frequent mentioned that she made rutabaga fries. My curiosity was peaked and I started looking into recipes. I also looked into the nutritional value and was shocked to see that they are higher in potassium than bananas, higher in vitamin C than oranges, and a source for calcium.



I think the hardest part of this recipe was cutting the fries. Even with my mandolin slicer it was pretty difficult for me. Once it was cut up, I tossed the fries with 3 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, 1/2 Himalayan pink salt, and a 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. One coated, they went into the oven (425 degrees) for about 30 mins. I flipped them a few times to ensure proper cooking, but other than that I just let them be.

The last thing to prep was the salad. I used 1/2 cup of arugula/ spinach mix, added some shredded carrots and grape tomatoes and then a dollop of beet puree.




Tonight dinner was definitely a win! Everyone liked it and bonus that Bean and I have lunch tomorrow! I hope this inspires you to try a vegetable that you have never had before. I look forward to sharing a new recipe on Saturday. Our family goes on Family Date Night every Friday so my challenge for tomorrow is to find a cheap(ish) restaurant that will meet our dietary needs.

Until next time, I wish you good eats and good health.

Leftovers win

What a day! Bean was up bright and early this morning so we decided to make naked beet chips to take as our shared snack at Free Forest School. I don't know how I got so lucky, but this kiddo loves beets. When I told him we were making beet chips he got super excited and ran to the fridge. He watched as I used my mandolin slicer to making thin slices of beets and then helped me arrange the beets on a cookie sheet. We baked them for about 20 minutes and then let them crisp up as they cooled. Of course, Bean had to be my special taste tester.

We let them cool completely and then packed them up. I was disappointed that they were limp instead of crunchy when we got to Free Forest School but luckily the kiddos were forgiving and ate them anyway.




We didn't do anything special for breakfast today since we were on a time schedule. Mornings can be interesting in our house so there are days when oatmeal and coconut yogurt hit the table for breakfast.

I knew I needed to make a filling lunch because Bean and I were headed out to hike with Free Forest School. Since there was some leftover Chickpea Avocado Smash Salad, I decided we would do sandwiches again. Bean could hardly wait to dive into his lunch and was thrilled to see that I included blueberries and his own beet chips that he did not have to share.





I loved sitting out near the creek enjoying our healthy and delicious lunch. It was energizing and the perfect fuel to help us hike back to the car after lunch. My favorite moment, by far, was when a 4 year old wandered over to see what we were eating. I told him and he asked if we liked eating our sandwiches. I responded "yes" and he went back and told his Mom "if [Bean] is going to eat smash sanmiches, then I need to make them for me!" His Mom turned to me and laughed saying she could not believe he wanted to eat something other then Sunbutter and jelly sandwiches. I hope we were able to be a positive influence for this little guy!


As we went through the rest of our day and my sweet Bean decided to skip napping, I quickly realized that leftovers were going to win for dinner tonight. We usually reserve leftovers for the weekend, but this Mama was tiring out and we still had a 6pm swim class to get to. I am so proud of my family for just rolling with it. Bean was happy to finish the beet chips and had a little pesto pasta, I had pesto pasta and hubby finished off the Chickpea Avocado Smash Salad. There a days when leftover just have to win and I'm good with that. Everyone still ate healthy meals and that is more important to me than making sure there is something new each day.

Sorry there are no new recipes today. Until next time, I wish you good eats and good health.

From Aquafaba to Jamaica in 8 hours

Have you ever wondered if there was a use for the fluid that comes with canned chickpeas? Yeah, I hadn't either. Of course that all changed one day when I saw some people in a group I'm in talking about Aquafaba. Aqua what?? What the heck is Aquafaba?? I quickly found out that it was bean fluids and is commonly used as an egg replacement. Needless to say I was skeptical, but I saw their beautiful pictures of Aquafaba meringue cookies and was curious. So off I went searching for recipes and I came up with a recipe for French Toast that blew my mind! Again, I was skeptical until I took my first bite and then I was hooked. Oh and an added bonus, Bean loves Aquafaba French Toast. This leads me to recipe one for today.

Aquafaba French Toast by Vegan Mother Hubbard (veganmotherhubbard.net)

1/2 cup aquafaba
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
2 tbsp granulated sugar (I skipped the sugar)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
6-8 slices of bread (We used Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free bread)

For cooking instructions visit Vegan Mother Hubbard at veganmotherhubbard.net :)




Toddler and hubby tested and approved!

Our next stop on our culinary journey was India. Luckily, we didn't have to fly there. Bean and I headed to my Mom and Dad's house after Bean's music class and like a good Indian Mom, my wonderful Mom made sure we were fed. Rice, Daal (lentils) and veggies were in the fridge so a quick zap in the microwave (yeah yeah, I know microwaves are bad, but I have not taken the no microwaving step yet) and Bean and I were enjoying a simple but yummy lunch. I thought I would get more than I did. Little stinker ate his portion and a lot of mine too.


From India we quickly got home and away to Jamaica we went. Tonights dinner was Jamaican Rice and Beans (http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/jamaican_rice_and_peas/) served with fried plantains. This was a winner! Hubby spiced his portion us by eating the habanero pepper while Bean and I enjoyed the recipe without the heat. Don't get me wrong, we both like spicy food but I was not about to dive into a habanero pepper and 19 month old Bean was definitely not munching on one. It took Bean a little time to warm up to the rice and beans, but he eventually did with the help of some blueberries (yes, I bribed him to take a bite) and he definitely seemed to like the fried plantains.

So let talk about fried plantains. I had heard about them, seen posts by friends about them, and even considered trying them, but just never did. Then I got pregnant with Bean and bananas could not even be in the house. My dislike for bananas has gotten a little better, but I still can't stand the taste or smell. Plantains on the other hand only made me gag when I smelled them. Once they were fried up in some virgin coconut oil they were delicious! Crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside and full of wonderful flavor! They were a perfect compliment to the Jamaican Rice and Beans.



For dessert I whipped together a favorite in our house. What happens when you blend a can of chickpeas with 1/2 cup organic peanut butter, 1/3 cup of maple syrup, 1/4 salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, and a 1/3 cup of chocolate chips? You have Blondies! A protein packed dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth and is healthy. I throw all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips in my nifty Ninja blender, blend until is is smooth, pour it in a baking dish, and mix in the chocolate chips. Then bake at 350 degrees for 25 mins. The hardest part of this recipe is allowing them to cool a bit before diving in..lol!



Today's meals were a win and I felt good about what I served my family. I hope you are inspired to try one or all of these recipes. Let me know what you thing of them. Until next time, I wish you good eats and good health.

Chickpeas, Avocado, Pesto, Oh My!

Good Evening dear friends! I hope this day has treated you well! I am excited to be sharing our meals with you today. Our breakfast was pretty rushed as I had to work today. Bean had 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut milk yogurt and a bowl of blueberries, I had oatmeal, and hubby had cereal. The fun started at lunch! Last night I made a Mason Jar Salad for hubby. The recipe was based off my neighbors recipe that he shared in a video on her Facebook site Postpartum Transformation.

His lunch today was:

1/2 cup chickpeas (I used the leftover chickpeas from an avocado pasta salad I had made a few nights ago)
1/2 cup tri-colored Quinoa
1/2 cup shredded carrots
2 cups arugula/spinach blend



While his lunch looked yummy, I knew it would not be very toddler friendly so this morning I whipped up a Chickpea Avocado salad and made sandwiches for Bean and I.

Chickpea Avocado Smash Salad

1 can chickpeas (I try not to use canned, but I did plan well)
1/2 cup celery diced finely
1/2 cup red onion diced finely
1 avocado
1 clove garlic minced
1 tbs dry dill
salt and pepper

I used Canyon Bakehouse Gluten Free bread, added the salad, and had a healthy filling lunch for both Bean and I. Bean got grape tomatoes and blueberries along with his sandwich.



I was so happy to see that Bean enjoyed his lunch making this a Kid Tested, Mama Approved meal. The tomatoes were not his favorite, but hey, he ate the well otherwise. It was filling and full of flavor and definitely a meal I will be repeating.



Now on to dinner. Tonight we had a Basil Spinach Pesto Pasta with Cannelloni Bean inspired by Stuff with Bits in. She shared a picture of her Pesto pasta and I immediately knew that I wanted to try it out. Well, I made a few changes, made it my own and boy did I love it. Hubby on the other hand was lukewarm about. Bean is usually the tie breaker, but he fell asleep before eating dinner and has not woken up yet. He might be out for the night. This recipe was quick and easy to make, full of flavor and filling! I would definitely make it again, but probably not for the family since hubs didn't love it.

Basil Spinach Pesto

2 cups fresh basil
2 cups baby spinach
4 cloves garlic (yes, I like garlic)
3 tbs nutritional yeast
3 tbs sunflower seeds
1/4 cup olive oil
water as needed
salt and pepper to taste

I tossed this fragrant pesto to quinoa pasta and garnished it with sunflower seed.



Over all I will call today a win and plan on celebrating with a ramekin of Chocolate Avocado Pudding :)

Tomorrow our taste buds will be treated to a vegan twist on Jamaican Rice and beans. Until then, I wish you good eats and good health.

Charu

Welcome

Hi everyone! I would like to welcome you to my new blog and let you know a little about what has inspired me to start blogging again. I recently started a menumorphosis and have been been working hard to create healthy meals that taste delicious and are plant based. I am the Mama of a sweet 19 month old little boy who has an egg allergy and has reacted poorly to the small amount of dairy that he has had, so those item are not in his diet. I feel strongly about him being brought up knowing the health benefits to eating healthy foods vs high sugar, highly processed, high salt foods that is so readily available and almost pushed on children. I also want him to understand that eating animals is not necessary to be healthy. For a while I made his meals and our and then one day I realized that this was craziness. Why would I want all these great things for him, but not for my husband and I?? Why would I preach but not practice?? That is when the menumorphosis started. It has been a few weeks and I am already feeling the difference and seeing a change in my milk supply (yes, I am nursing my 19 month old).

Throughout the last few weeks, I have been posting our meals on Facebook but thought it would be fun to detail our menumorphosis in a blog where I can go more into detail about how things are going. I plan on sharing recipes and fun tips and tricks to vegan/plant based cooking. I hope that my blog will inspire you to try out recipes that I post and not be scared to offer healthy food to your little ones.

I look forward to seeing feedback from you and hope that you will feel comfortable sharing vegan recipes with me.

Happy cooking,

Charu